Forest Wildlife

Maryland’s geography features a wide variety of aquatic ecosystems. If your property includes any of these habitats, it may be home to one of North America’s native rodents: the common muskrat.

The first time you see one of these birds, you might be inclined to label them as “red-headed” woodpeckers. That name actually belongs to another species, which has red feathers covering its head. Instead, the red-bellied woodpecker is named for the adult male’s red belly, which is often difficult to see. Its other distinguishing features are barred wing, back, and tail feathers, and a stripe of red feathers across the bird’s head and neck.

Red-shouldered hawks are a common resident in the mid-Atlantic states. They are medium-sized raptors that can be found perching on tree branches in bottomland hardwood stands, flooded deciduous swamps, and upland mixed deciduous-conifer forests. They prefer relatively open understories that enable them to soar between trees in search of prey.

Maryland is home to an amazing variety or wildlife — but mention “wildlife,” and many people will rarely think of reptiles or amphibians. Maryland is either home to or visited by a variety of reptiles, including 20 species and sub-species of frogs and toads, 19 species and sub-species of turtles and tortoises, 27 different snakes, and six types of lizards. However, due to a variety of pressures, several of these species are facing declining numbers.

The dragonfly is one of the most ancient on earth, with fossil records stretching back as much as 350 million years. They are one of the world’s most successful species, with representatives on every continent except Antarctica. Approximately 300 species are known in the United States.

The woodchuck may be one of the most celebrated yet misunderstood or maligned mammals in North America. One the one hand, it has a handful of nicknames and its best-known representative has an international day of fame every year. Yet there are many who are not fans of the woodchuck; some consider them to be pests.

The barred owl (Strix varia) is one of North America’s most typical species. It is also known colloquially as the hoot owl, the laughing owl, and the swamp owl. It inhabits old growth woodlands, wooded river bottoms, and wooded swamps.

The bobwhite quail's emphatic whistle calls out “bob-white” across grassy fields or piney woods. It has been in sharp decline over the last fifty years, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources to list the species as “near threatened.”

Virginia opossums are common throughout Maryland and the eastern United States, and are found in a wide variety of habitats.

Throughout Maryland’s habitats, you will find one of the most successful raptors in North America: the Red-tailed Hawk. This bird of prey is found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Panama and the West Indies, occupying deserts, grasslands, deciduous and coniferous forests, as well as agricultural and urban areas.