World Bird Sanctuary

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

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

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.

...And The Countdown Begins

2011-11-30T06:00:00.067-06:00

Black Friday has come and gone and the "Days til Christmas" countdown has begun--only 25 more shopping days left!

If you're anything like the rest of us you've suddenly realized that the deadline is looming and you aren't anywhere near finished shopping.

Never fear, you can avoid the crowds, get your Christmas shopping done, and have a fun day to boot, simply by doing some or all of your shopping at the World Bird Sanctuary.

Just a small sample of the merchandise available in the gift shop

For those adults and children on your list who love the outdoors and wildlife we have a well-stocked gift shop in our Nature Center. Here you can find gifts ranging from interesting rocks (great stocking stuffers for the kids) to great t-shirts and outdoor wear—all with a nature related theme. Any of these items may be purchased in person while exploring 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

Your inscribed brick will be installed in the steps or landings of our amphitheater

ADOPT A BIRD

Our beautiful Peregrine Falcon, Millenium is 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 your adopted animal will be here on the day of your visit).

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

RETURN TO THE WILD

Take part in the release of a rehabilitated bird!

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.

Returning a Cooper's Hawk to the wild

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

BEAK TO BEAK

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 Your Feathered Friends This Winter.

2011-11-28T06:00:00.027-06:00

I am constantly amazed at how life can sustain itself in such extreme conditions.

A partial list of the birds you might see at your backyard feeders

Recently I was watching the songbirds at our feeding station here at the Sanctuary, and I was marveling at how these small creatures manage to thrive when I have to bundle up in many layers in order to stay outside for more than just a few minutes.

This got me to thinking about the many ways that we can help the birds that live in our backyards, with minimal time and effort. Winter is a time when our feathered friends could do with a little help. These simple backyard birdfeeding tips for winter will help them find the food they need to keep up their energy reserves to stay warm and healthy through the winter.

Creating a Bird-friendly Backyard

Winter is a time when our backyard bird friends need our help more than ever. While they are, incredibly, adequately equipped to deal with harsh winters, we can take some simple steps to make foraging for food a little easier for them. This helps them to conserve the energy they need to stay warm, and makes winter just a little more bearable.

Safe, clean and nutritious food helps wild birds sustain themselves through a cold winter. There are many bird foods formulated for wild songbirds that you can use in your feeder. World Bird Sanctuary uses Wild Delight ® in our feed stations. Whatever food you use needs to be nutritious and fresh.
Make sure that your bird feeder is safe - with no hinged sides or exposed hardware that could catch or harm a bird. There are plans available on the internet to make your own, or you can buy them from any reputable garden store. There are many different types of feeders - you can choose them according to the types of birds that you want to attract to your garden. World Bird Sanctuary uses the Droll Yankees range of feeders in our feed stations, with great success.
Refill your feeders regularly to ensure that there is an adequate supply of fresh food, and remove the hulls of seeds and nuts that have been left behind.
Provide a fresh source of water regularly. Birds still need to drink, even when it's cold. When ponds and lakes are frozen over, a fresh bowl of water will help to attract birds to your backyard. There a number of heated bird baths available, but if you do not have access to one of these, changing the water daily is sufficient.
Suet cakes are a great addition to your bird feeders, providing a high-energy nutritious snack to backyard birds when they need it most.

Wish List

2011-11-26T06:00:00.013-06:00

All we wish for during the holidays . . .

Cat litter pans, batteries and duct tape make us smile!

There are many ways to help World Bird Sanctuary successfully achieve our mission. One of them is by donating a "Wish List" item. All wish list items are acknowledged with a receipt that you can use for tax purposes at the end of the year.

Take a look at our wish list – maybe you have something we need that you don't need anymore. We'll gladly take it off your hands!

Here is a list of some of the items World Bird Sanctuary needs on a regular basis. These items can be delivered to our Wildlife Hospital or Nature Center any day of the week from 8am to 5pm.

