Virginia Gray Fox Project

10/08/2026

Did you know that the “horns” on the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) are not true horns or ears??🦉🪶

They are actually called plumicorns, which are feather tufts used primarily for camouflage and mood communication. However, despite their lack of external ears, these guys have incredible hearing!! This is largely due to the asymmetrical placement of their ear openings. One ear is higher than the other, letting them detect predators and prey with incredible accuracy! 🎯

Who gives a hoot anyway? We do!!! 🙌🙌

10/05/2026

Uh oh! Looks like we have a thief in our midst! 📣📣

On every one of our trail cameras, we place a small informative sign for curious onlookers. It includes details of the camera's purpose, what the project encompasses, who to contact with questions, and, most importantly, not to take it. ❌

CLEARLY, this Coyote (Canis latrans) from York County didn't read the sign! 🫣

09/23/2026

Curious about field work? 👀 Just know that many times it happens rain or shine!☀️ 🌦️💧VGFP technician Leah Burrer is taking down cameras in Southampton County today and sent this lovely video of her journey through a cypress swamp! Have I mentioned how much I ❤ my technicians? 😁

09/22/2026

It’s Fat Bear Week!! 🐻

Fat Bear Week is a friendly competition that celebrates the rotund grizzly bears of Katmai, AK who’ve bulked up for the upcoming winter season. To go along with the fun, we are spotlighting OUR fat bears from the final VGFP field season! We just had to take this opportunity to show off our chunky friends! 🐻 👀

Like grizzlies, American Black Bears (Ursus americanus) pack on the pounds when they enter a stage of intense hunger, referred to as hyperphagia. During hyperphagia, black bears consume around 20,000 calories PER DAY. 🤯

Which beefy bear is your favorite?! Vote in the comments! 🤩

09/19/2026

‼📣 UPDATE: The final count for the 2026 field season is 4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣ locations! 🥳

That brings the total camera locations across Virginia from the last 3 summers up to...*drum roll*...1,371! 🤩🤯😵‍💫

HUGE shoutout to my 2026 field technicians for helping me wrangle the final field season of this crazy project! 🙏❤ Liam is in his final semester at VT, woohoo! Max and Leah will be out and about during October taking down the remaining cameras - keep an eye out for their smiling faces and fashionable blaze orange vests! 😉🦌🏹

09/17/2026

‼📣BIG NEWS! Today, Max and Leah set up the final camera of the survey!! 🤩🥳😁 What do you think the final camera count is?! 👀

09/08/2026

‼️🦊 Curious about the VA Gray Fox Project? Tune into the Wild Virginia webinar next Tuesday, September 15th from 6:30 to 7:30 to hear Victoria and Marcella chat about all things VGFP! A recording of the webinar will also be shared 🤓

Learn about gray foxes!

07/16/2026

Tweet! Tweet!

Even though they like to spend time in the sky, we oftentimes get birds on our camera traps as well. Can anyone ID all four birds in the photos?!

County: Pittsylvania

07/09/2026

Why does camera placement matter?

When setting up a camera, we first look for a suitable pathway that wildlife moves through. Just like us humans, wildlife also wants to move along the path of "least resistance." This means they use game trails, walking trails, dirt roads, and even driveways!

After the spot is chosen, we have to place the camera so it captures our target species, which is roughly the size of a house cat! To do this, the camera is placed at knee height, which allows the camera to trigger at a lower angle and catch smaller species of wildlife.

Any Questions?

06/10/2026

👀 Last week I had the pleasure of spending a day with WHRO climate and environment reporter Katherine Hafner. Her feature on the VGFP released today!

Give a listen or read here ➡ https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-06-10/where-are-all-of-virginias-gray-foxes-researchers-are-trying-to-find-out

📸 A gray fox in the snow! Craig County, VA