Old cottonwoods along the prairie river grow tall with roots that spread as broadly as their limbs, reaching down to the water level and helping hold riverbank soil in place during heavy spring flows. Where they stabilize the banks, grass grows tall and lush, and wildlife flourishes along these grassy river edges. Many birds nest and raise their young in the cottonwoods, including bald eagles in strong branches above riffles where fish spawn, woodpeckers such as the northern flicker in old dead limbs with soft wood, and finches and wrens in abandoned woodpecker holes. Other birds nest in the willows and buffaloberry bushes beneath the cottonwoods, and species that may be seen here include yellow-billed cuckoos, brown thrashers, robins, mourning doves, and Merriam’s turkey on the forest floor. More than 150 species of birds nest in a healthy cottonwood forest, from the ground to the treetops, because of the lush growth and variety of plants present there. The cottonwood forest also provides habitat for fox squirrel, white-tail deer, opossum, raccoon, beaver, and mink, making these old forests an important part of Wyoming’s wildlife.