World Bird Sanctuary

INCA

2012-03-01T06:00:00.014-06:00

It is with great sadness that we report that Inca, our five year old Abyssinian Guinea Pig has succumbed to the ravages of pituitary disease.

It was noted by his caretakers that he was “not acting right” and that he was losing weight. Our vet immediately prescribed a course of antibiotics and other supportive therapies. However, nothing helped and even though he continued to eat he also continued to lose weight. Even though it was a difficult decision for all involved but we felt that the only fair answer for Inca was humane euthanasia, rather than let him suffer the effects of starvation.

As with many small mammals it is often difficult, if not impossible to pinpoint the cause of an ailment when symptoms are non-specific. It's almost impossible to diagnose these types of ailments short of an autopsy (called a necropsy in animals).

Inca will be sorely missed by staff and volunteers, as well as the general public (especially the children). Inca was one of the few animals at WBS that could be touched by our guests, and as such he met thousands of children in his lifetime as part of our outreach programs for the younger set.

COMING SOON......

2012-02-28T06:00:00.030-06:00

It’s that time of year again…the trees are budding out, jonquils are popping up in the garden, and we’re ready for World Bird Sanctuary’s harbinger of Spring—World Eagle Day!

It’s just around the corner, so mark your calendars for Sunday, March 18.

We’ll be greeting guests from 10 am to 4 pm with the opportunity to see eagles from around the world. Did you know that there are more than sixty eagle species around the world—only two of which are native to the United States?

Come visit with us on March 18 to see and learn about our two natives--the American Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle--as well as a number of the other Eagle species from around the world who call the World Bird Sanctuary home.

Come prepared to learn and be entertained—all for free.

DATE: SUNDAY, MARCH 18

TIME: 10 AM to 4 PM

For directions CLICK HERE

Backyard Birds - The Downy Woodpecker

2012-02-26T12:04:00.000-06:00

This year one of my projects for the blog will be to feature a Backyard Bird Species. Our first featured bird is one that may be familiar to many readers--the Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens.

Male Downy Woodpeckers have a distinct red patch on the back of their head

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest and most widespread woodpecker in the United States. Downy Woodpeckers are about 6 inches tall and have a distinctive white strip down their back. The male has a small red patch on the back of his head. This feature is lacking in the female. They feed on insects, mostly beetles and ants, but also take some seeds and berries. Downy Woodpeckers nest in a cavity excavated by both male and female, usually in a dead limb or dead tree.

In the spring and summer months Down Woodpeckers have been known to frequent Hummingbird feeders

When attracting Downy Woodpeckers to your feeder one of the prime requisites is to have trees either in your yard or nearby. They will come to hopper feeders, food on the ground, platform feeders, tube feeders and of course suet feeders. Downy Woodpeckers prefer black oil sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet. I like using all three and my suet is a peanut based suet, which they love.

There are 23 breeding species of woodpeckers in North America. Woodpeckers are found worldwide, with the largest concentration in Central and South America. Woodpeckers belong to the order Piciformes, which also includes toucans, barbets, jacamars, puffbirds, and honeyguides.

Downy Woodpeckers are regular visitors to nut feeders

Most woodpeckers are black and white with red on their heads (the red usually lacking or decreased in females). They prefer areas with large trees to which they are well adapted. Woodpeckers have stiff tails that help them to brace themselves against tree trunks as they pound, taking some of the strain off their short, strong legs, and sharp claws. Woodpeckers use their chisel-like bills to chip through bark and heartwood, on both live and dead trees, to get to grubs, worms and other invertebrates within the wood. Most woodpeckers have long, pointed tongues, with bristles, barbs, or sticky fluid that helps them to grab hold of their prey.

In the Spring you may be lucky enough to sight a baby Downy Woodpecker such as this one

If Woodpeckers do not visit your feeders because your area lacks the large trees that they prefer, come visit the bird watching areas at the World Bird Sanctuary. Be sure to bring your binoculars and cameras.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Come Cruise With Us

2012-02-24T06:00:00.001-06:00

On September 9, 2012, Walter Crawford, Executive Director of the World Bird Sanctuary, will lead a group of travelers on an exploration cruise of Alaska’s inside passage aboard Holland America’s beautiful cruise ship, the MS Oosterdam

The beautiful Holland America MS Oosterdam

This 7-day round trip cruise departs from Seattle on 9/9 and returns 9/16. The itinerary includes a full day of glacier watching in beautiful Tracy Arm fjord where passengers can expect to see and hear the phenomenon of Sawyer Glacier calving icebergs into the sea right before their eyes. Other ports on this itinerary are Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, and beautiful Victoria, British Columbia.

Hear the thunderous crack as a new iceberg is formed

A cruise ship is the best and most affordable way to see some of the beautiful and amazing ports on this itinerary. The incredibly beautiful and rugged Alaskan landscape renders these ports inaccessible by road. The main means of travel by local residents is via floatplane or ferry.

In 2009 my husband and I accompanied a World Bird Sanctuary group on an Alaska cruise with a similar itinerary and I would like to share with you some of our experiences. First off, let me begin by saying that I am not normally a cruise person. We had been on a Caribbean cruise with a different cruise line a number of years ago, and had sworn “Never again”. So I had some initial misgivings about signing up for this cruise.

However, after comparing the costs and conveniences of the cruise versus the costs and hassles of booking flights to each location with their attendant flight changes and layovers, costs of meals and accommodations, plus time lost waiting in airport security lines each day, the cruise was the logical hands-down winner. The only flights we had to book were from St. Louis to Seattle and return. All meals were included once we boarded the ship, plus we didn’t have the hassle of maneuvering luggage through various airports at each port or waiting in security lines with their accompanying hassles. Once we were settled in our stateroom aboard ship (all included in the price of the cruse) our lodgings were conveniently waiting for us at the end of each day and our time was our own to enjoy the ship and each port without hauling luggage or worrying about check-ins every day.

Shipmates Dan & Laura MacLeod with one of our fun loving waiters

What we were not prepared for was the congeniality and helpfulness of the fun loving Holland America crew—a far cry from our first cruise with that other cruise line.

This watermelon sculpture on the buffet seemed appropriate for our group

Meals were beautifully presented, whether we chose to dine in the main dining room, at the onboard buffet, in the intimate upscale dining room, or at one of the many small dining areas such as the pizza bar. Dinner could be anywhere from a formal full dress affair to a casual meal, dependent upon your choice of dining style. (We are not the formal full dress type, so this was one of our favorite features—it also meant less luggage to deal with.)

My husband and I with four other members of our group in the beautiful main dining room

Each night featured a different show in the ship’s theater. For those who are so inclined there is also on-board shopping in several gift shop areas, casinos, saunas and massage parlors, beautiful indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and many other amenities too numerous to mention. At the end of each evening we returned to our cabin to be greeted by a clever towel sculpture created by our friendly cabin steward.

We could hardly wait to return to our cabins each evening to see what creature would be waiting to greet us!

So, if you’re ready for a spectacular vacation without all the hassles, consider joining Walter Crawford and the World Bird Sanctuary group for “World Bird Sanctuary Alaska Cruise 2012”.

Details – Alaska Explorer Cruise 2012

• Escorted by Walt Crawford, Executive Director, World Bird Sanctuary

• Aboard Holland America MS Oosterdam

• Roundtrip itinerary – Seattle, Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, Victoria, BC, and return to Seattle

• Prices start at only $1,168 (inside cabin); $1488 (ocean view); $1,888 (verandah)

Price Includes:

• 7-day cruise accommodations

• Onboard meals & entertainment

• Special lectures by Walter Crawford

• Visit to the Raptor Center in Sitka

• Private cocktail party onboard

• $25.00 per person Shipboard Credit

• All taxes and government fees

* Also included is a $50 donation to World Bird Sanctuary

FOR RESERVATIONS OR FURTHER INFORMATION

Contact Cathy Robinson at ext. 114 (314) 439-5700 or (800) 527-1059

E-mail: crobinson@brentwoodtravel.com

Check back in the next few weeks for an overview of what to expect at each port and photos from our trip.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Shake The Fear Out

2012-02-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

I must admit, the first time I ever spoke a show I was frightened beyond belief.

Flying the birds helps to quell stagefright_Marz, the Red-tailed Hawk is an old pro

Anyone who has ever performed before an audience knows that that first performance can be terrifying. I have always had a terrible fear of public speaking. In fact, I was so scared that before going out onto stage I have to violently shake my arms to “shake the fear out”.

As Leah Tyndall discussed in her blog post recently, we all have our pre-show rituals that help to calm our nerves. My arm shaking routine looks very silly and is slightly embarrassing, but when I walk out onto the stage all the fear flies away. I was so scared for my first show, that for some unexplainable reason I even told the audience. Thankfully, my audience for that show was terrific and very understanding. I will always be grateful to them for it.

I am also very grateful to the rest of the Stone Zoo Bird Show staff for all the support and encouragement they gave me, and frankly, for putting up with me while getting over my fear. If it wasn't for the two Leahs on our Stone Zoo bird show staff, I would probably still be scared out of my mind when speaking in public.

Even though I was frightened to be speaking in front of such a large audience, when the first bird comes out it all goes away. Seeing the look on everyone’s face as the first bird flies over their heads makes me smile and reminds me why I do this. And as adrenaline starts to rush through my veins, I can’t help but love being out there. So I guess it’s fair to say that I have a love/hate relationship with public speaking.

Even birds get stagefright - just ask Sam, our Augur Buzzard

Sam, our Augur Buzzard, was also afraid of flying in front of a lot of people at first. Watching Sam get over his fear of flying for a lot of people also helped me get over my fear. I often thought to myself, “If this bird can be okay with it, I should be, too.” Eventually Sam became one of our best fliers at the Stone Zoo Show, which always made me push myself harder to really want to be out there speaking for him.

After the season at Stone Zoo ended and I was back at the sanctuary doing educational programs I had to take the next step for speaking shows--no backstage area where I could do my arm-shaking routine.

My first encounter doing a WBS show without a backstage was in Kansas City at the Renaissance Faire. We had a backstage, but we started the show with the speaker in the audience and a blind release of Stetson, a Harris’ Hawk. This was a little hard for me because I couldn’t “shake the fear out” right before the show. It did make it a little easier having Stetson there, for he is my favorite bird at the sanctuary. We both instantly bonded while doing training sessions before the zoo show season started. So while having him there helped me, I was still frightened before the show and at the start of the show.

Luckily I had a great crew with me in KC—WBS staff member Trina Whitener and WBS volunteer Linda Tossing. They were both very supportive of my public speaking jitters, so I want to send a great big thank you to them for all their encouragement.

My last step in getting over my public speaking fear was recently at Lake of the Ozarks with WBS staff member Mike Zeloski. There we didn't have any time at all between shows, kind of like a lightning round. It was fast paced, and I loved it. We had no backstage at all and no prep time, so there was no chance of “shaking the fear out” before the show. After my first show I was too preoccupied with getting the next show started on time to really be scared at all. I love doing shows with Mike Z--he has so much knowledge and confidence when he speaks—and I think it transferred over to me a little.

After those three steps, I think and hope it is safe to say that I won’t be needing to “shake the fear out” anymore.

So thank you to all the people and birds who helped me get over my fear of public speaking.

Submitted by Mike Cerutti, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Why Is Bird Conservation Important?

2012-02-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Part of our mission at the World Bird Sanctuary is to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments.

These Barn Owl babies were part of World Bird Sanctuary's Barn Owl release program

Currently, the sanctuary is breeding and releasing barn owls, a rare resident in Missouri. It is a “species of conservation concern in Missouri,” according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Here we’ll take a look at why bird conservation is critical in our world.

Bird conservation is important in maintaining the diversity of the planet. Birds are one of the most numerous creatures on the planet and they all have evolved amazing physical and behavioral adaptations. We, too, must learn to adapt our own behaviors to live in our world, rather than forcing it into an artificial and unsustainable one.

The above is just a small example of the amazing diversity among birds of the world

Wild birds are a vital part of the ecosystem and provide many key services. They help control rodent populations. For example barn owls can eat 2,000 mice in one year.

Birds also help control insect populations. They are advanced, extremely efficient, highly motivated, insect pest controllers. For all of the strategies insects have evolved to evade predation, they still encounter many species of birds that are highly adapted, perfect insect-eaters. Birds can shift their foraging locations and foraging behavior in response to an insect outbreak. For example, when a large amount of insects are located in the canopy of trees, many ground or shrub-dwelling birds may go up into the canopy to forage. Similarly, during an eruption of flighted insects, birds that usually eat by plucking caterpillars off leaves may instead fly after the insects and capture them in mid-air. Birds not only help lower the current insect pest populations but they also help minimize future outbreaks. The amount of money this saves us is beyond our imagination.

Birds also help greatly with seed dispersal, and increase forest growth and conservation. Additionallty, they are an important part of ecosystems in that they can function as food for other predators. By studying all of the interactions birds have with the ecosystem, we can better understand how these relationships can affect humans.

Birds can teach us appreciation of natural diversity. All birds have unique behaviors and personalities and the more we watch and observe them, the more we’ll grow to appreciate all of nature.

This Burrowing Owl has adapted to a treeless environment by using Prairie Dog mounds as a hunting perch

Awareness about bird conservation can promote awareness of other environmental issues. For example, a species may be declining due to polluted water. That awareness can lead to action taken to fight water contamination, which will in turn help other species of wildlife as well. Putting out non-secondary rodent poison to get rid of rodents will help stop secondary poisoning of barn owls and other predators.

Birds can educate us on numerous things. By observing birds in flight, aeronautical engineers have designed more efficient airplanes. Climatologists who study birds’ migration patterns can gather insight on seasonal climate changes by noting behavioral changes in their subjects. Psychologists use birds’ courtship rituals and community interactions to better understand complex group dynamics. We must continue to conserve birds if we want to continue learning from them.

