Blog #9: Fauna in Suburbia

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 Wait, Wildlife in Neighborhoods?

Indeed! Despite the common assumptions about suburbia, I actually live in a semi-wild area of Oklahoma. Granted, Oklahoma isn't quite as developed as many other places in the world. Regardless, allow me to walk you all through some of the wildlife you may see on a stroll through my neighborhood. 

First, we have the infamous wild turkey (scientific name: Meleagris gallopavo), a dwindling, yet invasive population. This specific type of turkey is represented by three subspecies: the Rio Grande, the Eastern, and the Merriams. Based on my guess, I'm assuming the turkeys that haunt my neighborhood are Rio Grande, the most prevalent kind in Oklahoma. Charmingly, they tend to come in groups, as you can see in the photo below. The reason why I claim this population is invasive is that my family has taken personal offense from these turkeys. In order to understand, more context is required.

In the spring of 2020, my family had our pool renovated. It was an exciting project, especially when we were facing a summer free of travel to more temperate climates. Once this renovation was completed, however, a specific turkey developed a fond affiliation with the pool and decided that he would make the top entry step his personal toilet. This caused no end of frustration for my family, but the solutions were creative. According to my mom's research, wild turkeys get confused when their surroundings change (their brains aren't large). The solution required us to put random objects in the pool, scatter lawn furniture, and make the place as confusing as possible. It eventually worked! 
 


Another invasive species in suburban life is the Canada goose (Branta canadensis). They tend to migrate in large groups but are particularly invasive due to their grazing habits, aggressive demeanor (I've had a few threaten me whilst on walks), and horrible excrement they leave everywhere. These geese have knives on their tongues, which help them eat their food but combined with their aggressive personality, they are actually quite dangerous. On a different, more lighthearted note, I've always wondered what it would be like to karate-chop a goose's neck. Their long, slender necks just beg to be karate chopped. Would the whole neck swing in the direction of the chop or only one section? Maybe the questions I ask are too philosophical for this one meager blog. 

Regardless, here are two forms of invasive birds that live in suburbia! 

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