Learning/Our Natural History
The Critters Within
Birds of the Blackstone River Watershed
The Blackstone River Watershed is home to more than 200 species of birds, many of which are waterfowl. Some of the waterfowl living here include:
Mallard Duck
Wood Duck
Canada Goose
Black Duck
Green-Winged Teal
Blue-Winged Teal
Pintail
American Wedgeon
Common Merganser
Wooded Merganser
Bufflehead
Scaup
Common Goldeneye
Grebes
Ring-Neck Duck
American Coot
Moose on the Loose!
While moose are not seen frequently in the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, there have been sightings in Burrillville, RI and the upper reaches of the Watershed. It is estimated that there are more than 750 living in Worcester County, MA. retaining an unrestricted wildlife corridor on the western edge of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor allows these animals an opportunity to move north and south through the region, but don't expect to see the "Moose Crossing" signs going up anytime soon.
Our Finned Friends
In 1997 there were just about 20 species of fish in the Blackstone River Watershed, a number that showed an improvement over previous years. Today, according to the Blackstone River Coalition, there 37 species:
Alewife
American Brook Lamprey
American Eel
Banded Killifish
Banded Sunfish
Black Crappie
Blacknose Dace
Bluegill
Bridle Shiner
Brook Trout
Brown Bullhead
Brown Trout
Chain Pickerel
Chain Pickerel
Channel Catfish
Common Carp
Common Shiner
Creek Chubsucker
Fallfish
Golden Shiner
Goldfish
Hybrid Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Longnose Dace
Northern Pike
Pumpkinseed
Rainbow Smelt
Rainbow Trout
Redfin Pickerel
Rock Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Swamp Darter
Tesselated Darter
White Catfish
White Sucker
Yellow Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Our Mammals
Did you know that beaver (Castor Canadensis) are the largest rodents in the U.S.? Adults grow between 30 to 65 pounds!