The tree-lined streets of Atlanta are warm and humid and buzzing with life. While driving to school, a North Atlanta Warrior may have had to swerve to avoid a deer, or seen a red fox prowling through their neighborhood. Humans are one of many animals to inhabit Atlanta, and its important to know who we’re sharing our home with.

Atlanta’s nearly year-round warm weather is the ideal habitat for birds. The average NAHS student can be sure to wake up to chirping from both their alarm clock and the neighborhood flock. Some popular bird breeds spotted daily are the Northern cardinal (known for their bright red coat), the House sparrow (the little brown birds who hang around Willy’s), the Chipping sparrow (similar to the House sparrows but with bright orange heads), and the American robin (a slightly bigger brown bird).

The white-tailed deer population of Atlanta is explosive. North Atlanta students can confirm this, and I’m sure every resident of Atlanta can recall at least one deer sighting in the last month. Unfortunately, the white-tailed deer are very susceptible to being hit by car s- according to the AJC, Atlantans can have up to a 1 in 122 chance of having an auto collision with a deer. Sightings get even more common in the fall months (October-December), as mating season occurs and bucks are more active. The overwhelming deer population is shown to be entirely our fault – as Atlanta expands the white-tailed deer have less land to call their own and are forced to cohabit with us.

There isn’t an overload of natural predators around Atlanta, unlike the common black bear in the northern Georgia mountains or alligators near the Okefenokee swamp. Once in a while a North Atlanta student may see a red fox, or even a coyote, out and about. Coyotes have posed a slight threat to Atlanta’s small pet owners, but hey, everybody’s gotta eat somehow. This lack of predators also contributes to the rising deer population, as the only real threat to their existence is us.

So the next time you’re out and about Atlanta, take a minute to appreciate all the blooming flora and fauna around you!