Birds are important in maintaining the Earth’s biological diversity, providing services to the ecosystem, teaching us appreciation of nature, raising awareness of environmental issues and educating us in many facets of life.

Bird conservation will always continue to be a vital part of the World Bird Sanctuary’s mission. It can be yours, too! Some easy ways you can help save birds include: keeping your cat indoors, build a brush pile for shelter, put out bird feeders, bird baths and bird houses, pick up litter and properly dispose of oil.

Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

White Pelican Migration

2012-02-18T06:00:00.020-06:00

A short time ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the rescue of an injured White Pelican.

The Pelican had become stranded on a small pond near the Portage de Sioux power plant. It had broken its wing, and so could not fly to warmer waters if the small pond froze, although it had survived for a brief time on the fish living in the pond. We successfully rescued the bird, but the event caused me to reflect on the amazing lives that Pelicans lead and the annual migration patterns that eventually brought this individual to its fate.

Rescuing an injured White Pelican earlier this year

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) begin their lives near the shallow, glacial lakes found in the Upper Midwest Plains and Southern Canada. Pelicans nest in large breeding colonies to help protect each other from predators.

When early Fall arrives, the Pelicans leave the northern breeding grounds and travel towards the Gulf Coast of the Southern United States. Their routes take many of them along the Mississippi River and over the St. Louis region. White Pelicans, along with many other migrating bird species, take advantage of the unfrozen water found near the large hydroelectric dams in our area.

The Riverlands in Alton, IL is a great place to see migrating White Pelicans

A great place to spot White Pelicans this time of year is in the Riverlands Area in Alton. The pond where we rescued the white pelican is located near a floodplain commonly used by migrating pelicans. That individual likely became injured when its flock stopped to rest and feed. When the rest of the flock moved on, this bird became stranded.

The pelicans spend the winter along the warmer waters of the Pacific and Gulf coasts. They tend to avoid the open ocean, preferring instead inland lakes and estuaries.

I always feel amazed when I consider the incredible journeys that birds regularly make to survive. Traveling across a substantial section of the globe twice a year as a lifestyle is extremely perilous, as the injured pelican demonstrated.

I felt privileged to participate in a small way in one of the most amazing rhythms of life on earth.

Submitted by Leah Sainz, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Barred Owls Don't Listen....

2012-02-16T06:00:00.004-06:00

2011 was one of the Kathryn G. Favre Wildlife Hospital's busiest years.

A baby Barred Owl being treated in our Wildlife Hospital for a broken leg

We received 379 birds and one snapping turtle. 101 Barred Owls must be a new record – but I'm still checking our books!

Most of these birds are collision victims – many people say, "The owl hit my car." I often wonder…if a human was struck by a car, would we say, "That person hit my car?" It has always seemed strange when I hear that, but I am so pleased that these people take the time and effort to catch these birds and bring them to our hospital rather than abandoning them on the side of the road.

A Barred Owl in one of our flight mews being conditioned to fly again

Collisions are accidents and people should not feel at fault. What we all can do is slow down a little when we are in dense wooded areas and near rivers – the perfect habitat for these birds. These are areas where animals get very active around dawn and dusk.

A Barred Owl ready for release

I will also continue to tell the owls to stop hitting our cars….but don't count on them paying any attention to me when I release them!

Submitted by Joe Hoffmann.

Great Backyard Bird Count

2012-02-14T06:00:00.011-06:00

Do you feed birds? Do you bird watch? Are you a beginner or an advanced birder?

If so, I have the event for you. The Great Backyard Bird Count is Feb 17-20, 2012. It’s free, fun and easy.

If you have 15 minutes on just one of these days you can participate, or if you are going on a big bird trip you can participate. All you have to do is keep track of the greatest number of each species of bird you see during your 15 minutes or your bird trip. Then click here and record your findings. This data will help scientists to get a picture of what is going on with bird populations.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

The Rookie Files: Stage Fright

2012-02-12T06:00:00.015-06:00

Zoo show programs are exciting and wonderful to perform.

Zoo Shows combine education and showmanship into a form that people can appreciate and enjoy. Zoo shows, though, do require you to perform on a stage in front of hundreds of people, and this can sometimes lead to stage fright.

Getting ready to go on-stage

All of us who participate in zoo show education programs have had stage fright, and usually it’s worst at the beginnings of our careers. For some stage fright is brought on by crowds numbering close to a thousand and being alone on stage for the first time in months. For others stage fright can be induced by as few as three people. Sometimes it is more comforting to give a show to a large group, since this causes faces and background chatter to blend into the crowd.

Regardless of the cause, we all have pre-show rituals to help deal with it. I center myself right before I go onstage and obsessively check the battery pack of my microphone to make sure it is on and I am not going to run out of battery power. Other speakers will shake out or stretch out their nervous energy before the show starts. Some will sit quietly and meditate on their script. There are also occasions of pre-show group singing and warm-up cheers.

However we manage to calm our nerves and jitters, once we do we are prepared for every situation--ad-libbing while a bird sits in a tree, dealing with an overenthusiastic volunteer we’ve called out of the audience, speaking in front of a group that is standing room only, and on one memorable occasion performing a ten minute monologue while trying to get a bird to return to the theater.

Detour plotting a detour

Humans are not the only ones who get stage fright during zoo show programs. Birds--especially rookies--are sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the audience. This usually results in the bird not doing its behavior at all or deciding to seek safety in a nearby tree. This is more common with the smaller birds, ones that are considered prey in the wild.

Detour, our American kestrel would often detour from his flight path if it took him too close to the audience. Instead he would perch on the roof and observe until he deemed it safe enough to come back down. As the smallest falcon species found in North America, I can understand his trepidation.

Sam, our young Augur Buzzard was thrown for quite the loop the first time he popped up onto his entrance perch and found the formerly empty theater full of people--or, in his opinion, full of frightening, unfamiliar creatures. He immediately sought the safety of a tree and we went back to square one. You see, when practicing for the first real show, our theater is almost always empty of people, so those birds that have never flown over people in theater bleachers can get stage fright the first time they experience people in the bleachers.

Sam needed to be re-started to condition him to a large audience

Just like with beginning speakers, we re-started Sam out small with audiences of 15-20 and worked our way back up to audiences in the hundreds. We also reworked his flight pattern, since from his point of view he was flying into potential danger. It also helped to walk him around the theater for several shows, allowing him time to get used to the audience and realize that they were not going to harm him. After about a month of this Sam was flying, care free, over hundreds of people.

Stage fright is a problem that everyone has dealt with at one point or another. It can manifest through nervous energy, upset stomach or inability to speak. The key is to break it down, start out small, and work your way through the problem. Once you do you’ll find that there is nothing you cannot accomplish and no situation that you cannot handle. Birds have to be helped through this process in getting used to large groups of humans, but we do have a big advantage over them. We never think the audience is about to eat us!

Submitted by Leah Tyndall, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

My Ah-Hah! Moment

2012-02-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

I’m very fortunate to have a job that I enjoy doing. Every morning, I wake up excited to come to work.

I get to work with amazing animals, learn from the rest of the knowledgeable staff at the World Bird Sanctuary and share my passion for birds with the visitors who come to the Sanctuary. However, I wasn’t always a “bird nerd.” In fact, I’ve come a long way from where I thought I would be five years ago…

Emily (in blue) puts her theater experience to good use while performing with the Raptor Project

Back in high school, I was an avid performer. The Drama Club was my home base, and I never missed an opportunity to audition for a school play. I carried this love of theatre with me to college, where I was convinced that I was going to major in theater and continue on to Broadway. I stuck with the major for about a year… but somewhere along the line, I became unconvinced that theater was the path for me. Though theater was very enjoyable to me, I was unwilling to leave St. Louis to pursue a career in New York or L.A. There was also the chance that I might not be discovered… and remain a starving artist for a good while. Because of this unappealing prospect, I began to look elsewhere for something that would stir my passions.

Always keep the binoculars handy

Even back when I was a drama kid, I had always enjoyed watching the birds come hang out at the feeder in the back yard. I observed legions of cardinals, titmice, chickadees and juncos every winter. When my mom would tell me to go fill the bird feeder, I would happily slip on the closest boots and coat and trudge through the snow to the feeder, filling it with delicious black oil sunflower seeds to keep our visitors happy. The summer after my freshman year of college I paid closer attention than ever to the birds that came to the feeder…now observing the summer residents of goldfinches, house finches, and Eurasian tree sparrows. Maybe in this hobby I could find something exciting… but it was the appearance of a completely new and extraordinary bird that cemented my passions.

My Ah-Ha! bird--a Pileated Woodpecker

I was in the backyard with my mom, planting flowers around the perimeter of our patio. She and I had been talking for days about what I could major in, now that I was no longer sure about theatre. As we were talking, we heard a strange call coming from the front of the house. It was a kind of laughing call--raucous and loud. We stopped to listen, following the sound from the front of the house to the side yard… and then, an enormous bird flap-bounded into view. It flowed gracefully up through the yard and perched on the side of a redbud tree trunk some hundred yards away from us. Its matte black back and white facial stripes were clearly visible, as was its massive beak. But the most striking part of this bird was the flame-red crest crowning its head. I was beside myself. I had read about these birds before, of course. They were legendary in my family, not one of us having had more than a glimpse before, and now, here it was clinging so quietly to the side of the tree, as though saying, “You wanted to see me? Well, here I am!” My mom and I watched in awe for a solid five minutes until the bird flew away, presumably to inspire another birdwatcher.

Emily finds her theater training helps with presenting education programs to large audiences

Seeing that Pileated Woodpecker was my “Ah-Hah!” moment. Before that point, I was unsure of myself--unsure as to where my life was going to go. After that moment, and that bird, the pieces all started to fall into place. I changed my major from theater to biology. I started reading up on all of the ornithological literature I could find. I birded like crazy during my family vacation to Michigan that year… and I visited a place called World Bird Sanctuary, to inquire about an internship… and the rest, as they say, is history.

Submitted by Emily Hall, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Farewell Can Be Hard

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Farewell can be hard. But I try to remember our birds with joy and celebrate their lives.

World Bird Sanctuary was founded in 1977 with a smattering of volunteers and a haphazard band of beautiful birds. As we reach over 37 years educating people around the country, we inevitably have to say goodbye to the stalwart animal ambassadors who have been at WBS longer than most staff and volunteers.

Birds in the wild seldom have the luxury of dying of old age. Instead, they are preyed upon; killed while defending their territories; succumb to weather extremes, disease or starvation. At World Bird Sanctuary every single one of our birds' needs are taken care of, and we are able to extend their lives by up to three times what their normal life span would have been in the wild. Sadly, we have to deal with the process of saying goodbye to our feathered friends now and then.

I shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that I am so often overwhelmed by the feelings I have when one of our birds passes. I remember the first time I met them, and the things I learned from them – the experiences I shared while working with each of them.

Tobin, who we called 'our little butterfly' for his beautiful silent flight, was the first bird that I ever had the pleasure of having fly to my glove. His sweet little face, gentle nature and consistently good performance made him a favorite among everyone.

Dewey the Bateleur Eagle took my breath away the very first time I saw her. I grew up in a game reserve in Botswana in Africa, with a pair of Bateleur Eagles nesting in my backyard. I had seen them close up and learned of the reverence with which African people admired them by listening to the folklore as a child. I met Dewey when she was 22 years old. When I got to handle her on the glove I felt privileged and overwhelmed at being in such close proximity to an African icon.

I'm not a parrot person. I dealt with them when needed at work, but I am not passionate about them at all…except for Rodney. He was a little Red-lored Amazon that stole my heart. He was always friendly and let me handle him and scratch his head without any of the idiosyncrasies that come with handling the other parrots. If I was having a bad day I'd go and get him out of his cage and bring him up to my desk to “help” me work. Playing with him was an instant pick-me-up. He was with WBS for 26 years, and was given to WBS by a family from Milwaukee that couldn’t care for him anymore. The day he died was a sad day, but I remembered him for his constant cheerfulness and sweet voice every time I walked past him in our nature center.

Every time we publish an obituary for one our birds we are touched by the response we get from our supporters. No one can get past the fact that there will be some sadness, but I invite you to join me in celebrating the contribution our wonderful birds have made to our commitment to saving wild birds and their habitats. If you were lucky enough to meet them in person, celebrate the personal interactions – for each one has their own distinct character and personality that has brought me joy on many occasions.

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Fundraiser

365 Photo Project

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Over the last few years I have seen many people do a 365 day Photo Project where they post and take photos every day of the year. In 2012, I have challenged myself to do just this.

Photography has always been something I enjoy. I received my first camera, a Kodak Disc camera, when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Needless to say I was addicted. As I have gotten older and camera technology has changed and moved to digital, so have I, and I continue to take photos. I love photographing nature and other fun things I come across. I usually get a lot of positive comments about my photos.

One thing I have learned over the last few years is to always have a camera at the ready. I have one really good Cannon Rebel EOS and then I always carry my Nikon Coolpix camera or an older Casio Exilim as a backup. I have learned you never know when something is going to happen and then you say to yourself, “I wish I had a camera”. I still miss photo opportunities, because unless you have a camera attached to your eyes at all times you can never get every photo, but I can get more by always having a camera in my purse.

Over the last few years I have seen many other people do these 365 projects, and everyone does them a little differently. So I decided that I would attempt to complete this kind of project. In my blog this year I will post just one or two of my favorite photos each month and discuss why it is my favorite.

