Ask the Burke: Bird or Dinosaur?

This Ask the Burke is based on a question from Adena Mooers, a reader from Bellingham. Her question was:

“When a three toed footprint fossil is found in sandstone in Washington, how can you tell if it is a dinosaur/lizard or a large bird? We have recently had Diatryma footprints found in Whatcom County. They look very similar to the dinosaur footprint we saw at the Burke last Friday.”

Burke Museum Paleontology experts answered:

Great question. If you find a fossil footprint and want to determine whether it was a bird or a dinosaur, here are a few tips:

We all know what a typical bird’s foot looks like. Most birds have four toes. And in most species, the first toe (digit I) points backwards. The second, third and fourth toes are counted from the inside of the foot (digits II, III and IV). Chicken feet are probably the most familiar example.

Birds and dinosaurs are closely related, so it may be difficult to them apart. The currently recognized distinction is that “dinosaurs” include two groups: the birds, or avian dinosaurs, and the “non-avian dinosaurs.” But, many non-avian dinosaurs have feet that are very similar to typical bird feet.

And we have all seen bird tracks. How do bird tracks differ from non-avian dinosaur tracks?

For most birds, flying is the principal means of locomotion. So bird feet have long and slender toes that consist mostly of bone, tendon and scaly skin. For the non-avian dinosaurs, their mode of travel is by foot and their feet are relatively more robust. Comparing animals of the same size, the non-avian dinosaur foot will be more heavily built.

Fossilized heron tracks from approximately 50 million years ago, on display in the
Burke Museum’s Life and Times of Washington State exhibit.

Bird footprints are characterized by: slender digit impressions, impressions of three front digits (digits II, III and IV) and a fourth posterior digit (digit I), the front digit impressions (digits II, III and IV) converge, and lastly, there is usually a wide angle between digits II and IV.

In most cases, bird footprints are quite distinctive. However, as you can tell, determining a species from a fossilized track is an exercise in deductive reasoning.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on July 27, 2011.

Got a question for next time? Send it here!

Puget Sound Sharks

Sharks, though often feared, are critical to our local marine habitats, and may be found among the many other fishes that inhabit Puget Sound waters. So you may wonder:

What kinds of sharks live in Puget Sound?

The Puget Sound is home to 11 species of sharks. Of these 11, three that are seen regularly are the Spiny Dogfish, the Sixgill Shark and the Brown Cat Shark. To learn more about all 11 species of sharks, a general overview of them can be found on the Burke’s “Key to the Fishes of Puget Sound” website.

Of the resident sharks, the Basking Shark can grow up to 40 or perhaps even 45 feet in length, but rarely over 32 feet long and is the largest of them all.

Basking Shark, image courtesy of Chris Gotschalk/Wiki Commons

Fortunately for those brave enough to conquer the freezing waters of the Sound, these 11 species of sharks are generally docile. Many of them live in deeper waters, making their human sightings rare. Sharks often get a bad reputation but only a few species have been known to attack humans, and when they have, it is often a case of mistaken identity.

As important members of the marine food chain, sharks are vital to the Puget Sound’s ecosystem. For example, Spiny Dogfish help keep local fish populations healthy by preying on the weakest. By eating fish that are caught sustainably, we can help ensure the future of Puget Sound sharks and our local fishing economy. Purchasing fish that are well managed and caught in environmentally friendly ways helps keep their numbers strong for animals and people alike.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on June 26.

Got a question for next time? Send it here!

What are some Washington Plants that have Medicinal Uses?

For thousands of years, indigenous Washington peoples have been using plants in a variety of ways. From building houses to clothing to food, native plants are still being utilized by many who live in our state. Some of these species have been used to treat common ailments, but how helpful any of these species are for treating common ailments is unknown.

What are some Washington State plants that have medicinal uses?

 These are just a few examples of native plants that are used medicinally. Please consult your physician before starting any medical treatments and to find the best resources on taking medicinal plants.

Parsley Fern, Cryptogramma acrostichoides

Image © Rod Gilbert, 2006

The roots from this plant have been used to treat colds. Found in rocky habitats, they commonly grow on cliff faces and talus lopes. If you’d like to plant them yourself, they do best in rock gardens.

