Patriot

World Bird Sanctuary friend and poet, Marge Biermann, gives us the story of Patriot’s rescue and path back to good health.

The “bad guys” referred to in her prose are World Bird Sanctuary staff members Roger Holloway, Joe Hoffmann and Jeff Meshach, who nursed her back to health, but in the process had to do “bad things” to her such as restraining her to give medications.  Even though this all occurred in 1995, whenever she spies any of them—even at a distance—she loudly issues her territorial call.

Meet a Patriot

Patriot, the Bald Eagle, what a story to tell,

Starting her life from a tree that suddenly fell.

Though thought to die like her siblings in that storm,

She survived with loving hands that kept her warm.

Fed and nurtured, and nursed through pneumonia’s grip,

Her caretakers worked hard to not let her slip.

Finally she thrived and grew…seven pounds in two weeks.

These are the joyous results a true bird lover seeks.

Though now not able to take to the skies,

And feeling her saviors were really the “bad guys”,

She has become a much-loved celebrity…A star,

Having made appearances in places near and far.

Her favorite “Gig” was home plate as our anthem played.

She stood with great pride, her every feather displayed.

Showing us that all creatures can peacefully abide,

Because WBS restored Patriot and her national pride.

To share the satisfaction of the experience in caring,

You might consider a donation in a way of sharing.

Who knows, someday you may see an eagle high in a tree,

And you’ll feel in your heart you helped him fly free.

The next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary look for Patriot in the weathering area behind the visitor’s center.  That’s where she usually resides when she’s not traveling with our Education Department staff.

As with all of our residents, Patriot is available for adoption through our Adopt A Bird program.

The Top Eleven

The Top Eleven Things You Can Do To Become A Super Bird Nerd!

WBS receives no federal or state funding.  Your Friend membership will help to support all aspects of our mission. In the photo above volunteer Jena Baumgarten educates visitors about Sassy the American Kestrel and her species. (photo: Gay Schroer)

Become A Friend Of World Bird Sanctuary – World Bird Sanctuary receives no state or Federal funding to do all we do.  That includes seeing 400+

birds per year at our wildlife hospital, conducting field studies such as banding and tracking bird populations, breeding birds both for reintroduction to the wild and for education purposes and presenting world class education programs to public and private audiences.  World Bird Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3), non profit, tax exempt organization.

Your WBS Friend Membership Includes:

*            One year’s subscription to our newsletter—the Mews News—printed three times per year.

*            Reusable WBS shopping bag

*            10% discount on all World Bird Sanctuary merchandise in our gift shop

*            10% discount on all public programs offered at World Bird Sanctuary, such as Owl Prowls, Nature Hikes, etc.

*            Invitations to members-only events held at World Bird Sanctuary

An individual membership costs just $35.00, a family membership is $50.00.  Click Here to become a friend.

Your $25 donation feeds me for one week  (photo subject - Captain, a young Bald Eagle) (photo: Dawn Griffard)

 DONATE!

*            $25.00 feeds one Bald Eagle for one week

*            $10.00 feeds a Screech Owl for one month

*            $20.00 buys bedding for our rabbit for two months.

Your donated dollars go a long way to take care of our animals.  Click Here  to make a donation.

Your inscribed brick will be installed in our amphitheater and will be a lasting tribute to the honoree (photo: Gay Schroer)

Buy A Brick! – celebrate a special occasion, a bird-loving family member, your business or organization or your family by buying a brick to be installed in our amphitheater for all visitors to see!  Or commemorate the life of a loved one who has passed on.  Bricks cost between $125.00 - $425.00 depending on size, inscription and logos.  Click here to order your brick. 

You can adopt Goblin (or any of our other animals) for a year  (photo:  Dawn Griffard) 

Adopt A Bird! – All of the birds and animals that call the World Bird Sanctuary home are available for adoption.  An adoption fee helps us take care of your specially chosen animal for one full year.  In addition to the warm fuzzies you’ll have knowing that you are helping your favorite animal at the sanctuary, you’ll also receive the following!