Bald Eagle at Sunrise

The first photo for my blog is from January 7, 2012. The morning of the 7^th I was checking our exhibit line early in the morning, a WBS procedural task to always make sure our birds are safe. While driving down the exhibit line I kept seeing this one juvenile Bald Eagle with a white belly. I took several photos while driving down the line. On my way back up the line as the sun was coming up I saw this beautiful view of the eagle with the sunrise.

Grape juice! ....Yummm!

My second photo is from January 15, 2012. For enrichment I gave the Straw-colored Fruit Bats in our Nature Center some grape juice. They got very excited and were climbing into the juice bowl! I quickly grabbed the camera and took some photos. This is one of those photos. Batty is the one looking right at the camera while Scar is trying to get Batty to move over.

I hope everyone enjoys the photos. I love taking them, challenging myself and sharing them with others.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Tell Me That You Love Me

2012-02-04T06:00:00.007-06:00

Look at the unique Valentine's Gifts we have for you!

Give a Valentine's Gift with meaning.

Then spoil me by supporting our mission with a unique one of a kind Valentine's Day gift from World Bird Sanctuary!

Celebrate Valentine's Day with a unique gift from World Bird Sanctuary. A gift that is special and unique. A gift that is an investment in the important work that World Bird Sanctuary does every day to save birds and their habitats.

Engraved Brick

A brick engraved with a special message to your Valentine will support our Education Department's efforts to teach our community how small changes in our every day decisions can have lasting impact on our environment.

Starting at $125 - you can order your engraved brick here

Return to the Wild

With a Return to the Wild Gift Certificate you and your Valentine can celebrate the release of bird's return to the wild. You can release a bird, one that was treated in our hospital back into the wild for it's second chance. Your Return to the Wild certificate supports the important work of our Raptor Hospital.

Return to the Wild $150 - you can order your certificate here

Adopt a Bird

If you're a couple that loves birds, make your Valentine an adoptive parent of any of the animals that call World Bird Sanctuary home. You will get an adoption certificate, pictures of your adopted animal and special visiting privileges with your adopted animal. Your adoption helps to care for your adopted animal for one year.

Starting at $50 - you can choose your Adopt a Bird here

YOU CAN BE A PART OF OUR MISSION'S SUCCESS!

Your Valentine's purchase contributes to the success we've had in achieving our mission for over 35 years

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Great Pelican Surround

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

At the onset I was reminded of a friend in Wyoming’s observation about the ease of herding buffalo. He’d said, “It’s easy. You can herd ‘em anywhere they want to go!”

That comes close enough to describing our mission of capturing an ailing White Pelican from the waters between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers one cold, humid and windy January morning.

To the casual observer this Pelican looks like just another boulder amongst the rip-rap

Even in our prime that for one 80 year old man was realized many moons ago; and from that octogenarian down to the 25-year old lass who finally made the eventual capture with one deft swoop of her net. Between those two were perhaps ten others of various descriptions and skills, including the person who guided us to the lake where our quarry seemed not overly concerned by our intrusion into his part of the world. Yet a team we were--and for not having rehearsed such a deployment as a unit, we embarked upon the mission with surprising efficiency, including its successful conclusion.

You could almost smell the fact that it would not be an easy capture. The bird was about 100 yards off as we exited our vehicles to survey the situation. And while 100 yards might have been his normal comfort zone to be kept between himself and humans, this particular group of humans did rouse his survival instincts as he eyed us suspiciously.

Perched in the white stone rip-rap of the shore, he seemed to grow uncomfortable when one of us walked out of his line of sight to execute our “Plan A”, which would have been a simple net capture after having sprung from ambush.

As humans we sometimes mistakenly attempt to evaluate the why of a wild creature’s behavior based upon human logic. Like….did the bird know the human was executing an ambush maneuver? My personal opinion is that the bird felt no need to analyze; it simply didn’t like what it saw--one human less in a gang of 12 that already had made him less than comfortable--and took action. That action was to take to the water, which set in motion what had been our original “Plan A”--launch the boats and catch the critter.

Launch all boats! That white speck to the left is the bird staying just out of reach!

Launch all boats! Easier said than done. Those familiar with a 16’ “double ender” canoe drill can appreciate the hazards of the launch site--a gentle slope from shore to deeper navigable water. This meant getting knee deep wet to gain the necessary depth, or making the mistake of trying to stay dry in the process and thereby getting even wetter than up to the knees when the canoe overturns. And overturn one of our boats did—dumping two of our stalwart rescuers into the drink. Thankfully I was just taking pictures, but the sight, sound and expressions made me shiver nonetheless.

Thankfully the mettle of our crew rose to the top and before a thought was given to warmth or keeping dry ~ the chase was on. Picture if you will, two canoes, one rowboat and seven people afloat in pursuit of one lone White Pelican that swam with ease, speed and purpose as he eluded our capture squad. All this complete with laughter as the bird, in seeming disdain for our effort, took a moment to attempt to scoop up a fish with its remarkable beak while not missing a stroke with its magnificent paddle feet.

Naturalist/Trainer Leah Sainz and Director Jeff Meshach extract the bird from the net.

Finally we were successful in executing the capture as our boat crews were successful in driving the bird toward shore, while positioning our young lady in the front of one of the canoes with the net to make the catch.

Safely securing the bird, we took a few pictures, loaded the boats and headed back home to the WBS hospital to see what could be done for our new charge.

While maybe not the norm, still just another day in the life of a wildlife rehabber.

Submitted by Pat Payne, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer

Valentine's Day Is Coming

2012-01-31T06:00:00.019-06:00

Once upon a time, when a young man wanted to express his sentiments for his sweetheart, it was the custom to carve their initials in the trunk of a tree.

In today’s world we now know that this can be a death knell for the tree—plus, most of us are city dwellers who wouldn’t have a large enough tree handy, even if we did want to deface it in this way.

However, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the World Bird Sanctuary now offers a way to continue this time-honored tradition. A World Bird Sanctuary inscribed brick can be a perfect and lasting Valentine for your sweetheart without damaging a tree.

Your brick will be installed in our amphitheater stairs or landings and will be a lasting declaration of your love. For an additional small fee you may purchase a presentation certificate to give your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day to let her know about her brick.

To purchase a 4” X 8” brick with a 3-line message click here. Bricks are also available in an 8” X 8” size with a 6-line message. There is a wide selection of stock symbols (such as hearts, cupids, etc.) which can be included in the inscription.

Your donation will help to support the mission of the World Bird Sanctuary, and all brick donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Make this Valentine’s Day a memorable one for your spouse, sweetheart or significant other.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Leucistic Goldfinch

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

This seems to be my year for reporting sightings of white birds!

In December 2011 I belatedly reported a good friend’s sighting of a rare albino Barred Owl that occurred in the fall of 2010.

Rare albino Barred Owl - spotted in September 2010

Then just recently World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Fundraiser, Catherine Redfern, took us along with her to Smithville Lake just North of Kansas City to view some of the Snowy Owls that have been spotted there as part of the unusual Snowy Owl irruption this year. To read about this rare occurrence Click Here.

One of the Snowy Owls seen at Smithville Lake in Missouri

To put the icing on the cake, just recently I was excited to see a most unusual bird at my thistle feeder—a leucistic Goldfinch!

The leucistic Goldfinch who has been a fairly regular visitor to my feeder this winter

To my amazement I began seeing this unusual visitor on a fairly regular basis about two months ago. However, until just a couple of weeks ago I had been unsuccessful in photographing this wary individual. On the first few occasions when I saw it at the feeder it was gone by the time I grabbed my camera and changed my lens. I had even resorted to leaving the camera, with long lens attached, sitting on my kitchen table. (Martha Stewart would have been proud of my new creative table centerpiece.) Of course the bird did not reappear until the camera was again safely stashed in my camera bag! Finally, about three weeks ago, I was able to get a few photos—albeit through the two panes of glass in my kitchen window.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, leucism is relatively unusual in birds, and from 2000-2006 Project FeederWatch participants reported fewer than 1,000 leucistic birds out of approximately 5.5 million birds reported each season! I feel extremely fortunate to have seen this rarity.

Without the normal coloration it is difficult to differentiate between male and female

What is a leucistic bird you may ask—and how is it different from an albino bird? Although there is some disagreement in the scientific community as to what constitutes the differences between these two mutations, all the experts seem to agree on one point—albinos have pink eyes and leucistic birds have dark eyes. Albinism is a genetic mutation that prevents the production of melanin in the body, whereas leucism is a genetic mutation that prevents melanin from being deposited normally on feathers.

However, the above definition is a simplistic answer to a much more complicated question, since there are varying degrees of albinism and leucism. To learn more about this fascinating subject click here.

Don’t forget to keep your feeders filled this winter--you never know who might visit!

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

A Walk Back in Time

2012-01-27T06:00:00.052-06:00

As I walk the grounds and trails of the World Bird Sanctuary today I often wonder about the feet that trod these grounds before me.

The grounds of the World Bird Sanctuary as they appear today

The site of what is now the World Bird Sanctuary, Lone Elk Park, and Tyson Research Center has a long and interesting history. I thought I would share some of this history with our readers today.

Native American cultures inhabited this area as early as 12,000 B.C. This area, called Crescent Hills, contains high quality chert, and many of the ridges here show evidence of prehistoric quarries.

Western settlers first arrived in the late 1700’s and established small farms. During the 1800’s the white oak forests supported a thriving lumber industry. Most of the oak was sent to a barrel factory in Pacific.

This area sits on top of the Kimmswick Formation, which contains high-calcium limestone. In 1877, the Hunkins-Willis Company established a mining town called Mincke, after Henry Mincke, the mine owner. In 1927, the mine closed and Mincke became a ghost town. The foundations from some of the houses, the school, and the underground cavern created by the mine itself are still present within Tyson Research Center. During World War II, Mincke Cave was used by the Army as a garage.

Mincke Cave

In the early 1900’s the land overlooking the bluffs along the Meramec became a resort area known as Morschels. Some of the foundations for the cabins, cisterns and cement stairs leading to nowhere can still be seen on what today is the site of the World Bird Sanctuary. These “weekenders” would take the train that serviced the town of Minke to reach their cabins, which dotted the hills and bluffs along the Meramec River.

In 1941 the Federal Government used eminent domain to acquire the land from Henry Mincke and the Ranken Estate. This acquisition was mostly the land that is now Tyson Research Center and Lone Elk Park. The area became a support site for the St. Louis Ordinance Plant, located in North St. Louis. The land was used to store and test ammunition. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the government invested $3,194,000 and built "complete water and sewage systems, 21 miles of all-weather roads, two stables, 52 igloos [concrete storage bunkers] and a number of other buildings, and a trail around the inside of the fence." The building the World Bird Sanctuary uses for storage today, which is within Tyson, was used to store oxidizing chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives.

103 elk such as these were declared a nuisance, rounded up, and shot in 1958

In 1947, the military sold the land mentioned in the last paragraph to St. Louis County, and Tyson Valley Park was established. In February, 1951 deer, elk and bison were released on the land. However, in September of 1951, the federal government reclaimed the land for military use during the Korean War. According to an article published by Conor Watkins in his series of articles about the Missouri Ozarks, "....in 1958, after one of the bull elk rammed an army truck the animals were declared a nuisance, rounded up, and shot."

In 1961, the army declared the land surplus. They transferred West Tyson to Washington University (now Tyson Research Center) to use for biological research. The eastern section was resold to St. Louis County (now Lone Elk Park).

A Lone bull Elk such as this one was spotted during fence construction in 1964. That bull became the nucleus of today's herd

In 1964, during construction of a fence between the sections, workers spotted a single elk that had survived the extermination. This elk eventually gave the park its name. Students from Rockwood Elementary schools collectively donated $300 to have more elk transferred from Yellowstone National Park. Any student contributing a dime or more received a certificate of “Elk Stock.” The event received national attention and was even covered by Walter Cronkite.

"Elk Stock" which was issued to any child contributing more than ten cents

Lone Elk Park, and the surrounding areas, which played such an interesting role in the history of the nation and the region, continues to be a positive influence in the lives of the people who live in this area today.

Submitted by Leah Sainz, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Farewell Tobin

2012-01-25T06:00:00.006-06:00

Members of the World Bird Sanctuary staff were saddened last week by the sudden loss of our nine-year-old European Barn Owl, Tobin.

Upon noticing that he was acting “not quite right” one evening we started him on a course of preventative antibiotics until we could get him to the vet in the morning. However, by the next morning it was obvious that he was in severe distress and before we could get him to the vet he passed on.

Animals in the wild have perfected the ability to mask symptoms of illness to protect themselves from becoming prey for the many predators who are very adept at picking off the sick and injured. This “masking” ability sometimes makes it extremely difficult to spot problems in captive animals (even dogs and cats), until it is too late, even for our sharp-eyed and ever vigilant naturalists.

Results of a necropsy indicated that Tobin succumbed to heart failure—probably due to his age. At the age of nine he had long outlived his wild brethrens’ normal lifespan of 3-4 years.

Tobin, wowing a group of school children at one of our Raptor Awareness programs

Tobin was one of our most popular Barn Owls, performing for thousands of children and adults each year in our outreach programs. He was definitely one of the stars of our Raptor Awareness program and a favorite of staff and visitors. He will be sorely missed.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, Volunteer/Photographer

Traveling With a Pet Bird

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Every year for Christmas I go home to upstate New York to spend the holiday with my family.

Simon--my 9-year-old African Grey Parrot

I have a 9 year old African Grey Parrot named Simon who is a big part of my life. For the holiday I usually go home for about two weeks, which is a long time for me to leave my bird in St. Louis with a bird sitter, so Simon travels with me. This is often a very interesting experience, since I must fly to New York.

