Those Fascinating Vultures

Most people are not big fans of vultures.  They were never really a number one favorite of mine either—at least not until I  started working with and learning about them at the World Bird Sanctuary.

Vultures come off as pretty gross birds.  They eat dead things, they projectile vomit as a self-defense mechanism, and New World vultures urinate on their legs to keep cool.  So, why are vultures such awesome birds?

Osiris the Egyptian Vulture is an Old World Vulture (photo: Gay Schroer)

For starters, vultures are super-important to our environment.  Without them, we would have an awful lot of dead things (carrion) lying around.  Rotting animals are breeding grounds for bacteria and disease.  Vultures help keep animal carcasses cleaned up, and thus help stop the spread of most diseases—positives in both a visual way (no one enjoys seeing dead animals all over the place) and health aspects of human life.

If animal carcasses harbor so much bacteria and disease, how can vultures eat them without getting sick?  Well, vultures have super strong stomach acids that can kill the bacteria, making them a dead end for disease.  Their strong stomach acid also helps them out quite a bit with that projectile vomit they use for defense against predators.  Their stomach acid is so strong that it can even strip the paint off of a car!  It’s a good thing they have it, though, because it helps us out with diseases and bacteria.

Vader the Black Vulture is a New World Vulture native to the southern United States (photo: Gay Schroer)

Vultures also have some of the neatest personalities.  Each vulture I have worked with so far has been completely different from the others.  Goober, the Black Vulture, gets very excited for his food and he even skips and makes barking noises!  Desi, the Hooded Vulture, seems rambunctious and is very gung ho about flying in shows.  Mortimer, the Turkey Vulture, is a dominant bird that seems to know exactly what he wants while Kinsey, another Turkey Vulture, seems a little bit shy around crowds.  Each vulture is very unique, even amongst the same species.  They each have their own personalities, and I feel privileged to get to work with them.

Desi, the Hooded Vulture, is an Old World vulture (photo: Gay Schroer)

There are also big differences between New World and Old World vultures.  New World vultures, such as the Andean Condor, Turkey Vulture, and Black Vulture urinate on their legs to keep cool when it is hot outside.  Old World vultures, like the Hooded Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, and Bearded Vulture don’t do this behavior.  It may seem gross, but it also acts as a natural anti-bacterial by killing germs on their legs and feet.

Skinner, a New World Turkey Vulture, displays his beautiful feather pattern (photo: Gay Schroer)

Several New World vulture species live in groups with social hierarchies, whereas Old World vultures typically live solitary lives.  Old World vultures also have a strong grip in their feet, whereas New World vultures do not.  If you look at a Turkey Vulture’s feet, they look fairly similar to those of a stork or crane.  New World vultures are actually more closely related to cranes or herons than they are to Old World vultures.  They are superficially similar due to convergent evolution, which in this case means both kinds of vultures evolved to feed on dead animals.  They aren’t closely related, but they evolved similar traits because they had to adapt to similar environments and feeding habits.

Vultures are super interesting and they have become some of my favorite birds.  I am so glad that I have the opportunity to work with them each day and learn more about their unique traits.

The next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary be sure to take a really close look at our resident vultures.  You, too, may find that they are truly fascinating birds.

Any of the vultures mentioned in this article can be adopted via our Adopt A Bird program.

Submitted by Kelsey McCord, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Watching Birds Grow

Watching Birds Grow

One of the coolest things about being involved with the World Bird Sanctuary for a number of years is being able to watch birds grow and change. 

In addition to watching Goblin grow into an awesome flyer and show-bird, I was also able to watch Mortimer the Turkey Vulture and Wyatt the Harris Hawk grow up and end up being really fun to work with.  I also got to experience the differences in their “personalities.”

