Pennsylvania Bats White Nose Syndrome
What is white-nose syndrome?
First documented in New York in the winter of 2006-07, white-nose syndrome refers to a white fungus on the noses of many affected bats. The fungus may be a symptom and not the cause of the mortality observed to date. Bats affected with WNS do not always have the fungus, but may display abnormal behaviors (see below). It is unclear at this point if or how WNS is transmitted.
Where has it been observed?
Biologists and/or cavers have documented WNS in at least 26 bat hibernacula (caves and mines where bats overwinter) in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The number of affected sites identified
may increase as additional sites are surveyed.
What are signs of WNS?
Bats are losing their fat reserves (needed to survive hibernation) long before the winter is over, and they aredying. As the winter continues, we anticipate finding larger numbers of dead bats in the affected locations.
WNS may be associated with some or all of the following observations:
bats with white fungus, especially on the nose, but also on the wings, ears and/or tail; bats flying outside during the day in the winter in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. For states farther south, bats flying outside during the day in temperatures at or below freezing; bats clustered near the entrance of the hibernaculum or in areas not normally identified as winter roostsites; and/or dead or dying bats on the ground or on buildings, trees or other structures. WNS is not the only cause of white fungus on hibernating bats. If you see a bat with a white fungus, but you are not in a known affected area and none of
the other signs of WNS are observed, then it may not be WNS.
What should you do if you find dead or dying bats, or observe signs of WNS?
Contact your state wildlife agency, e-mail us at WhiteNoseBats@fws. gov or contact your nearest Service
field office at http://www.fws.gov/ northeast/offices.html to report your potential WNS observations.
Photograph the potentially affected bats (including close-up shots if possible) and send the photograph and a report to the contacts above. If you need to dispose of a dead bat found on your property, pick it up with a plastic bag over your hand. Place both the bat and the bag into another plastic bag, close it securely, and dispose of it with your garbage. Wash your hands – and any clothing that comes into contact with the bat – thoroughly.
If you see a band on the wing of a bat, please contact your state wildlife agency or your nearest Service field
office.
What species of bats are affected?
Eastern pipistrelle, little brown, northern long-eared, state-listed small-footed, and federally endangered
Indiana bats have been found with WNS. Big brown bats are typically found in lower numbers in the affected
sites, and have not been found with the symptoms to date.
What are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state agencies doing to address WNS?
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation, with the assistance of multiple laboratories throughout the country, is spearheading an investigation into the source and possible spread of WNS. The Service and state agencies in the Northeast are collecting survey data to document and track potentially affected sites. The Service is working with the caving community and local cave owners to target potential sites for additional surveys and implement protective measures. In addition, the Service is maintaining a Web page as a central repository for up-to-date information and links to relevant Web sites.
What should cavers know and do?
The Service and the states request that cavers observe all cave closures and advisories and avoid caves or passages of caves containing hibernating bats. The Service discourages cavers from systematically searching for bats with WNS. We have recommended precautions at http://www.fws.gov/ northeast/whitenosemessage.html to prevent the possible spread of WNS. Local and national cave groups have also posted information and cave
advisories on their Web sites.
Does the white-nose syndrome pose a risk to human health?
WNS is in caves and mines that have been visited by thousands of people during the past two years, yet there
have been no reported illnesses attributable to WNS. However, because we are still learning about WNS, we do not know if there is a risk to human from contact with bats affected with WNS, and we cannot advise you about human health risk. As a precaution, the Service encourages the use of personal protective equipment when entering caves or handling bats in the Northeast.
If you’ve seen any of the following:
*Bats that are dying or dead in groups of 5 or more
*Bats with a white fungus on their face or wings
*Missing or greatly-reduced summer bat colonies
Contact your nearest service field office- http://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/ListOffices.cfm?statecode=42
If you see any Illegal Hunting is the state of Pa. please program the Turn-in-a-Poacher number in your cell phone and call: 1-800-742-8001.
First documented in New York in the winter of 2006-07, white-nose syndrome refers to a white fungus on the noses of many affected bats. The fungus may be a symptom and not the cause of the mortality observed to date. Bats affected with WNS do not always have the fungus, but may display abnormal behaviors (see below). It is unclear at this point if or how WNS is transmitted.
Where has it been observed?
Biologists and/or cavers have documented WNS in at least 26 bat hibernacula (caves and mines where bats overwinter) in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The number of affected sites identified
may increase as additional sites are surveyed.
What are signs of WNS?
Bats are losing their fat reserves (needed to survive hibernation) long before the winter is over, and they aredying. As the winter continues, we anticipate finding larger numbers of dead bats in the affected locations.
WNS may be associated with some or all of the following observations:
bats with white fungus, especially on the nose, but also on the wings, ears and/or tail; bats flying outside during the day in the winter in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. For states farther south, bats flying outside during the day in temperatures at or below freezing; bats clustered near the entrance of the hibernaculum or in areas not normally identified as winter roostsites; and/or dead or dying bats on the ground or on buildings, trees or other structures. WNS is not the only cause of white fungus on hibernating bats. If you see a bat with a white fungus, but you are not in a known affected area and none of
the other signs of WNS are observed, then it may not be WNS.
What should you do if you find dead or dying bats, or observe signs of WNS?
Contact your state wildlife agency, e-mail us at WhiteNoseBats@fws. gov or contact your nearest Service
field office at http://www.fws.gov/ northeast/offices.html to report your potential WNS observations.
Photograph the potentially affected bats (including close-up shots if possible) and send the photograph and a report to the contacts above. If you need to dispose of a dead bat found on your property, pick it up with a plastic bag over your hand. Place both the bat and the bag into another plastic bag, close it securely, and dispose of it with your garbage. Wash your hands – and any clothing that comes into contact with the bat – thoroughly.
If you see a band on the wing of a bat, please contact your state wildlife agency or your nearest Service field
office.
What species of bats are affected?
Eastern pipistrelle, little brown, northern long-eared, state-listed small-footed, and federally endangered
Indiana bats have been found with WNS. Big brown bats are typically found in lower numbers in the affected
sites, and have not been found with the symptoms to date.
What are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state agencies doing to address WNS?
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation, with the assistance of multiple laboratories throughout the country, is spearheading an investigation into the source and possible spread of WNS. The Service and state agencies in the Northeast are collecting survey data to document and track potentially affected sites. The Service is working with the caving community and local cave owners to target potential sites for additional surveys and implement protective measures. In addition, the Service is maintaining a Web page as a central repository for up-to-date information and links to relevant Web sites.
What should cavers know and do?
The Service and the states request that cavers observe all cave closures and advisories and avoid caves or passages of caves containing hibernating bats. The Service discourages cavers from systematically searching for bats with WNS. We have recommended precautions at http://www.fws.gov/ northeast/whitenosemessage.html to prevent the possible spread of WNS. Local and national cave groups have also posted information and cave
advisories on their Web sites.
Does the white-nose syndrome pose a risk to human health?
WNS is in caves and mines that have been visited by thousands of people during the past two years, yet there
have been no reported illnesses attributable to WNS. However, because we are still learning about WNS, we do not know if there is a risk to human from contact with bats affected with WNS, and we cannot advise you about human health risk. As a precaution, the Service encourages the use of personal protective equipment when entering caves or handling bats in the Northeast.