Simon's travel crate

In preparation for the trip I have to do my own packing and then I have to pack for the bird, which is almost like packing for a small child. I pack a couple of days worth of pellets, seeds and snacks so that if we get delayed he has food. Then I pack a few small toys in case I need extras. I then make sure that the crate is clean and stocked with a few toys; and I have a small blanket ready to go over the crate. Simon has a very nice Crystal Flight plexiglass crate with a perch inside that fits nicely under the seat of the plane.

I am very lucky with Simon in that he is quiet when traveling and is good in the crate--especially now that we have a good travel crate. The first few years I traveled with him I used the soft side carriers that look like luggage. Good idea, but Simon did not think so and he destroyed at least two of them by putting large holes in the sides.

Fortunately Simon is a good traveller

When arriving at the airport we always have to get there a little earlier than normal, since this is something out of the ordinary for those working airline counters, and will take extra time. Once checked in it’s then time to go through security. This is when the fun begins.

As everyone who travels knows, you have to take off your shoes and coat, and pull liquids and computer out of their bags. I have to take Simon out of the crate so the crate can go through the x-ray machine. When you go through the non-x-ray scanner that is when you hear a ton of “Polly, Want a Cracker” or similar comments. My favorite comment is, “What am I suppose to do with this?” During this whole process Simon is quiet or might let out a small whistle or “Hello”. Other than that, he just wants back in his crate. Once his crate is through the scanner we go through the process of bird back in the crate, getting redressed and repacked.

At the gate most people do not even notice him--generally only small children who see him and come over to talk to him. Other than that, gate time is uneventful. I have heard a few interesting comments over the years, such as, “Do you have a pigeon in there?”

As we are getting on the plane I make sure the blanket is in place to keep him warm, since Christmas time is usually cold out. Once we are on the plane and my one carry-on is stored I wrap Simon’s crate in the blanket so he is covered up, safely place him under the seat, and away we go. Once again very few people notice he is there. Simon stays quiet under the blanket and waits for the ride to be over. When we land I check on him and sometimes get a quiet whistle, “Hello”, or a laugh. On occasion he can surprise people with one of his more unusual vocalizations. The best was a few years ago when he let out a nice phone sound. At this point one or two people made comments like, “Is that a Parrot”, “I did not know people traveled with pets,” and so on.

Layovers are uneventful unless they are long, and then Simon wants out. When this happens he forcefully pushes on the door of his carrier. Once we arrive at the final destination he is ready for the large cage that awaits him at my parents’ home.

Simon enjoys the presents too!

When traveling, there are several things to think about to make your trip safe for your bird. Check with your airline first to make sure they take birds—not all do. Make sure you have a cage waiting at your final destination that is set up for when you arrive. Be sure you have food with you so that if you get stuck for a few days you have sufficient food for your bird. Make sure your bird is comfortable in a crate and is quiet. If your bird is very noisy the airline may not allow you to continue your flight, or may make you put the bird under the plane with other pets that can’t be carried on. Always arrive at the airport early. Have a blanket to cover the crate. Be aware that your crate counts as one carry-on. Most of all--be patient.

I’m very lucky to have a bird that adjusts well and is happy to travel as long as I am with him. It may be challenging, but I love having him with me on these trips and I know he is happiest this way.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuaary Naturalist

Truck Donated by Ameren

2012-01-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

World Bird Sanctuary (WBS) has a new resource to help in its field research – a half-ton pickup truck retired from Ameren Missouri's fleet.

Ameren Missouri Resource Management secured the donation of the used pickup as part of its on-going support of WBS .

“This vehicle will help us with performing the nest box studies, since in many places the 4-wheel drive will assist our bird banding team in safely getting to the boxes, which in many cases are in rural areas and across rough terrain," says Walt Crawford, executive director of WBS. "The truck will also help us safely move around the property of our headquarters, especially in winter. The road from our public area to our behind-the-scenes area, which is used by staff, interns and volunteers on a very regular basis is challenging in bad weather, to say the least."

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Fundraiser

Vlad

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

On January 6, 2012 one of our longtime residents, Vlad, a Loggerhead Shrike passed away due to the infirmities of old age.

Vlad arrived at the World Bird Sanctuary September 9, 1997 from a Panama City Beach, Florida, rehabilitation center. At the time his age was unknown. Normal maximum life expectancy in the wild appears to be around six years, so we know that Vlad had lived long beyond his expected lifespan in the wild.

Loggerhead Shrikes are a unique songbird species. They are not a bird of prey, but with their strong beaks will catch and kill insects, mice, small birds and other vertebrates, such as frogs and snakes. Since they don’t have strong feet like raptors, they impale their prey on thorns, barbed wire and other similar projections, and then they pull bite size pieces from their prey. Vlad often demonstrated this behavior for guests during the many years that he was on display at WBS.

Vlad will be missed by staff and guests alike.

Meet Dorothy

2012-01-17T06:00:00.031-06:00

Meet Dorothy, the Andean Condor, the largest bird at the World Bird Sanctuary. I will tell you about her history, natural history, and how she has melted the hearts of so many people that have met her, including my own.

Dorothy was hatched here at the World Bird Sanctuary’s propagation building in 2006. She is almost six years old now. Her parents were on loan to us courtesy of the Cincinnati Zoo. Her parent’s names are Gryph and Laurel, and they are involved in the Andean Condor Species Survival Program.

While they were here they produced six chicks, and four of those were released into the wilds of Columbia, South America. Dorothy will stay here with us to be an education bird. She has a wonderful personality to go along with her outstanding size. During the times I’ve spent with Dorothy I’ve noticed that she always exhibits an endearing curiosity toward me and her surroundings in general--such as different landscaping in her exhibit, visitors and other birds in enclosures around her.

Andean Condors can be found in the Andes Mountains along the Pacific coastline in South America. They can be seen in open grasslands and high altitude regions in the mountains as well. They travel to the coastal areas for food, but are uncommonly seen in forested areas.

Condors are the largest members of the vulture family. Andean Condors have a wingspan of 9 to 12 feet and stand four feet tall. They range in weight from 20-30 pounds, and can live up to 50 years in the wild—often longer in captivity. Their diet consists mostly of carrion (dead animals), but they will also search for seabird eggs and young animals, and will cover great distances soaring in the sky to look for food; sometimes up to 150 miles a day.

These magnificent birds are an endangered species, with around 10,000 left in the world today. Their population is decreasing due to illegal shooting, habitat disruption and secondary lead poisoning. It’s also been theorized because there are so many feral dogs in South America now, the dogs consume all the dead animals before the condors have a chance to dine. They do not sexually mature until six to eight years of age and then lay only one egg every one to two years.

These glorious birds have the most awesome ability to eat animals that have died from any disease or virus known to humans and not get sick! They are a dead end for disease. Their stomach acid is so strong that it will stop anything in its path. That’s pretty amazing!

Dorothy's father, Gryph, displaying his white ruff and his impressive caruncle--what girl could resist?

The Andean Condor is the only New World vulture to be sexually dimorphic. Sexually dimorphic means that males and females of the same species do not look the same. The male has a large, fleshy structure called the wattle which hangs below his beak and a comb (or caruncle) above his beak and eyes, whereas the female does not. Sometimes vultures are gross, but we need them the most!

Dorothy's mother, Laurel, displaying the beautiful plumage and white ruff of an adult female Andean Condor

You are welcome to come to one of our annual events called International Vulture Awareness Day held on the first Saturday of September to see Dorothy and her cousins, the other vultures that reside at the World Bird Sanctuary. Of course, our other birds will be there too! You can learn many more amazing facts about Condors and Vultures during this fun filled day!

To see videos of Dorothy click here to go to our You Tube site and watch Dorothy receiving target training. This is a positive reinforcement method used to train birds to go to a designated spot. They learn that when they touch the stick (the target) they receive a reward. In the video the trainer, Susan, is also using a clicker. Every time Dorothy touches the stick, Susan clicks the clicker, which lets Dorothy know a reward is coming. Clickers are important in training when a reward cannot be given immediately after the desired behavior. When the bird is conditioned to know the clicker means reward, they accept the clicker sound as a reward until the real reward can be given.

As with all of our animals, Dorothy is available for adoption through our Adopt a Bird program. To find out more information about adopting Dorothy click here (Link) or call 636-861-3225, ext 12. All adoption donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

The next time you visit WBS I invite you to visit Dorothy on the exhibit line past the hospital. She is definitely worth it!

Submitted by Lisbeth Hodges, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Special Little Sparrow

2012-01-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

Even though I didn’t discover my true passion for birds until college, I think somewhere deep down there’s been a part of me that has always loved our feathered friends.

I’ve always been interested in the happenings at the backyard birdfeeder. Seeing a red-tailed hawk outside my elementary school was wondrous at the time (and still is- my family counts them along the highway when we go on long car trips). Even today, when I work with birds of prey for a living, I still love peering out of the window to see what the local birds are up to. I’ve seen some pretty amazing birds, but a very interesting species showed up in my yard before I started college.

My brother spotted a new bird at the feeder

My brother, sister and I were looking out the back window of our living room one winter day, observing the patrons of our feeder. We had all of the usual suspects; cardinals, chickadees, titmice, house sparrows, house finches, etc. They amused us with their antics, flitting around the perches, scaring each other away. Suddenly, my brother, who was in possession of our family’s only pair of binoculars at the time, straightened up and focused in on something. “There’s a new bird at the feeder!” he said excitedly.

Naturally, this caused a squabble as we all fought to possess the binoculars, but eventually we all got a look at this newcomer. It was a small bird, with a white breast and black and brown striped wings. Its head was a rich chestnut color, and on its cheek was a black patch. While my brother kept an eye on the bird, my sister and I feverishly perused a field guide. Surely it was some kind of sparrow? It did resemble the house sparrow somewhat. Finally, on the last page of sparrows, we discovered the identity of our mystery bird. It was a Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Happy that we had identified our black-cheeked visitor, we resumed watching the feeder after recording the new bird on the list we kept to remember what birds had come to eat with us. It wasn’t until a few weeks later, when my bird-loving aunt asked us what we had seen recently, that we realized we’d stumbled across something special. Upon telling her that we had seen Eurasian Tree Sparrows in our backyard (for now we had a solid half-dozen visiting us regularly), she promptly exclaimed, “You’ve seen WHAT!?” She then proceeded to explain to us why seeing this particular sparrow was so momentous.

....soon there were more of this Old World import

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is actually a species of Old World sparrow, or sparrow that occurs in Europe and Asia. It is closely related to house sparrows, and not so closely related to our own American tree sparrow. In 1870, a group of 12 of these birds were imported from Germany and released in Lafayette Park in St. Louis, to increase the diversity of the local bird life. All of the Eurasian Tree Sparrows in the United States today are descended from these twelve birds. What makes them different from the house sparrow, which is an Old World species that has expanded its range to include the whole of the US, is that the Eurasian Tree Sparrow population is confined to the St. Louis area, with their range extending somewhat into western Illinois and up into southeast Iowa. This is the only place in the U.S. they occur. Many of the local birders see these birds frequently, but for anyone else in the country, they are not seen at all. People from all over the U.S. come to St. Louis to see this little sparrow, presumably because a car or plane trip to St. Louis costs somewhat less than an expedition to Europe or Asia.

My aunt demanded a picture, which we happily provided (the first of these pictures were terrible--out of focus and taken through binoculars). Eventually she was able to see them in her own yard in St. Ann, MO (my family lives in St. Charles, MO). All through the rest of the winter, and into the following summer, my family watched these little sparrows enjoy the seed at our feeders.

I see them less frequently now, but every time I do, I get a little thrill. It reminds me of that winter day, when my brother, sister, and I discovered a very special little sparrow together.

Submitted by Emily Hall, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

The Rookie Files: Norbert

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Look--Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s Norbert our eight year old Bald Eagle.

Norbert wowing the crowds at Silver Dollar City

Norbert officially graduated from flight school this year at Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri. There he flew in a 4,000 seat amphitheater to the delight of hundreds of people. Norbert is just one of our team of flying Bald Eagles. Lewis is probably the most famous, being an honorary St. Louis baseball Cardinal and flying at Busch Stadium. Clark, another team eagle, is a definite favorite of mine since I worked with him our first year in Branson, but Norbert quickly grew on me.

Norbert was a rescue bird. He was found on a golf course in South Dakota chasing golf balls and begging people for food. Because of this behavior he was deemed an imprint. This means that a human fed Norbert while he was still very young and he now sees people as a source of food (and sometimes imprints see humans as mates, which is awkward). As you can imagine people were very frightened of the large bird that kept wandering up to them. Norbert was very lucky that an organization in SD similar to ours was able to rescue him before someone reacted badly out of fear and harmed him. Wild animals need their natural fear of humans to keep them safe; without it they intrude into our space and that is when dangerous interactions occur--both for the animals as well as people.

Norbert at age 4--still sporting some of his juvenile plumage

Norbert arrived at WBS in his first year juvenile plumage. Bald eagles don’t get their famous white head and white tail until they are about four or five years old. Norbert is actually a late bloomer; he didn’t start molting into his adult feathers until he was about six years old. Rather than having a total white head, Norbert still has dark feathers that trail off behind each eye, so he is easy to differentiate from the rest of the eagles because of these unique “racing stripes” (or “burglar mask” depending on his mood).

Norbert is easily distinguished from our other Eagles because of his "mask"

Norbert flying at Silver Dollar City in Branson was an exciting sight to behold, since we rarely have a chance to fly Bald Eagles outside of sporting events. This made him quite the celebrity down in Branson. And boy--was he treated like one! Norbert had his own entourage, security detail, and a personal chauffer. He co-starred in Silver Dollar City’s opening ceremony and flag-raising every morning. His personal driver transported him, and then his entourage (other actors involved in the ceremony) entertained him (stared at him, glassy-eyed, mouth opened) until it was time to work. The glassy-eyed thing was more entertaining for me than Norbert.