*            Certificate of Adoption with a full color photograph of your special animal

*            World Bird Sanctuary sponsorship for one year

*            One year’s subscription to our newsletter – the Mews News – printed three times per year

*            Natural history and life history of your special adopted animal

*            Plush bird toy

*            Reusable WBS shopping bag

*            10% discount on all World Bird Sanctuary merchandise in our gift shop

*            10% discount on all public programs offered at World Bird Sanctuary, such as Owl Prowls, Nature Hikes, etc.

*            Visiting privileges and photo opportunities with your special new member of your family (just call ahead first to make sure your adopted friend won’t be out on a program).

To Adopt A Bird or other resident animal Click Here or call 636-861-3225 and ask for Marion.

Sign Up For A FREE Schnucks eScrip Card – Every Purchase Counts!

The World Bird Sanctuary can benefit every time you shop at Schnucks Supermarkets.

Sign up for an eScrip card and Schnucks will donate up to 3% of every dollar you spend to World Bird Sanctuary.  There is no cost to you!  Just present your card (which you can easily keep on your keychain)

You can get an eScrip card at any Schnucks store and activate it with World Bird Sanctuary as your beneficiary.

Fill out on-line at www.escrip.com

Or download the form and we will send you one – it couldn’t be easier!

Rehabilitation of just one bird is costly .  Help to defray the cost and at the same time personally return a bird to the wild. (photo: Joe Hoffmann, WBS Hospital Manager, looks on as Dr. Stacey Schaeffer treats an injured Great Horned Owl) (photo: Gay Schroer)

Return to the Wild – Take part in the release of a rehabilitated bird!

Returning a bird of prey back to the wild can cost up to $1,000 in care and rehabilitation.  Your contribution of only $150 helps the sanctuary defer some of those costs and gives YOU the opportunity to participate in the release of a wild bird of prey!

Invite family and friends to join you in releasing a bird of prey at your home or nearby park.  Celebrate a wedding, birthday, anniversary, family reunion, school or corporate function with this special gift.

The World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital is a cornerstone of the World Bird Sanctuary and is entirely funded by donations from the public.

Help us give our patients a second chance to fly.  Click on the following link to sponsor a release today, then click on the Donate button – or call 636-225-4390, Ext. 101.

We train hard to be on the eagle flight team.  Your sponsorship helps to pay for our food, housing and training (Clark the Bald Eagle practices glove to glove flights)  (photo: Gay Schroer)

Sponsor Our Eagle Flight Team

Our Eagle Flight Team flies for special occasions such as St. Louis Cardinal’s ball games, corporate events, St. Louis Earth Day, Veteran’s Day events, and various local, state & government events.

Our team consists of four Bald Eagles:  Lewis, Clark, Buford and Norbert, who need their regular round-the-clock care along with travel and other expenses.  Your team sponsorship helps our eagle team with these expenses, but also celebrates the glory of the Bald Eagle’s survival in the wild in North America!  Together as a nation, we have brought these precious creatures back from the brink of extinction.

Every time our eagles fly it reminds all who experience the sight why these beautiful birds are our national symbol.  To sponsor an Eagle flight Click Here

We are so excited about our newest t-shirts.  They feature photos of our own birds!  Come check them out at the Raptique Gift Shop (photo: Dawn Griffard)

Purchase Items At Our Nature Center Gift Shop – The Raptique

Our gift shop features a variety of items for kids and adults alike.  Choose from plush birds and animals, geodes, pins, patches, hats, custom t-shirts (some featuring our own birds), toys, collectibles, hand painted glass mugs and wineglasses, jewelry and more!  All proceeds for the gift shop go directly to the support and care of our birds and animals.

During your visit ask one of the naturalists how I help the environment…I am a very interesting fella!  (Photo above is Kinsey the Turkey Vulture) (photo: Dawn Griffard

VISIT!

Come enjoy our sprawling 305 acres of oak-hickory forest.  Bring the family, take a hike, have a picnic at one of our picnic tables or under a shelter, talk to our birds and animals, watch the wild birds and animals, chat with one of our staff naturalists or volunteers.  Breathe deep the surrounding sweet air.  Become familiar with us and our animal family – become one of us.

