St.
Louis is world renowned for being the home of the birds….the St. Louis
Cardinals baseball team, that is.
In addition to being the
home of the famed St. Louis Cardinals, however, Saint
Louis is home to several species of birds of prey, and is also used as a
stopping point for other species during the migration.
A Red-tailed Hawk fledgling recuperating in one of our Wildlife Hospital flight cages (photo by Adam Triska)
Birds of prey are all
around us in St. Louis--from Great Horned Owls in Forest Park, to Peregrine
Falcons on top of the AT&T building, to Bald Eagles riding the thermals
over the arch grounds. Spotting
birds of prey is a great indication that the ecosystem in our neck of the woods
is healthy and hearty.
This is a new thing for many people in St. Louis for the most part. Being protected all across our country,
birds of prey have flourished and reestablished in urban areas, therefore
becoming much more visible to urban dwellers. Just in my neighborhood, we have Great Horned Owls and
Red-tailed Hawks. At my aunt’s
house in Maplewood, Missouri, there are Barred Owls just steps away in Deer
Creek behind her house.
All of the different birds
of prey found in St. Louis each fill a significant role that urban environments
naturally possess. Being highly
intelligent and having the ability to coexist in such close proximity to
humans, is quite an impressive feat.
….so hats off to the birds for adapting and soaring in such conditions.
If you would like to learn
more about a bird of prey that you have spotted in your neighborhood, take a
trip out to the World Bird Sanctuary where you will be able to view representatives
of your new urban neighbors up close and learn all about their habits and
needs.
1 comment:
Excellent points about how birds of prey are all over urban and suburban areas like St. Louis. Thank you for the mention of the Great Horned Owls in Forest Park!
Sincerely,
Mark H.X. Glenshaw
Forest Park Owls
http://forestparkowls.blogspot.com@forestparkowls
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