Thursday, August 30, 2012

International Vulture Awareness Day Is Here!

It's International Vulture Awareness Day...in just two more days!

Celebrate Vultures from around the world!

Visit World Bird Sanctuary this Saturday, 9/1, and take part in an international celebration of all things vulture, at International Vulture Awareness Day!

Vultures and condors around the world face threats and persecution.  World Bird Sanctuary joins conservation organizations around the world to bring vultures front and center on this special day.

*  Meet vultures from North America, South America and Africa!
*  Meet Dorothy, a live Andean Condor!
*  Free-flight shows featuring live flying vultures!
*  Free fun kids activity center
*  Gifts and souvenirs on sale

Date:  Saturday, September 1st, 2012
Time:  10am - 3pm
Admission & Parking:  Free!

International Vulture Awareness Day is Sponsored by Ameren Missouri




Eeew!  Vultures are gross!  But we need them the most!  Learn why at International Vulture Awareness Day!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Meanwhile . . . back at Grant's Farm . . .

As a follow-up to my first blog, I wanted to write about my experience working at Grant’s Farm and the various things I came to learn about preparing for an animal show with birds of prey.

The Animal Encounter shows started at first on weekends-only in April.  From May until August they are every day except Mondays.  There was a lot of preparation that needed to be done before the first show. The things I needed to get set up seemed like an endless list, and Billie Baumann (she does the shows on Tuesdays when I'm off) was great at helping me get everything ready for the birds.

To name just some of the things we needed to gather to get started at Grant’s Farm, there were; cleaning supplies, newspapers, water bowls, a stepstool, a weighing scale, a bag for collecting molted feathers, sisal rope for wrapping bow perches, bird crates (6 plus 2 for the eagles),  gloves (casting and nylon) and my uniforms. The people at Grant’s Farm did a great job building the special, indoor perches for our seven birds in the zoo barn (where I had to be aware of the temperature changes; a heater kept it above 50 degrees in the spring and two large fans are kept on throughout the summer).

For the first time ever the birds in the show, and even a few others, are on display in a special exhibit.  The Grant’s Farm people prepared the exhibit area with new bedding (wood chips), a really nice weathering sign and new impressive-looking personalized signs for the birds (these signs have both information about the birds and pictures taken of the birds themselves). They also got a new pump for the waterfall in the exhibit after the old one stopped working.
Grant's Farm exhibit area
To be ready for the shows, Billie and I had to work with and train both of the flying birds which turned out to be quite an experience. Stetson (a Harris Hawk) was really grumpy from being taken out of free loft and Riley (a Barn owl) was unmotivated and distracted. Both received special training and we spent a lot of practice time with both birds. It seemed to take a long time just to get Stetson to jump from glove to glove. Now Riley flies great in the shows and Stetson has only an occasional wrong flightJ.

Although, we recently had to change Stetson’s routine when he began showing very little interest in flying. Instead of placing his rewards for flying on top of the tree perches on stage, I’ve started placing them in plastic cups attached just behind both of the perches. This now seems to keep his interest, because every reward is a surprise.

It was difficult in the beginning learning to change jesses of the flying birds. The flying birds have a specific pair of “flying” jesses used for their safety if they should fly off.  Now I am able to avoid their beaks and feet as I change the jesses. Both birds also got reward tags in case they should be lost.

After getting the script for the shows, it was just a matter of making a daily schedule.

Maintaining the health of the birds is of course another very important aspect of working at Grants Farm. Weigh and rejuve day is fun when avoiding being pecked or bitten.

Maintaining Riley and Stetson’s flying weights keeps them food motivated and also took practice using a formula for figuring the amounts of food they get. Both Mars (Red-tailed hawk) and Carmelita (Great Horned owl) are older birds and both had to take some time at the rehabilitation hospital; Mars was put on antibiotics for a sinus infection and Carmelita had her eyes looked at for what was said to be a progressive age-related condition (Carmilita was hatched in 1982!).

