The more you know

Crows and ravens are all-black birds often mistaken for each other, both unfairly seen as bad omens. In Illinois, you’re likely seeing a crow, as ravens are rare here. Ravens are much larger, have shaggy throat feathers, large, curved beaks, and make a croaking sound, not a caw. In flight, crows have fan-shaped tails and flap often, while ravens soar with wedge-shaped tails. Crows gather in flocks while ravens are usually seen in pairs.

Animals show love in many ways, from gift-giving to dancing and lifelong partnerships. Field crickets offer wings to mates, gray squirrels help build nests, and bald eagles and sandhill cranes mate for life and perform bonding dances. While it’s hard to define animal love like human love, these actions suggest deep connections.

Fossils are rare remains or signs of ancient life, with some over 3 billion years old. Due to decomposition, fossil formations are very rare and need the right conditions to form. Less than 0.1% of organisms become fossils. There are four types: trace fossils (like footprints), mold fossils (imprints), cast fossils (replicas formed in molds), and true form fossils (actual body parts, often petrified, frozen or trapped). These fossils help scientists learn about life long ago.

Blue Jays can be loud, aggressive and sometimes threatening to smaller birds. They eat insects, seeds, grains and love acorns. The pigment in their feathers is melanin, but we perceive them as blue due to light scattering. Blue Jays belong to the Corvidae family, which are considered to be among the most intelligent birds in the world. They use vocalizations and body language to communicate with other birds. Blue jays also collect paint chips as a source of calcium in the spr

There are two types of animal gift giving: nuptial and non-nuptial. Nuptial gifts are tokens given when wooing a mate or someone special. Spiders, Gentoo penguins, and birds are all known for leaving nuptial gifts. Non-nuptial gifts are those given for fun, to say thanks, or to build relationships. Animals who are known for their non-nuptial gifts are crows, bonobos, and dolphins. Whether it be a paperclip, a pebble, or food, animals give gifts to express gratitude, love, and

Wild turkeys are different than domesticated turkeys we feast on for Thanksgiving. Though almost on the brink of extinction in the early 1900s, successful reintroduction efforts helped their population grow. Wild turkeys can fly short distances and have between 5,000 to 6,000 feathers. Only males can gobble, but all wild turkeys use many different vocalizations. It is a tall tale that Benjamin Franklin would have preferred the wild turkey to be America’s national bird rather

A key part of a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly or a moth is a chrysalis or a cocoon within the transitional pupal stage. For butterflies, metamorphosis occurs inside a chrysalis. For moths, this transformation occurs inside a cocoon. Chrysalides are hard, smooth exoskeletons while cocoons are spun from silk. Chrysalises can be found hanging from a structure while cocoons are buried in the ground or on the side of a structure. Both coverings offer protection to

America’s prairies once spanned 170 million acres but now less than 1% remains due to farming. Illinois was mostly prairie in 1820, earning its nickname the Prairie State, but most has since vanished. Prairies support rich plant and animal life and exist worldwide under other names. The loss of prairie contributed to the 1930s Dust Bowl, as replacing deep-rooted prairie plants with shallow crops led to soil erosion and massive dust storms.