Broadleaf Stonecrop, Sedum spathulifolium

These plants also do well in rockeries and are found along coastal cliffs and ledges. Broadleaf stonecrops have been used by local Native Americans as a styptic poultice. In other words, when the plant is ground into a paste, it may help control bleeding.

Licorice fern, Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Image copyrighted Clayton J. Antieau



Licorice ferns have been used for sore throats and are found in moist ground and on tree trunks. These thrive in gardens with moist banks and logs.

Native plants are good for your land and provide habitat and food for local wildlife. Help protect local wild habitats by not buying or collecting any wild-dug plants.

Want to learn more about traditional uses for local plants? Spend a nice day outside at the Burke’s Erna Gunther Ethnobotanical Garden, located at the entrance to the Burke Museum on the UW campus.

How do you use native Washington plants?  Post your comments below!


The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on June 12.

Got a question for next time? Send it here!



How Many Wolves are there in Washington State?

With the recent removal of the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list for part of Eastern Washington, it makes one wonder: exactly how many wolves are there in the state of Washington?

To confuse matters is the fact that the wolf remains protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington… and is still on the federal endangered list for all of the state west of Highway 97. East of this line, they are considered part of the healthy northern Rocky Mountain population.

So, how many are there?

Our state population of wolves is currently estimated at about two dozen, with a couple of successful breeding pairs documented.

Pups playing from Washington State's Lookout Pack.  Photo courtesy of Conservation Northwest.

Though it is impossible to determine exactly how many wolves lived in the Northwest before European-Americans began commercial fur-trapping and settling in the greater Pacific Northwest in the 1800s, records from the Hudson Bay Company for the years between 1821 and 1859 indicate that nearly 16,000 wolf pelts were collected during that period.

Under intense pressure, wolf populations took a nosedive that ended in a crash. By the 1930s, the Gray wolf was absent from all of Washington and Oregon.

It was only after British Columbia halted its aggressive wolf-eradication practices in the 1960s that wolves again began to reclaim their range. In the 1980s wolves travelled from Canada and naturally reestablished themselves in northwestern Montana. Then, in the 1990s, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced wolves into Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. The wolves we see in Washington today came here from these states and from Canada to the north.

Learn more about the Burke Museum’s upcoming exhibit, Wolves and Wild Lands in the 21st Century, opening on June 4, 2011. Attend opening day events and hear about the return of wolves to Washington State, the historical relationship between wolves and the Quileute people, and even how wolves directly affect the lives of owls and woodpeckers!

The Burke Museum would like to thank David Moskowitz, author of Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, for his prepared information about Washington wolves.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on May 29.

Got a question for next time? Send it here!

Posted by: Peg Boettcher, Communications

Poisonous Mushrooms

Mushrooms can be a delicious addition to our meals. However, not all mushrooms are safe to eat. With more people foraging for wild foods, the chance of misadventure is increasing.

How can I tell if a mushroom is poisonous?

Dr. Denis Benjamin, author of Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas helped the Burke Museum answer this question.

There is no one, simple rule that can be relied on to tell the difference between a poisonous and an edible mushroom. The best advice is to invest in a series of beginners classes to gain the basic knowledge of identifying mushrooms. These are offered by local mushroom clubs, such as the Puget Sound Mycological Society, universities or community colleges.

The three most dangerous types of mushrooms are false morels, amanitas and little brown mushrooms. While some wild mushrooms have few toxic impostors, such as the chanterelle, others have to be very carefully and positively identified before being added to the stew.

Poisonous mushroom Amanita muscaria var. Formosa, photo courtesy of Marilyn Morill Droege

Unfortunately, the Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) has been migrating up the west coast from California and has made a number of appearances in Washington and British Columbia in the past few years, resulting in some serious poisonings. With the coming spring mushroom season, differentiating the delicious true morel from the potentially toxic false-morel look-a-likes is a skill easily acquired if one is made aware of the differences.

If you'd like to become a mushroom forager and mycophagist (mushroom eater), the Puget Sound Mycological Society is a great resource for mushroom identification clinics, classes and workshops.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on May 14.


Got a question to Ask the Burke? Send it here!

