Biodiversity is key to a prosperous natural environment, because each species plays a unique role in the functioning of a healthy ecosystem and carnivores, herbivores, mammals and birds work together to maintain the flourishing environment we see today. 

Because of the versatility within our local forests and wetlands, many species call McFarland home -- some for at least half of the year. Each species has a special niche specific to its unique traits, some smaller than others, but still important.

MAMMALS - RODENTS

Grey Squirrel

The Grey Squirrel is named for its grey bushy fur. Typically, it grows 15-20 inches long, and weighs 0.75-1.5 lbs. It is the most commonly found squirrel in the Northeastern United States and resides in leafy nests in treetops.  It also nests in holes in tree cavities, which are identified by freshly chewed bark near the entrance of the holes. Grey Squirrels eat both plants and nuts, but particularly love acorns, hickory nuts, and black walnuts.

Fox Squirrel

The Fox Squirrel is shorter than the grey squirrel and has rounded ears. They are often mistaken for gray squirrels, but their bellies are pale yellow or orange brown. Fox Squirrels live in open, savannah-like areas, not heavily forested areas, like the grey squirrels. Fox squirrels have excellent vision and well-developed senses of hearing and smell.

Southern Flying Squirrel

The Southern Flying Squirrel is about 7-10 inches in length. It's mostly nocturnal and spends its days hiding in nests in trees. While they don’t actually fly, these squirrels use their extra flap of skin between the wrists and ankles like a parachute to fly from tree to tree -- up to 150 feet. The Southern Flying Squirrel also uses its tail like a rudder to direct its flight.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit is easily identified by its small body and fluffy, cotton-looking tail. The average weight and length of this species is 1.8 - 4.4 lbs. and 14-19 inches. It eats a variety of foods based on availability, but most often consumes vegetation. Eastern Cottontail Rabbits are the most common rabbit species in North America, lying in grassy areas and shrubs.

Muskrat

A Muskrat is a small, rat-looking rodent that swims and lives in swamps, rivers, marshes, and lakes. They grow up to 13 inches long, and can weigh up to 4 pounds. You’ll often see them digging burrows by shore and building lodges out of cattails. Typically, their diet consists of cattails and a variety of grasses.

Striped Skunk

Skunks rely on their black and white appearance and their foul-smelling spray to ward off predator attacks. Contrary to common perception, skunks are actually reluctant to use this defense mechanism, because they only carry five-six doses, and it takes around ten days to produce another supply. Skunks weigh about 6-8 lbs and are 13-18 inches long. They dig holes in the ground, logs, or rotten trees looking for mice, grubs and worms. They also eat plants, small rodents, insects, fruit, bird eggs and some small birds. This species resides in rural, wooded, and urban areas.

Raccoon

Raccoons are nocturnal animals, meaning, they sleep during the day and are active at night. They are known for their extremely dexterous front paws, facial mask, ringed tail; and surprisingly, their intelligence. Raccoons weigh 4-23 lbs. and grow to 23.75-37.5 inches long. They are omnivores, known for eating frogs, mice, fruit, plants, and garbage from trash cans. Typically, they live in forests, but can also be found in urban areas.

MAMMALS - OTHER

Red Fox

The Red Fox is named after its red orangish fur. It’s average lengths for the head and body is 18 to 33.75 inches. It usually weighs 6.5 to 24 pounds. Red Foxes burrow in the ground or in the hillside (called dens). They like to eat, rabbits, mice, and other small rodents.

White Tailed Deer

The White Tailed Deer is identified by its white tail and white spots. The common weight is 110 to 300 lbs and with a average size of 6 to 7.75 ft. White Tailed Deer are omnivores, mostly eating leaves, fruits, nuts, twigs, and twigs. They live in the forests, fields and meadows.

Coyote

Coyotes are smaller than wolves. To be exact, they weigh 20 to 50 pounds and their normal size is 32 to 37 inches. Their normal diet is fish, rabbits, frogs, rodents, and deer. They even eat farm animals such as lambs, or pets like dogs and cats. Their habitats are located in forests, mountains, deserts, and prairies.