If you’ve seen any of the following:
*Bats that are dying or dead in groups of 5 or more
*Bats with a white fungus on their face or wings
*Missing or greatly-reduced summer bat colonies
Contact your nearest service field office- http://www.fws.gov/offices/Directory/ListOffices.cfm?statecode=42
If you see any Illegal Hunting is the state of Pa. please program the Turn-in-a-Poacher number in your cell phone and call: 1-800-742-8001.
Dickcissel
CURRENT STATUS: In Pennsylvania, endangered; nationally, no special protection. POPULATION TREND: Dickcissels (Spiza americana) were considered locally common to abundant in nineteenth-century accounts of southeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania. Famous ornithologists like Wilson and Audubon wrote about their local abundance in the Philadelphia area in the early 1800’s. Now they are irregular rare visitors in all seasons in Pennsylvania. Some years they invade Pennsylvania, appearing in widely scattered locations, especially in recently reclaimed strip mines. Other years, they’re mysteriously absent. They have been reported widely across western and southern Pennsylvania. Summer records have come from more than 23 counties since 1960. Most locations are occupied for only one year. The bird was considered extirpated as a nesting species until 1983, when a pair was found nesting in a Clarion County reclaimed strip mine. In the early 1990s, it was reported nesting regularly in Franklin and Adams counties. In 1999, the dickcissel was added to the threatened species list because a regular population was documented. In 2005, it was changed to Endangered because of its rarity in the state as a breeding species.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Dickcissels are six to seven inches tall; wing span, nine to 11 inches. Dickcissels have a grayish-brown back with dark streaks, yellow breast (very light on females), white throat with a large black bib, and a wide yellowish line over the eye. Mature males are more distinctively marked than females; they resemble a "little meadowlark." Female or immature dickcissels closely resemble house sparrows. The male dickcissel has a loud and distinctive song that gave this species its name: see-see-dick-dick-siss-siss-siss. They often perch at a high point in order to project their song, so they can be easily detected by observers.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: This is a characteristic bird of old fields and prairie. Dickcissels breed primarily in Canada from Saskatchewan south to Texas and east to Georgia and the Appalachian region. They winter from Mexico to South America, and in the East, locally in small numbers to New England. Dickcissel nests are a bulky cup of grass concealed on the ground, or in trees and shrubs. Eggs are light blue and typically in clutches of four. Eggs hatch in 12 days; young leave the nest in about a week.
PREFERRED HABITAT: During migration, dickcissels may be found in grassy fields, but most often at bird feeding stations. During the breeding season, they inhabit large grassy fields such as hayfields or strip mines recently reclaimed with grass. In winter, dickcissels are found at bird feeding stations near shrubs, thickets or hedgerows. They are particularly fond of alfalfa fields.
REASONS FOR BEING ENDANGERED: Like other grassland nesters, the dickcissel has probably been impacted by development, intensified agricultural practices and other changes in rural America. However, the bird’s history of extremely erratic nesting behavior – invading areas one year and disappearing from them the next – complicates attempts to ascertain its status. Some locations are occupied in consecutive years.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Dickcissels are six to seven inches tall; wing span, nine to 11 inches. Dickcissels have a grayish-brown back with dark streaks, yellow breast (very light on females), white throat with a large black bib, and a wide yellowish line over the eye. Mature males are more distinctively marked than females; they resemble a "little meadowlark." Female or immature dickcissels closely resemble house sparrows. The male dickcissel has a loud and distinctive song that gave this species its name: see-see-dick-dick-siss-siss-siss. They often perch at a high point in order to project their song, so they can be easily detected by observers.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: This is a characteristic bird of old fields and prairie. Dickcissels breed primarily in Canada from Saskatchewan south to Texas and east to Georgia and the Appalachian region. They winter from Mexico to South America, and in the East, locally in small numbers to New England. Dickcissel nests are a bulky cup of grass concealed on the ground, or in trees and shrubs. Eggs are light blue and typically in clutches of four. Eggs hatch in 12 days; young leave the nest in about a week.
PREFERRED HABITAT: During migration, dickcissels may be found in grassy fields, but most often at bird feeding stations. During the breeding season, they inhabit large grassy fields such as hayfields or strip mines recently reclaimed with grass. In winter, dickcissels are found at bird feeding stations near shrubs, thickets or hedgerows. They are particularly fond of alfalfa fields.
REASONS FOR BEING ENDANGERED: Like other grassland nesters, the dickcissel has probably been impacted by development, intensified agricultural practices and other changes in rural America. However, the bird’s history of extremely erratic nesting behavior – invading areas one year and disappearing from them the next – complicates attempts to ascertain its status. Some locations are occupied in consecutive years.
Black Tern
CURRENT STATUS: Pennsylvania, endangered; Migratory Bird of Management Concern in the Northeast POPULATION TREND: Black terns (Childonias Niger) have declined in numbers both during migration and at the few nesting sites known in Pennsylvania. The breed annually only in Crawford County and have nested in recent years at Presque Isle State Park in Erie County. Black terns have been a species of concern in North America because of continent-wide population declines, particularly since the 1960s. Currently the species is listed as threatened or endangered in six states and is considered of conservation concern in 18 other states and provinces. Breeding bird surveys show black terns declined significantly in North America at an average rate of about three percent annually (61 percent overall) from 1966 to 1996. These declines largely reflect trends prior to 1980, and trends in the Prairie Potholes were reversed in the 1990s. The North American population recently has leveled off or increased slightly. The species still occupies most of its former range, and the continent-wide breeding population probably still numbers in the low to mid hundreds of thousands. The black tern was listed as a threatened species since 1985; it was designated an endangered species in 1990.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Terns are slender, graceful fliers with long pointed wings. They are often associated with coastal environments, but the black tern is found inland. During the breeding season this bird is relatively easy to identify because it is the only all-black tern. In the fall, juveniles and molting adults have black and white mottled plumages. Flashing light underwing linings make the black tern especially conspicuous in flight.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: Black terns nest across the northern United States and southern Canada, and winter in South America. They are regularly seen migrating through Pennsylvania, appearing in April and May, and then again in August. Nonbreeding adults can be found here in the summers, but Pennsylvania’s northwest corner is the only place in the state where they nest. This area represents the southeast extreme in the species’ breeding range. These terns build fragile cup-shaped nests in reeds or on floating masses of dead plants, just above the water. A typical clutch consists of three olive or buff-brown marked eggs. Young hatch in three weeks, and first fly at three or four weeks of age. Black terns are primarily insectivorous, snatching up insects in flight. They also eat small fish and crustaceans which they pluck from the water surface.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Black terns leave coastal areas behind and come inland to nest in prairies and in the more extensive deep-water marshes or marsh complexes with extensive cattail beds. Winter finds them back along the coast, often with other terns.