When Washington State Burned

What was the largest forest fire in Washington State history?

When Mark Twain visited Olympia in August of 1895, he commented wryly about the smoke-choked town: “I regret to see – I mean to learn – I can’t see, of course, for the smoke – that your magnificent forests are being destroyed by fire. As for the smoke, I do not mind. I am a perpetual smoker myself.”

A few short years later, his comments might have been met with silence rather than laughter, as Washington State had suffered its worst wildfire—the Yacolt Burn of 1902.  Before the flames were doused by rain, almost 239,000 acres had been charred, 12 billion board feet of lumber consumed, and at least 38 people had lost their lives.

Native peoples had long set small fires to herd game, encourage the growth of plants needed for food and medicines, and improve grazing. Stories of the “Big Fire” circa 1800, which was credited with burning a half million acres, were already being told long before settlers began to arrive. The settlers and loggers used “clearing” and “slashing” fires much more extensively than ever before. Though the cause of the Yacolt fire was never pinpointed, these practices were more than likely culprits.

The first plume of smoke was spotted by the single ranger at work in the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve on September 11, 1902. He essentially ignored it; there was no organized system in place to fight wildfires.

Strong, hot winds from Eastern Washington soon fanned the flames into a wall of fire that raced forward, driving all before it: Native Americans, settlers, loggers, farmers, livestock and wild animals alike. In 30 hours, it covered 36 miles. The blackened sky convinced some terrified witnesses that a volcano was erupting; smoke darkened the air from Seattle to Astoria.

Photo of the fire's aftermath, ca. 1908.  Courtesy of UW Libraries, Special Collections Division

After it was over, the little town of Yacolt was still standing, but blistered paint on many buildings told of how close the call had come. 

In the smoky aftermath, the Yacolt Burn disaster focused attention on the need for fire protection for America’s wild and private lands. Washington State was quick to appoint its first  fire warden the very next year, and the National Forest Service was founded not long after to look after our treasured forests.  

We thank James Agee, Professor Emeritus, Forest Ecology and Fire Ecology in the University of Washington's School of Forest Resources for his assistance with this blog.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on April 30. 
 

Got a question to Ask the Burke? Send it here!

Posted by: Peg Boettcher, Communications

The Sea-Tac sloth

Washington State is home to many amazing fossil discoveries. You may have heard about some finds that sound like tall-tales, like a giant sloth found in an unexpected place. So you ask the Burke Museum:

Q: Is it true that a giant ground sloth was found at Sea-Tac International Airport?

A: Yes! Fifty years ago remains of a giant ground sloth, termed Megalonyx, were unearthed as construction crews were installing a lighting system along a runway at Sea-Tac airport. Nearly two-thirds of the sloths bones were perfectly preserved, with only the skull and some of the neck and limb bones missing. Casts were taken from another Megalonyx specimen and were used to complete the skeleton that you can see on display at the Burke Museum.

Megalonyx and other types of giant sloths roamed North America during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 million to 12,000 years ago) eating plant materials, roots, and tubers and fending off attacks from saber-toothed cats.

For history buffs, the first Megalonyx fossil discovered in the United States was by the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. He found it in 1796 in a saltpeter mine in what is now West Virginia.

Want to learn more about the Sea-Tac Sloth? Watch this video created by Mary Jean, Kelsie and Rachel, students in the University of Washington’s COM460 class.
 

 

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on April 2.

Have a question to Ask the Burke? Send it here!

Q: Where are rattlesnakes found in Washington State?

Rattlesnakes are among the most feared, and perhaps misunderstood, reptiles out there. The last thing many people want to hear is the ominous shake of a rattler. So many may wonder:

Q: Where are rattlesnakes found in Washington State?

A: The only rattlesnake species found in Washington State is the Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis).  Western rattlesnakes live in warm, dry habitats of desert shrub, grasslands and open pine forests.  Because of these habitat needs, rattlesnakes do not live in Western Washington and only inhabit the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains and eastern parts of the Columbia River Gorge.

Western rattlesnake. Photo by Brad Moon

Rocky habitats are the most common areas to find Western rattlesnakes.  Although these snakes are venomous, they rarely use their well-known rattles and are generally calm creatures.  In fact, they’d much rather remain still and go unnoticed by predators and people by staying quiet and out of the way. 

