Creature features

In the bird world, there are many different kinds of ducks. There are dozens of species of warblers, and there are a lot of different owls. But there are only two turkeys. One of those — the wild turkey — is well-known to us in the eastern United States. The other — the ocellated turkey — is not so familiar. The ocellated turkey looks sort of like a technicolor version of the turkey we are familiar with.

Rough-legged hawks may not be the most recognizable hawk in Will County, but they are one of the most interesting.

The American coot is far from one of the most well-known waterfowl out there, but winter is when its presence really becomes known. An American coot. (Photo via Shutterstock) American coots are dark, duck-like birds that are about 15 inches long. Read the five facts below to get more familiar with this adorable waterfowl.    Not a duck Although American coots look like ducks, they are part of a group a marsh birds called rails. The rail family is diverse and consists of many

Coyotes are an important part of the ecosystem, and their presence across Illinois is beneficial. Their main ecosystem role is keeping the population of small mammals like rodents and rabbits in check.

The white-naped crane lives far from the United States, but it might remind you of our local crane species.

Most of us go out of our way to avoid piles of animal poop on the ground, but dung beetles are right at home in all that manure.  And it's lucky for us that they are because these insects do some important work in there.

Coyotes and other canids like to roam, and African painted dogs can cover huge amounts of territory in their range.

If you’ve ever heard someone calling out in the woods, “Who cooks for you?” there’s probably a barred owl nearby. These distinctive-looking owls are best known for their hard-to-miss call, which sounds like they are calling out: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?"