Prius (a Peregrine Falcon/Gyrfalcon hybrid) had to have her tomial tooth (a special beak point that only falcons have) filed and each of the birds at one time or another have been looked at for talon and beak trims (birds continually grow their talons and beaks, and in captivity don’t wear them down as much as they would in the wild).

At Grant’s Farm, I had to learn the specific behaviors of each of the eight birds taken there. Both Bald Eagles utilized in the shows, Sanibel and McGwire, sometimes try to fly off the glove. McGwire was worked with behind the exhibit area.

It probably shocked many, and it alarmed me at first, when I saw Carmelita lying flat with her wings spread on the ground. I’ll always remember a woman saying something like, “Your bird is dead.”   Carm was actually just fine.  This was Carm’s behavior when sun bathing.

The response from the public has been great and I love working with each of these birds, which includes Riley, Stetson, Prius, Mars, Shadow (Bateleur eagle), Carmelita, McGwire and Sanibel. I also can’t forget the two eagles kept in our eagle exhibit, Murphy and Largo.

People are always commenting that I must love my job and I can earnestly say I do. I am very grateful that I get to work with these wonderful birds and fly them in the shows.

Submitted by Whitney Cowan, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist



Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Rebounds at Birds in Concert this Thursday!


Join us this Thursday for our final Birds in Concert for 2012!  Enjoy music by World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, The Raptor Project, followed by The Rebounds!

Their selection of music spans several decades with a solid representation of the 70's and 80's.  The Rebounds play danceable classic rock and audience members find it hard to stay put in their seats.  

If you were to ask where The Rebounds are from, you'll get a varied answer.  The four members hail from Robertsville, Eureka, Webster Groves, and St. Charles.  The musicians, Chris Johnson, Gary Allgood, Kyle Walz, and Matt Sokeland, have several decades of musical experience and are known for creating a medley of songs that gives older tunes a fresh sound.  Artists you will hear are Poison, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, Van Morrison, The Romantics, Wilson Pickett, Black Crowes, and more.

Date: Thursday, August 27th, 2012
Time: 7.00 – 8.30pm
Admission & Parking: FREE!

See The Raptor Project, followed by The Rebounds!  

Play the Whole Foods Market prize wheel before the concert, and during intermission, for fun prizes!





Birds in Concert is Sponsored by Ameren Missouri.




Bring your blankets and picnics and join us for a fun evening of music with friends!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Close Encounters of the Animal Kind

Many of you are aware that here at the World Bird Sanctuary we do our Amazing Animal Encounters program.  This program is on Saturdays at 11:30am and 2:00pm, and Sundays at 1:30pm every weekend, starting on Memorial Day and running through Labor day.

I am lucky enough to get to do many of these programs myself.  It is a great way not only to teach our guests about some of our truly amazing animals, but it has helped me immensely in learning things I never knew.

On the days I know I’m going to be doing an Amazing Animals Encounter program, I go through the classroom and gather up animals for the program.  Then I do my homework.

I have never before spent so much time with so many animals!  I did not know the first thing about any of these creatures before I started working for the World Bird Sanctuary.  So doing the Animal Encounters programs has been a special challenge for me, but it is so much fun learning about the animals, and finding fun and creative ways to put a show together.

One of my favorite themes has been desert oriented.  I can fly one of our Harris' Hawks--either Wyatt or Tequila--and teach kids about stacking and teamwork.  The Harris Hawk is native to the arid, Southwest regions of our country.  The kids love our little Australian Bearded Dragon, Lucy.  I can talk about our Armadillo, Rustle, and how the warming climate is bringing them further north.  Then every show ends with Lenore, our African White-Necked Raven, helping me teach everyone the importance of recycling.

Naturally everyone’s favorite part of any show is when we fly the birds right over their heads.  Members of our elite team of flying birds are the real stars.  We train them using positive reinforcement, which means they get their favorite snack (rat meat) for every successful flight.  We work with them every day to keep them in tiptop shape.