During the late fall and winter, Western rattlesnakes often hibernate in rock crevices on south-facing slopes, and may be joined in their dens by other snake species as well.  The rattlesnakes emerge from the dens when the weather is warm enough to take them out of a state of torpor, usually between February and April. 

To learn more about other Washington State reptiles, click here.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on March 21.

Posted by: Andrea Barber 

Q. How do salmon know where to spawn?

Pacific Northwest salmon live in many different habitats and travel long distances over the course of their lives. Adult salmon retrace these lifelong paths as they return to their natal streams to complete the final stage of life—spawning.

This journey takes all of the salmon’s energy and causes many people to wonder:

Q: How do salmon know where to spawn?

A: Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not as clear as the waters in which salmon prefer to spawn. This subject is still being studied; however, scientists are discovering that there are two key ways salmon find their spawning grounds: scent and magnetism. Which homing mechanism salmon use depends on the environment they are in at the time – either open ocean (where they live most of their lives) or freshwater habitats (where they are born and return to spawn).

Pacific salmon species

In the ocean, it is believed that salmon have sensors in their brains that function like a mapping system by detecting the earth’s magnetic field. Any given location on earth has its own unique magnetic makeup, like fingerprints for humans. Salmon use these sensors to find their home watershed’s “magnetic fingerprint.” Once they find that watershed, they can continue the freshwater portion of their spawning migration. Scientists are still learning about magnetic field detection mechanisms in salmon and other living organisms as well. Studies of sea turtles, migratory birds and other animals may help explain how salmon use and detect the earth’s magnetic field.

Once salmon have reached freshwater, they rely on unique scents to find their way back to their birth place. Studies have shown that after salmon are born, they imprint different scents picked up as they travel from their home streams to the open ocean. When adult salmon return to their natal watersheds to spawn, these scent memory banks help the salmon navigate waterways and find their hatching streams.

Although many salmon return to their home streams, there are some who spawn elsewhere. It may be unclear why some salmon spawn in different watersheds from which they hatched, but the result is genetic diversity and the re-population of some waterways that have been affected by geologic disasters.

To learn more about salmon and other Puget Sound fishes, click here.

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. This post originally appeared on the Big Blog on February 5. 

Got a question to Ask the Burke? Send it here!

Posted by: Andrea Barber

Q: What do I do if I find an artifact in the ground?

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. Read past entries from the Ask the Burke column here.

The following was posted to the Seattle PI's Ask the Burke column on Oct. 8.

Q: What do I do if I find an artifact in the ground?

A: Sometimes people accidentally find artifacts on their property when gardening or renovating homes. If this happens to you, your first step would be to record as much information as possible about where you found the artifact, including a sketch map showing depth and specific location on your property. Keep this information with the artifact--it adds to the research value of the item. If you live in Washington, contact the archaeology staff at the Burke Museum to inform them about your find. If you live outside Washington, contact the office of your state archaeologist.

Other times, people stumble upon an artifact on property other than their own (for example, a University of Washington freshman was working in a garden on campus last fall and accidentally found a 4,000 to 7,000 year old stone projectile point). In this case, you should leave the artifact where it is, because it is illegal to remove artifacts from land you do not own without a permit. The best approach is to record details about the artifact's location and physical appearance – if you have a camera with you, photograph the artifact in place and the area around it. If you are on private property that you do not own, inform the land owner of your find. If you are on public land (federal, state, or tribal), contact an archaeology specialist at a museum such as the Burke or your state archaeologist for advice about which land management agency should be notified of the find.

Finally, if you ever inadvertently come across human remains on your property or elsewhere, stop your activities in the area immediately and call 9-1-1. For a more detailed description of the laws pertaining to archaeological artifacts, visit this site.

Got more questions about archaeology? The annual Archaeology Day is this Sunday, October 17. Practicing local archaeologists will be at the museum all day to answer questions and talk to the public.


Photo: UW freshmen Ellen Van Wyk talks to Burke archaeologist Laura Phillips as they hold an artifact Van Wyk found in the ground.

