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Oak Forest
Sedge Dieoff
Plants
Fabaceae
Legume family Nitrogen restorers
Facaceae
Oak Family
Brassicaceae
Mustard family Four petals per flower
Wallflower
Polygonaceae
Buckwheat family
Onagraceae
Evening Primrose family
Camissonia micrantha
Cucurbitaceae
Cucumber family
Marah fremontii
Solanaceae
Potato family
Datura wrightii
Betulaceae
Birch Family
Asteraceae
Composite flower family
Lessingia glandulifera
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge family Lactate
Croton californicus
Boraginaceae
Borage family Four-lobed ovary; 5 stamens White appendages Cymes scorpoid
Swallowtails
Papilonids Anise Swallowtail Adapt genetically to ecotype to form multiple ecological races. Feeds on plants that contain the essential oils, anisic aldehyde or anethole. Introduced fennel may have benefited butterfly as it is edible year round, Angelica = nave umbel used Hill topping species
Anise Swallowtail
Papillo zelicaon
Cabbage White
Pieris rapae
Orange Sulfur
Colias eurytheme
Langs Metalmark
Apodemia mormo langei
Everes comyntas
Skippers
Hesperiidae Broad heads and muscular bodies Recurved hook at end of antennae (apiculus) Territorial and hilltop
Milkweed Butterflies
Danainae (subfamily of Brushfoots) East of Rockies, overwinter to Mexico; West of Rockies migrate to California Last brood lives 6 months; all others, 2 weeks after metamorphosis Colonial hibernation Spring hatch live 2 weeks as adults; each generation moving further north or east 5th generation= migratory and hibernates.
Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
Other Insects
Assassin Bug
Insect predators in our area Tropical and southern species are vectors of disease and suck blood True Bugs Hemiptera
Praying Mantis
Introduced species Orthoptera Females larger than males Predatory insects, forelegs modified for grasping prothorax accommodates forelimbs
Darkling Beetle
Eloedes Never drink water Live on fungi, detritus
Never drink
Coleoptera
Carpenter Bee
Chew holes in sides of flowers robbing them of nectar. Do not disperse pollen Solitary nesting in dead wood
Ants
200 species in California Workers = modified females Males: short-lived, winged, large eyed Formic acid Hymenoptera
Other Arthropods
Scorpion
Four scorpions in the Bay Area None are dangerous Typically under logs or litter
Amphibians
Pseudacris sierra
Reptiles
Anniella pulchra
Anniella pulchra
Scleroporus occidentalis
Uta stansburiana
Gopher Snake
Racer
Glossy Snake
Birds
Geese
Monogamous Winter residence here, spend summers in Canada and Alaska Vegetarian Males stay with brood for nearly a year.
Canada Geese
White Pelican
Freshwater : food = fish, crayfish and large salamanders. Fish drives Pouch can hold 17.5 lbs of water (10 liters) Pouch used to dissipate heat via gutter fluttering Develop an epidermal horn at the top of the bill during mating season
White Pelican
Raptors
Eat mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians and invertebrates depending upon the species. Diurnal or nocturnal Territorial and monogamous Hovering or flight strikes; some scavenging and theft Osprey is in its own family: Pandionidae
Red-tailed Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Resident
Male
Females
Vultures
Sense of smell Sunning: spread wings to warm body or to dry off. Bare skin is more easily cleaned and may help regulate body temperature.
Turkey Vulture
Dabbling Ducks
Chose mates annually Feed in shallows Flight straight up from water Mostly winter residents Bill shape determines feeding
Mallard: board bill for invertebrates, seed and grains Wigeon: short bills for cutting and digging vegetation (may also thieve). Green-winged teal: Comb-like structures allow for straining tiny invertebrates from mud
Mallard
Killdeer
Most abundant plover in North America Nests in open areas; ground nester Eggs resemble stones Broken wing act to protect nest and young
Killdeer
Gulls
Insectivorous; fishes and scavenges. Ring-billed Gull & Herring Gulls frequently seen inland, but also coastal. Color varies with age. All are winter residents
Western Gull
Doves
Fast flyers 88km per hour Feed almost exclusively on seeds Ground feeders Eurasian Collard Dove: introduced species Larger with white band in tail Effect on mourning dove yet to be determined
Mourning Dove
Owls
Nocturnal Binocular vision under extremely low light conditions Ever better hearing Silent flyers Several subspecies
Hummingbirds
New World species only Nectar feeders + small invertebrates Solitary and territorial Tongue regulated by hyoid apparatus iridescences structural, not due to pigment
Annas Hummingbird
Resident
Belted Kingfisher
Females with rusty belt; males larger, less colorful Build tunnel nests in cliff, slightly upward Eat fish, insects, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans Resident throughout the year in our area
Belted Kingfisher
Woodpeckers
Feeding behaviors species dependent. Acorn woodpecker caches acorns in larders. Most insectivorous. Sapsuckers wound trees and drink sap. Flight is undulating. Often sexual dimorphism Chisel-shaped bill: Tongue similar to hummingbird with hyoid apparatus 3 reasons for wood beating: excavation, drumming (territorial) and feeding.
Northern Flicker
Falcons
Peregrines can drop up to 200 mph Found on all continents except Antarctica
Peregrine Falcon
Resident
Kestrel
Bushtits
Glean insects form leaves; sometimes eat berries Territorial when nesting, otherwise travel in flocks, sometimes mixed flocks.
Bushtits
Resident
Scrub Jay
Sparrows
Ground dwelling birds 319 species world wide; 50 species in north Americas Eat insects during breeding seasons and sees all other times (feed insects to young) Some polygamous, but most monogamous during breeding season
Golden-crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swallows
Aerialists Insectivorous Most often found near water Monogamous
Mockingbird
Mimid Family includes thrashers Mockingbird mimics other species Bills vary in shapes and size between species All have long tails. Insects and small fruits (Often forages on ground)
Northern Mockingbird
Resident
Wood Warblers
Diverse group (116 species) Insectivorous or fruit and nectar eaters (species dependent) Territorial and monogamous with seasonal pairing Migratory species in our area Drab coloration during fall migration
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Mammals
Coyote
Gray Fox