Roadkill Shiver

This is the name of one of our songs on the "Save the Future" CD (Click the link to hear a sample). 

It's also a feeling that you can avoid.

 Armadillos have become a more common roadkill sight in Missouri lately

During migration many birds and other animals are active in areas where you may not have seen them during the summer.  Creeks, riverways, small wooded areas and greenbelts connect the wildlife community just like highways connect our metro areas.  We need to be aware of these wildlife highways and that sometimes they cross our own asphalt highways.  During migration periods there is increased activity as birds move south in the Fall and north in the Spring. 

During the Fall and Spring migrations we see a large increase in the numbers of owls and migrating hawks (like Broadwinged Hawks) in our wildlife hospital.    They are worn out from flying long distances and are sometimes slow to get out of the way of our cars.  Some birds may also be eating fresh roadkill on the side of the road and may not be quick enough to get out of our way – they end up becoming roadkill themselves. 

 Liberty, the Bald Eagle, was a victim of a collision with a vehicle.

How many of you have met Liberty, one of our education Bald Eagles?  Liberty was hit by a car while eating a dead animal on the road.  He was rehabilitated and released back into the wild.  He did well for about a year, and then was hit by a car again while eating roadkill on the road.  His injuries from his second accident were such that he would not have survived on his own in the wild.  Most animals hit by cars are not as lucky as Liberty and do not survive a collision with a car or truck.

With this increased activity we ask that you exercise more caution than usual when driving on our roads.  I think that we can all remember to drive a little more slowly than usual and be more aware of what is going on around us.

We use humor in the "Roadkill Shiver" song to remind ourselves about the dangers facing animals out there and to remind us to use a little more caution and take a little more time to keep our birds safe.

You can buy the Raptor Project CD featuring "Roadkill Shiver" here: 

Submitted by Joe Hoffmann, World Bird Sanctuary Manager.