Volunteers fill many niches at WBS-from working in the hospital to doing clerical & carpentry work.  For working with the birds volunteers receive on-the-job training from our experienced staff members.  (photo: Gay Schroer)

Volunteer

The World Bird Sanctuary offers many ways to volunteer with us.  You can be a Naturalist, an Animal Care Technician, a Rehabilitation Technician, a Docent, or assist with bird banding, maintenance or clerical work. 

Junior volunteers can start at age thirteen and can help as a Naturalist, in education programs and with animal maintenance.  To learn more about our Junior Volunteer program or to download a Junior Volunteer application Click Here.

Volunteering with us is a gratifying experience.  Some of our volunteers have been with us for twenty years or more!  Come fall in love with our birds and our lifestyle.  You’ll be glad you did. 

To learn more about our volunteer program or to download an application Click Here.

Submitted by Dawn Griffard, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Meet Coal

The story of how Coal, the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), came to the World Bird Sanctuary is unusual to say the least! 

Coal, a Great Horned Owl (photo: Gay Schroer)

He arrived in 1984 while still an egg, from a coal plant in Florida.  A female owl had laid an egg under a seldom-used coal conveyor belt!  When they were getting ready to use this area a worker was inspecting it and found the “nest” under the conveyor. The owl had scraped a bowl in the coal dust and laid two eggs in it.

Our founder, Walter Crawford, happened to be in Tampa on business at the time, and received a call saying that there were two black eggs under the conveyor belt.  The concept of black eggs sounded odd so he went to the plant to check it out.  He ended up taking the eggs because they would have been destroyed when the conveyer started, acquired permission from wildlife officials, and brought them back from Florida in his pocket.  He did not really think they would hatch but in the end Coal hatched and his origin is how he received his name.  Surprisingly, he did not have any ill effects from the coal dust.

Having been hatched and raised by humans, Coal is very calm and accustomed to being around people.  This makes him a great member of our education department as they travel all over the country and present hundreds of programs every year.  Each year our programs are viewed by close to a million people, and while Coal doesn’t take part in all of them, he certainly travels a lot!

Look for Coal in the weathering area (photo: Gay Schroer)

Lately, Coal has been busy with our ‘Owl Prowl’ programs, which take place from November to March.  We introduce our visitors to various owl species and then go for a night hike to see if we can ‘hoot’ to find any wild owls that live in the neighborhood.  Coal is a great part of the program because he will hoot at the least suggestion of another owl (or person!) hooting to him!  To hear an owl live and listen for wild ones to answer is such a big thrill!

When we refer to Coal as “he” it is because we believe him to be a male due to his small size.  As with most birds of prey, the females are larger than the males.  To determine the sex, as there are no external indications, we would need to take blood samples, which is a stressful procedure for the birds!

When you visit the World Bird Sanctuary, look for Coal in the weathering area behind the Nature Center.  This is where he usually resides when not traveling to an education program with our staff.

As with all of our animals, Coal is available for adoption through out Adopt A Bird program.  To adopt Coal, Click Here, or call 636-861-3225 and ask to speak to Marion.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Birds On The Line: Dorothy

One of my favorite birds on the World Bird Sanctuary exhibit line is Dorothy, the Andean Condor.  I have had the pleasure to watch this amazing bird grow from a chick to a young adult. 

Closeup of Dorothy (photo: Cathy Spahn) 

Every year (with each molt) her colors change as her feathers transform into those of an adult condor.  I remember seeing her for the first time in the summer of 2006 when she was with her parents in our behind the scenes Condor enclosure; she was this little brown fuzz ball.  It is now 9 years later and she is almost a fully feathered adult.

This little fuzzball is baby Dorothy napping (photo: Cathy Spahn)

The Andean Condor, Vultur gryphus, lives in the mountainous regions of South America.  The Andean Condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world.  They tip the scale at 20 t 25 lbs, are up to 4 ft tall, and have a wingspan up to 10 ft.  Adult Andean Condors are mostly black with a fluffy white ruff of feathers around their neck and white patches along their wings.  They also have grayish red heads, the adult females have red eyes, and the males have a fleshy lump on the front of their heads called a caruncle. 