Donations of items as simple as toilet paper, paper towels or latex/vinyl gloves make our day

As of November 15^th, 2011, our greatest needs are as follows:

Toilet paper
Latex/disposable gloves
Paper Towels
New & used books about conservation, environment, birds, other animals, fiction/non-fiction, magazines

CONSUMABLES:
Liquid hand soap - dispenser bottles & refills
Toilet paper
Sisal rope - 3/8 inch in diameter
30 gallon trash bags
AAA Batteries
Bleach
Dishwashing liquid
Liquid laundry detergent
Paper Towels
Reusable plastic containers
Latex gloves
General purpose floor cleaner
Letter sized and legal sized laminating sheets
DVD-R & DVD+RW
Mailing labels - Avery 5360 or equivalent
Distilled water
CLR or other limescale remover
Drain cleaner
Listerine
Cat litter - non-clumping
Adams Flea & Tick Spray
Duct tape
Clorox or other antibacterial wipes
Scotchbrite Green Scrubbies
Multifold hand towels for dispensers in bathrooms

ANIMAL CARE/HOUSING ITEMS:
Energy efficient light bulbs
Kitten canned food - no fish/seafood flavor, no gravy or chunks
Cat canned food - no fish/seafood flavor, no gravy or chunks Timothy Hay for rabbits
Wild bird seed
Cypress mulch (Cyrpress ONLY)
50w infrared heat lamps for reptiles
Ceramic heating elements for reptiles
Old (or new!) towels, blankets and sheets
Heating pads
Digital Kitchen Scale
Large plastic cat litter pans (new)
Parrot toys
Macaw cage
Oxygen cylinders (sizes 't' & 'd')
De-humidifiers
Spray bottles for water
Box fans (4)

OFFICE/EDUCATION ITEMS:
Working digital cameras
Large paper cutter
Portable vehicle GPS navigation systems (4)
Television with DVD capability
Large easels for displays
Letter & legal sized white copy paper
1st class stamps
Gator clips
Fiskars brand scissors

OUTSIDE/MAINTENANCE ITEMS:
Welding gloves
Leather gardening gloves
Chain saw
Commercial vacuum cleaners (2)
Lawn mowers
Weed removers
Snow blower
Leaf rakes
Shovels
Wheelbarrows

VEHICLES:
Four wheel ATV for trail work
Four wheel drive with snowplow and back spreader
Small trailer for hauling lawn mowers etc.
Vans or minivans for transporting animals and people to education programs

GIFT CARDS:
Office Max
Wal-Mart
Petsmart
Petco
Lowes
Home Depot

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T06:00:00.001-06:00

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

The staff at the World Bird Sanctuary are thankful for:

• The volunteers who can always be counted on to be there when you need them
• Loyal supporters who suddenly appear from nowhere with donations of their time, cash or expertise
• The children who pool their pennies or sponsor a fundraiser to help our hospital
• The opportunity to work at a job that allows them to pursue their passion - helping the environment

Frazzle, the one-eyed Screech Owl, can be seen at our Environmental Education Center

The creatures that call WBS home are thankful for:

• A second chance at life -- many of us wouldn't still be here if not for WBS
• Regular meals -- you don't always get that in the wild
• Excellent medical care for those of us who need it
• Housing that keeps us safe from predators

Fred, the Royal Palm Turkey, can be seen strutting his stuff on the display line

And, oh yes--our star, Fred the Turkey, is thankful that he doesn't have the starring role on someone's Thanksgiving table today.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

JUST ANNOUNCED: WORLD BIRD SANCTUARY ALASKA CRUISE 2012

2011-11-22T06:00:00.011-06:00

Join WBS Founder & Executive Director, Walter Crawford, on a week-long cruise with Holland America to explore the natural wonders of Alaska, from September 9 – 162012.

Your Holland America ship at anchor in the quaint town of Sitka

ALASKAN EXPLORER CRUISE

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

· Aboard Holland America MS Oosterdam

· Sailing Roundtrip from Seattle to Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, Victoria, BC and return to Seattle

· Prices Start At Only $1,168 (inside cabin); $1,488 (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 Information

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

E-mail: crobinson@brentwoodtravel.com

Enjoy a vacation with a group of like-minded people interested in natural history, and especially Birds of Prey.