Q: Are there more big spiders now than usual?

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. Read past entries from the Ask the Burke column here.

The following was posted to the Seattle PI's Ask the Burke column on Oct. 1.

Q: Are there more big spiders now than usual? I seem to be constantly running into webs on my outdoor walks.

A: (From Rod Crawford, curator of arachnids at the Burke Museum)

This answer is specific to the Seattle area; different places have different spider species with different population cycles.

The spiders you're "running into" are mainly one species of non-native orbweaver: the "cross orbweaver" Araneus diadematus, which is native to Europe (first record of a cross orbweaver in Washington is 1927). Orbweavers are the spiders that make orb webs, and are the only spiders that do so. They are not dangerous to humans. The population dynamics of this one species are far from typical of all spiders. The vast majority of spiders actually "lay low" in August and September because of low moisture availability in their habitats.

So, are cross orbweavers more abundant this year than usual? Well, I've been working on spiders at the Burke Museum for 39 years now... and every single year I've had someone ask that question! They can't be more numerous every year than every other year, but populations do have ups and downs within individual neighborhoods. Beyond that, I think the biggest factor is that once your eyes begin to notice spiders (which are always common), you're naturally going to notice them everywhere.

To find the answers to more frequently asked questions about spiders, visit our Spider Myths website.

Q: How dangerous are spiders to humans? Should I be scared about the spiders in my house?

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. Read past entries from the Ask the Burke column here.

The following was posted to the Seattle PI's Ask the Burke column on September 8.

Q: How dangerous are spiders to humans? Should I be scared of the spiders in my house?

A: House spiders prey on insects and other small creatures. They are not bloodsuckers and have no reason to bite a human or any other animal too large for them to eat. In any interaction between spiders and larger creatures like humans, the spiders are typically the ones to suffer.

Although almost all spiders are venomous, very, very few spider species have venom that can harm humans, dogs, or cats. The purpose of spider venom is to subdue the spider's prey, almost always insects. In brief, it's an insecticide. Spider venom does not exist to harm creatures, like humans, which are too large for spiders to eat, and in nearly all cases has little if any effect on humans.

A minority of spider species have venom that can cause localized pain in humans, like the venom of bees or wasps. Of around 50,000 spider species known, only about 25have venom capable of causing illness to humans. These species are called "medically significant" spiders. In most parts of the world, such as the Puget Sound area, no spiders with medically significant venom have much chance of being found in houses.

To find the answers to more frequently asked questions about spiders, visit our Spider Myths website.

Interested in spiders and insects? Come to Bug Blast at the Burke on Sunday, September 19!

Q. Is the tradition of carving totem poles native to Western Washington?

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. Read past entries from the Ask the Burke column here.

Q. Is the tradition of carving totem poles native to Western Washington?

A. Although totem poles have become a symbol of all Northwest Coast Native people and their use has spread to neighboring tribes through the years, they weren't always in the Seattle area. Tall multiple-figure poles known as totem poles were first made only by the northern Northwest Coast Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian peoples in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia and are not native to the people of Western Washington. Closer to home, the Coast Salish people in Southern British Columbia and Western Washington carved large human figures representing ancestors and spirit helpers on interior house posts and as grave monuments.

Even though totem poles were not originally carved by people living around the Puget Sound, references to totem poles can be found in many places around Seattle, such as a totem pole in West Seattle that was recently stolen (and returned), the Pike Place Market totem pole, those here at the Burke Museum, and of course, the long-standing totem pole in Pioneer Square.

Tlingit totem pole is unveiled at Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington, October 18, 1899. Photo courtesy University of Washington, Special Collections Division.

The Pioneer Square pole was originally aquired in 1899 by a group of Seattle businessmen who took a trip to Southeast Alaska and stopped in the Tlingit village of Tongass. They assumed that the village had been abandoned and proceeded to remove a large pole that was taken back to Seattle and erected in Pioneer Square. In fact, the Tongass people were just away at their fishing camps, and when they returned, they were unhappy to find the pole stolen. The thieves had been observed and their actions were reported to Governor Brady in Alaska. The Tongass people asked for the return of the pole or payment for it. After lengthy negotiations, a payment was made, but the pole remained in Seattle. This pole was damaged by fire in Pioneer Square in 1938, and a replica was carved by a group of Tlingit carvers from Ketchikan as part of a Civilian Conservation Corps project. This replica pole still stands in Pioneer Square in Seattle today.