Naturalist Cathy Spahn & baby Mortimer just beginning to get his adult plumage (photo: Gay Schroer)

With Mortimer, I was around when he first began roaming the Nature Center with downy feathers, with some of his black feathers growing in, and a blackish face, nibbling at anything within reach.  He then progressed to being used in education programs as a bird which was walked around on a trainer’s glove, so he could get used to people.  During this progression, I was in college, which meant that I was unable to watch the changes like I could with Goblin.  Instead, I got to see the beginning bird and the end results for that time (which ended up being Mortimer making an appearance during the Open House program of 2012).  Then I went back to college for two years, but started working at the Nature Center during the summer of 2014.  I was re-introduced to Mortimer — this time with him flying perch to perch in programs, such as International Vulture Awareness Day. Of course he had grown up, and had that red face and white beak. 

Mortimer beginning to do education programs as a walk-on bird (photo: Sandra Lowe)

As I've had the chance to experience, his looks weren't the only thing that changed.  His “personality” has changed from a bird which was not totally used to being around people to one which was much more at ease with people.  In Mortimer's case, this means testing the people who are new to him by trying to see what he can get away with.  I found this out very quickly and learned not to let my guard down when working with him.  Somehow he seems to know when you're thinking about doing just that.

Watching Wyatt grow up was a lot different because I wasn't around nearly as much, so the progression I was able to watch was his transition between juvenile and adult plumage.  In the summer of 2012 he was given many opportunities to show off the beautiful markings of a juvenile Harris Hawk during Amazing Animal Encounters (free weekend summer shows sponsored by Ameren Missouri).

Naturalist Neal Cowan & Wyatt at a Birds in Concert show  (photo: Gay Schroer)

Then, during the same Open House program where Mortimer appeared, I got to see Wyatt flying again, this time over crowds at least four times as large as the Animal Encounters.  This didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, and he's proven to be a wonderfully reliable flyer throughout the entirety of his flying career.

Wyatt easily became my favorite Harris Hawk to work with.  This happened not only because of his cool iris color (tan, instead of the more common brown found in adult Harris Hawks), but also his “personality.”  Even during vertical flight practice when I wasn't ready for him to fly to me, he proved to be remarkably patient — seeing that I wasn't ready, he would circle back down to his perch, and wait for me to be ready before flying to me.  He kept this patience and added quick learning and adaptability to his list of good qualities.  He quickly adapts to different flights his trainers ask of him, showcased in a video you can see here, where he demonstrates how Harris Hawks adjust to flying over terrains that vary in heights. 

If you visit the World Bird Sanctuary when these two remarkable birds are not traveling to programs with their trainers you may be able to see both of these interesting birds, as well as numerous others which call the Sanctuary their home.

Hope to see you there!

Matt Levin, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Kinsey

Hello and welcome back!  Thank you for returning to explore yet another animal from the World Bird Sanctuary. 

What type of bird comes to mind when you see or hear the combined words: scavenger, disgusting, and bald head?  If you are thinking of a vulture or condor, then you’re right!  In this blog I'm going to share some fun and educational information about a special vulture at the World Bird Sanctuary.  You will discover his species’ natural history, personal history, and a few very interesting facts, too!

The bird’s name is Kinsey and he is a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura).   He was named after John Kinsey, a beloved WBS volunteer who passed away suddenly in 2009. 

Kinsey (photo: Lisbeth Hodges) 

Kinsey is 5 years old this year and came to us--literally!  He was rescued on our exhibit line after having been observed for three days walking around and not flying.  An examination revealed that due to an old injury his right wing could not be fully extended.  As a result of this injury, he could no longer fly.

Now, onto the educational info!  Turkey vultures are only found in North and South America.  There are two groups of vultures--Old World and New World.  There are 15 Old World vultures and 7 New World vultures, with 22 in total.  Old World vultures are more closely related to diurnal (day active) birds of prey like eagles, hawks and falcons.  New World vultures are more closely related to storks and cranes.  The New World refers to the Americas.  The Old World refers to the rest of the continents.  Other New World vultures include Black, King, Lesser Yellow Headed, Greater Yellow Headed, Andean Condor and California Condor. 

