Global Wildlife Conservation Center

Thanks to everyone who view/commented yesterday! The featured bird was a Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis). While they are known by several other names, including whiskey jacks or camp robbers, the American Ornithological Society officially changed the common name from Gray Jay to Canada Jay in 2018. Whatever you decide to call them, they were common visitors at bobcat hair snare site to grab a quick meal! Did you know Canada jays actually nest in late winter?! Unlike most b...oreal birds, who wait until May-June when conditions are more favorable, Canada Jays begin nesting as early as March! Keep learning @ allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Jay/overview https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/canada-jay

Remote Photo Friday! Who knows what bird species was caught on camera taking a short snooze? This camera was part of a population estimate survey for bobcats on Michigan Predator Prey Project. Bobcat hair snare sites were designed to collect hair samples from bobcats as they walk through a modified snare (locking mechanism replaced by paperclip). To attract bobcats the center of the site was baited with beaver/deer carcass (what the bird in the photo is perched on) and lure. Hair samples were collected on weekly basis and sent to a lab for genetic analysis.

Our research paper characterizing cause-specific mortality of black bears (Ursus americanus) throughout their range was one of the Top 100 downloaded ecology papers for Scientific Reports in 2020! Read the open access article @ https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65290-9... Gantchoff, M.G., J.E. Hill, K.F. Kellner, N.L. Fowler, T.R. Petroelje, L. Conlee, D.E. Beyer Jr., and J.L. Belant. 2020. Mortality of a large wide-ranging mammal largely caused by anthropogenic activities. Scientific Reports 10:8498.

Maps on Monday! Arctic animal species, such as caribou, are profoundly impacted through changes in food availability, interspecfic competition, and increased human disturbances. This map shows the adaptation of parturition times of caribou by population. Dr. Belant collaborated with over 140 different scientists from a variety of disciplines across the globe to develop an open-source data archive, Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA). The AAMA is a growing collection of more... than 200 standardized terrestrial and marine animal tracking studies. Read the full article published last year in Science @ http://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb7080

Yesterday's featured mammal was a northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)! Despite their name, northern flying squirrels don't actually fly, but rather glide using a patagium (extended fold of skin between foreleg and hindleg). They are found in coniferous, deciduous, or mixed forests ranging from Alaska and Canada in the north to N California and Colorado in the west to Michigan and Wisconsin in the central and North Carolina and Tennessee in the east. Despite their f...luffy appearance, northern flying squirrels are rather small, weighing avg. 75-140g. To put that in perspective, an iPhone X weighs 174g! Keep learning @ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Glaucomys_sabrinus/ Bonus question answer: Michigan has 9 different species of squirrels! Learn more @ https://www.michigan.gov//0,4570,7-350-79135_79218_79619-4