Tag: fauna

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Fauna: Centronyx henslowii

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper April 24, 2025

Centronyx henslowii
Henslow’s Sparrow

These adorable little birds can be hard to spot. Not only are the small in stature, they tend to stay hidden, down in grassy areas rather than fly to escape predators. You might not hear them either – they have the shortest call of any North American songbird. It is only two syllables and has been described by some as a “weak hiccup.”

Henslow’s sparrows are migratory, spending their winters in the southeastern United States, including the Ogeechee watershed. They enjoy the marshy lowlands with tall grass and pine flatwoods that dot the area. They feed on the insects-like grasshoppers and beetles-that frequent the same habitat as well as seeds.


Adults stand about 4-5 inches tall and weigh just about half and ounce. There are shades of tan with black stripes, but one way to distinguish them from their cousins is a distinctive olive green patch on their faces. They seem to be monogamous, returning to the same location with the same partner in consecutive years.

This spunky, tiny creature was described and named by J. J. Audubon after his friend John Stevens Henslow (Henslow himself was a teacher and close friend of Charles Darwin).

I obtained the bird represented in this plate opposite Cincinnati, in the State of Kentucky, in the year 1820, whilst in the company of Mr. ROBERT BEST, then Curator of the Western Museum. It was on the ground, amongst tall grass, and exhibited the usual habits of its tribe. … In naming it after the Rev. Professor HENSLOW of Cambridge, a gentleman so well known to the scientific world, my object has been to manifest my gratitude for the many kind attentions which he has shewn towards me. – Plate 70, J.J. Aububon

View: https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/henslows-bunting

Henslow’s sparrow faces significant habitat loss, but is not listed as a endangered species, despite it being submitted in 1984. Georgia DNR lists it as “SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need.” Both the midwest prairies that provide breeding grounds and the lowlands that form its winter home are disappearing rapidly. The bird has managed to adapt to some kinds of row crops, like hayfields, but other agricultural and lumbering practices can make things difficult for the bird to find a quiet place to nest and feed. Georgia DNR is also finding some success with managed mowing and prescribed burning practices.

Henslow’s Sparrow – Photo by Dan Vickers via GADNR
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Fauna: Platalea ajaja

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper February 7, 2025

Platalea ajaja
Roseate spoonbill

The roseate spoonbill is Coastal Georgia’s own flamingo. With its striking pink plumage, distinctive spoon-shaped bill, and graceful demeanor, this elegant bird stands out. Found in coastal marshes, swamps, and other shallow-water environments, they are considered medium-sized wading birds, standing about 2.5 to 3 feet tall with a wingspan of up to 4.5 feet.

Roseate Spoonbill. Darren Clark / Macaulay Library

The roseate spoonbill is a master of subtlety when it comes to its behavior and feeding habits. Somewhat like a pelican, it uses its bill as a specialized tool, and slowly wades through shallow waters. It sweeps its bill from side to side to sift through mud and silt in search of small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates. This technique, known as “tactile foraging,” allows the spoonbill to thrive in its habitat, even in areas with murky or tidal waters. Like the flamingo, they get their pink color from the carotenoid pigments in their diet, primarily from crustaceans.

Roseate Spoonbill – Tammy Pick / Audubon Photography Awards

These birds are social creatures, often found in flocks with other wading birds like herons and egrets. They tend to nest in colonies with other birds as well. Their nests can be up to 16 feet high in trees in marshy areas. They lay between 1 to 5 eggs which will hatch in less than a month. The baby birds are white and won’t get their pink color until they start eating wild crustaceans.

Juvenile Roseate Spoonbill – James Rieman / Macaulay Library

By feeding on various aquatic organisms, spoonbills control the populations of various species, which balance the overall health of the ecosystem. Their foraging activities also contribute to the aeration of the water and sediment, promoting nutrient cycling and supporting plant growth.

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Fauna: Callinectes sapidus

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper May 1, 2024

Fauna: Callinectes sapidus
Blue crab (and others)

The Ogeechee River basin is teeming with a diverse array of crab species, each with its own unique characteristics and role within our aquatic ecosystems. From the feisty blue crab to the elusive stone crab, these fascinating creatures play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of life in our rivers and estuaries.

Photo by iNaturalist

Perhaps the most well-known of all crab species in our region, the blue crab is a true symbol of the coastal South. With its distinctive blue claws and sweet, succulent meat, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a favorite catch among recreational and commercial fishermen alike. But beyond its culinary appeal, the blue crab also serves as an important predator and scavenger, helping to control populations of small fish, mollusks, and other invertebrates in our estuarine habitats. Eggs of blue crabs hatch in salty waterways like inlets, coastal tributaries, and mouths of rivers, and are carried to the ocean by ebb tides. Eventually, young crabs settle to live in brackish water.   These estuaries are also needed for crabs to complete their molting and growing cycles.