REASONS FOR BEING ENDANGERED: As black tern nesting colonies here are small and localized, they are extremely susceptible to both man-caused and natural disasters. In addition, the number of black terns nesting here has been declining over recent years. The main causes of population declines in North America appear to be habitat loss and degradation on the breeding grounds, although introduced species, human disturbance, and contaminants may be contributing factors. Since the 1950s, the freshwater emergent wetlands upon which the species depends for breeding have declined by 25 percent. Very little is known, however, about threats to the Black Tern during migration and winter, which account for eight to nine months of the species' annual cycle.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Terns are slender, graceful fliers with long pointed wings. They are often associated with coastal environments, but the black tern is found inland. During the breeding season this bird is relatively easy to identify because it is the only all-black tern. In the fall, juveniles and molting adults have black and white mottled plumages. Flashing light underwing linings make the black tern especially conspicuous in flight.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: Black terns nest across the northern United States and southern Canada, and winter in South America. They are regularly seen migrating through Pennsylvania, appearing in April and May, and then again in August. Nonbreeding adults can be found here in the summers, but Pennsylvania’s northwest corner is the only place in the state where they nest. This area represents the southeast extreme in the species’ breeding range. These terns build fragile cup-shaped nests in reeds or on floating masses of dead plants, just above the water. A typical clutch consists of three olive or buff-brown marked eggs. Young hatch in three weeks, and first fly at three or four weeks of age. Black terns are primarily insectivorous, snatching up insects in flight. They also eat small fish and crustaceans which they pluck from the water surface.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Black terns leave coastal areas behind and come inland to nest in prairies and in the more extensive deep-water marshes or marsh complexes with extensive cattail beds. Winter finds them back along the coast, often with other terns.
REASONS FOR BEING ENDANGERED: As black tern nesting colonies here are small and localized, they are extremely susceptible to both man-caused and natural disasters. In addition, the number of black terns nesting here has been declining over recent years. The main causes of population declines in North America appear to be habitat loss and degradation on the breeding grounds, although introduced species, human disturbance, and contaminants may be contributing factors. Since the 1950s, the freshwater emergent wetlands upon which the species depends for breeding have declined by 25 percent. Very little is known, however, about threats to the Black Tern during migration and winter, which account for eight to nine months of the species' annual cycle.
Osprey
CURRENT STATUS: In Pennsylvania, threatened; nationally, no special protection. POPULATION TREND: Pennsylvania’s nesting osprey (Pandion Haliaetus) population has been on the rise in recent years. As recently as 1986, the state had one known nesting pair of ospreys. As of 2004, at least 65 pairs of ospreys nest were documented in 17 counties in the state. Due to budget cuts, osprey nest monitoring was discontinued in 2005 and 2006. The osprey was listed as extirpated in Pennsylvania in 1979. Reintroduction attempts in the Poconos prompted a reclassification as endangered. Ospreys were downlisted from endangered to threatened in 1998.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Ospreys are large, striking, fish-eating birds of prey most often seen around water. They may exceed 24 inches in length and sport wingspans approaching six feet. Also referred to as "fish hawks," ospreys are dark brown above, bright white below, with some brown streaking on the breast. Key identification characteristics are the prominent dark eye stripes, black patches at the crooks of bent wings, and a characteristic silhouette.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: The osprey is one of the world’s most widely distributed birds. They are found along seacoasts and major waterways on every continent except Antarctica. They prey almost exclusively on fish. Ospreys nest in colonies and singly. Their stick nests are large and usually built near water. A breeding pair adds to the nest every year it’s occupied. They usually nest in large trees, but they may be found nesting on channel markers, telephone poles, chimneys and manmade platforms built specifically for their use. Usually three eggs are laid.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Ospreys prefer lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes bordered by trees. They require open water containing adequate fishing opportunities. In recent years, ospreys have produced young near lakes and rivers across most of the state. During spring and summer, nonbreeding subadults can be found throughout the state. The world’s largest nesting population of ospreys – approaching 2,000 pairs – occurs in the Chesapeake Bay area each spring. Osprey pairs typically return to Pennsylvania in late March to early April to nest.
REASONS FOR BEING THREATENED: In the early 1900s ospreys nested along the state’s larger waterways, but habitat destruction and water pollution made these areas unsuitable. Shootings also seem to have played some role in the bird’s decline. Osprey populations were further decimated through the effects of insecticides such as DDT on their reproductive capabilities. Use of DDT in the late 1940s unleashed what would become a slow, steady stranglehold on ospreys and other birds of prey. By eating contaminated prey, the birds ingested the insecticide that, in turn, induced them to lay eggs with extremely thin shells – shells often so fragile, they broke when sat upon. Unable to reproduce, ospreys, which historically were never found in large numbers here, soon disappeared.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Ospreys are large, striking, fish-eating birds of prey most often seen around water. They may exceed 24 inches in length and sport wingspans approaching six feet. Also referred to as "fish hawks," ospreys are dark brown above, bright white below, with some brown streaking on the breast. Key identification characteristics are the prominent dark eye stripes, black patches at the crooks of bent wings, and a characteristic silhouette.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: The osprey is one of the world’s most widely distributed birds. They are found along seacoasts and major waterways on every continent except Antarctica. They prey almost exclusively on fish. Ospreys nest in colonies and singly. Their stick nests are large and usually built near water. A breeding pair adds to the nest every year it’s occupied. They usually nest in large trees, but they may be found nesting on channel markers, telephone poles, chimneys and manmade platforms built specifically for their use. Usually three eggs are laid.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Ospreys prefer lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes bordered by trees. They require open water containing adequate fishing opportunities. In recent years, ospreys have produced young near lakes and rivers across most of the state. During spring and summer, nonbreeding subadults can be found throughout the state. The world’s largest nesting population of ospreys – approaching 2,000 pairs – occurs in the Chesapeake Bay area each spring. Osprey pairs typically return to Pennsylvania in late March to early April to nest.
REASONS FOR BEING THREATENED: In the early 1900s ospreys nested along the state’s larger waterways, but habitat destruction and water pollution made these areas unsuitable. Shootings also seem to have played some role in the bird’s decline. Osprey populations were further decimated through the effects of insecticides such as DDT on their reproductive capabilities. Use of DDT in the late 1940s unleashed what would become a slow, steady stranglehold on ospreys and other birds of prey. By eating contaminated prey, the birds ingested the insecticide that, in turn, induced them to lay eggs with extremely thin shells – shells often so fragile, they broke when sat upon. Unable to reproduce, ospreys, which historically were never found in large numbers here, soon disappeared.
Short-Eared Owl
Current Status: In Pennsylvania, endangered; Migratory Bird of Management Concern in the Northeast. POPULATION TREND: Short-eared owls (Asio Flammeus) may be found regularly during winter throughout the state, but numbers vary from year to year. They have recently been found nesting on reclaimed strip-mines in western Pennsylvania, from Clarion and Venango counties south to Allegheny County. But nest sites are rarely documented to be active for more than a few years in succession. The bird was designated endangered in 1985’s Species of Special Concern in Pennsylvania, published by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey. Its status hasn’t changed since then.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: The short-eared owl received its name from its lack of "ear" tufts. It’s about the size of a crow, 13 to 17 inches high, and has a 38- to 44-inch wingspan. Color is variable, from light to dark brown. The dark patches on the undersides of its wings, and large buff-colored patches on the upper sides are very distinctive. There are also dark patches around the eyes.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: Short-eared owls are birds of open country. They may be found in Pennsylvania throughout the year. They nest on the ground, sometimes in colonial groups. The nest is a slight depression, sparsely lined with grass and feathers, often at the base of a clump of weeds or grasses. A normal clutch consists of four to seven white eggs. Young hatch about three weeks after egg laying, and are able to fly in about a month. Unlike most other owls, the short-eared is active at dusk, dawn and – at times – even in midday; therefore, they are seen more often than other owl species.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Short-ears inhabit reclaimed strip mines, open, uncut grassy fields, large meadows, airports and occasionally, marshland. In agricultural areas they are attracted to Conservation Reserve Program fields and other areas with tall winter grass. Short-eared owls are more likely to be encountered here in the winter when several may be seen together, hovering or flying low and in circles over agricultural fields in search of their main prey, meadow mice.
REASONS FOR BEING ENDANGERED: Suitable nesting habitat for the short-eared owl is extremely limited in Pennsylvania, and intensive agricultural practices make many potential habitats unsuitable.
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: The short-eared owl received its name from its lack of "ear" tufts. It’s about the size of a crow, 13 to 17 inches high, and has a 38- to 44-inch wingspan. Color is variable, from light to dark brown. The dark patches on the undersides of its wings, and large buff-colored patches on the upper sides are very distinctive. There are also dark patches around the eyes.
BIOLOGY-NATURAL HISTORY: Short-eared owls are birds of open country. They may be found in Pennsylvania throughout the year. They nest on the ground, sometimes in colonial groups. The nest is a slight depression, sparsely lined with grass and feathers, often at the base of a clump of weeds or grasses. A normal clutch consists of four to seven white eggs. Young hatch about three weeks after egg laying, and are able to fly in about a month. Unlike most other owls, the short-eared is active at dusk, dawn and – at times – even in midday; therefore, they are seen more often than other owl species.
PREFERRED HABITAT: Short-ears inhabit reclaimed strip mines, open, uncut grassy fields, large meadows, airports and occasionally, marshland. In agricultural areas they are attracted to Conservation Reserve Program fields and other areas with tall winter grass. Short-eared owls are more likely to be encountered here in the winter when several may be seen together, hovering or flying low and in circles over agricultural fields in search of their main prey, meadow mice.
REASONS FOR BEING ENDANGERED: Suitable nesting habitat for the short-eared owl is extremely limited in Pennsylvania, and intensive agricultural practices make many potential habitats unsuitable.
Peregrine Falcon
Current Status: In Pennsylvania, endangered; nationally, removed from list August 1999. Population Trend: Pennsylvania’s peregrine falcon population has been slowly building since the early 1990s. The increase is a direct result of peregrine hacking/reintroduction efforts in Pennsylvania and other states. Hacking is placing young birds in a rooftop or elevated enclosure for several weeks until they’re ready to fledge, or fly from the nest. At that time the enclosure is opened, and the birds come and go as they please. Eventually they leave, but some will return to hacking areas to nest in subsequent years. Pennsylvania’s nesting population numbers about a dozen pairs. All recent nests have been on buildings and bridges in urban settings. Peregrines remain an endangered species in the commonwealth. Nationally, however, peregrines were recently removed from the federal Endangered Species List. National delisting was a direct result of the bird’s dramatic recovery across the country.
Identifying Characteristics: A 15- to 22-inch falcon, adults have dark-bluish gray upperparts and wings. Underparts are whitish to buffy colored, broken by horizontal bars. Birds up to two years old are marked with dark brown, rather than gray, on their wings and back. The head has a nearly black "helmet." Like all falcons, the peregrine has long pointed wings and rapid, steady wing beats in flight.
Biology-Natural History: The peregrine falcon was listed as endangered in 1984. Records indicate the bird did not nest in Pennsylvania from about 1959 to 1987. The native breeding population of peregrines in the eastern United States was wiped out by the mid 1960s, primarily due to effects of DDT. It was estimated to number about 350 nesting pairs in the early 1900s. The true eastern peregrine falcon is extinct. A new population was established from captive-bred birds reintroduced by the Peregrine Fund. The largest concentration of nesting peregrines in the East is currently along the Hudson River where pairs nest on bridges and buildings in the metropolitan New York City area, and on towers and buildings along the New Jersey coast. The East’s reestablished peregrine population is believed to be self-sustaining. Pennsylvania’s largest nesting concentrations are on the bridges spanning the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers in Buck County and Philadelphia.
The peregrine nests in many parts of the world. They feed primarily on other birds, typically by striking them in flight. A clutch of four eggs is normally laid, and the birds may remain in Pennsylvania the year round. Click here to observe activities at a peregrine falcon nest on the Rachel Carson Building, which houses the state departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources, in downtown Harrisburg.
Preferred Habitat: Historically, peregrine falcons nested on high cliffs overlooking river systems. Records indicate peregrines once nested at 44 sites in at least 21 counties. Today, peregrines are more apt to be found nesting on high bridges and tall buildings within cities. As a result, they frequently feed on pigeons and other urban birds. After an absence of nearly three decades, the return of breeding peregrines to Pennsylvania was first documented on bridges spanning the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers in the Philadelphia area. In 1990, a pair began nesting in Pittsburgh.
Reasons For Being Endangered: By 1961, peregrines were no longer found in Pennsylvania. Their decline and extirpation has been attributed to egg collecting and shooting, but chiefly to pesticides – particularly DDT (See osprey entry for addition information on how DDT affected some birds).
Identifying Characteristics: A 15- to 22-inch falcon, adults have dark-bluish gray upperparts and wings. Underparts are whitish to buffy colored, broken by horizontal bars. Birds up to two years old are marked with dark brown, rather than gray, on their wings and back. The head has a nearly black "helmet." Like all falcons, the peregrine has long pointed wings and rapid, steady wing beats in flight.
Biology-Natural History: The peregrine falcon was listed as endangered in 1984. Records indicate the bird did not nest in Pennsylvania from about 1959 to 1987. The native breeding population of peregrines in the eastern United States was wiped out by the mid 1960s, primarily due to effects of DDT. It was estimated to number about 350 nesting pairs in the early 1900s. The true eastern peregrine falcon is extinct. A new population was established from captive-bred birds reintroduced by the Peregrine Fund. The largest concentration of nesting peregrines in the East is currently along the Hudson River where pairs nest on bridges and buildings in the metropolitan New York City area, and on towers and buildings along the New Jersey coast. The East’s reestablished peregrine population is believed to be self-sustaining. Pennsylvania’s largest nesting concentrations are on the bridges spanning the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers in Buck County and Philadelphia.
The peregrine nests in many parts of the world. They feed primarily on other birds, typically by striking them in flight. A clutch of four eggs is normally laid, and the birds may remain in Pennsylvania the year round. Click here to observe activities at a peregrine falcon nest on the Rachel Carson Building, which houses the state departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources, in downtown Harrisburg.
Preferred Habitat: Historically, peregrine falcons nested on high cliffs overlooking river systems. Records indicate peregrines once nested at 44 sites in at least 21 counties. Today, peregrines are more apt to be found nesting on high bridges and tall buildings within cities. As a result, they frequently feed on pigeons and other urban birds. After an absence of nearly three decades, the return of breeding peregrines to Pennsylvania was first documented on bridges spanning the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers in the Philadelphia area. In 1990, a pair began nesting in Pittsburgh.
Reasons For Being Endangered: By 1961, peregrines were no longer found in Pennsylvania. Their decline and extirpation has been attributed to egg collecting and shooting, but chiefly to pesticides – particularly DDT (See osprey entry for addition information on how DDT affected some birds).
Passenger Pigeon
Status: Extinct; the last living passenger pigeon died September 1, 1914 in the Cincinnati Zoo OVERVIEW:Passenger pigeons were once an abundant nester in the Commonwealth. Their North American population numbered as many as five billion birds when colonists arrived. They captivated early residents with their spring and fall migrations. They ranged over eastern North America from Hudson’s Bay south to the Gulf of Mexico, and west into the Mississippi River valley. Hunters and market hunters alike pursued them with reckless abandon. The birds were trapped, shot, netted and clubbed; even the young, called "squabs," were knocked from nests with poles and collected for market. For years, the flocks seemingly withstood the losses. After 30 years of observation, John J. Audubon reported, "…even in the face of such dreadful havoc, nothing but the diminution of our forests can accomplish their decrease."