The next time you are out in the Valley Park area, be sure to come by for a visit.  Valley Park is only 18 miles from downtown St. Louis, just off Interstate 44.  Come and learn about our birds and all the amazing animals here at the World Bird Sanctuary and have your very own Close Encounter of the Animal Kind.  The Animal Encounter programs are on Saturdays and Sundays, but you can see the animals during the week also, even when they are not performing.


Submitted by Neal Cowan, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Nature Hike Just Two Days After Birds In Concert

Hey! There's Nature in My Woods!
Family-friendly guided nature hikes! 

Join us for a leisurely two-hour hike through our oak hickory forest to see what kind of nature is in our woods.  An expert naturalist will lead you on your hike - where you may see birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.  Learn about trees, rocks and who knows what else?  Each hike will be a new experience as the seasons change and we encounter different creatures.

·       Fourth Saturday of every month from April through October.
·       9am - 11am (registration at 8.30am)
·       $9 per adult; $7 per child
Reservations required - call 636-225-4390 ext. 0

Bring your family!  Bring your friends!  Bring your camera!  Bring your picnic!  And join us outside in May for fun family entertainment!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Babaloo at Birds in Concert this Thursday!

Join us this Thursday for our fourth Birds in Concert for 2012!  Enjoy music by World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, The Raptor Project, followed by family-favorite, Babaloo!
Babaloo is not your everyday crooner
Ready for something different?  Babaloo is a high-energy musical comedy act for kids (and parents) of all ages.  Be warned -- this is no run-of-the-mill kids’ crooner.  Babaloo’s show is a fast-paced, totally interactive experience full of fun props, hilarious tunes, and wacky stunts.  Everbody participates in the fun, whether they’re singing and dancing, tossing bean bags, or beating on five-gallon buckets.

This prize-winning pied piper packs more fun than seems possible into every show.  And he performs over 300 shows per year.  The Children’s Music Web Awards named him “Best Entertainer,” and he placed 1st and 2nd in the world’s largest songwriting contest.  St. Louis Magazine voted him “The region’s best family entertainer,” and he’s a selected touring performer for the Missouri Arts Council and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Date: Thursday, August 23rd, 2012
Time: 7.00 – 8.30pm
Admission & Parking: FREE!

See The Raptor Project, followed by Babaloo! 

Play the Whole Foods Market prize wheel before the concert, and during intermission, for fun prizes!





Birds in Concert is Sponsored by Ameren Missouri.




Bring your blankets and picnics and join us for a fun evening of music with friends!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Coming Soon - International Vulture Awareness Day 2012!


Join us on Saturday, September 1st, as we celebrate all things gross and cool about Vultures on International Vulture Awareness Day!
 Skinner - one of the World Bird Sanctuary's Turkey Vultures
Vultures and condors around the world face threats and persecution.  World Bird Sanctuary joins conservation organizations around the world to bring vultures front and center on this special day.

·      Meet vultures from North America, South America and Africa!

·      Meet Dorothy, a live Andean Condor!
·      Free-flight shows featuring live flying vultures!
·      Free fun kids activity center.
·      Gifts and souvenirs on sale.

Date: Saturday, September 1st, 2012
Time: 10am – 3pm
Admission & Parking: FREE!

Sponsored by Ameren Missouri.

Vultures are gross!  But we need them the most!  Learn why at International Vulture Awareness Day!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Donate A Car


Donate your Car to WBS before August 31st, and get a FREE Return to the Wild or Sing-a-long Program!

Did you know that you can help World Bird Sanctuary to achieve our mission by donating your old car?

Image: Car

We'll take your old car off your hands and you'll get a tax-deductible letter acknowledging your donation.  If you donate your car between now and August 31st, we'll give you a FREE Return to the Wild  OR Sing-a-long Program to thank you for your donation!

All proceeds raised from the cars donated to World Bird Sanctuary go directly towards the care and treatment of wild birds admitted to our wildlife hospital.
  
