Red-headed Woodpecker

At World Bird Sanctuary, we recently received a Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) that is non releasable.  After keeping an eye on it (we don't know if it is a male or female) throughout a particular day, I realized that I know almost nothing about woodpeckers.  So, I decided that it was time for me to learn.  

Red-headed Woodpecker (wikipedia.org)

As adults, Red-headed Woodpeckers have bright red heads, black backs, white chests and black wings with large white patches.  This gives them the nickname of the flying checkerboard.  So naturally we named ours "Checkers".  Red-headed Woodpeckers have been around for a very long time.  In fact, in Florida, Virginia and Illinois, Red-headed woodpecker fossils have been found.  Some of them even dated to about 2 million years old!  They can be found all over the eastern United States,  ranging from Montana down to New Mexico, and from Florida up to New Hampshire.  However, the further north you go, the less common they are.  

They live in deciduous woodlands and nest in old dying trees.  Red-headed woodpeckers are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals.  Most of their diet contains different nuts and fruits (Checkers seems to enjoy grapes and peanuts the most).  They will often find insects to eat also.  Ranging from flies to grasshoppers to cicadas, they will eat practically any insect they can find.  And they are very effective at catching them in midair, too.  Rarely they will even eat smaller birds and mice.  

The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only 4 woodpecker species in the United States that will cache, or save and hide, their food.  This is in case they need the backup food supply.  Commonly they will store live grasshoppers in cracks in trees.  They will wedge the grasshoppers in so tightly that it cannot escape.  These woodpeckers have even been known to store food underneath shingles on peoples' roofs. 

The Red-headed Woodpecker's conservation status is Near Threatened.  This means that if current trends of decline continue, they will likely become endangered.  According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, their populations have declined around 2.9% every year, starting around 1966.  In the mid 1840's Red-headed Woodpeckers were so common that some farmers and orchard owners actually paid bounties for them.  Beech forests and chestnut trees are far less common today, which is a major cause in the decline of their populations.  

One way to help out the Red-headed Woodpecker is to make sure that if you have any old dying trees on your property, don't cut them down.  Those are prime foraging and nesting real estate for these beautiful birds.

Submitted by Mike Cerrutti, Trainer.

Sunbathing -- Avian Style

My first blog entry as a relatively new employee for the World Bird Sanctuary gave me a bit of trouble. 

I was not sure what would be a great topic for my first entry. Obviously, it has to be interesting.  It has to be captivating and it has to make you want to read my entries.  I thought I could talk about my favorite bird; discuss fun facts and the importance of the species.  I could discuss my animal occupations and how I came to the Sanctuary or tell you about my first day on the job.  Maybe, in the future I will use those topics.  But for the first entry, I am currently being inspired by the snow falling down and how I wish I could be in the sun, soaking it in like so many of our birds do when the weather is warm.

Skinner, a Turkey Vulture, sunning (photo by Gay Schroer)

All birds adapt their own posture for sun bathing.  Some stand and open their wings while others may lay flat on the ground.  In both cases, body feathers are often fluffed up and the feathers along the wings are spread out.  Besides just soaking in the sun, these postures serve other important purposes.

For one, the preening oil along the feathers is allowed to spread.  This is the same oil that keeps the feather integrity, has a waterproofing effect, and an antiparasitic effect.

Dewey, a Bateleur Eagle enjoying the sun

Secondly, it also forces parasites out from within the plumage.  At the Sanctuary, we do routine checks on our birds to eliminate the possibility of parasites.  For birds in the wild, this is a helpful technique to help rid them of the nasty vermin.

Besides the healthy benefits that go with sunbathing, it is also hard not to admit that the behavior just looks awesome.  It is not everyday that you get to see these birds sitting still with wings stretched. 

Keeoo, an African Augur Buzzard (photo by Gay Schroer)

The snow may seem endless at times, but when the sun starts to peak through, make a visit out to the World Bird Sanctuary and you may get a glimpse of a sunbathing bird.

Submitted by Dawn Kernrich, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Of Cats and Birds

As I was reading through my March/April issue of Audubon Magazine I came upon an article entitled “10 Things You Can Do For Birds”.  There were a number of good suggestions in this article, many of which I was already doing—however, suggestion number 9 struck a real chord.  It was about letting your pet cat run free outside.

Even though I do not have a cat of my own, I have had two loveable "grandcats"

I do not have a cat—not because I don’t like them (actually, I love cats), but somehow a cat seems to be one of the few domesticated animals that my family never adopted.  However, we do have a neighborhood cat that has adopted our yard as his own personal hunting ground.  I have never personally seen him take a bird, although I have often seen him stalking something in our flowerbeds.  Given the amount of time he spends in our yard I’m sure he has captured his share of mice and birds.  I do not fault him for this, since he is just following his natural instincts.  However, I do fault the irresponsible owners that let him run free.

 Here is a verbatim quote from the Audubon Magazine article which gives some amazing statistics:

“9.              Curb your Cats

            Keep your felines inside or in outdoor “kitty condos”.  America’s estimated 150 million outdoor cats kill serious numbers of birds—up to 3.7 billion a year, according to a new report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center.  Tiny radio transmitters affixed to gray catbird nestlings in the Washington, D.C. suburbs by scientists from the Smithsonian Institution and Towson University showed that predators killed about 80 percent of those birds after they fledged (more than was sustainable) and that cats were responsible for nearly half of those deaths.  House cats in the so-called “kittycam” study by University of Georgia and National Geographic Society researchers carried tiny video cameras.  The footage shocked the cats’ owners, revealing 44 percent of their pets were cut-throats; those cats averaged one kill every 17 hours outdoors.”

