WBS Winter Migration

As the leaves start to fall off the trees and the temperatures drop, some of the birds on the World Bird Sanctuary exhibit line will be moved to the lower site for the winter—a winter migration of sorts.

The birds that will be moved to the lower site are older individuals, birds with special needs, and species that can’t take the cold temperatures that we have here in Saint Louis.  The birds moving to the lower site will be with us until the nights are in the mid 40’s so it could be around early May before they are back on display.

Skinner is one of the birds that will be moved to a more protected location (photo: Gay Schroer)

The individual birds that will be moved for the winter are our three Turkey Vultures Skinner, Icky, and Turk.  They are all birds that are around twenty years old and need to be indoors because the three of them have arthritis and the cold temperatures are hard on their joints.   They will be in an enclosure that is blocked from the wind and covered so snow and ice can’t bother them.  Rodney the Harris’s Hawk and Timigen the Red-tailed Hawk are birds that also have arthritis and will need to come down to the lower site for the cold months ahead of us.

There are a few species that are on the display line that are found in warmer climates that will have to spend the winter at the lower site as well. The four brown pelicans and the Laughing Kookaburra will spend the winter in the ETC (WBS’s Education Training Center) so they can be in a controlled environment.

Chadder the Laughing Kookaburra will be moved to a heated building (Photo: Gay Schroer)

Lastly our special needs bird Elida the Bald Eagle who has an injured leg will need to be housed in an enclosure that can be blocked from the wind and covered to keep out the snow and ice, so her injured leg doesn’t get too cold.

Ookpik the Snowy Owl loves the cold and snow and will remain on display (Photo: Gay Schroer)

Even with the Turkey vultures, Harris’s hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Brown Pelicans, Kookaburra, and the Bald eagle Elida at the lower site, the exhibit line will have many species of birds for the public to see.  Some of my personal favorites that will be out all winter include our Golden Eagles, Andean Condor, and the Snowy Owls who have no problem in the winter.  We will of course have many Bald Eagles for you to see!

Geronimo and her friend Remington will remain in their enclosure on the exhibit line (Photo: Gay Schroer)

I encourage you all to come out and enjoy the birds on the exhibit line this winter.

Submitted by Adam Triska,  former World Bird Sanctuary Director of Lower Site Management