The Andean Condor lays its egg in a cave or rocky area.  They lay only one egg every other year.  The Andean condor was placed on the Endangered Species List in 1973.  They have been the victims of over-hunting, killed because farmers thought condors were killing livestock.  In fact, as with all vultures and their kin, condors feed on carrion (animals that have already died).  Pesticide poisoning has also affected the population.

Many zoos and other organizations have worked on breeding the Andean Condor and releasing them back into the wild. World Bird Sanctuary assisted with this program back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.  Dorothy’s parents, Gryph and Laurel, were housed at the World Bird Sanctuary for many years as part of the species survival program.   During the 10 years they were with us, they produced 6 chicks, 5 of which were sent to Venezuela for release to the wild.  Laurel and Gryph are now back at the Cincinnati Zoo, which was their home before they came to us.

Dorothy sunning (photo: Cathy Spahn) 

Dorothy is a very friendly young avian ambassador and can be seen many days sunning herself in her enclosure.  When vultures sun they sit with their wings open to maximize the amount of solar rays absorbed, somewhat like a solar collector.  Ultimately the sun transforms oils on their feathers into vitamin D, so when Dorothy preens her feathers, she takes in this important vitamin.

Dorothy is a very curious condor and loves to play with the toys in her enclosure.  She considers the hose a very special toy when we are trying to clean her exhibit or give her fresh water.

As with all of our resident animals, Dorothy is available for adoption through the World Bird Sanctuary’s Adopt A Bird program. Adoption does not mean that you can take her home, but you receive many cool items through the mail and you will help to feed and care for her during the coming year. If you are a fan of Dorothy’s please head to our website and adopt her.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Whooo is THAT bird over there?

Visitors to the nature center at the World Bird Sanctuary often notice an unusual-looking owl in the weathering area.  The Naturalists at the nature  center often hear the question – “What is THAT bird over there?” – as the visitor points in amazement at our Mia, the Spectacled Owl.

Closeup of Mia (photo: Dawn Griffard)

Mia often gets much attention for her exotic markings.  She is a beautiful caramel and black color with a swooping beige “uni-brow” and has a seemingly extremely prideful gaze.

Mia is a beautiful representation of her species, which is indigenous to Mexico, Central America and the northern part of South America.

Mia's beautiful color and markings often draw "oohs" and "aahs" from visitors (photo: Dawn Griffard)

Spectacled Owls prefer dense tropical rainforests but can also be found in dry forests, treed savannah habitats and open areas with scattered trees. Like most raptors, Spectacled Owls are generally not social birds.  This owl is nocturnal. Because of deforestation of rainforests, the Spectacled Owl may be in trouble in the near future.

Spectacled Owls are not particular when it comes to their diet. They will eat just about anything that ventures into the area they are patrolling. To catch their prey, they will simply drop from the tree branch on which they are perched with a swooping pounce. These owls will dine on anything from caterpillars and beetles to frogs, mice, smaller birds, opossums and skunks.

Nesting season is generally from January to August. They are cavity nesters, as are many other species of owls.  The incubation of their eggs lasts about 36 days.

Fledglings are ready to fly at about six to eight weeks. These little ones will not acquire their full adult plumage for up to five years. When hatched, they are beige/white with black, heart-shaped faces.

Our Mia was hatched at the North Carolina Zoo and was hand-raised so that she would be easy to work with in our educational programs. In 1994, she became a part of the World Bird Sanctuary’s spring/summer program at Grant’s Farm in St. Louis and since then went to Tampa, Florida to be in the sanctuary’s show at Busch Gardens.  More recently she has also made appearances at the winter Owl Prowls here at WBS and has starred in many educational programs.  She has free flown in WBS’s bird show at Stone Zoo in Boston.

Mia sunning in the weathering area (photo Dawn Griffard)

Now retired from free flying in shows, Mia still engages crowds by appearing in our programs as a glove-handled bird. She enjoys playing with sticks and leaves in the weathering area and can be a great conversationalist as she chatters with her “pup-pup-pup-pup-pup” and warbling hoot. Mia is now 22 years old, and according to those who have known her for a good part of her life, she only gets sweeter with age.