If you would like to take part in this program, contact Catherine Redfern at credfern@worldbirdsanctuary.org or at 636-225-4390 ext 102.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Cooper's Hawk Journal Update: The Kids

This summer my husband and I have had the rare privilege of having a ringside seat to the fledging and education of three young Cooper’s Hawks.  The hawks were hatched in our next-door neighbor’s oak tree.

In an earlier blog post I described the courtship and mating ritual of a pair of Cooper’s Hawks that I was lucky enough to observe from my back yard.  However, once they laid and began incubating the eggs I saw very little of the adult pair or the nestlings, since the tree cover was so thick.
This perching business isn't as easy as it looks!
Around the middle of June I began to see the fledglings taking their first tentative flights into the surrounding trees.  At first there was only one, then two—and finally three.  From their relative sizes there appears to be two females and one male.  (In most raptors the females are larger than the males.)
Small twigs prove to be serious obstacles.
Soon they began to entertain us with their antics. At first they were like human toddlers, clumsily walking the large branches of the oak trees and teetering when they were faced with the obstacle of smaller branches along a limb.
Either Mama or Papa was always close by
Flights were mostly short hopping flights from one branch to another.  While they were navigating their new world mama was never far away.
After a few days of practice their perching and landing skills had improved immensely
Soon they were zooming from one tree to another and perching on the power lines, fences and other objects that filled their environment.  Occasionally I would see them on the ground devouring a meal delivered to them by one of the parents.
Their hunger screams made them fairly easy to locate in the early mornings
In the early morning I could usually locate their whereabouts by listening for the youngsters’ hunger screams.

Then, one day as I was sitting on my patio with my morning coffee I spotted one of the youngsters trying to hunt!  I say trying because the chosen quarry was a squirrel, albeit a small one.  A Cooper’s Hawk’s main prey is usually small birds, along with some small rodents, large insects, etc.  Squirrels are listed as prey on occasion, but I have a feeling that this prey is usually reserved for the older, more experienced, adult birds.

This squirrel must have been quite young, since it was almost as clueless as the young Cooper’s Hawk.   The squirrel was starting across the lawn when the hawk launched itself from its perch on a fence.  Of course, the squirrel promptly scampered up the trunk of the tree from which it had emerged, leaving the hawk somewhat befuddled on the ground.  However, the squirrel didn’t continue up the tree trunk.  It turned around and came back down to the ground and confronted the young hawk.  It was a standoff!  The hawk hopped and flared its wings, at which the squirrel again scampered up the tree—only to return and lunge at the hawk, which hopped backwards several steps.  The show continued like this for a few more minutes until the hawk seemed to decide this wasn’t working quite like it had expected. 

In the meantime the hawk’s sibling was making a pass at a full-grown rabbit, which easily evaded its pursuer.  Of course, my camera was inside the house and I got none of this on film.  Suffice it to say I now rarely venture onto my patio without my camera in tow.
When it's over 100° any bit of water is a welcome place to cool off
A couple of days later, as I was packing to leave for vacation, my husband spotted one of the hawks in our birdbath!  The temperature that day was reading 111° on our driveway and our young bird was trying to cool off.  This time I was ready.  I grabbed my camera, with long lens attached, snuck slowly around the corner of the house, and was able to get a few photos.  By now these young birds had become so habituated to our presence that I believe they consider us just another part of their environment.  As long as we don’t move too abruptly or try to get too close they seem to tolerate us. 