Our resident Turkey Vultures are often visited by their wild cousins (photo: Gay Schroer)

Vultures scavenge for their food, which means that they survive off of eating carrion (dead animals).  Kinsey is given rat, rabbit, pigeons, venison, and fish.  His favorite seems to be pigeon.   If you come to WBS between 8-9am, (when our birds on the exhibit line are usually fed) then your chances of seeing neighboring wild vultures on the exhibit line will be very good!  They often gather there hoping to scavenge scraps from our birds’ meals.  Since most of our enclosures have tops, they are not successful—but, hey, a guy can hope, can’t he?

Kinsey, as well as many of our other birds, loves to sun himself.  This basically means that he opens up his wings and directs the back of his wings and body to the sun.    Below you can see Kinsey sunning in the morning light.

 Kinsey sunning himself (photo: Lisbeth Hodges)

Turkey Vulture chicks look exactly the same as Black Vulture chicks.  Surprisingly, they have white fluffy down feathers and a black face, with a difference in beak shape.  Adult Turkey Vultures are all dark brown except for their bright red face.  It takes around two years for them to mature into the red face, with juveniles having a darker head.  Turkey Vultures are not sexually dimorphic, meaning the male and female look the same.  They also have the same wingspan as small Bald Eagles, which is approximately six feet (67-70 inches).  Their weight however is much lighter--only 4.4lbs (2000g), whereas Bald Eagles range from 6-16lbs. 

Mortimer, one of our other Turkey Vultures, still sporting his white down feathers and dark head (photo: Gay Schroer)

These vultures lay a clutch (group of eggs or chicks) of 1-3 creamy white eggs with colored spots ranging from purple to brown.  Their life span ranges from 20-25 years in the wild.  In captivity they can live from 40-50 years! 

A wild Turkey Vulture in flight (photo: Gay Schroer)

Turkey Vultures are the most common vulture in the United States and they are very easy to spot.  When they soar in the sky, their wings are in a slight dihedral (V-shape), and can soar for many hours without flapping their wings.

These beautiful and bald vultures have a great sense of smell.  They can smell dead animals over 2 miles away!  They have very large nostrils, or nares that are within the cere (skin between beak and forehead).  Below you can see a close up of his cere.

 Kinsey giving us a good look at his cere (photo: Lisbeth Hodges)

Kinsey is available for adoption in our Adopt a Bird program.  To find out more information, call 636-861-3225.  All adoption donations are tax deductible.

Kinsey can be seen in the weathering area just behind the Environmental Education Center (visitor’s center) at the World Bird Sanctuary, which is open daily from 8am-5pm. 

Kinsey is a very handsome bird who demonstrates the phrase “bald is beautiful.”  You should stop by and see him sometime.

Submitted by former World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist Lisbeth Hodges

Vultures Rock

In my lifetime I have been fortunate enough to have presented bird shows in many parts of the country, and to a large variety of audiences.

Presenting a program at an elementary school (photo: Chad Tussing)

I’ve talked to children and adults, and everything in between.  As you might imagine, I have fielded a lot of questions on tons of different topics.  My favorite question that I have only been asked a handful of times is, “If you could be a bird, what kind of bird would you be?”  One of my favorite things about that question is that I get to reply, “a Turkey Vulture,” without pausing.

People are usually shocked when I tell them I would want to be this bird (photo: Melissa Moore)

The response that I receive is usually surprise at least, and sometimes shock:  “Why on earth would you WANT to be a Vulture?”  My reply: “Have you seen the way they fly?”

