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Mule Deer
Mulies (colloquial) . Odocoileus hemionus (scientific)
Mule deer are found in almost every habitat west of the Missouri River. Look for them early in the morning or at dusk.
If you get a chance, try to spot a mule deer running. Instead of the typical run of other deer, mule deer bound in leaps and land on all four feet at once. This movement is called stotting.
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142 encounters
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Elk
Wapiti (alternative) . Cervus elaphus (scientific)
Local Native American tribes called them wapiti, but when European explorers came to America, they confused the wapiti with moose and gave them the European name for moose…elk.
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107 encounters
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Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias (scientific)
The great blue heron can be found all over North America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The farther north you are, the more likely they will be migratory summer residents. Look for them near ponds, shores and lakes.
When Wildlife Watching in Florida it is possible to see a great blue heron that isn't blue at all. A white morph (a color variety within a species) exists almost exclusively in Florida and can be easily confused with a great egret.
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103 encounters
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White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus (scientific) . Whitetail (alternative) . Virginia Deer (alternative)
Look for white-tailed deer throughout the continental U.S. in a range of woody and grass habitats.
White-tailed deer eat a lot! They love to eat the leaves on young trees and shrubs, and have no problem gnawing on plants in your garden or yard.
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95 encounters
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Osprey
Pandion haliaetus (scientific)
After years of decline, osprey populations are rebounding with the help of river cleanup projects, pollution controls and the construction of tall manmade platforms that ospreys utilize to build safe and secure nests.
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86 encounters
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Red Fox
Fox (colloquial) . Vulpes vulpes (scientific)
Red foxes have excellent hearing. They can hear low-frequency sounds and rodents digging underground.
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76 encounters
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American Robin
Turdus migratorius (scientific)
American robins live in woodlands, suburban backyards, parks and grasslands with shrubs. Robins can be found year round in the continental U.S. and some migrate north to spend summers in Alaska.
American robins have light blue eggs that inspired the 'robin egg blue' crayon and paint colors! If you see a robin's nest, make sure not to disturb the eggs, and admire their interesting color from a distance.
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74 encounters
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Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus (scientific)
Bald eagles call the entire North American continent above Mexico their range. But, you are most likely to see an eagle near a large body of water with nearby old growth forests. The largest populations are in Alaska during the late fall and the Mississippi Valley in the winter.
The bald eagle is the national symbol of the United States, but if Benjamin Franklin had his way, it would have been the turkey. He thought the turkey was a more 'respectable bird' because it never scavenged or stole food from other birds
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74 encounters
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Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura (scientific)
Turkey vultures are great scavengers, because they have one of the strongest noses of all birds. Their sense of smell can locate dead animals, even as small as rodents, while in flight above a forest.
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61 encounters
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Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis (scientific)
New York Citys Pale Male and Lola are the worlds most famous red-tailed hawks. They nest on the 12th floor of a Fifth Avenue apartment building overlooking Central Park and are regularly seen by Wildlife Watchers, much to the dismay of local rodents and
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56 encounters
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Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura (scientific)
Mourning doves are found in cities, suburban neighborhoods, fields and farmlands throughout the continental United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They do not live in Hawaii or Alaska.
Male and female mourning doves split parenting duties and they both watch after the eggs. They also produce crop milk, a nutritious food for infant birds. Crop milk is created by pigeons and doves in their crop, an organ that stores food before digestion.
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55 encounters
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Coyote
Canis latrans (scientific)
As coyotes have been expanding their range, they have been found in some unexpected places. Two coyotes have been caught in Central Park, NY over the last ten years and several coyotes currently live in Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC.
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54 encounters
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American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis (scientific)
Look for American alligators in the coastal swamps and marshes of the Southeast.
Although American alligators are hard to miss while basking on the shore, they can look eerily like logs when floating in a marsh.
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42 encounters
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