Canadian Mammals: Columbian Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus) in Banff National Park, Alberta (©Magi Nams)

Canadian Mammals: Columbian Ground Squirrel

Perky and agile, the Columbian ground squirrel lives in colonies, inhabits alpine clearings, and hibernates for more than half the year.   May’s mammal of the month is the Columbian ground ...
Canadian Birds: Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) in Banff National Park, Alberta (©Magi Nams)

Canadian Birds: Canada Goose

The big, handsome Canada goose dabbles for food, mates for life, talks with loud honks and flies the skies in energy-conserving V-formations called skeins.   During the past week, I’ve heard Ca...
Australian Birds: Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) (©Villis Nams)

Australian Birds: Laughing Kookaburra

An Aussie icon, the laughing kookaburra greets the dawn with maniacal chortles and flies ritualized trapeze flights to defend its home group’s territory.   This week’s featured bird i...
Australian Mammals: Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus), Narawntapu National Park, Tasmania (© Vilis Nams)

Australian Mammals: Common Wombat

Which chunky marsupial herbivore is an ardent burrower and has a liking for its own company? Australia’s captivating common wombat!   This month we travel to southern Australia for our intr...