Have you seen the way they fly?  (photo: Gay Schroer)

Vultures are masters of the air. Turkey Vultures can soar for hours without ever having to flap their wings. They use their large wing area to catch the warm air rising from the ground, called thermals, and ride it in a circular pattern higher and higher. When they gain enough height, they can simply soar out of the thermal and glide along, gradually losing altitude until they find another thermal. In this manner Turkey Vultures can cover hundreds of miles using very little energy. They hold their wings in a “dihedral,” with wing tips being higher than the vulture’s back, so the wings form a V-shape, to take greatest advantage of the lift.

They hold their wings in a dihedral (v-shape) (photo: Gay Schroer)

The best places to find these warm uplifts of air known as thermals are over fields. As the sun heats the ground, the lowest air begins to heat up and then rises in columns. Humans in gliders can take advantage of these uplifts in the same way that Vultures do.

The primary feathers fan out, almost like fingers (photo: Gay Schroer)

When you watch Turkey Vultures in flight, you can see the rather precarious agreement they have with the laws of physics. Their bodies tip slightly from side to side as they adjust to moving air currents and soar, sometimes just above the speed of stalling. The primary feathers at the tips of a Turkey Vulture’s wings fan out almost like fingers, and, if you watch closely, you can see the tiny adjustments they make with these and their tail feathers as they fly.

Who wouldn’t want to fly like that?

As you walk our path you may see wild Turkey Vultures visiting their resident cousins (photo: Gay Schroer)

To get a really good look at these “Masters of the Sky” come out and visit the World Bird Sanctuary on any day except Thanksgiving and Christmas.  As you walk down the trail past the Wildlife Hospital you will see the exhibit that houses our resident Turkey Vultures.  They will sometimes keep pace with visitors, accompanying them along the fence line inside their enclosure as the visitors walk down the trail.  You may even be lucky enough to see the many wild Turkey Vultures that sometimes visit their resident cousins in hopes of getting a free meal.

Submitted by Melissa H. Moore, World Bird Sanctuary Special Event & Volunteer Coordinator

International Vulture Awareness Day 2014

We love vultures!  Do you?

 Join us on Saturday, September 6^th, as the World Bird Sanctuary celebrates International Vulture Awareness Day 2014! 

Dorothy, an Andean Condor that will be on display, has a wingspan of 10ft and a beak strong enough to rip through seal and whale hide.

Ewwww, Vultures are Gross!  But we need them the most!  Find out more at World Bird Sanctuary as we take part in the international celebration of all things vulture.  

·     •   Shows featuring vultures and other animals, as well as music from the Raptor Project.

·     •   Special vulture exhibits, including Turkey Vultures and an Andean Condor

·      •   A kids’ craft for the youngsters to make

Skinner the Turkey Vulture--Turkey Vultures are native to Missouri.

Date: September 6^th, 2010

Time: 10am – 3pm

Vulture shows: 10:30, 12:30, 2:30

Admission and parking are free!

This event Sponsored by Ameren Missouri

Mother Nature's Garbage Men

Let me introduce you to Kinsey, a five-year-old turkey vulture that resides here at the World Bird Sanctuary. 

 Kinsey playing with his leash (photo by Christina McAlpin)

Kinsey was brought in to our Katherine G. Favre Wildlife Hospital by concerned citizens.  They observed that he couldn’t fly away.  He had apparently injured his right wing at some time in the past and it didn’t heal correctly.  Due to the injury he could only fly a couple feet off the ground.  When Kinsey was found he was super thin and barely alive. 

After being nursed back to health by our hospital staff it was determined that he would never be able to fly well enough to survive in the wild.  Consequently he was transferred to the care of our Education Department and trained by our staff to become an education bird.  When Kinsey isn’t at an education program educating the public about his species he is at our visitor’s center teaching the visiting public about Turkey Vultures. 

Kinsey has a great “personality.”  He loves to sun himself, and play with his blue tug of war toy.  He is shy and nervous when he first meets a new trainer, but once he gets to know you he is very sweet.

By most people’s standards the Turkey Vulture is an extremely gross bird, along with other vultures in its family.  When a vulture feels threatened they will vomit all over whatever it is that is threatening them.  It smells horrible and will make predators run away.

