The American kestrel is usually found in close proximity to open fields, either perched on a snag or telephone wire or hovering in search of prey. The typical falcon-shaped wings are slim and pointed; the tail long and square-tipped. Sexes are of similar size. Adult male plumage is easily told from adult females and juveniles of both sexes. All have 2 bold, dark moustache marks framing white cheeks on the face and have the dark eyes typical of falcons. It hunts insects, small mammals, and reptiles from a perch or on the wing. Will hover above a field on rapidly beating wings, or soar in place in strong winds above a hillside. Flight style is quick and buoyant, almost erratic, with wings usually swept back. Polytypic (New World 17 ssp.; 2 in North America). Length 10.5" (27 cm); wingspan 23" (58 cm). Identification Adult male: head has gray crown, rufous nape with black spot on either side, dark moustaches around white cheeks. Back is bright rufous with black barring on lower back. The tail is patterned with highly variable amounts of black, white, or gray bands. Wings are blue-gray with dark primaries. Underparts are white, washed with cinnamon. Adult female: head similar pattern to male, but more brown on crown. Back, wings, and tail are reddish brown with dark barring; subterminal tailband much wider than other bands. Underparts are buffy-white with reddish streaks. Juvenile male: head similar to adult, but less gray and with dark streaks on crown. Back is completely streaked, heavy streaks on breast. Juvenile female: very similar to adult female. Flight: light, bouncy flight is usually not direct and purposeful—often with “twitches” or hesitation. Light underwings and generally light body coloration. Males show a row of white dots (“string of pearls”) on the trailing edges of the underwings. Fans tail when hovering. Geographic Variation Two subspecies occur in North America; widespread nominate sparverius is the typical migratory form. Subspecies paulus, from South Carolina to Florida, is smaller, the male with less barring on the back and fewer spots on its undersides, essentially nonmigratory. Similar Species Merlin appears darker in flight due to dark underwings, shorter tail. When perched, looks darker, more heavy-bodied, lacks the 2 moustaches. Peregrine falcon is larger, has wider wings, shorter tail, single heavy moustache. Eurasian kestrel is slightly larger, has 1 moustache, wedge-shaped tail; males have blue-gray tail and reddish wings. Voice Loud, ringing killy-killy-killy or klee-klee-klee used all year round. Distinctive. Status and Distribution Common in open areas, it ranges throughout North America, including much of Canada and into Alaska. Breeding: a cavity nester, it uses dead trees, cliffs, occasionally a dirt bank, and even a hollow giant cactus in the Southwest. It will also use man-made nestboxes placed high on trees and telephone poles. Up to 5 or 6 young per brood, depending on food availability. Migration: northern breeders follow traditional fall migration routes to wintering ranges in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Eastern populations use the coastlines more than the inland corridors, and are not reluctant to cross water. Spring migrants are only concentrated along the Great Lakes watch-sites. Winter: the majority of birds winter in the southern United States, often spaced out on every other telephone pole in agricultural areas. A small percentage winter in snow-covered states, the numbers depending on food sources. Population Overall, numbers are stable. However, increases in the central United States are being offset by declines in the Northeast and the West Coast (California and Oregon). Eastern populations are thought to be affected by loss of open habitat due to 2 factors; human development and agricultural abandonment leading to reforestation, with a subsequent increase in Cooper’s hawk predation. —From the book Complete Birds of North America, 2006

This South American otter is the world's largest, at some 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. It lives only in the rivers and creeks of the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata river systems.

These huge members of the weasel family swim by propelling themselves with their powerful tails and flexing their long bodies. They also have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water.

Fish make up most of the giant river otter's diet. They hunt alone or in groups, sometimes using coordinated efforts, and must be successful often to meet their daily intake quota. Each animal may eat six to nine pounds (three to four kilograms) of food per day. Fish are supplemented by crustaceans, snakes, and other river creatures.

Giant river otters live in family groups which include monogamous parents and the offspring from several breeding seasons. They den by burrowing into banks or under fallen logs, and establish a home territory that they will aggressively defend.

Like most other otter species, giant river otters come ashore to give birth. Females retreat to their underground dens and deliver litters of one to six young. Young otters remain in the den for a month but grow up quickly. After nine or ten months, it is difficult to tell mother from child.

Giant river otters have been hunted extensively and are now among the rarest otters in the world—only a few thousand are believed to survive in the wild.

Sandpipers are familiar birds that are often seen running near the water's edge on beaches and tidal mud flats. The common sandpiper has a brown upper body and a white underside. When at rest its wingtips reach halfway back to its tail. The bird is a European and Asian species, but is closely related to the similar-looking spotted sandpiper of the Americas.

The common sandpiper is a migrator, but it frequents similar habitats year-round. When in upland areas, sandpipers live along river, ponds, or lakes.

Common sandpipers are small to medium sized birds, but they have relatively long legs that they put to good use. When seen running in groups the birds appear to display a remarkable coordination of movement. Sandpipers are ground feeders that dine on crustaceans, insects, worms, and other coastal creatures. They retrieve them by meticulously pecking and probing with their short bills.

In flight, common sandpipers have a stiff-winged style and typically stay close to the water or ground. When airborne they tend to be vocal animals. They sound off with a distinctive three-note, piping-like cry—often represented as "twee-wee-wee."

The goggle-eyed Cuban screech owl gets its other common name, bare-legged owl, from its featherless lower appendages. While most of the world’s more than 200 owl species wear feathers down to their toes, the Cuban screech owl’s warm tropical habitat appears to have encouraged it to evolve permanent Bermuda shorts.

These nocturnal birds of prey are endemic only to Cuba, and their substantial range covers nearly the entire island. They prefer forest and wooded areas with palm trees, which they bore roosting holes into. They will also frequently occupy abandoned woodpecker holes.

Their feathers are dark brown with white spots on top, and their bellies and bottom wing feathers are grayish-white. They have large brown eyes outlined with dramatic white feathers. The Cuban screech owl is not well studied, and information about its diet is scarce, but, like most owl species, it likely feeds on small mammals, other birds, frogs, and insects.

The bare-legged owl became the Cuban screech owl in 1998, when the American Ornithologists’ Union reclassified it in the genus Otus, which includes scops and screech owls. However, in 2003, the union, citing differences in morphology and vocal patterns, reversed itself, placing the owl in its own genus, Gymnoglaux, and restoring its former name.

No reliable population numbers or trends are available on the Cuban screech owl, but it is reported to be common throughout its range. Human encroachment likely impacts some parts of its habitat, but it currently has no special conservation status.