A Turkey Named Fred survives another Thanksgiving!

2011-11-20T06:00:00.006-06:00

“Turkey Named Fred” is without a doubt THE fan favorite for audiences of our in-house band, The Raptor Project. Now Fred has his own animated music video for you to enjoy!

The Turkey Named Fred – video star!

Joe Hoffmann, signer/songwriter for The Raptor Project, wrote the song “Turkey Named Fred” in honor of Fred, the Royal Palm Turkey that calls World Bird Sanctuary home. The song inspired the animated music video.

Watch the video and share it with your friends!

You can meet Fred’s animated alter ego by visiting our YouTube Channel and watching the Turkey Named Fred music video here for free!

Visit Fred soon at World Bird Sanctuary – he loves visitors! And share his video with your friends on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and email.

We would like to thank Jeremy Lueders and The Vision Factory for making this animated video possible.

Christmas Shopping

2011-11-18T06:00:00.114-06:00

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Believe it or not, there are only five more weeks (37 days to be specific) left until Christmas. Black Friday, the quintessential Christmas bargain shopping day, will be here in one week. But do you really want to fight all the Black Friday crowds?

The WBS gift shop offers a wide selection of merchandise

You can avoid the crowds and mass hysteria by doing some, or all, of your shopping at the World Bird Sanctuary. For those adults and children on your list who love the outdoors and wildlife we have a well-stocked gift shop in our Nature Center. Here you can find gifts ranging from stocking stuffers to great t-shirts and outdoor wear—all with a nature related theme. All of these items may be purchased in person while enjoying all that the Sanctuary has to offer.

Don’t have time to visit in person? Other gift options that may be purchased on-line include:

BUY A BRICK

A WBS brick is a personalized, lasting gift

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

Acorn, the Eastern Screech Owl is 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 your adopted animal 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

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.

Give someone on your list the opportunity to actually return a creature to the wild

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 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!

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

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

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.

Our popular Owl Prowls are back!

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

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

Most November dates are already sold out, but we've added dates to ensure that those of you who missed out last winter will get seats this season, so book now!

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 to 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

Book today to ensure your place on our popular Owl Prowls.

All Owl Prowls start at 7pm.

January 2012

Friday 1/13

Friday 1/27

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.

WBS Assists Wisconsin Organization

2011-11-14T06:00:00.002-06:00

In late August our Director, Walter Crawford, received a call from a raptor rehabilitation organization in Wisconsin asking for our help.

A mixture of species shares quarters around this facility's pond

Because of the many severe storms and tornadoes in their area this past spring the Wisconsin facility had been inundated with injured and orphaned birds. Some birds came in with the usual injuries and problems, but many were youngsters who had been swept from their nests by the severe storms. Many of these were otherwise healthy, but needed time in the large flight cages to perfect their flying and hunting skills. This large influx of birds had taxed their facility’s holding capacity to the maximum.

This enclosure and the many others at the facility can now be used to their best advantage by shuffling housing arrangements

Because the director of this organization had a longstanding acquaintance with Walter Crawford, our Director, and knew of the World Bird Sanctuary’s excellent reputation as rehabbers and educators, she turned to us for assistance.

REGI staff member Katie Farvour and my husband, Art Schroer, with what looks like a mountain of crates--how will they all fit in the van?

On Labor Day weekend my husband and I headed north to pick up sixteen birds from this organization. The quarters vacated by these sixteen birds would make room for significantly more than sixteen injured and orphaned birds—housing arrangements can sometimes get complicated with animals. Once all the birds were loaded into the van we made a beeline for St. Louis.

The birds begin their journey on a foggy Wisconsin morning

Transporting birds can sometimes be tricky—especially if they are birds that have never been crated before. Some of these birds fell into that category. Our main concern on the drive home was keeping the van cool so that the birds would not overheat. Lunch was definitely a drive through affair, and potty stops were taken in shifts while one person stayed with the birds to keep the air conditioner running. However, all was quiet in the back of the van during the eleven-hour drive and all sixteen of our charges weathered the drive well.