When visiting you may see wild Turkey Vultures sunning or looking for a free meal (photo by Gay Schroer)

Turkey Vultures primarily eat carrion (dead animals).  The turkey vulture can smell its food a mile away, unlike many other birds (eg. Hawks, owls, sparrows), which have little to no sense of smell.  These new world (meaning from North and South America) vultures will pee down their legs in the summertime to keep cool.  Through evaporation this works the same way for them as when people get out of a swimming pool or lake and the wind blows on their wet bodies, producing goose bumps.  Peeing down their legs allows them to cool off when the wind blows during those blistering summer days. 

Though these birds eat week old dead animals, vomit when threatened, and pee down their legs, they are extremely important to our environment.  Not many people would want to go pick up all the dead animals on the side of roads.  If we did pick them up we would risk getting sick from the bacteria and diseases harbored by that carcass.  New world vultures have very strong stomach acid.  It is a ph of one, which is the same as battery acid.  Any disease known to humans dies as soon as it hits their stomach.  We like to refer to the vultures as “mother natures’ garbage men”. 

So the next time you see a turkey vulture flying in the sky think of how they are saving you from getting sick, instead of all the gross things they do.

Turk, one of our senior citizen vultures (photo by Gay Schroer)

If you visit WBS to see Kinsey and some of his other brethren, be sure to walk down the exhibit line beyond the hospital where we have an entire exhibit populated with these “garbage men”.  Chances are at least one of them will come right up to the fence and shadow your movements as you walk up or down the path

Submitted by Christina McAlpin, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Sunbathing -- Avian Style

My first blog entry as a relatively new employee for the World Bird Sanctuary gave me a bit of trouble. 

I was not sure what would be a great topic for my first entry. Obviously, it has to be interesting.  It has to be captivating and it has to make you want to read my entries.  I thought I could talk about my favorite bird; discuss fun facts and the importance of the species.  I could discuss my animal occupations and how I came to the Sanctuary or tell you about my first day on the job.  Maybe, in the future I will use those topics.  But for the first entry, I am currently being inspired by the snow falling down and how I wish I could be in the sun, soaking it in like so many of our birds do when the weather is warm.

Skinner, a Turkey Vulture, sunning (photo by Gay Schroer)

All birds adapt their own posture for sun bathing.  Some stand and open their wings while others may lay flat on the ground.  In both cases, body feathers are often fluffed up and the feathers along the wings are spread out.  Besides just soaking in the sun, these postures serve other important purposes.

For one, the preening oil along the feathers is allowed to spread.  This is the same oil that keeps the feather integrity, has a waterproofing effect, and an antiparasitic effect.

Dewey, a Bateleur Eagle enjoying the sun

Secondly, it also forces parasites out from within the plumage.  At the Sanctuary, we do routine checks on our birds to eliminate the possibility of parasites.  For birds in the wild, this is a helpful technique to help rid them of the nasty vermin.

Besides the healthy benefits that go with sunbathing, it is also hard not to admit that the behavior just looks awesome.  It is not everyday that you get to see these birds sitting still with wings stretched. 

Keeoo, an African Augur Buzzard (photo by Gay Schroer)

The snow may seem endless at times, but when the sun starts to peak through, make a visit out to the World Bird Sanctuary and you may get a glimpse of a sunbathing bird.

Submitted by Dawn Kernrich, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Appreciating Vultures

The first time I can recall seeing Turkey Vultures was in mid Spring, while taking a trip to Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois.

My husband, daughter, and I were crowded into my old Mazda pickup; my husband was driving, my daughter, in her car seat was in the front seat, and I was wedged into the mockery of an extended cab.  We took HWY 94 to HWY 67 into Illinois, and drove along the scenic Great River Road.

