We call it practice for a reason!

Cayenne and Linus, our green winged Macaws, are always spot on when they perform in shows, thanks to Susan our patient and talented training specialist.

Chicken A La King (Vulture)

First, have your humans remove the feathers. Next, take the chicken from the bowl and roll it in your shavings. Get a good coating on there for extra crunchy goodness. Now stand on the chicken with both feet. Proceed to eat.



Many thanks to Baton Rouge, our resident gourmet, for sharing his grandma’s recipe!

Another cool thing about Foster the kookaburra...

He's inflatable! Yet dignified.

Beak of the Week!

Jane, you were right again! Last week's very interesting beak was a loggerhead shrike! We have one named Vlad in our visitor center, so drop by and meet him if you can.

This week's beak is HUGE! Not only is the beak big, but the attached bird has a more than 10 foot wingspan:

Here you see the "turkey toes" typical of its kind:

These amazing eyes can spot dinner from thousands (yes thousands!) of feet in the air:


Good luck guessers! I'll see you next week.

Adopt a Bird Spotlight: Millennium (Peregrine Falcon)

Millennium's Story

Species: Peregrine Falcon
Hatched: Spring 2008

Millennium came to us from a falconer who breeds and trains birds for those individuals who pursue the ancient sport of falconry. He noticed that Millennium seemed to have difficulty locating her food, and once she left her perch she did not return to it as a bird normally would. After careful observation, he came to the conclusion that she is so vision impaired as to be nearly blind. Since she would be useless as a falconry bird, he searched for an organization that could use her as an education bird. As it happened, we were in need of a peregrine falcon for our education department. One of our staff members drove to Iowa to pick her up.

Millennium is a striking bird. She is quite large, which is why we refer to her as "she." Females are usually larger than males. She has a beautiful dark brown coloring. We know that she will lose the brown coloration as she matures, however, some birds are darker than others, so she may prove to be one of the darker gray individuals of her species.  Only time will tell. For the present, she is easy to distinguish from the other peregrines in the weathering area. As far as her eyesight is concerned, she seems to do quite well, even though we believe she only sees shadows and movement.

To adopt Millennium, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $100 and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: MILLENNIUM. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you 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

peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus

Description: large falcon; short tail; pointed wing tips; slate-gray above; black helmet on head; whitish neck; buff beneath; lightly barred breast; wing tips almost reach tail tip when perched; regional variations exist (very dark in the northwest to pale in the north

Sex: females have more brown than males

Age: juveniles are a dark buff color with heavy streaking underneath

Length: 16-20”

Wingspan: 3-3.7’

Weight: 1.6 lbs.

Habitat: open country, cliffs, cities

Status: once found across all of North America until pesticides such as DDT eliminated eastern populations, almost to extinction; pesticide banning and captive-breeding programs have helped with their recovery; seen year-round in the US, but uncommon to rare in the winter

Behavior: don’t build nests; lay 2-4 reddish, darker flecked eggs in cliff hollows; bare rocky outcrops, bridges or tall building ledges; 28 day incubation period by both parents; chicks leave the nest at 5-6 weeks; hunts by flying very fast and making dramatic swoops to catch prey in midair

Diet: small birds, large insects, small mammals

Vocalization: rapid “kek kek kek kek”, repeated “we chew” at nest

√ World Bird Sanctuary’s reintroduction program put over 300 peregrines back into Missouri’s wild

√ Peregrines are the fastest animals on earth and have been clocked diving at 287 mph

√ Three subspecies exist: pacific (Peale’s), tundra and the interior west

Adopt A Bird profiles are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.

Whoo's Who - #2

Were you successful in identifying the species of owl in last week's "Whooo's Who?"  How about the calls that each species issues?  If you weren't able to identify them, it's not too late.  Just check below in last week's posts for the answers.

Have you figured out what all that hooting, hissing, screeching and trilling is all about?  
It's the equivalent of dating--and here are the results!  See if you can identify to which species our babies belong. 

 I'll start you out with a hint.  The first photo in our lineup is a basketful of Barn Owls.  (More on these guys later.) The rest are for you to have fun with!  Don't be shy--jump in there and give us your guesses!  Look for the answers next week.