Of course, Audubon wasn’t entirely correct. No species can endure continuous persecution, especially if it occurs when the animal is trying to reproduce. Eventually, the losses matter, because recruitment won’t offset predation and other limiting factors. But the loss of habitat – as Audubon pointed out – was key in the passenger pigeon’s nosedive toward extinction. As North America’s forests were razed to accommodate agriculture, community development and industry, the passenger pigeon lost important feeding, roosting and nesting areas. This, coupled with widespread unregulated harvest from America’s Deep South to Canada, ushered the passenger pigeon billions toward certain oblivion.
Some of the state's largest pigeon nesting sites were found in Pennsylvania’s northwestern and northcentral counties. Before 1880, the birds nested in great numbers in Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean, Potter and Warren counties. They also established communal nest sites in Crawford and Erie counties. Substantial rookeries, or "cities," as some called them, were reportedly located near Kane, Oil City, Pigeon, Sheffield and Brookston, and Conneaut and Pymatuning marshes. In these nesting areas, which were often up to two miles wide and miles long, the birds would pile into the trees to the point where tree limbs would break. It wasn't uncommon to see from 50 to 100 nests in a tree. Migration flights often were a half-mile to a mile wide and stretched for miles. Audubon once estimated a flock flying over Kentucky at more than a billion that continued for hours and hours.
By the late 1880s, Dr. Elliott Coues reported in his; Key to North American Birds, "We do not have the millions that the earlier writers speak of in the eastern United States now; the greatest roosts and flights we now hear of are in the upper Mississippi Valley."
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: A large dove; about 16 inches long, with a two-foot wing span; black beak; red eyes; crimson feet; 12 tail feathers; gray to blue upper side; sides and back of neck, metallic golden violet; reddish-brown from throat to belly; white belly. Females were smaller than males.
BIOLOGY NOTES: Passenger pigeons, also called "wild pigeons," migrated into and through Pennsylvania beginning in March, they went south in September and October. They foraged for beechnuts, acorns, American chestnuts, Juneberries, elderberries poke berries, dogwood berries, wheat, rye, earthworms, etc. They roosted nightly; left roosts en mass swiftly in early morning; and nested in large colonies. Nests were loosely made of twigs and about six inches in diameter; usually laid one white egg. Incubation, about two weeks; young left the nest in about two weeks, at which time, they were abandoned. Fast fliers, could reach speeds in excess of 60 mph. Weight, 10 to 12 ounces.
HISTORY: For years, Pennsylvania settlers were seemingly content shooting into flocks of pigeons passing overhead or using clubs and poles to nab roosters and squabs. They took what they needed and little more. But this all changed when the state's improving transportation system provided a faster means to take hunters to the birds and the harvested birds to big city markets. When word spread on the telegraph lines that the pigeons were coming in, hundreds of hunters would converge on rookeries and the surrounding countryside. The results were devastating.
Passenger pigeon numbers began to slip in some areas during the mid 1800s. There was little concern about the birds, though, because they were so numerous. But the bird protection movement sweeping the country during this period apparently compelled some Ohioans in 1857 to petition state legislators to introduce a bill protecting wild pigeons. A select committee of the state's senate, found problems with the idea. The panel's report recommended: "The passenger pigeon needs no protection. Wonderfully prolific, having the vast forests of the North as its breeding grounds, traveling hundreds of miles in search of food, it is here today and elsewhere tomorrow, and no ordinary destruction can lessen them, or be missed from the myriads that are yearly produced."
In 1873, the Pennsylvania's General Assembly adopted a legislative package consolidating wildlife laws. One of its laws made it illegal to discharge a firearm within a quarter mile of wild pigeon rookery and to shoot at roosting pigeons. The fine was $25. The measure, noble as it was, was largely ignored. In 1875, the General Assembly enacted legislation prohibiting the killing or disturbing passenger pigeons on roosts or nesting grounds -- nonresident required to pay $50 for license to trap or net these birds. Six years later, another legislative act made it unlawful to discharge firearms within one mile of a pigeon roost and to remove squabs from nests.
By the early 1880s, passenger pigeons were nesting only sporadically in Pennsylvania. Within 10 years, they became a rare sight everywhere in the eastern United States. As recently as April 22, 1905, the General Assembly approved legislation protecting passenger pigeons for 10 years. The fine for killing one was $25, a steep fine in the day. But the effort was too late. The birds were gone. Some theorized the birds started migrating to Mexico and South America. Some believed a terrific wind storm blew great flocks to sea, where they perished. Some believed deforestation led to the bird's demise. But those people familiar with wild pigeons knew it was loss of vital habitat coupled with excessive hunting and trapping that had caused the extinction.
Turn-of-the-century conservationist William Hornaday seemed to capture the confusion surrounding wild pigeons in his early 20th century writings. "The passenger pigeon millions were destroyed so quickly, and so thoroughly en masse, that the American people utterly failed to comprehend it, and for 30 years obstinately refused to believe that the species had been suddenly wiped off the map of North America."
W. E. Clyde Todd, wrote in his Birds of Western Pennsylvania, "…one is imbued with the sense of the irreparable loss suffered by the naturalists of the country in the passing of the pigeon. Undoubtedly it was one of the most abundant birds – if not the most abundant – on the American continent in the early days. The unbelievably vast numbers in which it was wont to appear; the extent of its daily flights; the enormous area, the unusual density, and in particular the shifting character, of its communal roosting and nesting places, were features of its life history that were unique. Here was a species so perfectly fitted to its environment and to existing conditions that, although a pair laid but one egg at a setting, or two at most, and although its enemies were legion, it had increased in the course of time to such an extent that it bade fair to overrun the continent by sheer force of numbers. The story of its passing is a shameful record of human cruelity, avarice and indifference – a story one wishes had never been told."
Of course, Audubon wasn’t entirely correct. No species can endure continuous persecution, especially if it occurs when the animal is trying to reproduce. Eventually, the losses matter, because recruitment won’t offset predation and other limiting factors. But the loss of habitat – as Audubon pointed out – was key in the passenger pigeon’s nosedive toward extinction. As North America’s forests were razed to accommodate agriculture, community development and industry, the passenger pigeon lost important feeding, roosting and nesting areas. This, coupled with widespread unregulated harvest from America’s Deep South to Canada, ushered the passenger pigeon billions toward certain oblivion.
Some of the state's largest pigeon nesting sites were found in Pennsylvania’s northwestern and northcentral counties. Before 1880, the birds nested in great numbers in Cameron, Elk, Forest, McKean, Potter and Warren counties. They also established communal nest sites in Crawford and Erie counties. Substantial rookeries, or "cities," as some called them, were reportedly located near Kane, Oil City, Pigeon, Sheffield and Brookston, and Conneaut and Pymatuning marshes. In these nesting areas, which were often up to two miles wide and miles long, the birds would pile into the trees to the point where tree limbs would break. It wasn't uncommon to see from 50 to 100 nests in a tree. Migration flights often were a half-mile to a mile wide and stretched for miles. Audubon once estimated a flock flying over Kentucky at more than a billion that continued for hours and hours.