Like all stars Norbert had a large number of groupies. I was his chief security officer in charge of making sure no one tried to touch him. Birds of prey do not like to be touched. Unlike dogs and cats, birds of prey do not really understand affection. Generally the only time another animal is going to be touching them is when it is trying to hurt them. It is also better for a bird’s feathers not to be touched; the oils we have on our hands can damage the oils and waterproofing on a bird’s feathers.

Norbert about to make a perfect landing

Norbert even appeared on TV to advertise for his amazing flights (he seemed to enjoy watching the teleprompter). And what amazing flights they were! Norbert flew over most of the audience and three of his flights were steep verticals. This meant he had to work extra hard to make those perches, but when he did (which was all the time) it was gorgeous.

Unfortunately Norbert can never be released into the wild. Due to one person’s actions he will now forever associate people with food instead of danger. We are happy to give him a home at World Bird Sanctuary where he can help to educate and entertain people. He helped to personalize our national symbol and the struggle his species underwent to come back from the brink of extinction, due to pesticides and habitat loss.

As Norbert flew his amazing flights across the theater at Silver Dollar City he symbolized the efforts of individuals and conservation organizations to protect and teach about the Bald Eagle. And yes, this may sound a little dramatic, but what sight is more dramatic than a Bald Eagle in flight?

Submitted by Leah Tyndall, Naturalist/Trainer

2011: International Year of Forests What has it achieved?

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

This past year was delegated the International Year of Forests by the United Nations.

Since it has come to an end, we will take a look back at what has been achieved in securing the immense, irreplaceable contribution that the world’s forests make to the survival of biodiversity and human society.

Over the past year an extraordinary level of attention has been placed on the world’s forests, as well as the challenges that confront them. Successes range from international policy changes to school and community projects.

The International Year of Forests started off with a meeting of the United Nations’ Forum of Forests in New York. At this event, the Rwandan government committed to border-to-border restoration of its natural ecosystems upon which a vast majority of its population depends for their livelihoods. This bold step has stimulated other governments to adopt a similar scale of ambition.

At a conference in Bonn, Germany hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the German government, a joint commitment was made to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes around the world by 2020. That is about the size of Mongolia! It will be worth 85 billion dollars per year to local and national economies. The benefits towards biodiversity and people will be incredible.

At the years end the IUCN will be wrapping up the first phase of our 5-year Livelihoods and Landscapes Strategy. Its aim has been to improve sustainable management of natural resources and the lives of the people who depend on them in more than 20 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In addition, Year of Forests has ended with progress on illegal logging. Because timber markets have traditionally not distinguished between legal or illegally sourced timber, international trade has inadvertently acted as a driver of deforestation. However, in the last decade many countries and international agencies have taken solid actions to fight illegal logging, ranging from on-the-ground activities to policies and regulations. As a result of these actions, 17 million hectares of tropical forest have been protected from degradation, and at least 1.2 billion tons of carbon emissions were reduced over the last decade. In Indonesia, logging illegally in excess of licensed harvests declined by 75 percent.

With the end of the International Year of Forests, it is important that we continue to think about what forests do for us and how we can help them. If you want a more hands-on approach, locate a forest preserve near you that needs volunteer help; participate in a forest clean-up; learn about the invasive plant species that affect our forests and help remove them from your land. Or, you can donate to organizations that directly work to preserve and protect forests. Forests are not only beautiful objects, they provide homes for many endangered species of plants and animals; they regulate the flows of freshwater that we rely on for agricultural, industrial, and consumption purposes; they provide food and shelter for forest-dependent communities; and they play an important role in managing our climate by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Wherever you live, forests play a crucial role in your life.

Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Workplace Gift Matching

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Help World Bird Sanctuary with Workplace Gift-Matching

Did you know that you can double your donation to World Bird Sanctuary without it costing you anything extra?

All you need to do is make one phone call and you can help us by getting your company involved in our gift-matching fundraising!

Your company's gift matching donation can help to educate thousands of children like these

World Bird Sanctuary benefits from the gift-matching programs of many different corporations. Lots of companies have a matching gift program where they will match employee donations to a charity of the employee’s choice. You can help World Bird Sanctuary by approaching your Human Resources Manager to find out if they have a gift-matching program.

World Bird Sanctuary is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit. If your company has a gift-matching program and World Bird Sanctuary is not on the approved list of charities, we can change that. All you have to do is ask your gift-matching administrator to contact Catherine Redfern, and we will set up the gift-matching program and do a presentation at your offices to educate employees about the World Bird Sanctuary, the gift-matching options, and how their donation will help.

Contact Catherine at credfern@worldbirdsanctuary.org or at 636-225-4390 ext 102.

Snowy Owl Irruption

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Snowy Owl Irruption brings owls close to Kansas City.

I live and work in St. Louis, and I've only ever passed through Kansas City twice on my way to work at the Renaissance Fair with WBS. Recently there was an event that I considered worthy of taking a day off to drive out to Kansas City, walk around Smithville Lake for an hour and drive the four hours back.

2011/12 is a Snowy Owl Irruption year. Snowy Owls are normally confined to the Canadian and Alaskan tundra. However, in cycles of about 3-5 years, a phenomenon known as a Snowy Owl Irruption occurs. An irruption is a sudden increase in appearances of a particular species of bird, in an area that is outside of its normal range. This occurs when snowy owls leave their home range and travel southward, bringing the 'Snowies' much further south than their normal range, allowing those of us in the lower latitudes to get rare sightings of these normally arctic-bound beautiful creatures.

The cause of Snowy Owl irruptions is usually a large drop in the populations of lemmings, a small rodent that is a primary food source for the owls. However, lemmings were born in huge numbers this year, so more young snowy owls survived the first critical months of their lives. Because owl numbers are at a peak, adult snowy owls protect their food source for themselves by pushing juvenile birds away from their home range and southwards.

A female Snowy Owl seen at Smithville Lake

This year, five different individuals have been regularly seen at Smithville Lake, 30 miles north of Kansas City. They are so regular in their habits that sightings are all but guaranteed. I was lucky enough to see a beautiful female sitting on the riprap of the dam wall, and another female flying across the lake.

If you go in the next few weeks, you may be lucky enough to see them too. They have been spotted all over the country, so if Kansas City is out of your reach, take a look at this Snowy Owl Irruption Map – and you may be able to spot one near you. If you want to try finding them at Smithville Lake, you can go their website for updated sighting reports, or you can call ahead to the Nature Center at Smithville Lake and Little Platte Park – The staff person there was very friendly and was enthusiastic to tell me when and where the last sightings were. When I called they had seen three of them out the day before, in their usual spots, which was enough to get me in the car for the long drive.

Enjoy watching these beautiful birds. When we finally found them, I was almost breathless with delight and wonder at how lovely they are. My only request is that you be respectful – respect their space – they will tell you how close you can get.

If you go searching for these owls bring your longest telephoto lens--chances are they will not be close!

If you walk towards them and it starts to move, you've got close enough. You don't want to force them into repeated flight as you approach them, as flying is a very energy intensive activity and you don't want to put them in an energy deficit at the time of year when it is most difficult for them to find food.

Also remember to keep yourself safe, and to obey all the traffic and other laws governing access to the dam wall area. If the wildlife you want to view is on private property, make sure to get permission before entering.

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Fundraiser

Eagle Watching Season Is Upon Us!

2012-01-05T06:00:00.044-06:00

I have never been a big fan of cold weather. Yet I look forward every year to eagle watching season with great anticipation.

Cold weather and ice on the water means good eagle watching

You just can’t have a good eagle watching season without some really cold weather. They definitely go hand in hand. Eagle watching is a really big deal in this and surrounding areas and draws quite an audience and following.

Ice floes near the locks and dams mean good fishing for the many Bald Eagles that congregate there

There are several nearby places where you can go to watch the migrating wild bald eagles congregate on the rivers, locks and dams. The Mississippi River provides some of the most spectacular eagle watching available in the St. Louis area. We are fortunate to be so close to where the eagle migration is at its best.

Watch for eagles in the treetops near the river

What does eagle watching season mean for WBS? The World Bird Sanctuary will be traveling through several states presenting live eagle programs and live bird of prey demonstrations and displays. The next few months will be some of the busiest of the year for our Education Department.

Meet Liberty--one of the stars of our Traveling Talons troop

Check out our Traveling Talons Calendar and make plans to see a live bald eagle up close and personal:

January 6 – 8

Quad Cities Eagle Days

Rock Island, Illinois

Masters of the Sky Programs

Display & Traveling Gift Shop

January 7 & 15

February 4 & 11

Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary

West Alton, Illinois

Eagle Display

January 7 & 8

Lake of the Ozarks Eagle Days

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

All About Eagles Programs

Traveling Gift Shop

January 8

Pere Marquette

Pere Marquette Lodge

Grafton, Illinois

Display and Masters of the Sky Programs

January 14, 21 & 28

Alton Visitor Center

Alton, Illinois

Eagle Display

January 14 & 15

Chain of Rocks Eagle Days

Chain of Rocks Bridge

St. Louis, Missouri

All About Eagles Programs

January 21

Bald Eagle Watch

Dubuque, Iowa

Masters of the Sky Programs

January 21

Fort Bellefontaine Park

St. Louis, Missouri

Multi-Bird Display with Eagle

January 21 & 22

Keokuk Eagle Days

Keokuk Iowa

Masters of the Sky Programs

Traveling Gift Shop

January 22 & 29

February 5, 12

Great Rivers Museum

East Alton, Illinois

Eagle Display

January 28 & 29

Starved Rock Eagle Days

Starved Rock State Park, Illinois

Masters of the Sky Programs

January 28 & 29

Clarksville Eagle Days

Clarksville, Missouri

Masters of the Sky Programs

February 4

Kaskaskia Lock & Dam

Modoc, Illinois

All About Eagles Programs

February 18, 19 & 20

Great Rivers Museum

East Alton, Illinois

Masters of the Sky Programs

February 25 & 26

Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower

Hartford, Illinois

Eagle Display

March 3 & 4

Carpenter Nature Center

Hastings, Minnesota

Masters of the Sky Programs

Be sure to mark your calendars now for our upcoming Annual World Eagle Day, March 18, 2012 from 10 – 4. For more information please click on our home web page.

If you would like to stay up to date on where you can catch a World Bird Sanctuary program in your area, or on events here at WBS, sign up to receive our email newsletter by entering your email address in the box on the right-hand side of this page.

You can also become a WBS Sponsor starting at as little as $35.00 and receive our Mews News Newsletter tri-annually – full of events, updates, stories and our Traveling Talons schedule.

As always, for more information you can visit our web page

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator

Meet Farfel

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

The next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary take a stroll down the Display Line (the path that takes you past the Wildlife Hospital) and meet Farfel the Eastern Screech Owl.

Farfel’s story is a little unusual. He was released—twice!

Farfel was admitted to the Wildlife Hospital in 2006 because someone noticed an owl that seemed to be unable to fly—at least not long enough to gain any altitude. Upon admission we found no obvious injuries and it was thought that perhaps he was simply weak from hunger and merely needed supportive therapy to regain his strength. (This is the case with many of our admissions).

Farfel was held in our hospital for a short time for observation and fed a diet of tasty mice. When it was obvious that he was eating well and had no internal injuries or illnesses he was released into a flight cage to give him the opportunity to build up his flight muscles. After several weeks it was decided that he seemed fit enough to be released into the wild. The big day came and he was released, only to fly a short distance and then flutter to the ground. It was obvious he was still unable to fly well enough to survive in the wild.

Farfel was recaptured and returned to the flight mew for some additional exercise time. In the flight cage he appeared to be able to fly with no problem from perch to perch and from the perches to the ground and back. These are not the long distances he would have to negotiate in the wild, but this physical therapy usually is what helps get all the rehab birds fit enough to be released back into the wild, with a great chance of surviving for years. He was carefully watched by our staff for signs of any other problems; however, he seemed healthy in every respect.

In the flight mew he appeared to be flying normally, so we decided to give him a second chance at freedom. He was again taken to the release site and lofted into the air—only to again fly for a short distance and flutter to the ground. He was again brought back to the Wildlife Hospital. After a very in-depth evaluation by our vet it was finally determined that Farfel has a very slight deformity of both wings that inhibits his ability to sustain flight or gain enough altitude to be a successful hunter.

We wanted so much to return Farfel to the wild, but the safest decision was for him to remain at the World Bird Sanctuary as an Education or Display bird.

Our Wildlife Hospital treats between 200-300 injured, orphaned or sick birds each year. A large percentage of these are released back into the wild. Our success rate is one of the best in the country. Even though Farfel’s story was not the final outcome we had hoped for, he will help to raise awareness about his species and about the time, effort and work that goes into returning a raptor to the wild.

Farfel is available for adoption, as are all the other creatures that call the Sanctuary home. To adopt Farfel Click Here.

If you would like to sponsor a Return to the Wild, for yourself or as a gift, Click Here for more details. If you have questions you may call (636) 861-1392 or email credfern@worldbirdsanctuary.org

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

What Can A Wing Tell You?

2012-01-01T06:00:00.001-06:00

Wing shape

As you observe the birds around you while walking through the forest, sitting in your yard or visiting the World Bird Sanctuary, you will notice that bird wings come in many different shapes and sizes.

The above silhouettes illustrating different wing shapes

You can tell a great deal about a bird’s lifestyle just by looking at the shape of its wings. The variation in wing form is due to the different uses each bird species has for these marvelous appendages. Some birds need to soar for long periods of time. Others need to use their wings for very rapid flight. Still others need wings that allow for agility so they can evade predators or avoid running into trees.

