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Raccoons can live in the
willows and cottonwood
trees near wetlands. They
come down to the ponds to
look for food. They might
catch a frog or crayfish, or
find a bird’s nest with eggs.
Their handlike front feet
and sharp teeth allow them
to eat many different things.
Each fall, wetlands across the southern part of the United States have
visitors that stay from October to April. The visitors are thousands
of ducks, geese, and cranes. The birds fly south from their breeding
grounds in Canada and Alaska. They are known as waterfowl.
The wetlands provide food and safety for waterfowl during the
winter. The birds swim calmly on the ponds and fly out to fields and
marshes to eat seeds. The weather is mild, and there are few predators.
As long as the wetlands have water to fill the ponds and flood the
fields, waterfowl will continue to thrive.
Geese in a wetland
Raccoons
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