By the late 1880s, Dr. Elliott Coues reported in his; Key to North American Birds, "We do not have the millions that the earlier writers speak of in the eastern United States now; the greatest roosts and flights we now hear of are in the upper Mississippi Valley."
IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: A large dove; about 16 inches long, with a two-foot wing span; black beak; red eyes; crimson feet; 12 tail feathers; gray to blue upper side; sides and back of neck, metallic golden violet; reddish-brown from throat to belly; white belly. Females were smaller than males.
BIOLOGY NOTES: Passenger pigeons, also called "wild pigeons," migrated into and through Pennsylvania beginning in March, they went south in September and October. They foraged for beechnuts, acorns, American chestnuts, Juneberries, elderberries poke berries, dogwood berries, wheat, rye, earthworms, etc. They roosted nightly; left roosts en mass swiftly in early morning; and nested in large colonies. Nests were loosely made of twigs and about six inches in diameter; usually laid one white egg. Incubation, about two weeks; young left the nest in about two weeks, at which time, they were abandoned. Fast fliers, could reach speeds in excess of 60 mph. Weight, 10 to 12 ounces.
HISTORY: For years, Pennsylvania settlers were seemingly content shooting into flocks of pigeons passing overhead or using clubs and poles to nab roosters and squabs. They took what they needed and little more. But this all changed when the state's improving transportation system provided a faster means to take hunters to the birds and the harvested birds to big city markets. When word spread on the telegraph lines that the pigeons were coming in, hundreds of hunters would converge on rookeries and the surrounding countryside. The results were devastating.
Passenger pigeon numbers began to slip in some areas during the mid 1800s. There was little concern about the birds, though, because they were so numerous. But the bird protection movement sweeping the country during this period apparently compelled some Ohioans in 1857 to petition state legislators to introduce a bill protecting wild pigeons. A select committee of the state's senate, found problems with the idea. The panel's report recommended: "The passenger pigeon needs no protection. Wonderfully prolific, having the vast forests of the North as its breeding grounds, traveling hundreds of miles in search of food, it is here today and elsewhere tomorrow, and no ordinary destruction can lessen them, or be missed from the myriads that are yearly produced."
In 1873, the Pennsylvania's General Assembly adopted a legislative package consolidating wildlife laws. One of its laws made it illegal to discharge a firearm within a quarter mile of wild pigeon rookery and to shoot at roosting pigeons. The fine was $25. The measure, noble as it was, was largely ignored. In 1875, the General Assembly enacted legislation prohibiting the killing or disturbing passenger pigeons on roosts or nesting grounds -- nonresident required to pay $50 for license to trap or net these birds. Six years later, another legislative act made it unlawful to discharge firearms within one mile of a pigeon roost and to remove squabs from nests.
By the early 1880s, passenger pigeons were nesting only sporadically in Pennsylvania. Within 10 years, they became a rare sight everywhere in the eastern United States. As recently as April 22, 1905, the General Assembly approved legislation protecting passenger pigeons for 10 years. The fine for killing one was $25, a steep fine in the day. But the effort was too late. The birds were gone. Some theorized the birds started migrating to Mexico and South America. Some believed a terrific wind storm blew great flocks to sea, where they perished. Some believed deforestation led to the bird's demise. But those people familiar with wild pigeons knew it was loss of vital habitat coupled with excessive hunting and trapping that had caused the extinction.
Turn-of-the-century conservationist William Hornaday seemed to capture the confusion surrounding wild pigeons in his early 20th century writings. "The passenger pigeon millions were destroyed so quickly, and so thoroughly en masse, that the American people utterly failed to comprehend it, and for 30 years obstinately refused to believe that the species had been suddenly wiped off the map of North America."
W. E. Clyde Todd, wrote in his Birds of Western Pennsylvania, "…one is imbued with the sense of the irreparable loss suffered by the naturalists of the country in the passing of the pigeon. Undoubtedly it was one of the most abundant birds – if not the most abundant – on the American continent in the early days. The unbelievably vast numbers in which it was wont to appear; the extent of its daily flights; the enormous area, the unusual density, and in particular the shifting character, of its communal roosting and nesting places, were features of its life history that were unique. Here was a species so perfectly fitted to its environment and to existing conditions that, although a pair laid but one egg at a setting, or two at most, and although its enemies were legion, it had increased in the course of time to such an extent that it bade fair to overrun the continent by sheer force of numbers. The story of its passing is a shameful record of human cruelity, avarice and indifference – a story one wishes had never been told."
Eastern Coyote
The folklore and rumors about this somewhat mysterious furbearer seem to have a life of their own. Coyotes have been in Pennsylvania for more than 50 years. We're not sure if they migrated here or were always here. But they weren't stocked by the Game Commission, insurance companies or foresters. In Pennsylvania, eastern coyotes have become more common than black bears, bobcats and otters over the past 30 years. How these animals live, where they came from, and what we should do about them are topics that are popping up more and more in conversations among Pennsylvanians every day.
Once an animal automatically associated with the West, coyotes now live in every state east of the Mississippi River. In 2005, hunters and trappers harvested more than 20,000 coyotes statewide, according to agency Game-Take and Fur-Taker Survey results. They can be found almost anywhere: from the suburban sprawl surrounding Philadelphia to the remote ridges of the Alleghenies. There are few areas remaining in the state where coyotes aren't found.
But don't expect to see or hear them regularly. This secretive canine prefers to operate under the cover of darkness - unlike its western counterpart - when there are fewer encounters with people. Coyotes - as well as their scat and tracks - are being seen more and more by hunters, hikers and other people who spend many hours afield.
Few Pennsylvania mammals have an ancestral background as untraceable or a lifestyle as obscure as the eastern coyote's. Photographic evidence of coyotes in Pennsylvania first appeared in the 1930s. Their fondness for remote areas and scant numbers pretty much kept them out of the public's eye for decades, except for the occasional one shot by a deer hunter. That changed in the 1980s, when their population began to expand in leaps and bounds.
The Game Commission has spent considerable time and effort over the past decade trying to shed further light on eastern coyotes. This has included research into the canine's behavior, food preferences and origin. What follows is a summary of some of the more interesting information we've uncovered and answers to frequently-asked coyote questions.
How can I identify an eastern coyote?
The eastern coyote is a member of the canid, or dog family. It is larger than its western cousin - typically attributed to wolf-coyote hybridization - and usually has one of four pelt colorations: tri-color (German shepherd-like), red, blond and dark brown (appears black at a distance). Adult males weigh 45 to 55 pounds; females, 35 to 40 pounds. When seeing one for the first time, many people mistake eastern coyotes for dogs. Look for black lines running up and down the front of the front legs, yellow eyes and a cylindrical-shaped, low-hanging tail. Adult coyotes are much larger than foxes, and they tend to travel trails, dirt roads and habitat edges.
Did the Game Commission release coyotes in Pennsylvania?
The eastern coyote's origin has been a topic of debate for some time. Some folks actually believe the agency has stocked coyotes in recent years to reduce deer numbers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Coyotes have been documented in Pennsylvania since the late 1930s and '40s. How they got here, or whether they were here all along, is the missing link to the coyote story. Some biologists believe coyotes have always been a part of Pennsylvania's wildlife community. Others believe western coyotes migrated north into Canada, bred with gray wolves and the resulting hybrid moved south into New England and New York and, eventually, Pennsylvania. Another possibility is that coyotes held in captivity escaped or were set free.
