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Birds
Latin Name: Branta canadensis
Common Name: Canada Goose
Latin Family Name: Anatidae
Other Names: Cackling goose, and regional names for each subspecies
Pest Details
Origin:
Native to North America, with breeding populations found in every province of Canada and in all of the continental United States.
Biology:
There are 12 subspecies of the Canada Goose, with a wide variance in size and appearance, with adults ranging from 3 lbs to 11 lbs depending on the subspecies. Problems with geese include safety hazards to aircraft, aggressive geese in public areas, over-grazing of turf near water sites, and the accumulations of their feces on surfaces, lawns, or in drinking water supplies. One goose will produce 1 pound of droppings each day. Adult birds generally migrate hundreds of miles to the south during the winter months, returning in late winter to breeding and “molting” areas to the north. Eggs are laid in the spring
Latin Name: Dendrocopos pubescens
Common Name: Downy Woodpecker
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native bird in North America and is one of the most common species of woodpecker, ranging from Alaska across southern Canada and throughout all of the U.S.
Biology:
This common bird may be one the woodpeckers seen most often in urban areas, particularly those near hardwood forests and woodlands. It readily visits feeders in home yards. While they will eat some fruit, seeds, and sap from trees their primary food is insects, particularly larvae of beetles under bark. Mating occurs in the spring and a clutch of 4-5 eggs is laid. Hatchlings are mature enough to leave the nest in about 1 month. Damage to structures is possible and usually occurs during mating season in the spring. Holes may be drilled into wood to store acorns or to create a cavity for nesting. Further annoyance comes from “drumming”, a woodpecker’s method for
Latin Name: Sturnus vulgaris
Common Name: European Starling
Latin Family Name: Sturnidae
Other Names: Common starling, purple-winged starling
Pest Details
Origin:
Originally found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa, this species was deliberately introduced into the United States in 1890. The most often repeated story is that a bird lover brought in 100 of the birds from Europe with the desire that all species mentioned in Shakespeare’s works would be present in the New World. Starlings have been deliberately introduced into other parts of the world as well, either for aesthetic reasons or in the hope they would be of biological insect control value, which they are not.
Biology:
Starlings are opportunistic in their feeding and nesting needs, and easily adapt to living in close association with humans and feeding on our agricultural crops. They will feed on insects, grains, fruits, seeds, and will gather in large flocks
Latin Name: Colaptes sp.
Common Name: Flickers
Other Names: Northern flicker, Yellow-shafted flicker and over 100 other common names.
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native bird in North America. They are a migratory bird that occurs from Alaska to southern Mexico and throughout the entire U.S. and most of Canada. In the northern regions, including Alaska and Canada, they are present only during the summer months, migrating south to the U.S. or Mexico for the winters.
Biology:
The Northern Flicker is just one of several North American species of flickers, but it is by far the most common and widespread. Despite their name they are a species of woodpecker. They are seen frequently in wooded areas where much of their feeding is on the ground. While they will eat some fruit, seeds, and sap from trees their primary food is insects, particularly ants that may make up 45% of their diet. Mating occurs in the spring and a clutch of 6-8 eggs
Latin Name: Larus spp.
Common Name: Gulls
Latin Family Name: Laridae
Other Names: California gull, Western gull, Herring gull
Pest Details
Origin:
Seagulls are found throughout the world, in a wide variety of species, and nearly 50 kinds are native residents in the U.S. While they are most common along coastal areas they also can be found in large populations inland, such as those around the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
Biology:
Gulls are common along coastal areas, but have become accustomed to humans and urban areas, and are drawn to food resources we provide. They may occur in vast numbers in dump areas, and are commonly found in parking lots where they rest in the open spaces. On public beaches the birds are brazen enough to go after packages of food the moment the people leave their belongings unattended, tearing apart packages and other items. Where they gather in urban areas they leave fecal
Latin Name: Passer domesticus
Common Name: House Sparrow
Latin Family Name: Ploceidae
Other Names: English sparrow
Pest Details
Origin:
Native to Eurasia and Africa, but due to its ability to live close to humans made its way to Europe, and from there was introduced to the U.S. in 1854 by European settlers who wanted the familiar bird living with them when they emigrated. Now found nearly throughout the world, and the most common sparrow-like bird in many areas of the U.S.
Biology:
Nests are built in any location where it can be wedged into place. Constructed of string, grasses, twigs, cloth strips, feathers, etc, and generally very untidy. Nests on structures are extremely common, and may enlarge to as wide as 1.5 feet in diameter. In warm climates breeding is year round with several broods per year, always in the warmer months. An average of 3-5 eggs are produced per clutch, hatching in about 2 weeks, and the
Latin Name: Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Common Name: Red-headed Woodpecker
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native bird found throughout the entire eastern 2/3 of the U.S. and extreme southern Canada. Its numbers have declined in recent years and its status is classified as Near-Threatened.
Biology:
This is another of the species that may cause drilling damage to structures. Their diet consists of a high percentage of insects in spring and early summer and a high percentage of nuts and other plant materials in the fall and winter. It is an accomplished hunter and catches many insects in flight or on the ground. It will even feed on small rodents and bird eggs. It is one of the few woodpeckers that caches its food, storing large numbers of acorns or nuts inside cavities and covering it up with grasses and twigs. Mating occurs in the spring and a clutch of 4-7 eggs is laid. Nests are typically within cavities in wood,
Latin Name: Columba livia
Common Name: Rock Pigeon
Latin Family Name: Columbidae
Other Names: Rock dove, Feral pigeon, Domestic pigeon
Pest Details
Origin:
Possibly originally native to eastern Asia, and taken to Europe for sporting uses many centuries ago. European immigrants then brought the pigeon to North America in the early 1600’s, where it now is found throughout the U.S and into southern Canada, south throughout Mexico, and essentially worldwide.
Biology:
The domesticated pigeon is often called a “feral” pigeon when it returns to a wild existence, and it is well adapted for living in close association with humans and our urban areas. Enormous numbers of pigeons now live a feral life. Nests are built on any convenient ledge using twigs, string, paper, cloth, or other materials. Females commonly have multiple broods each year, with 1-2 eggs per brood, an incubation period of less than 3 weeks, and
Latin Name: Sphyrapicus varius
Common Name: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
These are native birds in North America. The Yellow-bellied sapsucker occurs throughout most of Canada, all of the U.S., and south into Mexico.
Biology:
The sapsuckers are a small group of woodpeckers, the most common and widespread of which is the Yellow-bellied sapsucker. Their name is given to them due to their diet of tree sap, which they access by drilling holes in the bark of selected trees. They also may gather insects that are drawn to the sap as well and feed these to their young during nesting season. The damage can be identified as small holes drilled in horizontal rows around the trunk, often with many of these rows occurring up and down that trunk. This may lead to reduced flow of nutrients within the tree and eventually to complete girdling. Damaged trunks and branches are severely weakened, increasing the chances