The white-throated sparrow is a fascinating bird with unique characteristics not found in other bird species whose behavior raises many questions – even about us.

The common grackle, native to North America, is a member of the blackbird family and, as the name implies, is quite common and abundant. You can spot grackles in Massachusetts all year long.

Urban skunks are peaceful and tend to mind their own business. As long as we do not threaten them, they will live peacefully nearby, perhaps letting us watch from afar their maternal antics. So if you should find one living under your porch, don’t worry.

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird on Earth. They’ve been clocked diving from great heights at more than 200 mph in the service of deadly accurate hunting.

These fairly large birds are becoming more and more common in Massachusetts as the breed expands its range northward, but were first seen here in the 1970s.

The American winter ant isn’t called that for nothing. It prefers lower temperatures – all the way down to 35 degrees Fahrenheit – for its workers to forage outside the nest when most other ants are dormant.

It is not too surprising that farmers in the 1800s and 1900s hated these birds – they were an agricultural pest John James Audubon proposed calling the fruit-devourer.

Did you know there are flying squirrels in Cambridge? If you haven’t seen one, it’s probably because flying squirrels are nocturnal. If you have, it might be because the squirrel visits your bird feeder at night.

Ben Franklin experimented with killing chickens and turkeys with electricity using devices called Leyden jars, which he found made fowl meat “eat uncommonly tender.”

Do screech owls actually screech? To many people, that’s not their sound – and there are also misconceptions about owls’ ears, as well as surprises about their sight.