Harvard Yard
A growing list of organisms found in and around Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA.
House Sparrow
The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a member of the Old World sparrow family Passeridae, considered by some to be a relative of the Weaver Finch Family.It occurs naturally in most of Europe and much of Asia. It has also followed humans all over the world and has been intentionally or accidentally introduced to most of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand and ...more ↓
Great Crested Flycatcher
The Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) is a large insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. It is the most widespread member of the genus, Myiarchus, in North America and is found over most of the eastern and mid-western portions of the continent. It dwells mostly in the treetops and rarely found on the ground.
Gray Catbird
The Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), also spelled Grey Catbird, is a medium-sized northern American perching bird of the mimid family. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella. Like the Black Catbird (Melanoptila glabrirostris), it is among the basal lineages of the Mimidae, probably a closer relative of the Caribbean ...more ↓
Mourning Dove
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the Western Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading ...more ↓
Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) or Redbird is a North American bird in the cardinal family. It is found from southern Canada through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico to northern Guatemala and Belize. It can also be found on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is found in woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, is one of the few woodpecker species that migrates, and is the only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker. Among them are: ...more ↓
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, is a medium-sized woodpecker of the Picidae family. It breeds in southern Canada and the northeastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas. Its common name is somewhat misleading, as the most prominent red part of its plumage is on the head; the Red-headed Woodpecker however is another ...more ↓
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is one of the most common buteos in North America. Red-tailed Hawks ...more ↓
Red-winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras and northwestern Costa Rica. It may winter as far north as ...more ↓
Rock Dove
The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), or Rock Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The species includes the domestic pigeon, and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to the Feral Pigeon.
White-breasted Nuthatch
The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small songbird of the nuthatch family which breeds in old-growth woodland across much of temperate North America. It is a stocky bird, with a large head, short tail, powerful bill and strong feet. The upperparts are pale blue-gray, and the face and underparts are white. It has a black cap and a chestnut lower belly. The nine ...more ↓
White-throated Sparrow
The White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is a passerine bird of the American sparrow family Emberizidae.
Yellow Warbler
The American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia, formerly Dendroica petechia) is a New World warbler species. Sensu lato, they make up the most widespread species in the diverse Setophaga genus, breeding in almost the whole of North America and down to northern South America.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Four closely related North American bird forms—the eastern Myrtle Warbler (ssp coronata), its western counterpart, Audubon's Warbler (ssp group auduboni), the northwest Mexican Black-fronted Warbler (ssp nigrifrons), and the Guatemalan Goldman's Warbler (ssp goldmani)—are periodically lumped as the Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata).
Largemouth Bass
The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a species of fish in the sunfish family. It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth and (paradoxically) northern ...more ↓
buffalo treehopper
The buffalo treehopper (Stictocephala bisonia) is a species of treehopper native to North America. It is also sometimes classified as Ceresa bisonia.
Bumble Bees
A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere.
Click Beetles
The family Elateridae is commonly called click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them form the related Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae), elaters, snapping beetles, spring beetles or "skipjacks". They are a cosmopolitan beetle family characterized by the unusual click mechanism they possess. There are a few closely-related families in ...more ↓
Hover Flies
Flies in the family Syrphidae are commonly known as hoverflies, flower flies, or syrphid flies.
Geometroidea
Geometroidea is the superfamily of geometrid moths in the Lepidoptera. It includes the families Geometridae, Uraniidae, and Sematuridae (Minet and Scoble, 1999).
Edwardsina gigantea
Edwardsina gigantea ot the giant torrent midge is a species of fly in family Blephariceridae. It is endemic to Australia.
hemlock woolly adelgid
Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), commonly abbreviated as HWA is a true bug native to East Asia that feeds by sucking sap from hemlock trees (Tsuga spp.). In eastern North America it is a destructive pest that poses a major threat to the eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and the Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana). The former extends north of ...more ↓
Avispa parasitoide
Nasonia are a genus of small pteromalid parasitoid wasps that sting and lay eggs in the pupae of various flies. The fly species that Nasonia usually parasitize are primarily blowflies and fleshflies, making Nasonia a useful tool for biocontrol of these pest flies. The wasps are small, pinhead sized, and also referred to as jewel wasps.
pantropical jumper
Plexippus paykulli is a jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is native to south east Asia but has spread to other parts of the world. In the United States it is called the pantropical jumping spider. It is usually associated with buildings and may be found near light sources catching insects attracted by the light.
Leafhoppers
Leafhopper is a common name applied to any species from the family Cicadellidae. Leafhoppers, colloquially known as "hoppers", are minute plant-feeding insects in the superfamily Membracoidea in the order Hemiptera. They belong to a lineage traditionally treated as infraorder Cicadomorpha in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, but as the latter taxon is probably not ...more ↓
Mosquitoes
Mosquito (from the Spanish meaning little fly) is a common insect in the family Culicidae (from the Latin culex meaning midge or gnat). Mosquitoes resemble crane flies (family Tipulidae) and chironomid flies (family Chironomidae), with which they are sometimes confused by the casual observer.
Honey Bee
The European honey bee or western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a species of honey bee. The genus Apis is Latin for "bee", and mellifera comes from Greek melli- "honey" and ferre "to bear"  hence the scientific name means "honey-bearing bee". The name was coined in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus who, realizing that the bees do not bear honey, ...more ↓
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), or the Grey Squirrel, depending on region, is a tree squirrel native to the eastern and midwestern United States and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada. The native range of the Eastern Gray Squirrel overlaps with that of the fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), with which it is sometimes confused, ...more ↓
White-footed Mouse
White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a rodent native to North America. It ranges from the Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and the Maritime Provinces (excluding island of Newfoundland) to the southwest USA and Mexico. It is also known as the Woodmouse, particularly in Texas.
Chipping Sparrow
The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.
