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A Biological Invasion
By Linda & Dmitry Cherkassky
Photo credit Scotty Lisenbe
There are aliens among us. (No, not from outer space). They sleep in our beds, rub against our legs, and often have something called ‘the zoomies’ upon exiting the litter box. They are bizarre and beguiling, but we love them anyway.
Felis catus, the domestic cat, is an alien or introduced invasive species. Domestic cats are not i...
Warbler Spring Migration
Article By Susan Reel-Panish
Black throated green warbler - Photo credit Dennis DiMarco
In a June 2018 article, on the National Audubon Society website, author Andrew Del-Colle describes a phenomenon sometimes known as a “Fall Out.” In this case, observers in Quebec, Canada saw hundreds of thousands of Warblers, and some other birds, migrating all at once, over the course of several hours. It seems that the birds wer...
Cheyenne—the oldest known Harris’s hawk in the world!
Article By Denise Hassinger, MSc., MPS
On January 1, 2023, Freedom Center for Wildlife, Inc. (FCW) lost a treasured soul. Her name was Cheyenne and she served as an animal ambassador for not only her species, but for all wildlife, for almost 38 years. She was the oldest Harris’s hawk in the world and I want to share her story with you.
Cheyenne hatched in the spring of 1985 at the Wor...
Join us at the 2022 Freedom Center for Wildlife Oktoberfest fundraiser!
Support a great cause while having fun, enjoying catering from Semplice Fine Foods, and meeting our animal ambassadors and team of volunteers!
Where:Dr. Brewlittle's Beer Co.108 E Main StreetMaple Shade, NJ 08052
When:October 8, 20226:00 to 9:00 p.m.
We will have FCW merchandise available for purchase and a silent auction. We will also be taking monetary donations. C...
Modern birds are descendants of probably three different dinosaur lineages. Those three lineages have evolved into 47 different orders as described by the International Ornithological Congress (IOC; Gill et al., 2021) although as genetic testing improves and increases in simplicity, this number may change. Of those 47 orders, only three contain bird species that show active learning of song (Figure 1). All bird species have innate calls that a...
While a lot of tick bites will not cause much trouble, some ticks can pass on bacteria that can make you very sick. Two of the most well-known diseases are Lyme (caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and B. mayonii), and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii). Other tick diseases found in the Mid-Atlantic region include: anaplasmosis, B. miyamotoi disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus disease and R. parkeri rickettsiosis. Depe...
Hello from Miami, Florida! I am busy pursuing my marine conservation studies at University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, but I wanted to take a quick moment to share some information about light pollution and how it affects wildlife. This information is from a virtual event hosted by Tropical Audubon Society in celebration of Miami Dark Sky Week 2021.
This article is a synthesis of all the information featured in this ...
Our area is hosting one of the great spectacles of nature…the return of “Brood X”, the cicadas. It’s a phenomenon that, depending on the species, only occurs every 13-17 years, but, for most, is memorable. Do you remember their last appearance in 2004? Magicicada, the genus including seven species of periodical cicadas, emerge from the ground after spending 12-16 years as juveniles sucking nutrients from tree roots and growing from the size of a small ant...
In late March, we celebrated the 36th birthday of our beloved Harris’s hawk, Cheyenne! Because pandemic restrictions were still in place, this was our first virtual event. We made some mistakes, but overall we accomplished what we set out to do-showing people our Animal Ambassadors and highlighting what The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds’ website states: our Cheyenne is the oldest known captive Harris’s hawk in North America! In fact, she may...
The past few months seems like one big blur. I close my eyes and try to remember what my life was like a few months ago back in March, before the pandemic was declared. I was teaching biology at Rutgers University—Camden. It was a typical semester. I was preparing for my trip to Patagonia over spring break. I have never been to South America so I was excited to experience some new culture, but more importantly to see the native wildlife. I was thrilled be...