Great care was taken with the birds who were unaccustomed to being crated

As the St. Louis Arch came into view we called ahead to let WBS personnel know that we would be there shortly. To our amazement, when we pulled into the parking area at WBS’s behind the scenes facility we were met by a small army of WBS staff members, including our wonderful volunteer veterinarian Dr. Stacey Schaeffer.

WBS personnel help unload the crates after a safe and successful 11-hour trip from up north

With everyone’s help the newcomers were quickly checked out and their health status and injuries evaluated. The eagles that simply needed flight cage time were released into the large rehab flight enclosure, and the other birds were settled into their new quarters where they would be given time to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings.

All the birds were assessed by our vet and staff members

Our list of passengers included:

• Six possibly releasable Bald Eagles which needed time in a large flight enclosure to allow them to strengthen their flight muscles and perfect their flying skills. As of this date three have been released, the fourth is scheduled to be released next week, the fifth is scheduled to be released on the 29^th, and the sixth and final bird is still in the flight cage regaining his flying skills and being conditioned for a successful release.

The six releasable Bald Eagles were released into the flight enclosure to strengthen flight muscles

• Four non-releasable Bald Eagles who may become Education or Display birds

• Two Bald Eagles who have already been trained as education birds and will enhance our existing roster of education birds, either locally or at zoo shows in the coming year.

The education birds who were already wearing "equipment" receive new anklets

• One White Pelican who has a wing injury and cannot fly. This bird has been placed with another injured White Pelican that WBS received about a year ago. Both these birds will be placed with another facility sometime in the not-too-distant future.

• One Rough legged Hawk who was non-releasable due to an eye injury. She had already been trained to the glove and has joined our Education Department. Bella (which means “beautiful”) can be seen in the weathering area behind the Nature Center, and has already begun taking part in education programs.

• Two wing-injured Sandhill Cranes who will be permanent residents of our display line. This pair has in the past laid eggs and it is hoped that they will be comfortable enough in their new surroundings to produce young.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

My First Eagle Census

2011-11-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was reminiscing about the many interesting experiences and opportunities I’ve had since becoming a volunteer for the World Bird Sanctuary. Foremost among these was the first time I was invited to take part in a Bald Eagle Census in 2003.

Most of us know about the U.S. Census for humans--Did you know about the Bald Eagle census?

The call came on a Saturday morning. It was our daughter, Teri, Director of Education for World Bird Sanctuary. She wanted to know if her dad and I would be interested in doing a Bald Eagle count with Jeff Meshach on Tuesday. Jeff was at that time the Director of Animal Management for WBS, and was and still is in charge of doing the yearly eagle census counts each December through February, when the birds migrate south in search of open hunting waters.

As far as I was concerned this was the opportunity of a lifetime! Jeff laughingly told Teri that we had called him back within 14 minutes of his original call. An eagle count consists of four people in a small plane flying at low altitude down (or up) the center of the river channel. The two people in the rear of the plane are the spotters, and Jeff records the number and type of eagles (adult or juvenile), and their approximate location, on a river map.

As time drew near to the day of the count, the weather forecasts were not sounding promising. On the morning of the count we showed up at Spirit of St. Louis airport not knowing if we would even be able to take off due to weather conditions – 12-14 degree temperatures with wind chills I don’t even want to think about, and possible snow. However, our pilot, George Stephenson, assured us that the weather would not be a problem, and that we would be flying well beyond the “no fly zone” created by a Presidential visit that day in South St. Louis.

This would be two adults perched

Jeff gave us a quick rundown on procedures for spotting the eagles. My husband, Art, and I were each to count the eagles spotted on our respective sides of the plane. As we spied the birds we were to call out the number and type of birds and where they were located, i.e., “2 juvies perched” (which means perched in trees), or “3 adults on the ice”. Jeff then recorded this information as it was called out.

This would be two adults and one juvie on the ice

At one point, action on my husband’s side of the plane was a bit slow and he began to count birds on my side. Apparently we gave Jeff and George quite a chuckle when I told my hubby to mind his own side of the plane.

These numbers are given to several Bald Eagle population monitoring groups, who then use them in conjunction with numbers supplied by other spotters around the country to guage the health of the bald eagle population.

Census counts are just one of the many tools in World Bird Sanctuary’s arsenal to ensure that our grandchildren and great grandchildren will still be able to see our country’s national symbol in the wild, and not just in cages at zoos. We hope that future generations will never have to say to their children, “Once upon a time there used to be a bird called a Bald Eagle….”

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Rare Bird?

2011-11-10T06:00:00.031-06:00

Do You Take your Backyard Birds for Granted?

This is a question that occurred to me recently while I was watching some of our local birds at my feeder.

An American Cardinal

Several years ago my husband and I took a trip to New Zealand, rented a camper, and camped our way from the South Island to the top of the North Island. This mode of travel allowed us to see much more of the local flora and fauna than is normally seen from a tour bus.

On our first couple of days there we encountered a number of unfamiliar seabirds and shorebirds, which we expected since we were then staying at a campground on the east coast of the South Island. On our third day we crossed the mountains to the west coast and stayed in a charming little town called Hokitika.

We had planned to travel down the coast to the glacier the next morning, but when we awakened the fog was so thick we could barely see to cross the street—not a good day to drive through mountainous terrain in unfamiliar territory on the “wrong” side of the road. So instead we toured this charming little town on foot, met some of the local shopkeepers, and asked for advice as to where they would go to sightsee on such a foggy day. The majority advised us to take a short trip out of town to Lake Kanieri.

The ferns were breathtaking!

Frankly I think this unexpected side trip was probably a big improvement on glacier watching. We encountered towering tree ferns, a beautiful waterfall, and some of the most gorgeous fern laden scenery I have ever seen. As we were “oohing” and “aahing” over the fantastic plant life before us we spotted a strange looking bird strolling along hunting for insects in an open grassy field. I immediately began taking photos of this exotic bird (I am a "shoot the photo first and then look it up later" kind of person). I probably took 50 or 60 photos of this bird before we moved on. The bird was a Weka—considered vulnerable, but not particularly rare in this locality.

The bird turned out to be a Weka--a member of the rail family

Throughout this trip the above scenario was repeated many times---Pukeko (common), Australasian Harrier, Tomtit, New Zealand Pigeon, Tui, Bellbird, Fantail, Australian Magpie—all birds that were relatively common and on the IUCN list as Least Concern. Granted, these birds weren’t particularly rare in that part of the world, but they were strange and new to me.

This South Island Tomtit, though relatively common, was an exotic species for us.

So, the next time you are sitting at your window watching your feeders, just for a moment, look at your visiting birds through the eyes of someone from another country.

Can you imagine someone from another country's reaction to this common American Goldfinch?

Can you imagine how excited they would be to see common (to us) birds such as Cardinals, American Robins, American Goldfinches, Blue Jays, Cooper’s Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks? In particular imagine how excited they would be to see an actual Hummingbird or a Bald Eagle. All of these species are native only to the Americas—some only to North America.

If I were from another part of the world the sight of this hummingbird would definitely get my heart racing

Sometimes we have to step back and take a really good look at the wildlife right before our eyes that we often take for granted.

Don’t forget to feed your backyard birds this winter—they may be someone else’s rare sighting!

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer Photographer

Maritz Sponsors Free Programs

2011-11-08T06:00:00.004-06:00

Win an Educational Program from WBS for a Group in Need

Do you know of a group, school or organization in need of an educational program?

We’re aware that even though we keep the costs of our programs to a minimum and far less than our actual expenses, there are those that are still unable to fund a program on their own for financial reasons.

One of our most popular programs--Raptor Awareness

The Maritz Corporation has generously granted funds to World Bird Sanctuary to provide several programs for less privileged groups in the Greater St. Louis Area. We are asking friends of the World Bird Sanctuary to nominate a group, a school or an organization that you think is deserving of one of these funded programs.