A wild Turkey Vulture soaring on the thermals

The next time you are outside, see if you can spot one of the many Turkey Vultures found in our area. You will notice that they flap their wings very rarely. Using very broad wings with long, slotted primaries (furthest feathers from the body), they can ride on the rising thermals. That way, they will expend as little energy as possible while they searching for carrion below.

Millenium, a young Peregrine Falcon, displays her long pointed wings

In contrast, falcons can’t just cruise the region in search of ready-to-eat meat. If a falcon had broad wings like a vulture, it would fly too slowly to catch its prey. If a falcon wants to catch, for example, a pigeon, it needs long, pointed wings, which give it the capability of high-speed dives. The Peregrine Falcon’s wing shape allows it to reach record dive speeds of well over 250 mph!

Trucker, a Swainson's Hawk, displays his more rounded wing shape

Raptors in the accipiter family, such as the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the Cooper’s Hawk have short, rounded wings. Their wing shape gives them the capability of explosive bursts of speed and the agility they need to maneuver through their forest homes and catch other birds. Wing shape is an important adaptation that is a reflection of the bird’s way of life.

The next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary pay particular attention to the shape and size of the wings of the different birds on display. If you’re lucky you may see them extend their wings in a nice big stretch or flap. See if you can guess what kind of lifestyle their wing type is suited for.

Submitted by Leah Sainz, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Unusual Groceries

2011-12-30T06:00:00.015-06:00

The other day, as I was unloading groceries from my van, I was reminded why the Carolina Wren is one of my favorite birds.

A Carolina Wren perched in a Hawthorn tree in full bloom

As a matter of course, I always request paper bags at the grocery store. I can reuse them at least once (sometimes more) before consigning them to the trash, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that they will decompose and are compostible. Another big plus for me is that I know they will stay upright in my van and not spew their contents at every turn, like plastic bags. What does this have to do with wrens? You’ll see where this is going in just a minute.

I had just carried in the first bag of groceries, leaving the hatchback door on my van open in anticipation of returning to unload the rest of the groceries. Since the first bag was my frozen products I took the 3-4 minutes necessary to stow them in my freezer. Upon returning to my van I discovered that in that short 3-4 minute time period my grocery bags had become bird habitat!

As I approached the van a Carolina Wren erupted from my bag of produce with a startled squawk and began to flit around the interior of the van, ending up perched on the driver’s seat. After I stopped chuckling I opened the van doors and went on with the task of unloading my groceries, certain that my unexpected tenant would find his or her way out through one of the doors.

Sure enough, when I returned on my next trip, the van was no longer occupied—however, from the Holly tree next to the driveway came the unmistakable scolding cry of an angry Wren. Apparently it had vacated the premises, but was definitely not happy about the situation, even dive-bombing me a couple of times as I continued my trips back and forth.

Ounce for ounce, Carolina Wrens are one of the feistiest little birds I know. At times like these I’m thankful they’re not the size of an Eagle.

Carolina Wrens are one of the most entertaining and opportunistic little birds at my backyard feeders. These little dynamos have been known to build nests in just about anything you can think of. We personally have had them nest in a barbecue grill, a hose reel and in a hat my husband had sitting on a shelf in the garage. They can build a nest in a matter of a couple of hours. Before my husband leaves our lake cabin he has now learned that he must do a walk-through of the garage to make sure he doesn’t trap an erstwhile nest-builder inside.

Some co-ops in the area carry a nut blend known only by the term "tree nuts"--a favorite winter food

Carolina Wrens are indigenous to the New World, being found in the United States, Canada and as far south as the northern part of Guatemala. This little bird with the long binomial (species) name, Thyrothorus ludovicianus, is the state bird of South Carolina. If you are lucky enough to have a pair of resident Carolina Wrens in your yard you may be entertained by their antics throughout the year, as they go about their job of catching insects in your garden. In winter they will occasionally eat seeds, berries, and other small fruits, but you can help their winter survival rate by filling your feeders with nuts and suet, as these birds do not migrate.

I never tire of hearing a Carolina Wren's joyful song

In the summer this little bird’s joyful song seems to fill my backyard. One captive male Carolina Wren was recorded as singing 3,000 times in one day according to a National Geographic web page.

If you are not lucky enough to have these little mighty mites in your yard, be sure to stop by the bird feeders in the triangle area at the World Bird Sanctuary on your next visit. You can make use of the benches placed strategically near the feeders to enjoy a short rest, and will most likely see some of these entertaining little birds in action.

If you love watching the birds, come join us on January 2 for a new event—the WBS Christmas Bird Count. We will meet about 100 yards inside the main gate (on the triangle) at 7 A.M.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Be a Part of "Mission Accomplished!"

2011-12-28T06:00:00.005-06:00

You can be a part of WBS's "Mission Accomplished!" celebrations in 2012!

Walter C. Crawford, Jr. founded World Bird Sanctuary over 35 years ago, with one goal - protect our threatened bird species and their habitats.

Over the last 35 years we have successfully released many hawks, eagles, owls, vultures, peregrine falcons and other birds of prey to the wild. We gave them a second chance.

This would not have been possible without your help.

YOU AND PATRIOT. VITAL PARTS OF SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVING OUR MISSION IN 2012.

Patriot is a Bald Eagle that was hatched in the wild and rescued after her nest was blown into a river. She recovered from the pneumonia, but it had left her lungs so scarred that she did not have the lung capacity required to be able to fly and hunt. She would have died if she was returned to the wild.

Patriot. A Bald Eagle of distinction.

Patriot is a vital part of our environmental education team - she travels with a purpose: to teach children and adults about the threats facing Bald Eagles and other bird species in North America and around the world.

PATRIOT'S STORY HELPS US KEEP EAGLES WILD

With your help, we can ensure that more birds are released back to the wild.

You can help protect our national symbol

After 18 months, a Bald Eagle found hanging from fishing line by the wing was returned to the wild.

Our wildlife hospital admits 300-400 birds per year, and we successfully release most of them back to the wild. We could not have done this without the help of our supporters.

Your donation to World Bird Sanctuary today will help us ensure future successes like the 7 bald eagles and countless owls and hawks that we rehabilitated and returned to the wild this year.

The mission of the World Bird Sanctuary is to preserve the earth's biological diversity and to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments. We work to fulfill this mission through education, propagation, field studies and rehabilitation.

Help us educate others to make the choices that can help them protect our environment. You can be confident that your donation today will help Patriot continue to spread her story and that of others like her!

Donate Now!

We have over 30 years of success in achieving our mission through our four focus areas, and numerous accolades and awards for our achievements in wildlife conservation and education.

The World Bird Sanctuary is a consistently successful and credible conservation organization, which makes investing in us one of the safest philanthropic decisions you can make.

We will use your donation wisely.

World Bird Sanctuary meets all 20 charity standards set by the Better Business

Have You Seen This Great White Hunter?

2011-12-26T06:00:00.141-06:00

In September 2010 I received an excited phone call from a friend’s daughter who lives in an undisclosed rural area of Missouri.

On her way out of her neighborhood, with her children in the vehicle, she spotted what appeared to be a large white bird perched atop a road sign. As she drew closer she realized, to her amazement, that it was an owl. Neither my friend nor her daughter, are avid birders. Beyond the fact that it must be an owl, she had no idea what she was seeing. So, she called the only person she could think of who was really “into” birds—me.

When I picked up the phone I could tell my friend was REALLY excited! She kept repeating that she was “….looking at an owl and it’s really, really, white! What is it?” The thought that it could be an albino fleetingly crossed my mind and was immediately discarded because I know how rare they are. I began by asking the standard questions. How big is it? Does it have ear tufts (the feathers on the head that resemble little “horns”)? What is its general body shape?

A Great-horned Owl, the largest owl native to Missouri -- note the ear tufts

Of course, to someone who is not accustomed to seeing owls in the wild at all, things like size and body shape are very subjective matters. The closest we could get to an accurate description was the fact that there were no ear tufts and that it was “big”. This ruled out two of our state’s most common native owl species—the Great Horned Owl (the largest) and the Screech Owl (our smallest native owl), both of which have ear tufts.

An Eastern Screech Owl, the smallest owl native to Missouri -- note the ear tufts

That left the possibility that:

a) It could be a Snowy Owl that had wandered this far south (a very rare occurrence)

b) It could be an albino or leucistic Barred Owl (an incredibly rare occurrence)

c) It could be an extremely light colored Barn Owl that under dim lighting conditions could seem white (the most likely scenario)

A Snowy Owl - a rare and infrequent visitor from the North

Since my friend had rarely seen owls in the wild I told her I was inclined to believe that the light colored Barn Owl was the most likely candidate, even though they are quite rare in eastern Missouri. (What is it they always say about “assuming”)? However, just to be sure I asked her to try to get a picture with her cell phone and email it to me.

An American Barn Owl - occasionally they can be much lighter and can appear white in dim light

After several days I emailed her to remind her about the photos, but when I heard no further from her I guessed that she was unable to get a photo and in the press of other things promptly forgot about the incident.

Last week (it is now December 2011) to my astonishment I received the following photo from my friend. Her daughter had by now figured out how to email photos from her new cell phone and had sent her mother a number of photos. When my friend saw the owl photo she immediately sent it along to me, since she knew I would be interested.

Believe it or not--this is a Barred Owl!

You guessed it! It’s an albino Barred Owl! So much for assumptions! Now it was my turn to be excited! I immediately called my friend, and this time it was my turn to babble. I kept asking if they had any idea how rare this was! Of course, this prompted a phone call from my friend’s daughter in which I was able to get more details about the encounter.

A normally colored and marked Barred Owl

Apparently after her original call to me in 2010 she took several photos of the owl, actually turning the car around in order to get a better shot. The owl seemed undisturbed by the car, which indicates that it was accustomed to hunting near the roadside and considered vehicles to be just another part of its environment. My friend stayed until it became too dark to take further photos. She said they later saw the owl again on another occasion, but have not seen it lately. It would be interesting to know if anyone else in rural areas of Missouri have seen this winged wonder.

Another view of our white Barred Owl showing no normal coloration in what should be his darker feathers

Just to give you an idea of how rare this is--following are some facts about albinism and leucism in birds that I found when researching the probabilities of seeing a Barred Owl of this color.

Leucistic -- Leucism is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment--not just melanin--resulting from defects in pigment cells during development. This results in either the entire surface (if all pigment cells fail to develop) or patches of body surface (if only a subset are defective) having a lack of cells capable of making pigment. Leucistic individuals usually have normally colored eyes.

Albinism -- Albinism in birds is rare, occurring to any extent in perhaps one in 1800 individuals (Terres 1980). (This number includes all bird species—the ratio for owls is even greater). A bird that is albino (from the Latin albus, "white") has white feathers in place of colored ones on some portion of its body. This condition is a genetically inherited trait resulting when each parent has the recessive gene for albinism. A bird that is naturally white, such as a swan, goose, or egret, is not an albino, nor is a bird that has seasonally alternating white plumage (like the Ptarmigan, a Grouse-like game bird from the far North).

This would seem to be a very straightforward definition of the condition, but as in many cases within the scientific community, there are differences of opinion among the experts as to what constitutes albinism. All seem to agree that there are four different degrees of albinism:

° Partial albinism in which local areas of the bird’s body, such as certain feathers, are lacking the pigment melanin

° Imperfect albinism in which the pigment is partially inhibited in the skin, eyes, or feathers, but is not absent from any of them (this produces a very pale, almost white version of their normal body pattern)

° Incomplete albinism is the complete absence of pigment from the skin, eyes, or feathers, but not all three

° A completely albino bird is the most rare, lacking any pigment in its skin, eyes, and feathers. The eyes in this case are pink or red, because blood shows through in the absence of pigment in the irises. The beak, legs, and feet are very pale or white. (Some authorities hold that albinism affects melanin pigments but not necessarily the carotenoid pigments (any of a class of yellow to red pigments).

If the carotenoid theory is correct, then our white Barred Owl would probably qualify as a complete albino, whereas by the above definitions he could be an example of incomplete albinism (only a close examination of his skin could truly verify this).

In all my research I found only one reference to a total albino Barred Owl, and a very few recorded references to the other three types of albinistic Barred Owls. At any rate, this beautiful bird is most certainly a rarity.

Historically, the survival rate in the wild for albino animals is not good—due to poor eyesight in bright light caused by their condition, rejection by others of their species because of their color, and their lack of camouflage (whether they are a prey animal or a predator). However, one theory presented in a study of albino Great Grey Owls in Finland indicated that owls seemed less affected by these problems than most other birds. This theory holds that these nocturnal predators’ hunting success depends largely on locating their prey by sound rather than by sight. Thus, poor eyesight in bright light is not a disability to these nocturnal hunters.

Another view showing his yellow feet and beak--this would support the carotenoid theory

Is he still out there? If you live in a rural area of Missouri have you seen this beautiful white hunter? If so, we would love to hear from you via our “Comments” section on this blog.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

References:
http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/epubs/owl/ALAJA&M.PDF (Albinism in the Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) and Other Owls) by Pentti Alaja and Heimo Mikkola1

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/Albinism_Leucism.htm

http://birding.about.com/od/identifyingbirds/a/leucism.htm

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v036n02/p0067-p0071.pdf

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T06:00:00.023-06:00

On the eve of this most blessed holiday the staff and animals of the World Bird Sanctuary

wish you a heartfelt Merry Christmas.

May you have the joy of sharing this day with your family, friends and other loved ones, including those who wear fur, scales and feathers.

Frazzle, our one-eyed Eastern Screech Owl

Our most sincere thanks for supporting the World Bird Sanctuary, and for remembering your feathered friends in their time of need. Many of them would not still be here but for your generosity.

Remember Patriot?

2011-12-22T06:00:00.029-06:00

Remember WBS in your annual giving and help keep birds off the endangered species list.