To learn more about the history of totem poles and other carvings, visit the Burke's award-winning website The Enduring Power of Totem Poles.

Q. How many endangered species are there in Washington State?

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. Read past entries from the Ask the Burke column here.

The following was posted to the Seattle PI's Ask the Burke column on July 4.

Q. How many endangered species are there in Washington State?

A: The Endangered Species Act (ESA), passed in 1973, provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals on the federal level. Species that receive protection under the ESA are either listed as endangered, meaning they are at the brink of extinction now, or threatened, meaning they are likely to be at the brink of extinction in the near future.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently lists 38 species that live in Washington State that are either endangered or threatened – 29 animals and 9 plants.* Animal species on the "endangered" list include the woodland caribou, Chinook salmon, leatherback sea turtle, killer whale, and gray wolf. Animal species on the "threatened" list include the grizzly bear, northern spotted owl, bull trout, and Steller sea-lion. Plant species that are marked as either endangered or threatened include Kincaid's lupine, golden paintbrush, and Spalding's catchfly.

The Woodland caribou is recognized as endangered by the federal and state government.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also keeps a list of state "Species of Concern" that includes species not federally recognized under the ESA, but recognized by the State as endangered, threatened, or sensitive. Some of the species on the State list are the golden eagle, gray whale, Olympic marmot, and Olympia oyster.

*In April, it was announced that three species of Puget Sound rockfish would be listed under the Endangered Species Act; however, the listing will not become effective until July 27, 2010, so these species do not currently appear on the list of endangered and threatened species in Washington State.

Q: Why are there so many crows in Seattle?

The Burke Museum partners with the Seattle PI's Big Blog to answer commonly asked questions about the natural and cultural history of our region. Read past entries from the Ask the Burke column here.

The following was posted to the Seattle PI's Ask the Burke column on June 11.

Q: Why are there so many crows in Seattle?


A: The crow population has increased dramatically in Seattle over the past 40 years. Increases in human population have reduced forest cover, creating open foraging areas preferred by crows, and generated food sources such as garbage that crows are quick to exploit.

Nighttime communal roosting of crows is particularly noticeable and sometimes disruptive. Crows probably roost communally for the same reason many other birds do—to avoid predation and share information about food resources. Starting in April in the Seattle area, crows become less noticeable because they are breeding; they disperse onto other territories, and females stay on nests. As winter approaches, crows form huge roosts, where they congregate at sunset. They typically commute along regular flight paths, stopping at traditional pre-roosting sites along the way and often vocalizing loudly. In the morning, birds disperse and follow each other to foraging sites.

Ongoing surveys by the Seattle Audubon Society provide historical records of the growing crow populations in this area. During the 2009 Christmas Bird Count, Seattle Audubon observers recorded a remarkable 18,180 American Crows in the greater Seattle area, or about 35% of all total bird species observed in that time. The total number of crow sightings from 2009 is about 26 times greater than the long-term average from 1973-2008; in other words, the population has grown significantly as Seattle has become more urban.

To read more about crows, including tips for how to prevent conflict with these birds, check out the Seattle Audubon’s very informative site.

Photo: American Crow, corvus brachyrhynchos. Photo by Stuart MacKay.

Seattle PI Readers "Ask the Burke"

The SeattlePI.com recently began a new online column on their popular Big Blog called “Ask the Burke.” The column is modeled after the successful “Ask MOHAI,” in which questions about local history are answered by experts at the Museum of History and Industry. Ask the Burke addresses common questions about the natural or cultural history of this region. I think the column is an exciting way to use local media to share the wealth of knowledge of local cultural institutions.

The most recent installment of Ask the Burke posed the question “What is the most abundant fish in Puget Sound?” So what is the answer? Curator of fishes Ted Pietsch’s response might surprise you!

(hint: it's not salmon!)

Do you have questions you’d like to ask the Burke? Leave a comment on this blog post!