BIRDS - PERMANENT RESIDENTS

Tufted Titmouse

The Tufted Titmouse is a adorable small bird that’s about 6 inches in length and a weight of .74 oz. They usually eat bugs (especially caterpillars), but also tend to eat nuts, seeds, and berries. The Tufted Titmouse lives in gardens, scrubland, parks, and some forests in the trees. The McFarland School Forest has had a resident pair of Titmice for many years and you can often hear them calling their loud “Peter, Peter, Peter” calls in late winter and spring.

Northern Cardinal

The male Northern Cardinal is a beautiful red bird and the female is a dull brown/gray color. It’s usual body length is 8-9 inches with an average a weight of 1.5 oz. Northern Cardinals live all across America from Maine to Texas to the deserts of Arizona; living in woodlands, forests, and gardens. They usually eat things like seeds, insects and fruit.

Black-Capped Chickadee

The Black-Capped Chickadee is a adorable small bird that is 4.7-5.9 inches and an average weight of .3-.5 oz. It usually lives in trees or woody shrubs, in forests all over the eastern and northern United States. Like most birds, the Black-Capped Chickadee eats seeds, berries, and insects. There are many pairs of Black Black-Capped Chickadee in the McFarland School Forest.

Red-Bellied Woodpeckers

The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is usually 9 inches long. You can identify it by its long beak and red stripe on its head (whereas a Red-Headed Woodpecker has a complete red head, like a hood). The red belly is actually very faint and not easy to see without binoculars. It’s most commonly found in the eastern United States in lots of forests, parks and woodlands. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker likes to eat, acorns, beechnuts, and some fruits.

Blue Jay

Blue Jays are named for their beautiful blue feathers. On average, they are 10-12 inches long and weigh 2.5-3.5 oz. Blue Jays are normally omnivores, and the normal diet of a blue jay includes, nuts, seeds, some soft fruit, and bugs. SOmetimes they will steal eggs from other birds’ nests and eat them. They find their diet in their forest and woodland habitats.

BIRDS - MIGRATORY RESIDENTS

Common Grackle

The Common Grackle is a common type of blackbird. It’s normal length is 1.1 to 1.3 inches and weighs about 3.9 oz. This bird has a omnivore diet consisting of berries, nuts, and insects. It also eats other things, such as waste grain such as corn seeds in a cornfield. This blackbird lives in farmlands, groves, and stream sides. It is identified by its glossy purple-blue head and yellow eye.

Common Yellowthroat

There’s nothing common about this adorable yellow bird. Both male and females have yellow bodies, but the male also has a dark black mask like a racoon. The Common Yellowthroat is a member of the warbler family and lives in marshes and other denser shrubby places like the Thurn Marsh Park near the McFarland School Forest. They have a diet of insects like caterpillars and other similar bugs. They have a average weight of .34 oz and are about 4 inches long.

Cedar Waxwing

The Cedar Waxwing is named for the waxy looking yellow tips of the wings (and tail). The normal length for a Cedar Waxwing is 6-7 inches, and the wingspan is 6 to 8 inches, while the weight is 30 oz. Their normal diet includes, fruit and insects. Cedar Waxwing tends to live in forests, parks, gardens, farms, and orchards. They make a high pitched squealing call. They tend to group in flocks and will fly together from tree to tree.

Scarlet Tanager

The Scarlet Tanager male is a bright red songbird that has dark black wings, whereas the female is yellow with soft black wings. The normal weight is typically .83 - 1.34 oz. while it’s length can be 166-7 inches. It's diet is filled with insects (especially in the summer) and fruits (during migration). Scarlet Tanagers live forests, backyards and other shrub filled areas.  Some years there are a pair of Scarlet Tanagers that will stay and reside in the McFarland School Forest.

Red-Eyed Vireo

The Red-Eyed Vireo is about 6 inches long and lives in large deciduous forest, especially in large trees with large leaves.  Red-Eyed Vireos are insectivores (butterfly larvae, wasps, ants, dragonflies, mosquitos, etc.), but will also occasionally eat fruit.  The migrate to Wisconsin in early May and depart in September.  They are one of the most common species of birds found in Wisconsin during the months they are here.

