Double Trouble At The VIC- Jane & Adele

Few animals are as popular at the World Bird Sanctuary with children as those that they can actually touch.

We have several different breeds of chickens on display on our exhibit line, most with coin operated feeding stations nearby where you can feed the chickens.  For the children this is one of the most popular stops on our exhibit line.  So the recent addition of not just one, but two Bantam Cochin Chickens to our Visitor’s Information Center has received rave reviews from our young guests.  The chickens are siblings that were hatched right here at WBS. 

 Jane and Adele usually have free run of the Visitor's Center buildiing (photo by Billie Baumann)

We named the two resident educational chickens at the Visitor’s Center after characters in the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte—Jane and Adele.  When the weather is too cold outside, you can find them running free, chasing one another around inside the Visitor’s Center building.  When the weather is nice enough, they go to an outdoor enclosure on the side of the building, where they can soak up some sunshine and dig around in the rocks and dirt for bugs and grubs.  They also love to take dust baths.  The two chickens are pretty much inseparable, and can be quite entertaining.

The Visitor’s Center (also called the Environmental Education Center) is really one of the most interactive areas to visit at the World Bird Sanctuary.  There is as much to see inside this little building as there is to see on the outside.  There are two different types of live snakes on display, as well as two different types of owls. 

A very interactive and hands on display is our “Touch Table” where kids can actually handle and learn about animal artifacts like a turkey beard, a deer hoof, different footprint molds, feathers, shells, furs, etc.  They can also pick up a free Activity Book of fun things that can be done at home.  Be sure to check out all of the cool and interesting displays on all four walls.

Egg display (photo by Billie Baumann)

You can see eggs from numerous species of birds....

Skull display (photo by Billie Baumann)

.... or skulls from various birds like raptors, parrots and even a pelican.

Tracks display (photo by Billie Baumann)

You can try and guess which tracks were made by what type of animal at one of the displays. 

Fossil display (photo by Billie Baumann)

There’s also a display featuring different types of fossils, and one that has different kinds of scat (a fancy way of saying, “wildlife poop”). 

Scat display (photo by Billie Baumann)

On the countertop there are several different nature books containing tons of facts and information about animals, the environment and more.  You can also check out our Adopt-A-Bird book and help sponsor the care of one of the permanent residents of the World Bird Sanctuary.

Just outside of the Visitor’s Center building there’s a weathering area in which you can see different live birds of prey from several countries up close, within a few feet. 

The weathering area (photo by Sandra Lowe)

Nearby there’s a water feature that has a few good-sized goldfish and it’s right next to one of our main songbird feeding stations.  If you sit quietly for just a spell, you’ll likely see several different types of woodpeckers, tufted titmouse, nuthatches, doves and more. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker (photo by Gay Schroer)

WBS is located in an area that is right in the path of migration for many species of birds, so depending on the time of year that you visit, you could also see warblers, bluebirds, cardinals and many more.

A lot can be learned in the little building that is the Visitor’s Center (or EEC).  We hope you’ll enjoy your visit!

Submitted by Billie Baumann, former World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist