International Vulture Awareness Day 2014

We love vultures!  Do you?

 Join us on Saturday, September 6^th, as the World Bird Sanctuary celebrates International Vulture Awareness Day 2014! 

Dorothy, an Andean Condor that will be on display, has a wingspan of 10ft and a beak strong enough to rip through seal and whale hide.

Ewwww, Vultures are Gross!  But we need them the most!  Find out more at World Bird Sanctuary as we take part in the international celebration of all things vulture.  

·     •   Shows featuring vultures and other animals, as well as music from the Raptor Project.

·     •   Special vulture exhibits, including Turkey Vultures and an Andean Condor

·      •   A kids’ craft for the youngsters to make

Skinner the Turkey Vulture--Turkey Vultures are native to Missouri.

Date: September 6^th, 2010

Time: 10am – 3pm

Vulture shows: 10:30, 12:30, 2:30

Admission and parking are free!

This event Sponsored by Ameren Missouri

THE PRICE IS RIGHT!

WHAT DO DOROTHY, OUR ANDEAN CONDOR,  AND BOB BARKER OF "THE PRICE IS RIGHT" FAME HAVE IN COMMON?

Dorothy is inviting all of our readers to "COME ON DOWN!!!" to our Fete du Feather dinner/auction on May 9th.

It's not too late to make your reservations for this entertaining evening.  The theme for this year's event is "Old Time Country Fair".  Dress code for the evening is your country fair attire.  The evening will feature down home cookin' and refreshments, a quilt raffle, chicken races, pie eating contest, silent and live auctions, watermelon seed spitting contests--well, you get the picture, fun country fair activities!

Some, but not all, of the items lined up for the silent and live auctions are:

° A framed and signed Albert Pujols print

° A Stan Musial autographed baseball

° A stay at a beautiful vacation home in Montana

° Release of a rehabilitated bird into the wild (the winner gets to do the release!)

° A BEAUTIFUL amber & silver jewelry set (Necklace, Earrings, Rings & Bracelet)

° A set of four handcrafted exotic wood duck calls with carrying pouches & extra reeds

° An antique rocking chair (this would look sooo cute in your home--or on your front porch!)

° A beautiful handcrafted cherrywood poker table

° A child's dollhouse

° Several beautiful silk floral arrangements

° Live hanging baskets (just in time for adding to your spring garden)

° Many beautiful pieces of artwork - prints, sculptures, etc.

The above is just a short list of the items up for auction.

Remember the date -- May 9th, 7 p.m.!

For more information or to make a reservation call 636-225-4390, Ext. 0

Adopt A Bird Spotlight: Dorothy (Andean Condor)

Dorothy's Story

Species:  Andean Condor

Hatched:  2006

Dorothy was hatched at the World Bird Sanctuary's breeding facility, which is an area not normally open to the public.  Her parents, Gryph and Laurel, were on loan to us from the Cincinnati Zoo as part of the Andean Condor Species Survival Program.   It is normal procedure for an organization participating in a Species Survival Program (SSP) to place a number of individuals of the endangered species with other qualified organizations to guard against a catastrophe that could wipe out an entire gene pool.  

While they were in our care Gryph and Laurel produced eggs, and in 2004 & 2005 two of those babies were released back into the wild to soar the canyons of their native Columbia, along with babies from other participating zoos.  

At this point we believe that Dorothy will remain with us as an education bird.  She is still a baby, but has been responding well to target training techniques.  We are hoping that she will prove to be an ambassador for her species in educational programs that will spread the word about the threats to this magnificent species' survival.

To adopt Dorothy, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $150, and specify in your payment notes:  Adopt-a-Bird:  DOROTHY.  Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice!  Adopt-A-Bird Parents receive:

* A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!  Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for your personal visit.

* Certificate of Adoption

* Color photo of the bird you've adopted

* Sponsorship Card

* One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)

* Life History and Natural History of the bird

* 10% discount off WBS merchandise

* Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day

* Discounts on WBS Special Events

* WBS Decal

Natural History

andean condor

Vultur gryphus

Description:  largest of the vultures; black overall with gray on the wings; white downy ruff around the neck and a wattled head; male's head has a large, fleshy caruncle which is lacking in the female

Sex:  female slightly smaller than the male

Age:  50 years (approx.)

Length:  43-51" body length; stands 4' tall

Wingspan:  10-14 ft.

Weight:  20-30 lbs.

Habitat:  open grasslands and alpine areas in high mountain regions; will go to lowland deserts and coastlines to forage, but rarely visit forest areas

Status:  endangered; due to illegal shooting, habitat disturbance, secondary lead poisoning; current captive breeding and reintroduction programs appear to be successful; some of the released birds are reported to be breeding in the wild

Range:  entire length of the Andes Mountains, including the nearby Pacific coastline

Behavior:  the courtship display consists of the male drawing himself erect, fully extending his wings, and clicking his tongue while his reddish neck becomes bright yellow; they lay their single egg on bare ground in caves and on ledges among steep cliffs; mating occurs every other year during July; incubation is 54-58 days; fledging takes another 180 days; both parents care for young; young leave parents in second year; young birds become sexually mature at 6 or more years

Diet:  carrion, newborn animals, and seabird eggs when available

Vocalization:  generally silent; only vocalization is a low wheezing or grunting

» The Andean Condor is the only member of it's genus

» The downy white ruff around the neck can be used as a sort of hood to keep the bare head warm in cold mountain climates.  The bird simply tucks it's head and raises the neck hackles

 

 

Condor Magnificence!