While we were gone on vacation for a week in July the temperatures in St. Louis hovered in the 100-105° area.  Since our sprinklers were on a timer I hoped that the birds were taking advantage of the water.  When we returned it was evident from the amount of “bird splash” on our patio and patio furniture that our youngsters had been there while we were gone.
These youngsters have now become daily visitors
Ever since returning, we’ve seen one or all of the three youngsters at the birdbath every day.  They’ve even begun landing in the birdbath while my husband and I are sitting on our patio—just as long as we keep a respectful distance and don't move too quickly.
An overgrown abandoned dog kennel is a perfect place to practice hunting skills
One morning I spotted one of the hawks sitting on a wooden fence that had once been a dog kennel—long since abandoned.  The neighbor had allowed weeds and brush to grow up inside the kennel.  This has proven to be a perfect playground for the three young hawks as I’m certain it’s an ideal environment for insects and mice.  The hawk would watchfully sit on the fence top, and then every so often dive into the underbrush.  The other two hawks were doing the same thing from the other side of the enclosure.
I'm not sure what they were rootiing for, but all three were doing it
I assumed that they were practicing their hunting skills until I saw one of them swoop to the ground under a bush in a more open area of the yard.  The hawk began rooting with its beak and feet at the base of the bush, presumably for insects or mice.  Soon it was joined by the other two hawks, who also rooted around at the base of the bush. 
Apparently even young hawks take time out to play
This learning to hunt was serious business!  However, being youngsters, this soon turned into a game in which they began to chase each other round and round the bush like kids playing “Ring Around The Rosey”.  This went on for about 15 minutes until they tired of the game, and then all three decided to take a dip in their own personal pool—my birdbath.
They seem to consider my birdbath their own personal pool
I have yet to see them make a kill, and they’re still hunger screaming for mom and dad in the early mornings, so they still have some serious growing up to do.  But mom and dad are owed a real round of applause for being able to provide for these three healthy youngsters up to this point. 

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Birds in Concert Features Augusta Bottoms Consort

Augusta Bottoms Consort at Birds in Concert this Thursday!
 Augusta Bottoms Consort
Join us this Thursday for our third Birds in Concert for 2012!  Enjoy music by World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, The Raptor Project, followed by the Augusta Bottoms Consort.

 Augusta Bottoms Consort is a versatile music group playing acoustic music in several styles including old country, jazzy standards, toe-tapping original songs, folky, bluesy songs and a variety of other musical genre.
 Augusta Bottoms Consort "On The Hill" - photo by John Phelan

Members of the four-piece group live near the fertile bottomland fields of the Missouri River in Augusta, Missouri. The sounds of Augusta Bottoms Consort are earthy, thought-provoking, energizing and unique.  Lyrics and the band’s rich melodic blend reflect their long relationships as friends who have relished the fun of playing together for more than twenty years.  

The members of Augusta Bottoms Consort,  Gloria Attoun, Michael Bauermeister, Paul Ovaitt and Rebecca Mayer bring to the stage guitars, mandolins, dobro, accordion, banjo, acoustic bass, recorder, panpipes, harmonica, percussion and lots of other gadgets.  Their songs conjure up musical landscapes that defy boundaries.  

For more information on the band and their four CDs, go to www.augustabottomsconsort.com

Date: Thursday, August 16th, 2012
Time: 7.00 – 8.30pm
Admission & Parking: FREE!

See the Raptor Project, followed by the August Bottoms Consort.


Play the Whole Foods Market prize wheel before the concert, and during intermission, for fun prizes!

Birds in Concert is Sponsored by Ameren Missouri.




Bring your blankets and picnics and join us for a fun evening of music with friends.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Really Weird Birds - Part 5


During an education program geared for children 2nd grade and under, called Wings for Tots, I ask the kids, “What makes birds different from other creatures?” Their first answer is always, “they can fly!”