Great Crested Flycatcher

The Great Crested Flycatcher is the only species of the Myiarchus genus of flycatchers regularly seen in Wisconsin (while the western US can have up to 4 different species).  They are 6-8 inches in length and live in wooded forest habitat in deciduous trees. They are insectivores and will eat insects and other invertebrates.  Like most flycatchers, they will often fly off of their perch, catch prey and then return to their same perch.  This is commonly called “flycatching”.

Eastern Wood-Pewee

The Eastern-Wood Pewee is a small tyrant flycatcher found in most of the eastern US and are 5-6 inches in length. They are common in mature deciduous forests and along forest edges. They make a very distinctive “pee wee” call that can be heard all summer long.  They eat small flying insects, usually from perches in the middle to upper branches of large trees.

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Cranes are elegant tall birds with gray color and a reddish top of their head. They are usually 47 inches in length and usually weigh about 119.9-172.8 oz. They have massive bills and typically eat grains and insects. They live in prairies, marshes, grasslands, and ponds. You can usually see or hear Sandhill Cranes in the marsh near the McFarland School Forest, or see them flying overhead.

BIRDS - WATERFOWL

Blue-Winged Teal

The Blue-Winged Teal is named specifically for its bright blue wings. It’s wingspan is 22-24 inches, with a length of 14-16 inches and an approximate weight of 8-19 oz. The normal diet of a Blue-Winged Teal includes seed, stems, grass, and pondweed. They are dabbling ducks and do not dive below the water to get food. Blue-Winged Teals live in marshes, lakes, ponds, and streams.  They can often be seen in springtime in the Yahara River near the McFarland School Forest.

Tundra Swans

Tundra Swans are beautiful and graceful, with the stereotypical delicate sweeping neck. The usual length of these swans is 3.9 to 4.8 feet and a normal weight of 8.4 to 23.1 pounds. The diet of a Tundra Swan is pondweeds, grass, and other aquatic plants. They normally live in lakes and ponds. They are only seen in winter in McFarland, with hundreds out on Lower Mud Lake and a few swim up the Yahara River to the backside of the McFarland School Forest.

Common Goldeneye

The Common Goldeneye is easily identified by its bright yellow eyes. The typical length for the common goldeneye is 16-20 inches, and they weigh from 1.8 to 2.2 pounds. The normal diet of the Common Goldeneye consists of water plants, small fish, mollusks, and some insects. They are diving ducks and go below the water to get their food. They tend to live in lakes, rivers and along the shore line in forests. They are only seen in winter in McFarland, with hundreds out on Lower Mud Lake and a few swim up the Yahara River to the backside of the McFarland School Forest.

Pied-billed Grebe

The Pied-billed Grebe is one of the most common grebes in North America. It’s average length is 9-15 inches, and it has a normal wingspan of 16 to 24 inches. The average diet of the pied-billed grebe consists of of lots of fish, insects and other small aquatic creatures. The Pied-billed Grebe lives in lakes, ponds, and marshes and dives below the water to get their food. They can be seen all year in the Yahara River on the backside of the McFarland School Forest.

Common Merganser

The Common Merganser is about 23 to 28 inches in length, and weighs about 2 to 4.6 pounds. The typical diet of this bird includes, fish, worms, and other aquatic animals. They dive below the water to get their food and are excellent swimmers underwater with their feet positioned way at the back of their bodies. They tend to live in rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. They are only seen in winter in McFarland, with hundreds out on Lower Mud Lake and a few swim up the Yahara River to the backside of the McFarland School Forest.

BIRDS - RAPTORS

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owls tend to have a wingspan 4.6 feet and approximately weigh 3 pounds. They eat small animals, some birds, and even will eat a skunk. They don’t have teeth, however, so they have to eat the animal whole and regurgitate the bones and stuff in owl pellets! The Great Horned Owls reside all over America, usually in forests, canyons, or clearings. Great Horned Owls are also nocturnal, so they hunt at night and sleep in the day. There are a pair of Great Horned Owls that live in the McFarland School Forest and surrounding lands. Sometimes they get “mobbed” and chased by Blue Jays and Crows.