Mia is available for adoption through our Adopt-A-Bird program! For a mere $100.00, you can become Mia’s “adoptive family”, helping to care for her for an entire year.  You will also receive the following:

• Certificate of Adoption with a full color photograph
• World Bird Sanctuary sponsorship for one year
• One year’s subscription to our newsletter – the Mews News – printed three times per year
• Natural history and life history of your special adopted animal
• Plush bird toy
• Reusable WBS shopping bag
• 10% discount on all World Bird Sanctuary merchandise in our gift shop
• 10% discount on all public programs offered at World Bird Sanctuary, such as Owl Prowls, Nature Hikes, etc.
• Visiting privileges and photo opportunities with the special new member of your family (just call ahead first to make sure she will be here).

We hope that you will consider adopting our Mia and become a part of the World Bird Sanctuary family!

 

Submitted by Dawn Griffard, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Shop Green This Year

Shop Green this holiday with World Bird Sanctuary's Gift Giving Guide!

PLUS: Scroll down for a coupon!

Make them smile this holiday season with a unique heartwarming gift that makes a difference!   Your choice to fulfill your holiday gift list from World Bird Sanctuary's selection of gifts will provide you with unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that will have your friends and family feeling special.  It will also help the World Bird Sanctuary to continue to fulfill our mission through wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education.

Return to the Wild!  Buy a gift certificate for the release of a rehabilitated bird back into the wild.

Treating a wild bird of prey admitted to our wildlife hospital can cost up to $1,000.  This special gift certificate entitles the recipient to take part in the release of a rehabilitated bird back into the wild.  Invite family and friends to release a bird of prey at your home or nearby park.  The World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital is a cornerstone of the World Bird Sanctuary, and is entirely funded by donations from the public. Help us give our patients a second chance to fly. Buy a Return to the Wild! Gift Certificate today!

$150.00.  Click here  to order your Return to the Wild! Gift Certificate, or email Catherine Redfern (link: credfern@worldbirdsanctuary.org), or call 636-225-4390 ext. 102.

Help us Pave the Way!   Buy-a-Brick and help us pave our amphitheater while leaving a lasting impression of your environmental values!

 The stairs are done!  Next area to be paved with inscribed bricks--the amphitheater.

Your brick will be laid in our amphitheater.  Each year our environmental education programs teach thousands of people how to make small everyday changes that will have a lasting environmentally sustainable impact for years to come.  Your purchase of one of our engraved bricks will allow us to achieve this goal, while providing you with a new and lasting way to recognize loved ones or commemorate special occasions.

Options range from $125 - $425  Click here to order your Engraved Brick.

Adopt-a-Bird! Make someone special the proud adoptive parent of one of over 200 animals at World Bird Sanctuary!

Acorn the Eastern Screech Owl is just one of the many animals available for adoption.

Your adoption fees help us to care for your animal for one year, as they live at the Sanctuary and travel around the country, teaching thousands of people about how to protect their friends in the wild and their habitats!  Your adoption packet includes a Certificate of Adoption, photographs and natural histories of your adopted animal and special visiting privileges.

Adoptions range from $25 - $150.  Click here to see our gallery of animals available for adoption. 

Give the Gift of Friendship!  A "Friend of World Bird Sanctuary" Gift Subscription is the gift that keeps giving all year!
Give the gift of friendship by giving your friends or family a gift subscription as a World Bird Sanctuary Friend.  WBS Friends receive invitations to "Friends only" events, and a membership card gives Friends a 10% discount on program fees at World Bird Sanctuary and on any item in our gift shop.

"Friends" subscriptions range from $35 - $100.  Click here to sign a friend or family member up for the "Friends" program.

Special gifts to Help our Wildlife Hospital!  All proceeds from the sale of these products go directly to treating and caring for animals in our wildlife hospital.

”Save the Future” CD and "All Across The Watershed" CD

World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, The Raptor Project, has released two CDs, Save the Future and All Across The Watershed.  They consist of original songs about birds, the environment and taking care of our planet.  These fun and entertaining children's CDs comes with lyric sheets and education sheets embedded in the CD.

Save the Future CD or All Along The Watershed CD - $12 plus $3 shipping and handling for each.
Click here to order.