But of course, as we know, not all birds can fly!  And there may be more of them than you realize.  There are about forty species of flightless birds in existence today.  However, with there being around 10,000 bird species in the world, 0.004 % of those being flightless, that makes them weird!  The most well-known are the ostrich and penguins.  In this episode of Really Weird Birds, I am going to discuss a not so well-known species of flightless bird, the kakapo, native to the forests of New Zealand.   
 Kakapos are nocturnal and are also called the owl parrot.
 The kakapo has several characteristics that make it unique.  First, it is the world’s only flightless parrot.  The country of New Zealand has the largest number of flightless birds in the world.  Before settlers arrived and introduced predators like dogs, cats and ferrets, there were no large land predators on these isolated islands.  However, when these invasive predators and human hunters were introduced, populations of many flightless bird species declined rapidly.  Some became extinct.  Getting close to a kakapo will reveal a very strong musty smell.  This odor also aided in their rapid decline by leading dogs and cats right to them.  The kakapo is also one of the rarest parrots in the world.  According to the Kakapo Recovery Program, in 1995 there were only fifty known kakapo surviving.  Today, there are just under 150 individuals in the world. 
 Kakapo photographed at Willowbank Wildlfe Reserve, Christchurch, NZ by Art Schroer
The kakapo is also the world’s heaviest parrot.  Unlike other land birds, they can accumulate large amounts of body fat to store energy and can weigh up to nine pounds.  They are nocturnal in order to avoid diurnal birds of prey, once their main predator.  The beak of the Kakapo is built for grinding food finely.  For this reason, the Kakapo has a very small gizzard (a bird’s stomach) compared to other birds of its size.  They are strict vegetarians who will forage on the forest floor or use their feet and beak to climb up trees to forage.  In order to get down, they will use their wings to “parachute” to the ground.  They cannot fly because they lack a pronounced keel bone (the bone in the center of a bird’s chest) which anchors large flight muscles.  Parrots are well known for their bright standout colors.  However the kakapo is the opposite.  Their feathers have extreme camouflage, blending into the ferns and mosses of the New Zealand forest floor.
  Kakapos camouflage extremely well in New Zealand’s forest. 
The kakapo is the only parrot to have a polygymous lek breeding system.  In the breeding season, male kakapos take to prominent ridges, rocks or hilltops with low-growing vegetation and begin a courtship competition for female attention.  They inflate a thoracic air sac, like a balloon, and emit a low 'sonic' boom which, in mountainous terrain, can be heard up to 3 miles away.  They are announcing to females that they are ready to mate.  Females are the sole caretakers of the chicks.

Kakapos are one of our world’s unique birds that are on the brink of extinction because of human settlement.  They are the only flightless parrot, they are the heaviest parrot, males inflate like balloons and boom to attract mates, they are nocturnal, they give off a strong musty odor, they have extreme camouflage, and they are the only parrot to have a lek breeding system.  If you want to help endangered birds, part of the World Bird Sanctuary’s mission is to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments.  You can help us fulfill that mission by visiting us and spreading what you’ve learned, becoming a member or friend, or adopting-a-bird and feeding that bird for a year!
     
Submitted by Sara Oliver, Naturalist.


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Eeew Vultures Are Gross--Or Are They?

Coming Soon - International Vulture Awareness Day 2012!

Join us on Saturday, September 1st, as we celebrate all things gross and cool about Vultures on International Vulture Awareness Day!

Vultures and condors around the world face threats and persecution.  World Bird Sanctuary joins conservation organizations around the world to bring vultures front and center on this special day.
Osiris, an Egyptian Vultur
Meet vultures from North America, South America and Africa!

Meet our resident Andean Condor, Dorothy
·      Meet Dorothy, a live Andean Condor!

·      Free-flight shows featuring live flying vultures!

·      Free fun kids activity center.
·      Gifts and souvenirs on sale.

Date: Saturday, September 1st, 2012
Time: 10am – 3pm
Admission & Parking: FREE!

Sponsored by Ameren Missouri.





Vultures are gross!  But we need them the most!  Learn why at International Vulture Awareness Day!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Come Rock With The Raptor Project


The Raptor Project at Birds in Concert this Thursday!

Join us this Thursday for our second Birds in Concert for 2012!  Enjoy two full sets by World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, The Raptor Project.

World Bird Sanctuary’s in-house band, “The Raptor Project” takes to the stage to perform songs from their popular children’s environmental education CDs.  Fan favorites from the "Save the Future" and "All Along the Watershed" albums include "Turkey Named Fred", "Roadkill Shiver," "What's the Matter," "The Greatest Possum," and "Animal Noises." 