Bald Eagle

You don’t have to be patriotic to learn about Bald Eagles. They are one of the most well known birds in America. They have an average length of 27.9-37.8 in and weigh about 105.8-222.2 oz. Bald eagles are huge and usually much bigger than the other birds. Like most raptors the females are larger than the males. Their diet is composed of mostly fish, some mammals, and sometimes birds. They live all over America, Canada and even northern Mexico in lakes, rivers, marshes and other bodies of water. In McFarland we have a pair of Bald Eagles that live near Lower Mud Lake and can sometimes be seen soaring over the McFarland School Forest.

Osprey

Osprey are beautiful slender birds with m-shaped wings. Their length is usually 21.3-22.8 in weigh about 49.4-70.5 oz. Osprey usually eat fish using their sharp talons. Their habitats are rivers, ponds, marshes and other bodies of water. They migrate to McFarland from the southern United States or even Central America. There is usually Osprey living near Lower Mud Lake and they can sometimes be seen soaring over the McFarland School Forest.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawks are the most common hawks in North America. They have a length of 18 to 26 inches, and weigh approximately 24.3 to 51.5. Their diet consists of many types of mammals ( mice, rabbits, squirrels, etc.) and some reptiles. They like to live in open places like prairies and fields so it easier to hunt. There is usually a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks that live in the McFarland School Forest.  One of them is often perched on the antennas on top of the watertower at the top of the forest.

Turkey Vulture

A Turkey Vulture can grow to 25.2-31.9 in long, and weigh around 70.5 oz.  They live near roads or by places to get trash or other food, so they can eat roadkill and stuff from dumpsters. They migrate to McFarland each year in very early spring and depart in late fall. During migration you can sometimes see dozens of them perched on the antennas of the water tower at the top of the McFarland School Forest.

BIRDS - MIGRATION ONLY

Black-Throated Green-Warbler

A Black-Throated Green-Warbler is about 5” long and is found in mature coniferous and mixed woodlands (favors White Pines and Hemlocks). Like most warblers, Black-Throated Green-Warblers eat small insects including spiders, hairless caterpillars, spruce budworms. These birds come to Wisconsin in early May, set up for summer in northern Wisconsin and depart in September.  They spend the winter in Central America and South America.

Magnolia Warbler

Magnolia Warblers are about 5” long and are found in thickets and forests.  They usually remain relatively low in the trees and shrubs. They have yellow and black coloring, long black streaks on their breasts and sides with a black tipped tail. They are mostly insectivores eating spiders and caterpillars. These birds come to Wisconsin in early May, set up for summer in northern Wisconsin and depart in September.  They spend the winter in Central America.

White-Throated Sparrow

White-Throated Sparrows are passerines (perching birds) that are 6-7.5” long. Their appearance shows a plain gray breast with a head pattern of black and white stripes (and small yellow lores near their beak). They are named after their distinctive white throat patches. They forage in low shrubs and on the forest floor in dark places. They migrate through Wisconsin in mid-April, set up for summer in northern Wisconsin and pass back through in October.  They winter in the southern United States.

Ovenbird

An Ovenbird is a type of warbler species (note the sharp bill) and is about 4-5” long. It has a brown back and speckled breast with a flaming orange crest. They live in mature deciduous forests along the undergrowth of trees and shrubs. They migrate through Wisconsin in mid-April, set up for summer in middle to northern Wisconsin and pass back through in October.  They winter in Central America. They have a distinctive loud song of “teacher, teacher, teacher” that can be heard in the McFarland School Forest during spring migration.

Golden-Winged Warbler

Golden-Winged Warblers are about 4.5” long and are found in mature deciduous forest. They have gray body with a striking head with a yellow top, black mask and black throat. They eat insectivores and eat caterpillars, spiders, grasshoppers and beetles.  These birds come to Wisconsin in early May, set up for summer in middle to northern Wisconsin and depart in September.  They spend the winter in Central America and the northerns part of South America. They make a buzzy song that can be heard during spring migration in the McFarland School Forest.

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