Yolo County Animals Digest

Research shows that a mountain chickadee facing deep snow is like a canary in a coal mine—its survivability tells us about the challenges ahead.

An outbreak of the avian flu that began in California in October has killed 5.5 million birds throughout the Golden State. About 20% of the deaths have come in Sonoma County.

Visitors can see the critically endangered Lord How Island stick insect, on display for the first time in North America, in a special habitat at the zoo’s Wildlife Explorers Basecamp.

A dark-sky movement to save birds from window strikes is sweeping the San Francisco Bay Area. Several cities have passed or are drafting laws restricting light pollution while making windows easier for birds to see.

Novelist Jonathan Franzen looks at how trap-neuter-release policies in feral cat colonies have troubling consequences for city residents, local wildlife and even the felines themselves.

Sarah Grimes investigates reports of dead marine mammals up and down the coast. So when she began finding the decapitated bodies of harbor seal pups just a few miles north of Fort Bragg in 2016, she was on the case. Grimes wasn’t able to pin down the culprit until last year, with the help of a UCSC student.

Salmon populations in the Scott and Shasta rivers have crashed, so state officials are about to restrict irrigation again. And the controversial rules may even become permanent.

Birds are affected by the mass use of fireworks on New Year’s Eve up to a distance of 10 km away, reports an international team of researchers.

A coyote recently was found at the $27 million Russian Hill home of AI mogul Sam Altman. This relates to a study, which found that coyote sightings were more frequent in higher-income areas of San Francisco.

Conservationists intend to shoot all of the deer on Santa Catalina Island by helicopter. Some people are opposed, either for not wanting to eliminate the deer or for missing out on future chances to hunt them.

Yolo Basin Foundation’s “Flyway Nights” speaker series highlights the work of River Partners to restore habitat for the monarch butterfly.

Spanning 3.5 miles through the agricultural fields of the Clarksburg area, Babel Slough is one of Yolo County’s top birding hotspots, serving as a haven for migratory species.

Golden retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds around the world. Unfortunately, these beloved pets are are being diagnosed with cancer at alarming rates.

The local dog owner community can give their companions a dog spa experience at Dogtopia, a daycare and boarding facility in Davis.

Livestock are responsible for half of all methane emissions in California. The White House is giving $21.4 million to California Dairies and $22.8 million to Dairy Farmers of America to help change this.

A 2021 fire has helped bring wolves back to Southern California for the first time since the 19th century. A rancher is worried about how to keep wolves, which are federally protected, from harming cattle.

The Office of Habitat Conservation’s Restoration Center has awarded $27.8 million to bring Central California Coast coho salmon back to California rivers, funding projects by Trout Unlimited, the San Mateo and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation Districts, and the Nature Conservancy.

When Corky Quirk founded Northern California Bats in 2006, she did it with the goal of rescuing and rehabilitating injured bats throughout the region and educating the public about bats’ environmental benefits.

Putah Creek is a habitat for multiple species, big and small. Could they pose any threats to swimmers? Or possibly more importantly, could we pose any threats to them?

Researchers tell LAist that half of California’s population of Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which are endangered, died last winter due to record weather. Causes of death include avalanches, starvation and getting eaten by mountain lions after moving to lower elevations for food.

A team of UC Davis researchers found that birds nesting near farmland were half as likely to have at least one fledgling successfully leave the nest when temperatures spiked. However, forests seemed to provide a protective buffer against high temperatures.

Written by Center for Biological Diversity scientist Tiffany Yap and illustrated by artist Meital Smith, “Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma’s Journey” takes the reader through diverse habitats, across busy freeways and inside science labs to learn about one mountain lion’s survival story.

California biologists have long wondered: How many mountain lions live in the state? New research offers an answer.

J Gregory, a 28-year-old southern white rhino, weighs in at just over 4,500 pounds, making him the largest animal housed at the Sacramento Zoo.

There’s an official state bird, mineral, tree, fish, insect, lichen, fabric, sport, dance, soil and even dinosaur.

Last week, the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District said high numbers of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have shown up in traps around South Stockton, Manteca, Escalon and Ripon.

The Department of Agriculture received multiple complaints from residents about loud booming noises late into the night and during the early morning hours. The noise was found to be from an automated “bird cannon,” used to frighten wildlife away from crops.

People who found the heat intolerable during the recent string of 100-plus degree days were better off than many birds at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve.

If you’re at home right now, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District wants you to do something really quick: Go outside and flip over that bucket. And while you’re at it, tip the water out of your neglected bird bath.

The first West Nile virus death of 2023 in Yolo County was announced Aug. 23 by the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency's public health branch. This marks the first reported death in Yolo County since 2018.

In a new study published Aug. 17 in the journal Science, fossil records at La Brea Tar Pits indicate that the disappearance of California’s sabertooth cats, dire wolves and other large mammals nearly 13,000 years ago was linked to rising temperatures and fire activity spurred by people.

Sacramento County has confirmed six cases this season, and is investigating eight other probable cases, according to a county public information officer.