Walter C. Crawford, Jr. founded World Bird Sanctuary over 35 years ago, with one goal - protect our threatened bird species and their habitats.

Over the last 35 years we have successfully released many hawks, eagles, owls, vultures, peregrine falcons and other birds of prey to the wild. We gave them a second chance.

This would not have been possible without your help.

REMEMBER PATRIOT?

PATRIOT'S STORY HELPS US KEEP EAGLES WILD

With your help, we can ensure that more birds are released back to the wild.

You can help protect our national symbol

After 18 months, a Bald Eagle found hanging from fishing line by the wing was returned to the wild.

Our wildlife hospital admits 300-400 birds per year, and we successfully release most of them back to the wild. We could not have done this without the help of our supporters.

Your donation to World Bird Sanctuary today will help us ensure future successes like the 7 bald eagles and countless owls and hawks that we rehabilitated and returned to the wild this year.

Donate Now!

We have over 30 years of success in achieving our mission through our four focus areas, and numerous accolades and awards for our achievements in wildlife conservation and education.

The World Bird Sanctuary is a consistently successful and credible conservation organization, which makes investing in us one of the safest philanthropic decisions you can make.

We will use your donation wisely.

Caption: World Bird Sanctuary meets all 20 charity standards

DUMPLING

2011-12-20T06:00:00.010-06:00

On Thursday, December 15, our beloved Bantam Cochin Chicken, Dumpling, passed away due to the natural processes of old age. Dumpling was approaching 17 years.

Most chickens have an average lifespan of 6-10 years—occasionally living into their teens if they are well fed and well cared for. Dumpling certainly had those advantages as an official greeter and goodwill ambassador for the World Bird Sanctuary.

Dumpling was one of our most beloved residents. For many years she was a fixture in our Visitor Information Center (VIC). Most of the time she freely roamed the VIC, greeting and entertaining guests as they entered. In particular, she was extremely patient with our small visitors—allowing them to stroke her soft feathers, and in many cases experience their first contact with a live bird.

Dumpling became so popular that she had her own following among our guests—many of whom made the VIC their first stop at the World Bird Sanctuary specifically to see her.

In recent months it had become increasingly obvious that old age was catching up with Dumpling. She was not able to move as quickly as in the past and her eyesight was failing her. This put her at risk for accidental collisions with guests while roaming through the VIC. Therefore, in May of 2011 she was retired to safer quarters in our “behind the scenes” area.

Dumpling will be sorely missed by staff and visitors alike.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Myths, Legends, and Tales: The Raven

2011-12-18T06:00:00.053-06:00

World Bird Sanctuary is home to a very diverse collection of birds.

Most of our birds are birds of prey—that is to say, hawks, owls, eagles, and others. This is to be expected, of course since the Sanctuary started in 1977 as a rehabilitation center for injured raptors. However, raptors are not our only inhabitants. We house parrots, cranes, pelicans, and chickens… as well as those wily and mysterious creatures, the ravens…

Ravens are some of the most intelligent birds on the planet. They are able to recognize faces, shapes, and patterns, as well as mimic words and phrases. They have a mutually beneficial relationship with wolves in the wild: a flock of ravens will find a dead or dying herd animal, and then a wolf pack finds them. The wolves associate the gathering of ravens with fresh meat, and so follow the ravens to the prey. After the wolves tear open the tough hide of the prey, the ravens can eat their fill of carrion.

The ravens here at World Bird Sanctuary are no exception to the claim of intelligence. All three of our White-necked Ravens are able to recycle, picking up cans from audience members and placing the cans in a blue recycle bin. They are able to mimic the Sanctuary staff….from Mischief coughing to Hugnin’s mutter of “much better.” They are even able to complete puzzles, such as putting the correct shape in the correct hole in a puzzle ball. They are also very crafty, and try to outsmart even us trainers at every turn.

Mischief, a White-naped Raven demonstrates that "...even a bird can recycle"

Ravens in the wild, aside from being smart, are also prolific. The Common Raven is exceptionally so, occurring not only in North America, but also in Great Britain, Scandinavia, Northern Europe and Russia. So widespread is this bird that cultures around the world have adopted the raven into their myths and legends. Some of the most well known are as follows…

Norse Mythology:

It is said that the king of the Norse gods, Odin, had two raven familiars. Their names were Hugin and Muninn. Hugin represented thought, and Muninn represented memory. Every day, Odin would send Hugin and Muninn out over Mithgarth (the world, in Norse myth) to gather information. In one poem of the Poetic Edda, a compendium of Norse myths, Odin states: “O’er Mithgarth Hugin/ and Muninn both/ each day set forth to fly;/ For Hugin I fear/ lest he come not home,/ but for Muninn my care is more.” This suggests that Odin valued his memory of things past over his knowledge of the present. In artwork depicting the god, he is pictured often with Hugin and Muninn, but also with wolves. This further alludes to the relationship between ravens and wolves in the wild.

Illustration courtesy of wikipedia shows the Norse god Odin enthroned with weapons, wolves and ravens

English Legend:

Legend says that, “…the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the ravens ever leave the fortress.” So proclaims a superstition once held by the English monarchy. If the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the English monarchy is doomed. Around the British Isles, the raven is a symbol of prophecy, and is also said to predict the outcome of battles. So ingrained was this belief, that King Charles II and his astronomer, John Flamsteed, once argued about the ravens in the Tower, which was once home to an observatory. Flamsteed complained that he was unable to see anything in the sky, for the ravens were blocking his telescope. King Charles famously ended the argument by proclaiming: “The Observatory must go to Greenwich and the ravens can stay in the tower.”

Ravens strolling the grounds of the Tower of London courtesy of wikimedia commons

Native American Myth:

Whereas the ravens of the eastern hemisphere myths tend to be more intelligent and mysterious, the ravens of the western hemisphere are altogether more mischievous. This is never more apparent than in the story “Raven Steals the Light,” a myth from the Pacific Northwest.

At the beginning of the story, the world lies in darkness, and “The Raven, who of course existed at that time because he had always existed and always would, was somewhat less satisfied with this state of affairs, since it led to an awful lot of blundering around and bumping into things.” He hears a man singing about how he keeps the light in a small box, inside another box, inside another, and so on and so forth, until there are an enormous number of boxes. Raven uses all of his considerable wiles, and eventually worms his way inside the house and steals the light from the man, with which he brightens the world.

Ravens are indeed fascinating creatures, but by no means are they the only fascinating creatures we have here at World Bird Sanctuary. Check back soon for more Myths, Legends, and Tales of birds from around the world!

When visiting the World Bird Sanctuary’s Nature Center check the enclosure on the right-hand side of the observation deck to see one of our talented ravens.

Submitted by Emily Hall, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

2011: International Year of Forests...Forest birds and neo-tropical connections

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

In Missouri, 428 species of birds have been recorded.

One hundred and seventy of those species breed here every year; 84 of them leave Missouri for the winter and 58 of them go further and leave the United States. The latter include what is called neo-tropical migrants. Unfortunately many neo-tropical birds have suffered population declines since the ‘60s (when tracking birds first started). Many songbird populations are half of their 1965 populations.

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird--possibly one of the best known of the neo-tropical migrants

Missouri forests, and wildlife resources in general, have made a remarkable recovery from the early 20th century. In the past 20 years, Missouri has had an increase of 1 million acres of forested land--making a total of 14 million acres. Still, forest fragmentation may play a role in the survival of certain bird populations. Fragmentation is a discontinuity of a particular type of habitat and forest fragmentation increases with land-use conversion.

For example, forest fragmentation in many areas has put brown-headed cowbirds in closer proximity to forests, when historically they were found in open land and grassland habitats, like the great plains. Brown-headed cowbirds use brood parasitism as a nesting strategy. Females will lay eggs in the nests of other bird species. These host birds will usually end up raising the cowbird at the expense of their own young. Many open land and grassland species have learned to recognize the cowbird’s egg and push it out, but forest birds are not familiar with them. Cowbird eggs hatch earlier, grow faster and often push the host young and/or eggs out of the nest. This is just one example that can over time reduce the populations of forest birds.

Brown-headed Cowbirds parasitize the nests of native birds

Habitat loss is also occurring in wintering grounds in Mexico, Central and South America, where our neo-tropical migrants may spend up to 8 months. Much of Central America has been converting from independent farming to large-scale agriculture and non-sustainable timber harvesting. Also, not helping the situation is the continuous human population increases, putting more pressure on the already stressed land.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has built partnerships with states and countries with shared bird species. Four main bird conservation initiatives are the leaders in coordinating efforts on managing habitats and learning more about species: Partners in Flight, North American Waterfowl Management Plan, US Shorebird Conservation Plan and North American Water Bird Plan. These sources help guide state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and industries on land management issues, and help rank the species and habitats by priority for conservation concern.

Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Only Ten More Days

2011-12-14T06:00:00.174-06:00

Black Friday has come and gone and we're half-way through the month of December. Christmas is only 10 days away!

Is your Christmas shopping done yet? If not, right about now you're probably starting to panic! Are you wishing for an elf who would do your shopping for you, so that you don't have to fight the holiday crowds at the mall?

We don't have an elf, but we do have the next best thing! You can avoid the crowds and finish your shopping by browsing the World Bird Sanctuary's gift shop. In addition to avoiding the crowds, your purchases will help to fund the World Bird Sanctuary's mission.

Just a small sampling of the gift items available in our gift shop

Our gift shop offers a variety of items ranging from small and unusual stocking stuffers to books, jewelry, t-shirts and outdoor wear, and a host of other original items—all with a nature related theme. All of these items may be purchased in person while enjoying a leisurely day wandering the grounds of the World Bird Sanctuary and enjoying a day away from the crowds at the mall.

Don’t have time to visit in person? Other gift options that may be purchased on-line from the comfort of your home include:

BUY A BRICK

For those on your list that fall into the “hard to buy for” category consider giving them a lasting gift – a brick to be installed in our amphitheater with your holiday wishes or other sentiment inscribed on it. Two brick sizes are available, with the option of including a presentation gift certificate for gift giving. To purchase a brick click here.

ADOPT A BIRD

Our adorable Goblin--just one of the many animals available for adoption

All of the birds and other animals that call World Bird Sanctuary home are available for adoption. Your adoption helps to care for your animal for a year, and adoption fees include:

• Certificate of Adoption with a full color photograph of your special animal

• World Bird Sanctuary sponsorship for one year

• One year’s subscription to our newsletter – the Mews News – printed three times per year

• Natural history and life history of your special adopted animal

• 10% discount on all World Bird Sanctuary merchandise in our gift shop

• 10% discount on all public programs offered at World Bird Sanctuary, such as Owl Prowls, Nature Hikes etc.

• Visiting privileges and photo opportunities with the special new member of your family (just call ahead first to make sure they will be here on the day of your visit).

To adopt your bird select the category of bird that you want to adopt, and then click on the individual bird within that gallery and complete the adoption form.

RETURN TO THE WILD

Preparing to return a Barred Owl to the wild at a Brownie Troop fly-up ceremony

Take part in the release of a rehabilitated bird!

Returning a bird of prey back to the wild, can cost up to $1,000 in care and rehabilitation. Your contribution of only $150 helps our patients and gives you the opportunity to participate in the release of a wild bird of prey.

Troop leader getting ready to release the Barred Owl

Invite family and friends to release a bird of prey at your home or nearby park. Celebrate a wedding, birthday, anniversary, family reunion, school or corporate function with this special gift.

The newly release Barred Owl back where it belongs

The World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital is a cornerstone of the World Bird Sanctuary, and is entirely funded by donations from the public. Help us give our patients a second chance to fly. Sponsor a release today .

Scouts and guests watching the owl fly free

Questions about Return to the Wild? Call: (636) 861-1392 or email: credfern@worldbirdsanctuary.org

A WBS Friend Membership

Your WBS Friend Membership includes:

• One year’s subscription to our newsletter – the Mews News – printed three times per year

• Reusable WBS shopping bag

• 10% discount on all World Bird Sanctuary merchandise in our gift shop

• Invitation to Friends-only events like Camera Day offering unique photographic opportunities featuring live birds of prey. Bring your cameras for rare shots of raptors in natural settings

• 10% discount on all public programs offered at World Bird Sanctuary, such as Owl Prowls, Nature Hikes etc.

• Invitations to members-only events held at World Bird Sanctuary

To purchase a WBS Friend membership click here.

RAPTOR PROJECT CD

A great gift for the youngsters on your list--or their teachers

For the youngsters on your list there is a selection of two audio CDs by our in-house band, The Raptor Project. These CDs also contain encoded lyrics and teacher activity pages. Enjoy songs such as “Mr. Frog Blues”, “Those Wonderful Birds”, “The Food Chain Blues”, and many more. All proceeds from sale of CDs supports the Wildlife Hospital. To purchase a CD click here.

BEAK TO BEAK

For the book lover on your list purchase “Beak To Beak”, a book by our Director, Walter C. Crawford, Jr. This book is filled with Walter's musings on wildlife, conservation and life in general told through a collection of short, true-life stories.

The book is available for purchase for $10.

Any of the above items may also be purchased in person at the World Bird Sanctuary’s Nature Center, or call 636-225-4390 Ext. 0 for further information.

Help Protect Our National Symbol

2011-12-12T18:00:00.003-06:00

Patriot and her species need your help to keep birds off the endangered species list.

Walter C. Crawford, Jr. founded World Bird Sanctuary over 35 years ago, with one goal - protect our threatened bird species and their habitats.

Walter started his important work by rescuing and rehabilitating injured birds of prey. This is still a core focus of our mission today. Over the last 35 years we have successfully released many hawks, eagles, owls, vultures, peregrine falcons and other birds of prey to the wild. We gave them a second chance.

This would not have been possible without your help.