Red-jointed Fiddler Crab Photo by Emilio Concari

If you’ve ever explored the muddy shores in our basin, chances are you’ve encountered the industrious fiddler crab (Minuca minax). Commonly known as the red‐jointed fiddler crab or brackish-water fiddler crab, they are known for their oversized claws and distinctive “fiddling” behavior, these small but mighty crustaceans play a vital role in shaping the structure and stability of our coastal marshes. By burrowing into the soft mud and feeding on organic matter, fiddler crabs aerate the soil, increase nutrient cycling, and provide habitat for a variety of other marsh-dwelling organisms.

Juvenile Stone Crab. Photo by Andrea Westmoreland

Less conspicuous but no less important are the stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria) that inhabit the rocky substrates of our river bottoms and oyster reefs. In addition to the typical molting cycle, these crabs can also lose a limb and easily grow it back. With their powerful claws and voracious appetites, stone crabs play a crucial role in controlling populations of bivalves and other shellfish, helping to maintain the health and productivity of our estuarine ecosystems.

Atlantic Ghost Crab. Photo by Kris Howard

The Atlantic ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) is an omnivore that needs sandy beaches for its habitat. A great deal of its habitat has been affected by beachgoers or other human interaction. They are also typically nocturnal, so it is rare to spot them on a day by the shore. In 2023, a study showed that these crabs had self-awareness and could recognize themselves in a mirror.

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Fauna: Lontra canadensis

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper February 23, 2023

Lontra canadensis
North American river otter

River otters can thrive in a variety of environments – hot, cold, low lying, mountainous – including freshwater and coastal marine habitats, like rivers, lakes, marshes, swamps, and estuaries. They need a healthy environment with plentiful food sources, and they will quickly move to other environments if there is pollution in their area. Water quality issues and loss of aquatic or wetland habitats pose long-term threats to the overall health of river otter populations.

They are semi-aquatic animals, meaning they live in and near water, but are land mammals. Their soft, dense fur keeps them warm in the variations of their environment. They have tiny ears and nostrils which they will close up when going underwater to hunt and fish. Their webbed feet help them swim while their claws allow them to dig up food or pry open prey. In the Ogeechee River basin, their main prey is crayfish.

River otters make their dens in the burrows of other mammals or in natural hollows, such as under a fallen tree, or tucked into river banks. They build underwater entrances for their dens, which protect a nest that otters will line with leaves, grass, moss, bark, and hair. Otter families tend to respect the boundaries of other otter territories.

Mating pairs will give birth to one to six pups per year, usually in the spring. They need their mother until they are about three months old. River otters can live more than 20 years in captivity, but typically live about nine years in the wild. Males can reach 25 pounds and females average about 18 pounds when they are adults. Their tail is about a third of their length.

River otter. © Oregon Zoo / Photo by Shervin Hess

They can stay underwater for about eight minutes and typically hunt at night. They are known for being “playful” as they can often be seen diving and swimming in waterways. They are also noted for using tools, such as rocks, to open the shells of the bivalves.

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Fauna: Perimyotis subflavus

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper October 4, 2021
Studio portrait of a tricolored bat, National Geographic Photo Ark

Tricolored bat
Perimyotis subflavus

Tricolored bats are very small, weighing about the same as a U.S. quarter, though its wingspan can reach up to 10 inches across. Their fur is a mix of black, brown, and light brown, giving them their name. The species used to be called Eastern pipistrelle, but a 2019 DNA test showed they in fact are not related to the Pipistrellus genus. The new genus, Perimyotis, indicates its similarities with the Myotis or mouse-eared bats.

Larisa Bishop-Boros – A healthy hibernating tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus)

The first known specimen was collected in Georgia by John Eatton Le Conte, a naturalist and a captain in the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers. Among other locations, he was stationed in the Savannah harbor and at Ossabaw Sound. Le Conte’s tricolored bat specimen was studied and categorized by zoologist Frédéric Cuvier in 1832.

Tri-colored bat with visible WNS symptom, USFW, Darwin Brock

Males are solitary, while females can sometimes be found living in small colonies. They may take up residence in a cave but they are also found in trees, overhanging water. Scientists have also recently discovered colonies living in tree lichen (like Spanish moss), presumably because the lichen has natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-insect properties. This is especially important as the tricolored bat is susceptible to the deadly white-nose syndrome, which has killed about 70% of the population since 2006.  Though numbers have stabilized, this bat remains on the Endangered Species List as “vulnerable and threatened.”

Art by Caroline Rose

Like most bats, this species hunts in early evening and at night, using echolocation to find its prey. It eats mainly insects like mosquitoes, moths, cicadas, and ants. It loves to hunt in areas near water, especially. It’s a very efficient hunter and is able to consume a quarter of its own weight within a half an hour.