For more interesting and fascinating facts about owls, join us for one of our Owl Prowl programs being presented now through the end of February.  Registration is required, so don't wait too long to reserve a spot in one of these popular events.  It's a nighttime adventure the whole family will enjoy.  

 

Owl Prowls last approximately 1-1/2 hour and begin at 7:00 p.m.  Remember to dress for the weather as part of the program is held outside on our trails while we try to "hoot up" our local owls.

Cost is $9.00 for adults and $7.00 for children.  

For reservations call:  636-225-4390

A guy walks into a bar with a kookaburra on his head...

Foster the kookaburra is one of my favorite birds to hang with. He’s good looking, has nice eyes, and always laughs at my jokes. I crack him up.

Wintering with the storks

Like many of our birds, Otis the Abdim Stork spends the coldest months of winter inside, enjoying climate control and free fish delivered to his room.

Here you see Otis being a stork. He has beautiful colors, doesn't he?

The Abdim is sometimes referred to as the white-bellied stork. It is the smallest of the stork family and is native to parts of Africa.

Beak of the Week!

Victoria from Colorado you've guessed another beak! Last week's bird was a red-tailed hawk. Great guessing!

Now here's an altogether different beak, belonging to the order Passeriformes. But this is no ordinary song bird. This is a predatory song bird. The owner of this beak impales its food on thorns or barbed wire fences:

But these feet look so dainty and innocent!

I wonder who can guess the identity of this terrifyingly cute little carnivore. Good luck!

Whooo's Who? - Answers

Did we stump you on the owl calls?  No one jumped in and got their feet wet on this one!  

Of course, it may be that most of us don't often hear owl vocalizations unless we are really listening for them--usually after dark or in the wee hours.

Owl #1 is our own Great Horned Owl, Junior.  The description of his vocalization would be:

E.  A low pitched monotone "ho-ho-ho-hoo-hoo"

Owl #2 is our ever popular Eastern Screech Owl, Twig.  The description of his call is:

C. A high pitched trilling call

Owl #3 is our very vocal Barred Owl, Shakespeare.  His call description seems like an odd question:

A.  Which owl is concerned about your dinner? - this owl's call is often described as sounding like "who-who-who cooks for you?"

Owl #4 is the Common Barn Owl.  Pictured is our precocious young Goblin.  Since the barn owl doesn't "hoot", it's calls have been described as:

B.  A series of high pitched hissing screams

Owl #5 is the Saw-whet Owl.  Pictured is one of our newest residents, our shy little Aspen.  The Saw-whet Owl's call is described as:

D.  A monotonous "hoop-hoop-hoop"

Owl #6 is the Eurasian Eagle Owl.  Here you see our majestic Bogart.  His call is described as:

H.  A long, booming "oo-hooh".  This species occasionally issues barking, growling calls if it feels threatened.

#7 in our Owl Parade is the Spectacled Owl.  Pictured is our beautiful, but solemn looking Latte.  This owl's call is described as:

F.  A knocking or tapping "Pup-pup-pup-pup-o" issued in a rising crescendo.  The female issues a hawklike "ker-WHEER"

#8 is the Tawny Owl.  Pictured is our own little Tigger.  The Tawny Owl's call is described as:

G.  The female calls "to-whit", and the male answers "to-woo"

So, to recap, the answers to our quiz are:  1E, 2C, 3A, 4B, 5D, 6H, 7F, and 8G

Check back later in the week for more Owl IQ quizzes about these fascinating creatures.

To join one of our Owl Prowls call 636-225-4390, Ext. 0 to make your reservations.

Beak of the Week!

Last week's mystery beak was a total stumper: the seriema!

This week's beak is a bit more familiar to those of us living in North America. You may have seen one enjoying a lunch of squirrel or, occasionally, a nice fat pigeon.



Perhaps you've noticed these feet perched in a tree in your yard?


Who is this brown-eyed handsome man?


I'll be back with the answer next week!

Whooo's Who?

Since this is the time of year when owls are most active, we thought you might like to test your "Owl I.Q."

A. Which owl's call shows concern about your dinner?

B. Which owl communicates with a high pitched hissing scream?

C. Which owl vocalizes with a high pitched trilling call?

D. Which owl's call is a monotonous "hoop, hoop, hoop"?

E. Which owl calls with a low pitched monotonous "ho-ho-ho-hoo-hoo", and is answered with a higher pitched "girly" version of the same call?