Cats make wonderful and entertaining pets.  If you’ve ever played with your cat by tossing a kitty toy in front of it and twitching the toy to watch him pounce, you know that a cat’s natural instinct is to hunt.  When kitty is allowed to roam outside, its natural instincts kick in and it becomes a hunter, pouncing on and killing any small creature that moves—just like the kitty toy.

Not only is a free roaming kitty a danger to the neighborhood birds—the cat itself is then at risk.  A free roaming cat is in danger of being hit by a car, mauled by dogs, other cats, and other wild animals that may live in your area, such as coyotes, raccoons, etc.  Your beloved pet is also at risk of ingesting poisons that may have been put out for rodents, or by catching and eating rodents that have ingested the rodenticides.  Plus, other animals carry diseases that can be transmitted to your pet.  It can also pick up fleas and ticks that carry their own set of diseases that are transmissible to other animals, such as Lyme Disease and West Nile Virus.

So, if you love your cat, for its sake and for the sake of the neighborhood birds, please be a responsible cat owner and keep your cat inside.  

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

A Lifelong Fascination

Do you love creatures that fly?  I do--and have ever since I was very young.

 C. hypsea (Commonly called a Lacewing) - Photo Copyright The Butterfly House, 2011, Mark Deering

I remember noticing Butterflies when I was 5 or 6.  I would chase them, but also observe them and their beautiful colors.  We lived in an apartment when I was younger.  I do not think we had any kind of garden, but yet in between the apartment buildings would appear these little flashes of color; winged wisps.  I like to think of them as winged messengers from God, telling me that there was more out there in the big world than my mind could imagine.  Instead of gardens we had acres of dandelions and clover.  Some butterflies would light on the yellow or white flowers.  I remember the white Cabbage butterflies.  

 O. priamus, male (one of many species of Birdwing Butterflies) - Photo Copyright The Butterfly House, 2011, Mark Deering

Bees were fascinating also.  Someone showed me how to catch bees in a jar.  Sometimes you could catch 2 or 3 and have them all buzzing in the jar all at once.  We would always have to let them go before we came in for dinner.  Yes--I did get stung a few times, but wild winged things fascinated me.  When I was a little older someone taught me to catch the bees with my fingers.  We would catch them by their wings and hold them for a few seconds and then let them go.  Sedum with their little purplish flowers often attracted the bees and the butterflies called Skippers. 

D. plexippus - (or Monarch Butterfly) Photo by Gay Schroer

In 1970 the winds were just right for a big part of the Monarch Butterfly migration to pass through St. Louis.  The Monarchs were migrating from the north to the south...going right thru my subdivision--hundreds of butterflies flying thru my yard and all the neighbors’ yards.  Torrents of orange and black butterflies poured between the houses and over the rooftops.  It lasted for many days, and one evening during the peak of the migration I walked up to the woods at the top part of my street. There were thousands of butterflies landing near each other on specific trees.  About five of these trees were the main roosts.  They were so thick it was hard to see bark or leaves--just orange and black butterflies! I was told that the Monarchs were heading south and going to Mexico where they would spend the winter on a few very important acres.  Migration of butterflies and birds still fascinates me to this day. 

Fasten your seat belts because spring migration of birds is under way.  Those of you with bird feeders have recognized the transition of bird species at your feeders.  Anybody who lives in our area that was paying attention was able to see and hear daily flights of Snow Geese the last week of February and some of the days in March.  You could even hear the geese going over at night, like the night I went around the back of my house at 8pm.  I heard the Snow Geese but couldn't see them. Migration--inspiring, fascinating, spiritual, is underway.

Enjoying one creature in nature often leads to enjoying many other creatures of many different species. Somehow birds became my passion in 3rd grade.  I am privileged to work with birds and on behalf of bird species everywhere.

C. memnon (or Giant Owl Butterfly) - Photo Copyright The Butterfly House, 2011, Mark Deering

After you visit the World Bird Sanctuary, be sure to visit the Butterfly House.  What an interesting and fascinating collection of Butterflies you will see. What a spectacle!  Butterflies will surround you and may land on you or your friend or family member.  They are often attracted to your colorful clothing.  Take the time to experience the butterflies up close.  I was able to enjoy March Morpho Mania this year—all about the Morpho Butterfly species.  What an amazing experience!

 M. peleides (Blue Morpho Butterfly) - Photo Copyright The Butterfly House, 2011, Mark Deering

While you are at the Butterfly House be sure to take the time to visit the hatching chambers.  You will see the chrysalids hatching or changing into butterflies--metamorphosis.  Be sure that any children in your group get a chance to see this miracle.

I enjoyed my visit so much that I asked Mark Deering, the Acting Director, if I could use some of his butterfly pictures for my blog.  He was kind enough to give permission.  World Bird Sanctuary has worked with Mark and the Butterfly House in the past and we have a very good relationship.  My coworker Sara Oliver said that the Butterfly House was her favorite St. Louis tourist attraction--next to the World Bird Sanctuary.

Visit World Bird Sanctuary and the Butterfly House. We are only a half an hour from each other.

World Bird Sanctuary is open 8-5 Daily.

The Butterfly House is open 9-4 daily except Mondays 636-530-0076 

Submitted by Michael Zeloski, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist.