Special Events At The World Bird Sanctuary

The World Bird Sanctuary’s staff, interns and volunteers wear many hats during the year in addition to their everyday duties—not the least of which are the unexpected talents they display at our special events.

JoHanna Burton with a batch of owl cookies for Birds in Concert (photo: Mike Zieloski)

Look at what JoHanna Burton (WBS Staff Person) made for the Birds In Concert Event for the night of August 28, 2014.  She made Peanut Butter Cookies into the shape of Owls. She used chocolate for the eyes.  These treats were for sale to help raise money for the birds.  At the concert the week before she made Blueberry Bars which were delicious.  Matt Levin, volunteer extraordinaire made Chocolate chip cookie pies, which were sold as treats.  Thanks JoHanna and Matt.

At World Eagle Day, I, Michael Zeloski had my face painted by WBS Staff person Dawn Kernich.  My face became a wonderfully large Eagle head.  Face Painting is just one of the activities at World Eagle Day in March and at Open House in October.  Other popular activities are the photo op with one of our amazing birds, and the kids’ craft project.

The Raptor Project performing at one of our special events (photo: Gay Schroer)

The World Bird Sanctuary band, The Raptor Project, is composed of unbelievably talented staff and volunteers, and never fails to entertain at our special events.

One of our most popular activities at special events--the photo op (photo: Gay Schroer)

You will want to be a part of our next special event, our 2-day Open House—always held the third weekend of October.  Until then, the World Bird Sanctuary has a number of other special programs to fill your outdoor interests.

•            Our guided hikes program, Hey, There’s Nature In My Woods, has only two more sign up days left for this year – 9/27 and 10/25.  Call 636-225-4390 x101 to make your reservations.

•            Owl Prowls will be starting 11/8 and will continue through the Owl mating and breeding season.  Owl Prowl slots are already beginning to fill.  For more information and specific dates click here  and check out the Owl Prowl dates on our events calendar.  Don’t delay, as these Owl Prowls fill up quickly.  Call 636-225-4390 x101 to make your reservations

WBS Special Events are made special by our staff, volunteers and interns.  The work our crew puts in, plus amazing birds and the community spirit and energy generated by our staff and volunteers is contagious.

 Click here  for information on Special Events now and throughout the year--or call 636-225-4390 x101 for more detailed information.

Submitted by Michael Zieloski, World Bird Sanctuary Director of Education

Buy a Brick In Time for Open House

Have you been meaning to purchase a WBS engraved brick to honor someone special, but just have not gotten around to it?

If so, now is your chance to purchase that brick and see it installed just before our upcoming Open House on October 20 & 21.  All engraved bricks will be installed on the steps, landings, and seating areas of our amphitheater.  The available spaces on our steps are nearly completed.  These premium spaces are the ones that everyone sees when entering our amphitheater.

Don’t delay--final orders must be in by September 26 in time for us to submit the order, have the bricks engraved and shipped, and then have them installed. 

After this Fall installation we will not be ordering and installing the next batch of bricks until our Spring installation in March.

So to honor that special someone, memorialize a loved one who has passed on, remember a faithful companion, or just give an inspiring message to all who see your brick, be sure to order before 9/26.

To purchase your brick Click here for the ordering page on our website, or if you prefer to pay by check call 636-225-4390, XT 0 and tell the person answering that you want to order a brick.

Then come visit your brick on Open House weekend—or at any other time if you can’t make it to Open House.

There's Still Time to Buy A Brick

With the World Bird Sanctuary’s Open House coming up soon it’s time to think of bricks!

What does Open House on October 15 and 16 have to do with bricks?  That’s the weekend when thousands of visitors will see the inscribed bricks installed in our beautiful newly remodeled amphitheater. 

We will soon be ordering the next group of inscribed bricks to be installed on our stairs by Open House weekend.  So if you would like to see your brick when you visit us for Open House be sure to place your order no later than 9/19.

To order your brick go to our official website www.worldbirdsanctuary.org, click on Support WBS, and then click on Buy A Brick in the dropdown menu.  You may also order a brick by calling us at 636-225-4390, Ext. 0 and telling us that you want to buy a brick.

It's Almost Time!

Time for what, you may ask?  

It’s time for one of the most exciting and entertaining two day Fall Events in the St. Louis area – World Bird Sanctuary’s Open House!

Trainer/Naturalist Sara Oliver releases a Harris' Hawk who swoops low over the audience's heads

We know there are other Fall Festivals—but where else can you have your photo taken with a live bird of prey, be entertained by hawks, owls and falcons swooping overhead, sing along with talented musicians who will regale you with their own original songs about the creatures who inhabit the World Bird Sanctuary, watch a chainsaw carver create an original work of art right before your eyes--all while enjoying a picnic lunch items purchased from our raptor cafe and strolling the trails of our oak-hickory forest?

Be sure to mark your calendars for this unique event.