Learn fun and exciting facts about the animals we share our planet with as they share the stage with The Raptor Project!

Date: Thursday, August 9th, 2012
Time: 7.00 – 8.30pm
Admission & Parking: FREE!

Play the Whole Foods Market prize wheel before the concert, and during intermission, for fun prizes!





Sponsored by Ameren Missouri.





Bring your blankets and picnics and join us for a fun evening of music with friends!


Saturday, August 4, 2012

Mariah the Golden One, and I Don’t Mean the Singer


The World Bird Sanctuary has a handful of Golden Eagles.  One in particular just happens to be one of the sweetest and most well behaved birds we have.  Her name is Mariah.  Following are some fascinating facts about Mariah and her species.
 Mariah - The World Bird Sanctuary's matriarch
To start things off, did you know that the Golden Eagle is Mexico’s national bird?  This eagle represents regality, strength and courage to them.  The Golden Eagle is arguably the largest eagle in the Northern Hemisphere!
 In this photo of Buchanan you can clearly see the golden feathers on his head
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) got its name from the light shimmery golden color on the back of its head.  These birds can be found in western North America, northern Africa, Asia and most of Europe.  They have a wide range of habitat that can include grasslands, tundra, desert, shrubland, farmland and coniferous forest areas. 
 Mariah is a truly majestic bird
The Golden Eagle’s current population is doing well and their species conservation status is of least concern.  In the wild, a Golden Eagle's lifespan ranges between 15 and 30 years.  In captivity they can live up to 50 years.  At 41 years of age Mariah is the World Bird Sanctuary’s oldest bird. 

As with most birds of prey, male Golden Eagles are smaller than the females.  They may range from six to fifteen pounds.  Mariah is currently around 12 pounds!  She gets up to 14 pounds in the winter, when her body tells her to put on weight for cold weather.  Their wingspan can reach up to seven feet. 

These eagles are carnivores that eat mostly small mammals, but will also eat carrion (dead animals), birds, reptiles, and occasionally fish.  Some Golden Eagles eat tortoises, too.  In order to get the meat from inside the shell, they fly up high with it in their talons and then drop it on rocks to break the shell. 

Golden Eagles are a monogamous species.  Monogamous refers to having only one partner at a time.  If their partner passes away they will search for another mate.  They usually breed between March and August.  Their nests are composed of sticks that are built on top of high cliffs, tall trees or even telephone poles.  The females lay from one to four eggs per clutch (a group of eggs).  The chicks usually fledge (leave the nest) around 3 months old.  

 Immature Bald Eagles, such as Norbert above, are often mistaken for Golden Eagles
Golden Eagles and juvenile (young) Bald Eagles look similar to each other, especially at a distance.  One way to tell the difference between a juvenile Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle is to look at their legs - Golden Eagles have feathers that cover their entire leg all the way to the top of the foot, whereas Bald Eagles have featherless lower legs. 

Mariah came to WBS from a falconer.  The falconer trained her to like him and hunt for other animals in his presence.  As birds age they can develop some of the same health problems as humans.  They can get cataracts in their eyes, get arthritis or succumb to diseases as their immune systems become weaker.  Because of Mariah’s age, she has developed cataracts.  She cannot see very well and because of this she is brought inside the wildlife hospital at the end of each day. 

Each morning Mariah is taken outside to spend her day outside near Kili, another Golden Eagle, and Duncan, a Wedge-Tailed Eagle.  While Mariah can be such a gentle bird to handle, as handlers we can never forget how powerful she can be with her strikingly sharp talons and very strong feet. 

You can help support World Bird Sanctuary's mission by adopting Mariah through our Adopt a Bird program.   Mariah can be seen daily near the Wildlife Hospital at the World Bird Sanctuary.  You should stop on by and visit her!  She is very beautiful!

Submitted by Lisbeth Hodges, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist.