wild profile – Page 4

Those who have a cottage or cabin in Western Canada surely know of the white sturgeon. But everyone, everywhere should—it’s huge! The white sturgeon is a record-setter, and claims the title of North America’s Largest Freshwater Fish (more than six metres long), and Longest-Living Fish (100 years). As with other sturgeon species, this one has whisker-like barbels, bony projections on its back, and a fin similar to a shark’s—it’s called a “heterocercal tail.”

Only you can prevent sturgeon poaching, say Great Lakes conservation groups

The white sturgeon—and others in its family—is evolutionary old; some of the earliest sturgeon fossils date back to the Late Cretaecous epoch. So, they’re dinosaur old. And strangely, sturgeon features haven’t really changed since that time. This is why white sturgeon are considered “primitive fish.” (Another species found in Western Canada, the paddlefish, also falls into this category.)

Here in Canada, you’ll only find the white sturgeon in a few B.C. rivers. Some fish—mostly older fish as opposed to juveniles—tend to spawn in deep, fast, turbulent water with rocky bottoms. But late in the fall, almost everyone heads for overwintering spots where the water is calmer, and the river bottom, softer and finer. Hey, we get that. Who wants to settle in for winter on top of rocks?

How animals survive Canada’s harsh winter

Like other animals that can live a long time (in Canada, the snapping turtle), the white sturgeon matures slowly. Males typically don’t reproduce until they’re at least nine, and females, until the ripe old fish-age of 13. Even though white sturgeon will eat almost anything, from snails to salmon to lampreys, they have few predators. Unless you count humans: overfishing drove them to near-extinction by the 1900s.

Man catches 800 lb. sturgeon in B.C.’s Fraser River

Happily, over the last few decades, the government has worked on recovery strategies for the white sturgeon. (The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada listed the species as “Of Special Concern” in 1990 and “Endangered” by late 2003.) Consequently, the only fishing for white sturgeon in Canada is recreational catch-and-release. So no angler is allowed to take the huge, heavy dinosaur home…but they can probably get an excellent photo for Instagram.

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No bigger than a blue jay, the sharp-shinned hawk is small but lethal. Thanks to its short wings and rudder-like tail, this bird can swoop down suddenly to nab songbird victims such as finches and warblers. The sharp-shinned hawk is agile, able to swerve and dart through branches once it spots its prey from above the tree tops.

Just like wolves and other predators, sharp-shins usually target sick or injured birds. That’s a good thing—it helps ensure that only fit, healthy individuals survive and reproduce. They’re killing machines: male sharp-shinned hawks that are in charge of feeding their young in the spring catch and slaughter six to 10 songbirds per day! Although songbirds make up 90 per cent of a sharp-shin’s diet, they’ll go after anything that they feel they can reliably catch: quail, shorebirds, doves, swifts—even falcons. Not to mention rodents, and, occasionally, insects such as moths or grasshoppers (a nice, light snack).

Female sharp-shinned hawks are larger than males, and almost twice as heavy. This makes them less nimble, but also able to target bigger prey such as woodpeckers. You’ll know if a sharp-shin is hanging around your backyard bird feeder because its presence tends to whip prey birds into a frenzy; they’ll start emitting loud, terrified alarm calls. (Danger! A hawk is here!)

How to feed birds without putting them at risk

The sharp-shinned hawk is a “pursuit hunter,” fond of surprising prey by bursting out of a hidden perch, or, when targeting a rodent, pouncing from a few feet above. They use cover to their advantage, and will hide in shrubs in order to sneak close to prey and then ambush them. So sneaky!

A sharp-shinned hawk’s migration patterns follow those of its food source: small birds. They hit cottage country in the spring soon after sparrows and other small species arrive in April, and stick around until mid-October. Some cottage-country sharp-shins don’t go further south than southern Ontario, but others travel all the way to Panama for the winter.

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