What Ohio’s Wild Animals Do in the Fall

From the Lake Erie shoreline to Ohio’s parks, wetlands and forests, fall offers plenty of opportunities to see the state’s wildlife prepare for winter. Lindsey Krusling, wildlife communications specialist at the Ohio Division of Wildlife, shares what critters are doing and where to find them. Whether you’re watching monarchs fuel up for a journey to Mexico, scanning the Lake Erie shoreline for migrating birds or spotting a bat at dusk, fall is a great time to see Ohio wildlife on the move.

Butterflies

In Ohio, the first three weeks of September offer some of the best opportunities to see monarch butterflies during their annual southward migration. These butterflies travel 2,000 to 3,000 miles over six to eight weeks to the high-altitude oyamel fir forests located in the mountains of central Mexico.

They spend the winter there and begin migrating north the following spring. Along the way, they reproduce, and their offspring continue the journey, making the migration multigenerational.

Look for their vibrant orange wings along the Lake Erie shoreline and at local parks, gardens and open meadows. Find them on native blooming nectar plants, including goldenrods, asters and bonesets where they feed on the plants’ sugar-rich nectar, building fat reserves in their abdomen for the journey.

Birds

Fall migration brings a steady parade of birds through Ohio, and along Lake Erie is one of the state’s best places to watch it happen. In September, songbirds, including warblers, flycatchers and sparrows move through the region along with broad-winged hawks.

As fall progresses, birders can spot waterfowl, tundra swans, sandhill cranes, grebes and many other bird species. Magee Marsh is a standout destination for migration. More than 300 bird species have been recorded there, making the area famous among birders, Krusling says.

Wetlands at metro parks, state parks and wildlife areas are good places to spot migrating birds, especially in the morning and late afternoon, when they stop to rest and refuel during their journeys.

Squirrels

As temperatures drop, squirrels spend time gathering and storing food for winter. They collect nuts and create food caches, burying them in shallow holes in a behavior known as scatter hoarding.

The 13-lined ground squirrel — the only true hibernating squirrel species native to Ohio — doubles its body weight in preparation for a six-month hibernation. The animal is small and prairie dog-like, characterized by 13 distinct alternating stripes. Look for this squirrel in mowed grass areas such as golf courses and cemeteries throughout the day.

Bats

Ohio’s bats take different approaches to winter: some migrate south, while others stay and hibernate. In fall, they feed heavily on insects to build energy reserves before winter. Some also gather at caves and other sites in a behavior called swarming.

Big brown and little brown bats can hibernate in caves, rock crevices and abandoned mines. Other bat species, including eastern red, silver-haired and evening bats, migrate south for the winter — some reaching Central America. Some of these bats may remain in Ohio, hibernating in tree cavities or beneath leaf litter.

For a chance to see these nocturnal mammals, head outdoors around sunrise or sunset on warm, dry days and watch them fly overhead as they search for insects.

For more information about Ohio’s wildlife, visit odnr.gov.

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