F. Which owl's vocalization sounds like a knocking or tapping "Pup-pup-pup-pup-o" issued in a rising crescendo; and which female owl of the same species has a hawklike "ker-WHEER" call?  (Hint:  This one is not a native species.)

G. Which female owl's call sounds like "to-whit", to be answered by the male's "to-woo"?  (Hint:  This one is not a native species)

H. Which owl issues a long, booming "oo-hooh", and may bark and growl if it feels threatened?  (Hint:  This one is non-native also)

Find out the answers to these and dozens of other fascinating facts about our planet's amazing birds of the night by attending one of our Owl Prowls.  Prowls begin in our Nature Center building where you will meet some of these amazing creatures, and be given a short course on "hooting".  Prowls then proceed onto our outdoor trails, where we will try our hand at hooting to see if we can get some of our local owls to answer.

Don't delay--Owl Prowls are filling up fast, but there are still some openings.  To make reservations call 636-225-4390, Ext. 0.

OWL PROWLS ARE SCHEDULED FOR:

December - 12/13, 12/19, 12/20 & 12/27

January - 1/2, 1/9, 1/10, 1/23 & 1/30

February - 2/6, 2/7, 2/13, 2/20, 2/21, 2/27 & 2/28

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED

Adults - $9.00

Children - $7.00

Sessions start at 7 p.m. and last approximately 1-1/2 hour.

Be sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes or boots as our paths are not paved.

Try your hand at identifying the numbered owl photos, and then matching the photos to their call descriptions.  

For the answers check back for the next installment of "Whooo's Who".

Only a Few Days Left!!!

Just a reminder that there are only a few days left to sign your little one up for our Christmas Is For The Birds program.  If you've been looking to see what other options are out there, wait no more.  This is the most unique children's Christmas program you will find!!  However, time is getting short .  For more detailed information, just click on the photo to enlarge.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fred and all his friends at The World Bird Sanctuary wish you and all your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving! 

On a personal level he wants everyone to know - HAM IS GOOD!!!!

Adopt A Bird Spotlight: Fred the Turkey (Royal Palm Turkey)

Fred's Story

Species:  Royal Palm Turkey

Hatched:  Spring 2006

Fred the Turkey (not to be confused with Fred our Hooded Vulture) was rescued as an egg by one of our staff members.  Another organization had a surplus of turkey eggs, and Fred's was to be discarded.  The egg was incubated here at the World Bird Sanctuary and, after hatching, Fred was hand raised by his rescuer.

It so happened that the staff member who rescued Fred is one of the talented founders of The World Bird Sanctuary's musical group, "The Raptor Project".  This multi-talented group writes, produces, and performs original songs about the amazing creatures they work with every day.  One of their most popular songs, which is featured on the recently released "Save the Future" CD, is "A Turkey Named Fred".  Our real live Fred has become a mascot for this talented group, and has appeared onstage at our annual concert series, which takes place every Thursday evening during the month of August.

In addition to his appearances at Birds in Concert, Fred has also appeared on one of our local television stations for a Thanksgiving promo.  However, not to worry--all the literature tells us that Royal Palm Turkeys are not bred for the table.  They are usually kept for their feathers, and as small farm pets because of their bug catching abilities.

Fred is usually pretty good natured for a Tom, but can be aggressive toward people he perceives as a threat--such as keepers who must catch him up to weigh him and give him shots.

Your adoption donation will help to keep Fred strutting his stuff in the coming year.  To adopt Fred call 636-225-4390.  The adoption donation for Fred is $100.00.

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

Royal Palm Turkey

Description:  attractive, small sized turkey; white with sharply contrasting metallic black edging on the feathers; saddle is black and tail is pure white with each feather having a band of black and an edge of white; coverts are white with a bank of black; wings are white with narrow edge of black on each feather; breast is white with exposed portion of each feather ending in a band of black to form a contrast of black and white similar to the scales of a fish; shanks and toes are deep pink; eyes are brown; beards are black; heads are red to bluish white; red to bluish white wattles; first known bird in America to have this color pattern appeared in a mixed flock in Lake Worth, Florida, in 1920

Sex:  hens considerably smaller than Toms, and do not have the beard, display feathers, or large loose wattles of the Toms

Weight:  Toms - 22 lbs; Hens - 12 lbs.