You've seen our young Dorothy, and the beautiful Laurel.  Now be prepared to be dazzled by a magnificent specimen of masculine Condor beauty!

Meet Gryph, Laurel's mate!  How could any girl resist that gorgeous caruncle or that endearing wattle?  

In the male, there is a wattle on the neck, and a large, dark red comb or caruncle on the crown of the head.  The males keep the comb all their life, which makes it easy to tell the sex of an Andean condor chick as soon as it hatches.  The large patches or bands of white on the wings do not appear until the completion of the bird's first moulting.

Unlike our Turkey Vultures and other vultures of the genus Cathartes, who find prey by smell, the Andean condor locates carrion by spotting it, or by following other scavengers such as corvids or other vultures to the carcass.  

INTERESTING CONDOR FACT:  In response to the capture of all wild individuals of the closely related California Condor, in 1988 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a reintroduction experiment involving the release of captive Andean condors into the wild in California.  Only females were released, to eliminate the possibility of accidentally introducing a South American species into the United States.  The experiment was a success, and all the Andean condors were recaptured and re-released in South America before the reintroduction of the California condors took place.

A Peek Into The Future!

Yesterday we promised to show you what Dorothy had to look forward to in a few years.

Here's a photo of Laurel, a female who was in our care for several years as part of the Andean Condor Species Survival Program (SSP).  Reintroduction programs, using captive-bred Andean Condors, which release birds hatched in North American zoos into the wild to bolster populations, have been introduced in Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia.  The World Bird Sanctuary, in conjunction with the Cincinnati Zoo, was a part of that program.  

Contrary to the usual rule among birds of prey, the female is smaller than the male.  The Andean Condor's wingspan ranges from 274 to 310 cm (9 to 10 ft.)  It reaches up to 11 to 15 kg. (24 to 33 lbs.) for males and 7.5 to 11 kg (16 to 24 lbs.) for females.

The female lays one to two bluish-white eggs every second year.  If the chick or egg is lost or removed, another egg is laid to take it's place.  Researchers and breeders take advantage of this behavior to double the reproductive rate by taking the first egg away for hand-rearing, causing the parents to lay a second egg which they are usually allowed to raise.  

Check back tomorrow to see the male half of this handsome pair!

Heeere's More Dorothy!

Yesterday's post showed you how Dorothy looked at age two, a bit fuzzy to say the least.  Here's how she looks today (well--yesterday really)! 

As you can see, she has shed all those baby down feathers, and is now sporting her fine new juvenile plumage.  Even though she looks quite magnificent now, she will be GORGEOUS when she molts into her adult plumage at about 5 or 6 years of age!  Check back tomorrow for a preview of what our little princess has to look forward to.  (Just click on the photo to see more detail.)

Andean Condor factoid:  These magnificent birds reach sexual maturity at five or six years of age, and roost at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 meters (10,000 to 16,000 ft.), generally on inaccessible rock ledges.  They may live for 50 years or more in the wild (as long as 70 years in captivity), and they mate for life.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to see what a metamorphosis this young bird will undergo in the next 2-3 years!

Dorothy & Relatives

A while back we showed you some videos of our young Andean Condor, Dorothy.  So we thought we'd like to share with you some additional info on this fascinating raptor.

The Andean Condor is the largest bird of prey in the world.  It inhabits the rocky cliffs and canyons of mountainous areas of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru, and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the South American Andean regions.

Due to habitat loss and secondary poisoning from carcasses killed by hunters and trappers, the Andean Condor is considered "near threatened" by the IUCN.  Because it is primarily a scavenger, when it feeds on carrion that has died from poisoning, it also becomes a victim.  

Because of the threatened status of this magnificent bird, many zoos and associated conservation organizations have banded together to include this bird in a captive breeding program, and, in fact, have released a number of captive bred Andean Condors back into their native habitats.

Here you see a photo of our own young Andean Condor, Dorothy, at age two, in her juvenile plumage.  As you can see, at this stage she still had some of her baby down, and was just beginning to sport the neck ruff which will be a beautiful white color when she attains adulthood.  

Check back later this week for more information about Dorothy and her relaltives! 

Even more Dorothy!

I really can't get enough of Dorothy the Andean condor. She's just so pretty and BIG! Here's a little clip of Dorothy cleaning out her bowl after a training session:



At three years of age, young Dorothy hasn't molted into her adult plumage, but her juvenile feathers are beautiful and varied shades of brown.

It's Dorothy!!!

Here you see Dorothy, our female Andean condor. Dorothy was hatched at the World Bird Sanctuary and is currently being trained for education programs. Though she's still a youngster at three years, her training skills put her at the head of the class!

Here you see target training in progress. Dorothy has learned to target (touch with her beak) a stick. In return for her effort, she gets a yummy bit of liver:

Andean Condor

With an 11 foot wingspan, the Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world. In spite of her majestic size, we still refer to this condor as "baby" since she was hatched at the World Bird Sanctuary by breeder birds on loan. She is, in fact, three years old. In this video you can see that she is eagerly looking for a treat. I obliged her at last, but the challenge of feeding a condor and video recording was beyond my skill level!



We hope to make this "baby" part of our education program and she has been very responsive to human interaction so far.