Game Commission stocking stories began in the late '80s after a coyote pup ear-tagged by a wildlife conservation officer was shot by a deer hunter. The pup, which was fitted with a telemetry collar and bobcat ear tag (#0026), was trapped on a Greene County farm where coyotes were killing sheep. It was hoped the pup would lead the officer to its den. Within days, however, the young coyote couldn't be located with radio gear; it apparently had shaken its telemetry collar. The coyote, minus its collar, was shot a few months later. Stories began to spread that it bore a ear tag from a western state, and that at least 25 other coyotes had been released, given the tag's number. The rumors continue.
The Game Commission has never released out-of-state coyotes, or trapped and transferred coyotes, and won't in the future. We have, however, trapped, tagged and released Pennsylvania coyotes for research purposes in recent years. We've also liberalized hunting seasons. Coyotes can be hunted year-round with few exceptions and there are no bag limits. Our coyote population can handle this pressure because it's underutilized and very resilient.
Where's the proof of coyote stockings?
The Game Commission is interested in meeting with anyone who can produce evidence of coyotes being stocked in the Commonwealth at anytime in the last 100 years. We're especially interested in seeing any of the so-called imported coyotes - tattooed, ear-tagged or whatever - that have been seen or found by eyewitnesses. If someone comes forward with evidence, we'll look into it and report our findings to the public.
Do coyotes howl and run in packs?
Coyotes howl infrequently, but when they do, especially on a cold quiet day, or right before dark, it carries for a long way in wild areas. Howls are thought to be used by coyotes to announce their location. Coyotes are known to howl in response to loud noises like fire alarm whistles. They also seem willing to respond to most coyote howling calls, so long as they hear them. Eastern coyotes don't pack like wolves, but do run in family units and pairs. Although families usually break up in autumn, they occasionally stay together until breeding activity starts in mid winter.
Are eastern coyotes a threat to people?
Coyotes usually steer clear of people. They'll leave an area at the first sign of human intrusion. But under the cover of darkness, as human activities slow almost to a halt, coyotes sneak into areas they normally avoid during daylight hours. They canvass agricultural fields, visit picnic sites and backyards in rural areas, and work the waysides of interstate highways in their quest for food. Most people bump into coyotes while hunting, hiking or driving at night. Coyotes rarely display aggressive behavior toward people. If people appear, they usually run. That's good. Still, coyotes deserve our respect. Barring the black bear, it's the state's largest predatory animal. That should be enough reason for anyone to give this animal due respect. There have been a few incidents in the northeastern United States where coyotes have attacked people. Why is unclear, but those who study these animals believe the coyotes mistook the persons attacked as wildlife prey.
Do coyotes kill deer regularly?
Coyotes do kill deer - both adults and fawns - and will feed on deer remains from highway accidents and gut piles left by hunters. A fawn study conducted in 2000 and 2001 on the Quehanna Wild Area and in Penns Valley - near State College - concluded that predators accounted for almost half of all fawn mortalities in the study. Black bears and coyotes were nearly equal in the number of fawns they killed and together, black bears and coyotes, accounted for two-thirds of all predator mortalities. Nonetheless, the fawn survival rates established for the two study areas were comparable to geographic areas similar to our state in the northern reaches of the white-tailed deer range and did not adversely impact the deer population's ability to replenish annual losses caused by hunting, predators and other limiting factors. In addition, we have not seen evidence that coyotes are killing a significant number of healthy adult deer in Pennsylvania. Being opportunists, they tend to spend more time patrolling the shoulders of state highways to consume deer killed in collisions with vehicles than stalking mature whitetails.
How can I tell if a coyote killed a deer?
Coyotes usually kill deer by grabbing and holding onto their throats. Then they consume the internal organs, particularly the liver, which is very nutritious. Dogs, on the other hand, take down deer by grabbing the hind quarters, which is also where they typically start eating.
Will coyotes prey upon domesticated animals?
Coyotes are opportunists. They'll eat almost anything. Coyotes do spend considerable time mousing, but they'll settle in a second for a rotting road-killed deer, or a cat or small dog that strays too far from the house. Coyotes raising young can be a problem for farmers during spring and summer. Sheep, chickens and ducks are especially vulnerable. Most times coyotes kill what they need and leave with it. But on occasion they seem to go on killing sprees.
Once an animal that could be found only in Pennsylvania's most remote settings, coyotes, with each passing year, have been discovered closer and closer to civilization. As they adapt to living in the suburbs, their way of life may change. Given this situation, the profile on Pennsylvania's coyotes may be incomplete. But let's face it, as cunning and large as this canid is, it's quite capable of almost anything as it relates to disturbing and killing pets and some farm animals. So play it safe, give coyotes the consideration they deserve.
Would placing a bounty on coyotes help reduce their numbers?
Bounties were placed on coyotes in western states for decades and they didn't lead to any significant population reduction. The main reason was that about 70 percent of a coyote population has to be removed annually in order to cause a population decline. Even then, coyotes - like many other species - have demonstrated an ability to offset population declines by increasing their litter size. It's spurred by a built-in biological mechanism that responds to population deficits.
A bounty system has never successfully eliminated or significantly reduced coyote populations anywhere in North America. Coyotes have a superior ability to adapt to a changing environment. Attempts to reduce coyote populations in western states using year-round poisoning, hunting and trapping resulted in millions of dollars being spent over many decades with little reduction in coyote numbers. The result of any predator control method is temporary and often very localized. No measurable good ever resulted from the Game Commission's predator bounties in the 1900s. They truly were a waste of money.
Is it easy to hunt or trap coyotes?
Coyotes are very elusive when it comes to hunting and trapping them. You shouldn't expect to head afield and harvest them without considerable effort and planning. Although a substantial number of coyotes are taken annually by trappers and by hunters who call them, the largest part of the harvest is taken by deer hunters and fox trappers. The Game Commission has maintained liberal hunting opportunities for coyotes with an eye toward interesting more Pennsylvanians in pursuing them. And, more are. But it's tough to take one. Just ask anyone who hunts coyotes. The same applies to trapping. To generate more interest among trappers, the agency now permits certified trappers to use cable restraints for taking coyotes.
Once an animal automatically associated with the West, coyotes now live in every state east of the Mississippi River. In 2005, hunters and trappers harvested more than 20,000 coyotes statewide, according to agency Game-Take and Fur-Taker Survey results. They can be found almost anywhere: from the suburban sprawl surrounding Philadelphia to the remote ridges of the Alleghenies. There are few areas remaining in the state where coyotes aren't found.
But don't expect to see or hear them regularly. This secretive canine prefers to operate under the cover of darkness - unlike its western counterpart - when there are fewer encounters with people. Coyotes - as well as their scat and tracks - are being seen more and more by hunters, hikers and other people who spend many hours afield.
Few Pennsylvania mammals have an ancestral background as untraceable or a lifestyle as obscure as the eastern coyote's. Photographic evidence of coyotes in Pennsylvania first appeared in the 1930s. Their fondness for remote areas and scant numbers pretty much kept them out of the public's eye for decades, except for the occasional one shot by a deer hunter. That changed in the 1980s, when their population began to expand in leaps and bounds.
The Game Commission has spent considerable time and effort over the past decade trying to shed further light on eastern coyotes. This has included research into the canine's behavior, food preferences and origin. What follows is a summary of some of the more interesting information we've uncovered and answers to frequently-asked coyote questions.
How can I identify an eastern coyote?
The eastern coyote is a member of the canid, or dog family. It is larger than its western cousin - typically attributed to wolf-coyote hybridization - and usually has one of four pelt colorations: tri-color (German shepherd-like), red, blond and dark brown (appears black at a distance). Adult males weigh 45 to 55 pounds; females, 35 to 40 pounds. When seeing one for the first time, many people mistake eastern coyotes for dogs. Look for black lines running up and down the front of the front legs, yellow eyes and a cylindrical-shaped, low-hanging tail. Adult coyotes are much larger than foxes, and they tend to travel trails, dirt roads and habitat edges.
Did the Game Commission release coyotes in Pennsylvania?
The eastern coyote's origin has been a topic of debate for some time. Some folks actually believe the agency has stocked coyotes in recent years to reduce deer numbers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Coyotes have been documented in Pennsylvania since the late 1930s and '40s. How they got here, or whether they were here all along, is the missing link to the coyote story. Some biologists believe coyotes have always been a part of Pennsylvania's wildlife community. Others believe western coyotes migrated north into Canada, bred with gray wolves and the resulting hybrid moved south into New England and New York and, eventually, Pennsylvania. Another possibility is that coyotes held in captivity escaped or were set free.
Game Commission stocking stories began in the late '80s after a coyote pup ear-tagged by a wildlife conservation officer was shot by a deer hunter. The pup, which was fitted with a telemetry collar and bobcat ear tag (#0026), was trapped on a Greene County farm where coyotes were killing sheep. It was hoped the pup would lead the officer to its den. Within days, however, the young coyote couldn't be located with radio gear; it apparently had shaken its telemetry collar. The coyote, minus its collar, was shot a few months later. Stories began to spread that it bore a ear tag from a western state, and that at least 25 other coyotes had been released, given the tag's number. The rumors continue.
The Game Commission has never released out-of-state coyotes, or trapped and transferred coyotes, and won't in the future. We have, however, trapped, tagged and released Pennsylvania coyotes for research purposes in recent years. We've also liberalized hunting seasons. Coyotes can be hunted year-round with few exceptions and there are no bag limits. Our coyote population can handle this pressure because it's underutilized and very resilient.
Where's the proof of coyote stockings?
The Game Commission is interested in meeting with anyone who can produce evidence of coyotes being stocked in the Commonwealth at anytime in the last 100 years. We're especially interested in seeing any of the so-called imported coyotes - tattooed, ear-tagged or whatever - that have been seen or found by eyewitnesses. If someone comes forward with evidence, we'll look into it and report our findings to the public.
Do coyotes howl and run in packs?
Coyotes howl infrequently, but when they do, especially on a cold quiet day, or right before dark, it carries for a long way in wild areas. Howls are thought to be used by coyotes to announce their location. Coyotes are known to howl in response to loud noises like fire alarm whistles. They also seem willing to respond to most coyote howling calls, so long as they hear them. Eastern coyotes don't pack like wolves, but do run in family units and pairs. Although families usually break up in autumn, they occasionally stay together until breeding activity starts in mid winter.
Are eastern coyotes a threat to people?
Coyotes usually steer clear of people. They'll leave an area at the first sign of human intrusion. But under the cover of darkness, as human activities slow almost to a halt, coyotes sneak into areas they normally avoid during daylight hours. They canvass agricultural fields, visit picnic sites and backyards in rural areas, and work the waysides of interstate highways in their quest for food. Most people bump into coyotes while hunting, hiking or driving at night. Coyotes rarely display aggressive behavior toward people. If people appear, they usually run. That's good. Still, coyotes deserve our respect. Barring the black bear, it's the state's largest predatory animal. That should be enough reason for anyone to give this animal due respect. There have been a few incidents in the northeastern United States where coyotes have attacked people. Why is unclear, but those who study these animals believe the coyotes mistook the persons attacked as wildlife prey.
Do coyotes kill deer regularly?
Coyotes do kill deer - both adults and fawns - and will feed on deer remains from highway accidents and gut piles left by hunters. A fawn study conducted in 2000 and 2001 on the Quehanna Wild Area and in Penns Valley - near State College - concluded that predators accounted for almost half of all fawn mortalities in the study. Black bears and coyotes were nearly equal in the number of fawns they killed and together, black bears and coyotes, accounted for two-thirds of all predator mortalities. Nonetheless, the fawn survival rates established for the two study areas were comparable to geographic areas similar to our state in the northern reaches of the white-tailed deer range and did not adversely impact the deer population's ability to replenish annual losses caused by hunting, predators and other limiting factors. In addition, we have not seen evidence that coyotes are killing a significant number of healthy adult deer in Pennsylvania. Being opportunists, they tend to spend more time patrolling the shoulders of state highways to consume deer killed in collisions with vehicles than stalking mature whitetails.
How can I tell if a coyote killed a deer?
Coyotes usually kill deer by grabbing and holding onto their throats. Then they consume the internal organs, particularly the liver, which is very nutritious. Dogs, on the other hand, take down deer by grabbing the hind quarters, which is also where they typically start eating.
Will coyotes prey upon domesticated animals?
Coyotes are opportunists. They'll eat almost anything. Coyotes do spend considerable time mousing, but they'll settle in a second for a rotting road-killed deer, or a cat or small dog that strays too far from the house. Coyotes raising young can be a problem for farmers during spring and summer. Sheep, chickens and ducks are especially vulnerable. Most times coyotes kill what they need and leave with it. But on occasion they seem to go on killing sprees.
Once an animal that could be found only in Pennsylvania's most remote settings, coyotes, with each passing year, have been discovered closer and closer to civilization. As they adapt to living in the suburbs, their way of life may change. Given this situation, the profile on Pennsylvania's coyotes may be incomplete. But let's face it, as cunning and large as this canid is, it's quite capable of almost anything as it relates to disturbing and killing pets and some farm animals. So play it safe, give coyotes the consideration they deserve.
Would placing a bounty on coyotes help reduce their numbers?
Bounties were placed on coyotes in western states for decades and they didn't lead to any significant population reduction. The main reason was that about 70 percent of a coyote population has to be removed annually in order to cause a population decline. Even then, coyotes - like many other species - have demonstrated an ability to offset population declines by increasing their litter size. It's spurred by a built-in biological mechanism that responds to population deficits.
A bounty system has never successfully eliminated or significantly reduced coyote populations anywhere in North America. Coyotes have a superior ability to adapt to a changing environment. Attempts to reduce coyote populations in western states using year-round poisoning, hunting and trapping resulted in millions of dollars being spent over many decades with little reduction in coyote numbers. The result of any predator control method is temporary and often very localized. No measurable good ever resulted from the Game Commission's predator bounties in the 1900s. They truly were a waste of money.
Is it easy to hunt or trap coyotes?
Coyotes are very elusive when it comes to hunting and trapping them. You shouldn't expect to head afield and harvest them without considerable effort and planning. Although a substantial number of coyotes are taken annually by trappers and by hunters who call them, the largest part of the harvest is taken by deer hunters and fox trappers. The Game Commission has maintained liberal hunting opportunities for coyotes with an eye toward interesting more Pennsylvanians in pursuing them. And, more are. But it's tough to take one. Just ask anyone who hunts coyotes. The same applies to trapping. To generate more interest among trappers, the agency now permits certified trappers to use cable restraints for taking coyotes.