MEET PATRIOT

Patriot is a Bald Eagle that was hatched in the wild. During a violent storm her nest was blown from the tree it was built in, and fell into the Mississippi River. Her sibling did not survive. She was rescued by park rangers and brought to the World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital. She had chronic pneumonia that was treated aggressively - she was medicated every day for 3 months. She recovered from the pneumonia, but it had left her lungs so scarred that she did not have the lung capacity required to be able to fly and hunt. She would have died if she was returned to the wild.

Her story touches over 170,000 children every year, as she travels throughout the United States with World Bird Sanctuary naturalists.

PATRIOT'S STORY IS NOT UNIQUE

With your help, we can ensure that more birds are released back to the wild.

You can help protect our national symbol

Over 90% of wild birds and animals admitted to wildlife hospitals around the country are there because of an encounter with a person or a man-made structure. In the case of the eagle in our video, it hung by its wing from a fishing line for three days before it was rescued.

After 18 months, a Bald Eagle found hanging from fishing line by the wing was returned to the wild.

Our wildlife hospital admits 300-400 birds per year, and we successfully release most of them back to the wild. We could not have done this without the help of our supporters.

Your donation to World Bird Sanctuary today will help us ensure future successes like the 7 bald eagles and countless owls and hawks that we rehabilitated and returned to the wild this year.

OUR SUCCESS IS YOUR SUCCESS - YOU CAN HELP WORLD BIRD SANCTUARY SPREAD PATRIOT'S MESSAGE

Donate Now!

We have over 30 years of success in achieving our mission through our four focus areas, and numerous accolades and awards for our achievements in wildlife conservation and education.

The World Bird Sanctuary is a consistently successful and credible conservation organization, which makes investing in us one of the safest philanthropic decisions you can make.

We will use your money wisely.

World Bird Sanctuary meets all 20 charity standards set by the Better Business Bureau.

The Rookie Files: And we’re back!

2011-12-10T06:00:00.018-06:00

Hello again dear reader! After a long, wonderful show season, I, Leah Tyndall, zoo show supervisor for World Bird Sanctuary, have returned to WBS headquarters.

The WBS Educational Training Center (ETC)

It was an exciting and at times exhausting season in which I both taught and learned. The time has come however to hang up the microphone, unclip the show pouch, and settle in for the winter.

Winter, or the “off season”, is drastically different than show season (April through September). Not just because we are no longer doing shows every day, but because our jobs shift from educator to keeper. The Education Training Center (ETC) is where show birds vacation during the winter.

Outdoor mews where native and cold hardy species are housed in winter

Native or cold hardier species are put into free loft, or large outdoor enclosures, that allow space to fly if the birds wish. The cold sensitive species spend the off-season free lofted in large, indoor pens. There are a few birds that remain on equipment (anklets and jesses) for health or training reasons, but even those birds are on vacation.

It falls to us to act as the resort staff and make sure that all of the birds remain happy and healthy during their stay. This is more than just feeding and enriching the birds with toys. It also means upgrades in housekeeping chores and tasks that we do not have to worry about quite as much during show season. These include changing shavings on indoor enclosure floors, keeping water bowls and outdoor pools clean, maintaining and raking the outdoor mews, as well as switching out old with new perches to make sure that their feet stay in good condition.

The heated indoor enclosures where more cold sensitive species are housed in winter

This period of time is also key in shaping and maintaining behaviors that will be useful during the show season. Things like perching on command, waiting until a piece of food is thrown, crating, and response to verbal commands are all very important come show season.

These actions are also helpful for husbandry reasons. A vulture that knows how to wait in a particular spot when cued to do so, will do so on the scale instead of rushing its trainer in search of food (which is greatly preferable). A territorial bird that crates makes changing shavings and cleaning pens much safer.

In order to maintain these behaviors, all of the birds inside of the ETC work for their food. This not only helps us, but it also keeps the birds entertained throughout the winter. This is especially important for the more intelligent birds such as corvids, parrots and vultures. If these species become bored they may resort to other means to amuse themselves--methods that could be destructive to themselves, their caretakers or their housing.

The Education and Training Center is also just that, a training center. Since we are behind the scenes we can afford to spend more of our time training new birds--be they juveniles that have just been put on equipment, adult birds pulled from free loft or birds new to the sanctuary. All of them need to be trained before they can be used for education or in shows. This also helps to keep our bird training and observation skills sharp for the coming show season.

Even though there is nothing quite like show season, the slower more easygoing pace of the off-season has its charms as well. It gives us a chance to maintain behaviors, entertain the birds and improve on our own training skills. All of which are incredibly important….not to mention, “concierge to a Bald Eagle,” looks great on a résumé.

Submitted by Leah Tyndall, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

The Rough-legged Hawk

2011-12-08T06:00:00.004-06:00

The Rough-legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus, is a circumpolar in Holarctic species, meaning they live around the world in the Arctic regions.

The newest addition to our Education Department - Bella, a Rough-legged Hawk

The Rough-legged Hawk population is steadily declining in many areas, but is still considered fairly common. They are in decline due to cultivation and dire degradation of habitat throughout their range.

Rough-legged Hawks breed in the tundra and taiga habitats of North America and Eurasia and are winter visitors to the lower 48 states. They have small feet and toes compared to their body size. This species eats primarily voles, lemmings and other small rodents--occasionally eating small birds.

As in most raptor species, female Rough-legged Hawks are larger than the males. A wide variety of plumage patterns are exhibited in light vs. dark morphs, males vs. females and adults vs. juveniles.

Here you can clearly see some of Bella's beautiful markings

The Rough-leged Hawk has two color phases, the light and the dark phase. The female light-morph birds have a browner back and upper wings and a more heavily marked belly than the male, usually with a lighter band between the breast and the belly, and the undertail has a large, dark sub-terminal band. Dark morph birds have a single dark band on the light undertail.

In flight, Rough-legged Hawks have long wings that flap slowly and have a dihedral silhouette (wings held at an angle and appearing to form a “V”). In a glide they have a loose “W” shape similar to an Osprey’s. The flapping of a Rough-legged Hawk reminds me of an owl in flight. The Rough-legged Hawk also hovers over fields like a Kestrel, as they search the ground below for movement of prey.

World Bird Sanctuary’s newest education star is Bella, a female Rough-legged Hawk. She came to us from a raptor center in Wisconsin. She is blind in the right eye from being impaled by something prior to arriving at the Wisconsin raptor center. Bella is a very gentle bird that has captured everyone’s heart. She is a great addition to our education team.

Bella is a large female, weighing in at 2lbs 10oz, with an overall length of 22 inches and a wingspan of 56 inches.

Currently, we are working on getting her comfortable with entering and exiting a travel crate. Once she is fine with the crate she will be traveling to programs with our Education Department staff to present education programs to the thousands of audience members who see our raptor education programs each year.

Bella now resides at our Nature Center and can be seen from the large deck overlooking the Nature Center weathering area. Bella is rather quiet, but is becoming more vocal as she settles in to her new surroundings.

Bella is quickly becoming comfortable with WBS staff and routines

So far her two favorite things seem to be going outside and dinnertime. She knows the routine, and gets excited when it’s time to go out for the morning. The cooler it gets the happier she seems to be, since her kind are from cold climates. Dinnertime is her other favorite time of day, and she gets very excited when it’s time to go inside to her nighttime quarters. She cannot wait for the staff member on duty to place her on her perch each evening, since she knows dinner comes next.

On your next visit to the World Bird Sanctuary Nature Center be sure to look for this beautiful new resident. The Sanctuary is open 363 days of the year from 8 am to 5 pm.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Field Studies Coordinator

Battle of the Bands

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

It was purely by coincidence that I stumbled across a notification of a Battle of the Bands contest to be held at a local music store.

They were looking for the top 10 local bands in 2011. So on a “wing and a prayer” I entered WBS’s house band The Raptor Project and an original song written by Joe Hoffmann, Sanctuary Manager, called What’s the Matter. I hoped for the best and thought that if nothing else, it could turn out to be some great exposure for The Raptor Project and for World Bird Sanctuary.

I was elated and rather surprised when I received a notification that The Raptor Project was one of the top 10 finalists and would be competing in a live Battle of the Bands contest on 10/1/11.

When the day of the contest arrived, spirits were high and we performed three songs that were painstakingly and carefully selected: Save the Future, Red River and What’s the Matter. The band gave their all, as well as the performance of their life, despite a bad case of nerves and adrenaline. We had an absolutely awesome time! The crowd seemed to enjoy it as well.

After our set, there was food to be had and other performances to enjoy. It was a gorgeous day and a fantastic experience.

Sadly, we did not place in the top 3, but as the say in the “biz” – “It was an honor just to be nominated!”

The Raptor Project has two CD’s available, Save the Future and All Along the Watershed, with many songs written by our Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital staff members Roger Holloway, Director of Facilities, and Joe Hoffmann. They have both poured years of themselves into making The Raptor Project and our Wildlife Hospital what it is today.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play drums and percussion on the latest CD titled All Along the Watershed, which WBS recorded in a professional studio located right here in St. Louis.

If you would like to hear a sample of The Raptor Project’s music, go to www.worldbirdsanctuary.org under the “Support WBS” tab and scroll down to “The Raptor Project CD’s”. Click on a few tracks for a listen and if you like what you hear you can order copies online, or visit the Raptique Gift Shop at our Nature Center.

Proceeds from every CD sold will go directly to our Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital to provide care for injured wild birds of prey.

Submitted by Billie J. Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator

Parrots Galore: Part 3

2011-12-04T06:00:00.021-06:00

Welcome back to another installment of Parrots Galore!

Just to remind you of which birds I own in my household, I have five parakeets (Calla, Myra, Perri, Parker, and Avery) that are all female and one Green-cheeked Conure (Jazz), who is male. I have already written blogs about Calla and Myra, so feel free to search for those on this site by entering their names in the search box at the top of the page.

Meet Perri. The brown cere at the top of her beak indicates she is a female.

The next parakeet (budgerigar) I would like to share with you is Perri. She is seven years old this year.

Perri got her name from her color. She has a periwinkle body with gray wings and tail and a white head and face. She is a plump looking little bird that seems to act out when she is outside the cage. She seems to be a very dramatic bird. I call her my drama queen.

Perri loves to fly around my apartment and seems to perch on things she knows she isn’t allowed to perch on. I think Perri pushes the boundaries when she does this, but she probably feels more comfortable on those perches than others. She likes to perch on the picture frames on my walls and on my Conure’s cage as well. As soon as I say her name in a tone that she recognizes as disapproval, she jumps off and flies to one of the four cages. I do not allow any of the parakeets on the picture frames because of the potential danger of frames falling off and injuring the birds. I also don’t allow them to be on Jazz’s cage (my Conure) because of possible toe biting. Jazz is very curious and sometimes protective of his cage. He has a much larger beak than the parakeets and can do a lot more damage as well.

Budgies are outgoing and curious and love to investigate everything in their environment.

Perri also loves to investigate my clothes. She likes to land on my shoulder and feel the texture with her beak. She doesn’t let me touch her so much while she’s on me, but will stay with me for several minutes and frequently leave and then return. When she does this, the other birds seem to become curious and migrate over to join her. This is an example of this species’ typical flocking behavior. It’s very fascinating to watch how birds act around each other.

Fortunately the budgie population is listed as a species of least concern in the wild. Populations of birds and other animals in general, fluctuate depending in great part on human impact. The extinction of the Carolina parakeet is a sad example of this. The Carolina Parakeet became extinct in the 1930s in the United States. The Carolina Parakeet was considered an agricultural pest by farmers, and they were trapped by hunters for their feathers and the pet trade. Habitat loss was another contributor to their decline.

Besides the Carolina parakeet, the Thick-billed parrot is the only other parrot native to the United States. It is, unfortunately, on the endangered species list. The current population is in the vicinity of 1000-4000. This species’ population has decreased because of human impact, which includes agriculture and structural development.

Budgie populations are estimated to be about 5 million. These joyful little birds are native to central Australia. Human impact on budgies is minimal because of their main habitat, open grasslands. They have been seen in woodlands as well. Budgies are most likely doing well in the wild because of the areas they inhabit and the fact that they stay together in large flocks--as large as in the hundreds, sometimes thousands. By flocking together, they have the ability to confuse predators when they come near. The original wild color mutation is green on the front of the body with black bars on the back. When they all fly at once, most will escape the predator by confusing it with directionality. I recommend watching a video online of budgies in the wild.

Submitted by Lisbeth Hodges, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Owl Prowls

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Owl Prowls are filling up quickly – have you booked your space?

Owl Prowls were awarded the Midwest Traveler's Travel Treasure for the Midwest last year - and sold out quickly.

Great Horned Owl

Come over to the Dark Side and meet the amazing birds that exist by moonlight. Owl Prowls offer an exciting opportunity to learn more about the fascinating lives of owls.

Join one of our Naturalists at our evening programs - a 30 minute presentation featuring live flying owls, followed by an easy night hike around our grounds as we try and find wild Barred Owls and Great-horned Owls who are busy setting up territories and finding mates for the winter owl breeding season!

Owl Programs offered on selected evenings from November '11 to March '12

We have a limited number of dates for remaining Owl Prowls. All Owl Prowls through December and January have already filled, so book one of our remaining dates today to avoid last minute disappointment.

All Owl Prowls start at 7 pm.

February 2012

Friday 2/10

Saturday 2/18

Friday 2/24

Saturday 2/25

March 2012

Friday 3/2

Saturday 3/10

To book, call our Education Center at 636-225-4390 ext. 0.

$9 per adult; $7 per child under 12.

Friends of World Bird Sanctuary receive a 10% discount.

Groups of 10 or more pay $7 per adult and $7 per child.