Habitat:  This is a domesticated farm animal

Status:  considered a heritage turkey breed; The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy categorizes them as critical on it's watchlist, and in danger of extinction

Behavior:  usually kept as a flock of one Tom to several hens; hens will lay one egg every other day from March through August or September if eggs are collected daily; if they have a full nest they will begin to brood

Vocalization:  Toms will gobble to attract a hen; hens have a variety of low clucking calls

» Some hens will have beards, but they do not usually develop until the second year

Meet Fred the Turkey

Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday we wanted to introduce you to one of our celebrities, Fred the Turkey. 

Fred's star has been rising fast since the release of our in-house band's "Save the Future" CD.  This entertaining and educational children's CD was created and is performed by our talented "Raptor Project" band.  By far one of the favorite songs on the CD is "A Turkey Named Fred", which accounts for the meteoric rise of Fred's popularity.  

Of course, there are other species featured on the CD, such as "The Vulture Song", "The Owl Song", "Don't Be a Dodo", "The Raven Song", and "Hawk of the Highway" to name just a few.  However, Fred's not worried.  He's convinced that a bird with his magnificent presence can stave off the competition.

 Just to be on the safe side, though, he's keeping a low profile until after this Thursday!

If you'd like to hear about Fred and his competition, copies of the CD can be purchased in our Raptique Gift Shop.  What a great gift for the little ones on your Christmas list!  Pssst!  I'll let you in on a little known secret.  The big kids will like it too!

Good-bye Old Friend

Some of you may know by now that we have recently lost our dear little Thick Billed Parrot, Quasi.  He will be missed by staff and visitors alike, especially the children.  His happy go lucky personality seemed to draw the children like a magnet, and they loved the fact that they could usually get him to talk to them.

Following is the email notice sent to staff, volunteers and interns by our Director of Education, Teri Schroer:

"It is with a sad heart that I am writing today to let you know that Quasi, our Thick Billed Parrot, passed away overnight Saturday night.  As many of you know, Quasi has always been a special needs parrot due to bone abnormalities he was hatched with.  Over the years he has battled sinus issues every winter, but this year they never seemed to go away.  Late this summer we realized that his sinuses were no longer draining and that they were clogged with granuloma.  With the help of Dr. Stacey Scheaffer we tried many different things to clear Quasi's sinuses to give him relief.  Throughout all of his many breathing treatments, nose drops, oral meds, x-rays, etc., Quasi was his typical sweet easy going self.  Unfortunately, last week his breathing became labored and over the course of the week he progressively became worse.  Dr. Stacey did an amazing job of researching what we could do for this little guy, but in the end it was to no avail.

"Quasi was an asset to our education programs, and will be sorely missed by everyone here at WBS."

Even though the above may sound like extreme and heroic measures for one small parrot, it is the type of care rendered to all of the animals at WBS when they are in distress.  If you would like to make a donation toward the medical care of our animals, just click on the donate button.

Beak of the Week!

There were good guesses for last week's beak, our adorable cockatiel, Romeo. Victoria in Colorado, congrats on being the first!

Native to South America, this beak might be seen in Bolivia, preparing its lunch by banging a lizard or rodent on the ground:


This eye gleams when it sees me bringing a favorite treat, the rat tail!


These skinny legs can run upwards of 43 MPH!


Good luck beak fans. I'll be back next week with the answer and another mystery beak!

The beak is back!

Beak Of The Week took a brief sabbatical last week, but here we are for another thrilling installment! That spooky Halloween beak was an owl, as Steve guessed, and a barred owl to be specific. Thanks for guessing Steve and great job!

This week's beak always makes me smile and seems to smile back. Some of you may recognize this little charmer from your own home:


The look of love:


These feet will walk a thousand miles for a sunflower seed or a peanut. Preferably both:

Good luck guessing this extra cute beak!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE A HOOT?

OWL PROWLS ARE HERE AGAIN!!

Yes folks, it's that time of year when romance is in the air--at least if you're an owl!