DATE:  October 16 & 17

TIME:   10 am – 4 pm

ADMISSION AND PARKING ARE FREE!

Open House is sponsored by AmerenUE

This Weekend!

It's finally here!!  Our biggest event of the year!  Open House!!  This Weekend!!!

Don't miss this fun-filled weekend! Watch our free-flight shows. Join our sing-alongs. Watch a bird banding demonstration. Meet our eagle mascot. You may even glimpse our Dodo bird.

Have your face painted.

Hold a live bird of prey for your photo op.

Take a behind the scenes tour.

Meet Scoop and Mudflap, our pelicans.

Meet Fred the Turkey, the inspiration for one of our songs.


The final performance of the day will be our talented in-house group, The Raptor Project

Come join us and be prepared to be entertained!

This weekend, October 17 and 18
10 am to 4 pm

Admission is FREE!

Wear your walking shoes and dress for the weather.  For the safety of our guests and our animals, no pets please.

For directions Click Here  or for more information call 636-225-4390, Ext. 0

We'll Quack You Up!

      Hi, I’m Wilbur, an Indian Runner Duck, but some of my trainer friends call me “fluffy top”. 

I live and hang out with two other ducks, Daisy and Petunia.  I am the main star of the “Lord of the Wings” show at the Stone Zoo outside of Boston.  There are a few other birds, but really, who comes to see owls, vultures, hawks, parrots and things like a stork or crow when, obviously, the ducks are the stars.  After all, we quack the audience up.

In the show, I take the lead, running down the ramp toward the awed spectators, and then I charge into the pool for a swim with my pals.  By this point, the crowd is rolling in the aisles. Then we jump out of the pool and head to our off stage dressing room where we chill out until the next performance.

In between shows we stay active with kinesthetics. We can travel anywhere. We are just like our distant cousins in Asia that work in the rice fields. Runner ducks in Asia will follow behind the farmer in the rice paddies eating the insects they stir up.  In exchange, the ducks help aerate the saturated soil with their feet. There aren’t any rice patties in Boston, but we follow our target flag around the theater, backstage, and even into and out of our crate.

We were gearing up for the duck flock agility course competition by zigzagging in and out of weave poles, climbing steps and going over or around new and more challenging obstacles. Unfortunately, the summer came to an end and we migrated back to St. Louis for the fall, where we did get to catch up on the exploits of our two duck friends that went to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the summer.

I have to waddle now.  The pool is calling my name!  Be sure to come see us perform at the World Bird Sanctuary’s Open House on October 17 & 18.  We’ll quack you up!

Article and photos submitted by Christina Lavallee, Naturalist for the World Bird Sanctuary.

It's Almost Here!!

Don't forget to set aside October 17 & 18 for the World Bird Sanctuary Open House weekend.

This year's Open House will feature our new "Wings Over Watershed" programs.  Meet Scoop and Mudflap, our watershed mascots, as well as many of our other birds.  This year's festivities will concentrate on water conservation.  Meet representatives from the Missouri American Water Company who will answer questions on what we can all do to conserve water.

Take a tour of our lower site, where you can meet Dorothy our young Andean Condor, and see the large free flight mews where many of our breeding pairs are housed.

Walk to the end of the trail to the building called "The Roost", where members of our Field Studies team will be doing bird banding demonstrations and answering questions from those guests interested in this aspect of our organization.

Have your photo taken holding one of our raptors, browse our gift shop and other booths for souveniers, have lunch under one of our picnic pavilions, and just have a fun and entertaining day in general.

Wind up the day with a performance by our in-house musical group, The Raptor Project.

As always, admission is FREE.

Mark your calendar --
October 17 & 18
10 am to 4 pm

Wear your walking shoes and dress for the weather.  For the safety of our guests and our animals, no pets please.

It's Coming Soon!

Fall is just around the corner, and that means OPEN HOUSE will soon be here!  The World Bird Sanctuary Open House weekend will fall on October 17th and 18th this year.

Those of you who have joined us before for this, our biggest event of the year, already know what a fun weekend this can be for adults and children alike.  For those of you who have not attended before, be prepared to have a blast!

As always, admission is FREE!!

Entertainment is free.  There will be shows going on continuously throughout the day -- free flight and natural behaviors demonstrations by our birds, sing-alongs, story-telling, crafts for the kids, etc.

Wear your walking shoes and hike our trails.  See our Eagles, Owls, Hawks, and some of our more exotic species as you walk the trail past our exhibit enclosures.

See our wildlife hospital where we treat over 300 sick and injured birds every year.

Our staff and volunteers will be available to give educational talks and gladly answer questions about the birds.

For a minimal fee there will be food available for purchase, a face painting booth for the kids, a photo op holding a live bird of prey, and many other fun activities.

Mark your calendars now for October 17th and 18th.  Open House hours are 9 am - 4 pm.