Here’s how you can nominate a local group, school or organization for a free educational program:

Send an email to education@worldbirdsanctuary.org with “Nomination for Maritz Grant Program” in the subject line, and the following information:

Your Name

Your Phone Number

Name of the Organization you want to receive the program

Contact Person for this Organization

Contact Person’s Phone Number

And in 150 words or less, describe why this group should be awarded a program

Winners will be notified by phone, our blog and Facebook. Nominations must be made within three weeks of this posting. Winners must be within 50 miles of World Bird Sanctuary, and may have their program of choice. Program descriptions are available on our website at www.worldbirdsanctuary.org under the “Programs” tab, under the headings of “For Your Classroom” and “For Your Group”.

World Bird Sanctuary would like to thank the Maritz Corporation for their continued support and for this opportunity to share our message of conservation with those who may otherwise never have the chance to hear it.

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator

Got Biome?

2011-11-06T06:00:00.003-06:00

Planet Earth – what an interesting and fascinating world.

So, we live on the third rock from the Sun. But how much do you know about the planet’s five major biomes: aquatic, deserts, forests, grasslands and tundra?

World Bird Sanctuary offers a Resource Nest Box called “Where We Live”. This is an educational resource box loaded with books, DVD’s, videos, activities, games and more. For a nominal fee of $25.00 you can rent this box for a two-week period through our Education Department.

This box contains a wealth of information and tools and hours of entertainment including twenty-two books on topics such as: arctic and desert wildlife, the tundra, desert, woods, rainforest, oceans, wetlands, grasslands, prairies and more, a tree ring counting guide, a food chain game, five VHS videos about animals and prairies, the Planet Earth and Blue Planet boxed DVD set containing ten DVD’s, a puppet show with seven puppets and a script, and more.

Resource Nest Boxes are a great addition to classroom teaching, for home schoolers, students working on research papers, day cares, scout leaders, or for kids that just want to have fun and learn more about our great planet and the creatures that we share it with.

Other available Resource Nest Box topics are: Protect Our Planet; Rocks Rock and Talon Tote.

To reserve one of our educational and environmentally friendly Resource Nest Boxes, please call the Education Department at 636-225-4390 extension 0.

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator

Women in Conservation

2011-11-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

Women have been pioneers in conservation for over 100 years. Some of them were in our own backyard!

I recently saw a photo that a follower posted on our Facebook Page that piqued my interest. It was a picture of a young woman banding birds in Missouri in the 1920's. I emailed Lura and asked for more information, and uncovered a wonderful story about a wildlife conservation pioneer that, almost 100 years ago, was doing the same important work as our WBS Bird Banding Team.

This newspaper article piqued my interest

This newspaper article, dated Monday 8^th, 1929, shows Miss Cora Shoop banding birds, including cardinals and juncos. Miss Shoop started the banding station after one of her students brought her a Blue Jay that he had killed earlier in the decade. The Blue Jay had a numbered band on its leg, and together student and teacher set out to find out what it meant. After tracing the band back to the biological survey unit of the United States Department of Agriculture, they learned that the Blue Jay had been banded in Wisconsin and made its way all the way down to Missouri. The students were so interested in what they had learned that they applied to set up a bird banding station to contribute data to the survey.

When I saw the photo in this article I wanted to know more, and Lura Holt, Cora Shoop's niece, told me:

“I know Aunt Cora would be honored. I have attached the article that goes with the picture. She was an amazing woman, and I have just recently started organizing her papers and photos. She lived into her 90's, was a very prolific writer and saver. She started banding birds in the early 20's in Steelville MO where she was born. Family legend is that she was the first woman to receive a degree in biology at Mizzou.. Don't know if it is true or not. Ornithology was her first love, botany her second (she was married to Julian Steyermark, renowned Missouri botanist who published the book, Flora of Missouri, among many others).

“This picture is Cora with my mother in 1931."

“This last picture is one of my favorites. She has it labeled Blue Wing Teal at campsite Lacled Co. Niangua River 4 1/2 miles SW of Eldridge. 6/23/39."

It is pioneers like Cora Shoop that have inspired many of us at World Bird Sanctuary. Today we'd like to acknowledge the contribution that they have made to the study of birds in our own backyards, and around the world.

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, Naturalist/Fundraiser, World Bird Sanctuary