We at the World Bird Sanctuary take advantage of our local owls' amorous yearnings to teach our guests some little known facts about these creatures of the night, and to have some fun while learning.

We'll start out the Owl Prowl experience in our Nature Center classroom where a Naturalist will introduce guests to some of these fascinating creatures. We will discuss many of the myths and legends associated with them, as well as some of the fascinating behaviors that make these creatures unique.



Following this "learning" session, we will venture out after dark along the paths on the Sanctuary grounds to try to "hoot up" some of the lovesick owls that inhabit the area.

Owl Prowls take place from November through February on the following dates:

November - 11/1, 11/7, 11/8, 11/15, 11/21, 11/22 & 11/29
December - 12/13, 12/19, 12/20 & 12/27
January - 1/2, 1/9, 1/10, 1/23 & 1/30
February - 2/6, 2/7, 2/13, 2/20, 2/21, 2/27 & 2/28

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Call 636-225-4390 Ext. 0.
Adults - $9.00
Children - $7.00

Sessions start at 7 p.m. and last approximately 1-1/2 hour

Be sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes as our paths are not paved.

Owl Prowl posts are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.

Niles loves his dogfood

As you can see in this video, Niles the African southern ground hornbill is better at catching the treats than I am at throwing them. We are working on my skills.

Adopt a Bird Spotlight: Acorn (Eastern Screech Owl)

Acorn's Story

Species: Eastern Screech Owl (Red Phase)
Hatched: 1995

Acorn is a real crowd pleaser. Whenever he comes on stage the comment is usually, "Isn't he cute!" but don't let his looks fool you. For their size, Eastern Screech Owls are among the feircest predators in nature.

Acorn is a verteran performer and has participated in presentations at Sea World Ohio near Cleveland among other venues. He is currently a favorite of the thousands of children who meet him in schools and auditoriums during one of our Raptor Awareness or Fur Feathers and Scales programs.

Your adoption fee will help to feed, house and care for Acorn in the coming year, so that he can continue to educate and entertain the future generation.

To adopt Acorn, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $50 and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: ACORN. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you 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

eastern screech owl
Otus asio

Description smallest eared owl in the eastern US; color ranges from grey to brown to reddish, but considered to be found in 2 color phases; gray found mostly in the north; red found mostly in the south; plumage is an excellent example of cryptic camouflage; color pattern of plumage resembles the bark of the trees so closely they are nearly invisible when still; identified by ear tufts and textured coloration

Sex: no visible differences between male and female

Age: up to 13 years

Length: 7-10”

Wingspan: 18-24”

Weight: 5-9 oz.

Habitat: wood lots, heavily wooded regions in rural areas, wooded strips of residential areas

Status: populations currently stable due to it’s ability to adapt to residential areas; often falls victim to vehicle collisions

Range: United States east of the Rocky Mountains and into northeastern Mexico

Behavior: nests in natural tree cavities, old woodpecker holes or man-made nest boxes; female lays 4-6 eggs that are incubated for 25-27 days; both parents feed the young; owlets leave the nest in about 4 weeks, but will be tended by the parents for another 5-6 weeks; can reproduce at 1 year of age

Diet: mainly insects, small mammals, birds, crayfish and earthworms

Vocalization: call is a long, high pitched, trilling call

√ have been known to visit backyard birdfeeders at night, where they hunt from a perched position then swoop down to catch the mice that come to feed on fallen seed

√ this bird is fond of bathing and has been known to visit backyard birdbaths at night

√ although small, this owl is fearless and has been known to dive at dogs, cats and even humans when defending it’s young

Adopt A Bird profiles are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.

Utterly Horrifying Beak of the Week!

Lindsay from IN, you were right: last week's beak was an owl. Victoria in CO you were EXTRA correct: he is a screech owl. Awesome guessing!

This week's beak is the most chilling, bizarre, scary, weird, and nightmarish beak in the world, if you are a North American mouse. I'd stay indoors at night if I new this monstrosity was lurking about!

Gasp!

Shudder!

Scream and run away!

Fortunately I am a human and not on this beak's menu. Bad luck, horrible guessing, and Happy Halloween!!!!!

Frighteningly adorable

Yes, you guessed it...Niles! If I could go as anybody for Halloween, it would be Niles. He even wears Halloweeny colors.