Author Archives: tech

COWBIRDS ARE NEST PARASITES Q. Do brown-headed cowbirds pick the nest of another bird to lay eggs in based on which kind of bird raised them as a nestling? In other words, if a cowbird is raised as a chick … Continued

WHAT IS THE RAREST ANIMAL IN THE WORLD? Q. I get different answers on the Internet when I ask what is the rarest animal in the world. What’s the correct answer? A. In the strictest sense, the answer to your … Continued

LICHENS ARE ALL OVER THE WORLD What am I going to do with these kids, I wondered. I had agreed to oversee an after-hours science club at a local elementary school to teach a bunch of third-graders about ecology. I … Continued

A PRETTY BIRD IS A BETTER BIRD Ornithologist Peter Stangel points out that male American goldfinches are “neon yellow and jet black when advertising to females, but more modest yellow-green the rest of the year.” He further notes that in … Continued

WHAT SNAKES LIVE AROUND YOUR HOUSE? Following are questions readers have asked about snakes in and around the house. They sometimes send photos to help with identification. Q. We’ve been trying to clean out the weir of our freshwater, man-made … Continued

SNAKES ARE COMING OUT ALL OVER Q. Our porch light is suspended by a chain from the ceiling. Last year, finches built a nest in the light fixture. A ratsnake climbed up the brick walls and got into it. Although … Continued

SQUIDS ARE DEEP SEA MYSTERIES Q. Someone told me that the body and arms of calamari, like you eat in a restaurant, can be more than 40 feet long. I’m not sure I believe my buddy or what I read … Continued

BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER Q. You wrote that blue whales are the largest mammals. What are the largest and smallest animals of other groups? What ecological problems do animals confront by being extremely big or extremely small? A. Body … Continued

BEE-EATERS ARE UNUSUAL BIRDS My friend Trip Lamb’s recent photographs from Africa reinforced for me the value of vicarious ecology, which I define as enjoying someone else’s outdoor experiences. Vicarious ecology offers ways to learn about the natural world that … Continued

THE WOODS ARE FULL OF WALLS A habitat in my yard is also in your neighborhood, as well as in downtown Honolulu, Iceland and all national parks. The habitat exists worldwide, and anyone has the option of checking it out … Continued