Valid from November 29^th to December 24^th, 2013, only – shop in our gift shop and get 10% of all purchases on gift shop items, Adopt a Bird packages and Friends Memberships.  Not valid on Return to the Wild.  Not valid for online purchases.

To print the coupon:

*   MAC users--click on the image, hold down the mouse and drag the image to your desktop.  Open the image and print as usual.

*  PC users--hover the mouse over the image, click "Open Image in a New Tab"--it will open a new tab with just the image.  Print as usual.  Or alternatively--print the whole blog page and bring it in.

Thank you for considering World Bird Sanctuary when you do your holiday gift shopping this year.  For even more 'green gifts' visit the World Bird Sanctuary gift shop,located in our Nature Center, where we have many seasonal items and apparel for sale.

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, Director of Development, World Bird Sanctuary.

World Bird Sanctuary Is YOUR Bird Sanctuary

For over 37 years World Bird Sanctuary has been serving the communities of Missouri and beyond, protecting bird species and their habitats.  Our success in this endeavor is due to the dedication of our staff and volunteers, and the members of our community who invest in our mission.

World Bird Sanctuary has many fun and memorable ways for you to show your support – and most of them are as easy as a few clicks on your mouse!

Return to the Wild!  Buy a gift certificate for the release of a rehabilitated bird back into the wild.

Treating a wild bird of prey admitted to our wildlife hospital can cost up to $1,000.  This special gift certificate entitles the recipient to take part in the release of a rehabilitated bird back into the wild.  Invite family and friends to release a bird of prey at your home or nearby park.   The World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital is a cornerstone of the World Bird Sanctuary, and is entirely funded by donations from the public.  Help us give our patients a second chance to fly.  Buy a Return to the Wild! Gift Certificate today!

$150.00.  Click here to order your Return to the Wild! Gift Certificate, or email Catherine Redfern, or call 636-225-4390 ext. 102.

Help us Pave the Way!   Buy-a-Brick and help us pave our amphitheater while leaving a lasting impression of your environmental values! 

Your brick will be laid in our amphitheater.  Each year our environmental education programs teach thousands of people how to make small everyday changes that will have a lasting environmentally sustainable impact for years to come.  Your purchase of one of our engraved bricks will allow us to achieve this goal, while providing you with a new and lasting way to recognize loved ones or commemorate special occasions.

Options range from $125 - $425 

Click here to order your Engraved Brick.

Adopt-a-Bird! Make someone special the proud adoptive parent of one of over 200 animals at World Bird Sanctuary!

Your adoption fees help us care for your animal for one year, as they live at the Sanctuary and travel around the country, teaching thousands of people about how to protect their friends in the wild and their habitats!  Your adoption packet includes a Certificate of Adoption, photographs and natural histories of your adopted animal and special visiting privileges.

Adoptions range from $25 - $150. 

Click here to see our gallery of animals available for adoption. 

Give the Gift of Friendship!  A "Friend of World Bird Sanctuary" Gift Subscription is the gift that keeps giving all year!
Give the gift of friendship by giving your friends or family a gift subscription as a World Bird Sanctuary Friend.  WBS Friends receive invitations to "Friends only" events, and a membership card gives Friends a 10% discount on program fees at World Bird Sanctuary and on any item in our gift shop.

"Friends" subscriptions range from $35 - $100. 

Click here to sign a friend or family member up for the "Friends" program.

”Save the Future” and “All Along the Watershed” Children’s Music CDs.

World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, The Raptor Project, has released its first CD, Save the Future, and the follow-up CD, All Along the Watershed.   Each CD consists of original songs about birds, the environment and taking care of our planet.  These fun and entertaining children's CDs come with lyric sheets and education sheets embedded in the CD.  All proceeds from the sale of these products go directly to treating and caring for animals in our wildlife hospital.

Each CD - $12 plus $3 shipping and handling.
Click here to order.

Your support helps us continue to successfully achieve our mission year after year.  We appreciate your support and your faith in us to preserve birds and their habitats.

  

Remember - World Bird Sanctuary is your bird sanctuary

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, Director of Development, World Bird Sanctuary.