Along the River Road upstream of Alton, IL, if you haven’t been, there are tall bluffs that reach up into the sky.  Mirrored by the river just opposite the bluffs, the road is the only interruption between the two.  Trees adorn the summit, while barges and boats drift along the mighty Mississippi.  It truly is picturesque.  I imagine Charles Wysocki, had he seen this road, would have painted a breathtaking picture of it.

On this particular April afternoon, as the sun shone brightly in the sky, I watched through the back window of the truck as the road drifted away behind me.  As I watched,  I noticed a few large birds circling above the bluffs.  Excitedly (and in my naiveté) I asked my husband if they were Bald Eagles, knowing that Bald Eagles make their way to Grafton, IL during the winter months, and I proceeded to describe them.  He told me they were probably Turkey Vultures, based upon my description, but he’d have to see them to know for sure.  I was disheartened; I wanted to know, for sure, what kind of birds I had just seen.  Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long.

We came around a bend in the road, and there before our eyes, at least 20 vultures circled above us.  As we watched they broke off into smaller groups, and formed a sort of scavenging parade along the edge of the bluffs.  I was in awe!  The sight of so many birds circling, teetering, riding the air currents in search of food absolutely amazed me and I remember feeling a strong sense of reverence.  I was so excited I probably sounded like a small child who had just made some sort of amazing discovery, such as finding a caterpillar for the first time.

And that was the beginning of my fascination for Turkey Vultures.

The Turkey Vultures like to follow guests as they walk past the exhibits (who's watching who?)

My next encounter with Turkey Vultures was at the World Bird Sanctuary.  On one particular visit, there were a couple of Turkey Vultures in the Outdoor Exhibit, and as I walked by one of the vultures walked next to me, from inside his enclosure.  I got a kick out of it so I stopped, looked at him, then turned around and started walking back up the path.  Again, he followed me.  I walked up and down a few times and each time, he followed me.  Finally, I knelt down and started talking to him (I love animals--what can I say?) and then in the way he looked at me it appeared he was interested in what I was saying (of course I realize he was probably hoping I had some food for him, but his apparent attentiveness was amusing).

The Hooded Vulture (above) is just one of the non-native species on display at WBS

Being that close to the vulture, and looking into his eyes, I sensed a sweetness, a gentleness, and at that moment I fell absolutely in love with Turkey Vultures.  And, through my visits to World Bird Sanctuary, I have come to love all varieties of vultures (I find the Hooded Vultures especially adorable!).

Many people see vultures as “gross” or “ugly,” but I certainly don’t. I see them as absolutely crucial to the health of every living thing on this planet. Sure they eat carrion, but people eat some pretty “gross” things too.

If you are one of the people who find Turkey Vultures to be unpleasant, I encourage you to take a trip to World Bird Sanctuary for International Vulture Awareness Day, which is Saturday, 7 September.  You can get up close to these amazing animals. And, while you may still find vultures to be “gross,” the knowledge you will come away with is sure to give you a new found respect for these important creatures.

Submitted by Sara Borgard, Guest Writer

Meet Mortimer

What are the first three adjectives that come to mind when you think of a Turkey Vulture?  Well, if they aren’t “cute”, “sweet” and “adorable” then you haven’t met Mortimer!!

It's really hard to resist Mortimer's charms.

Mortimer is one of the newest residents at the World Bird Sanctuary.  Mort’s egg was laid by two of the resident Turkey Vultures, Attila and Hinkley, in our behind the scenes area breeding mews.

When he was just a few weeks old he was brought to our Nature Center to be raised by our Naturalists so that he could become accustomed to all the sights, sounds and activities he would encounter as one of WBS’s avian ambassadors. (Since we do not routinely subject our birds to surgical sexing, we will assume Mortimer is a male until such time as he proves us wrong by laying an egg.)

When he first joined our staff he appeared white!! – or at least his baby down feathers were white.  He also had a black head rather then the red head usually associated with Turkey Vultures.  (As he matures his head will turn the familiar red color.)  As time passed he began to lose his baby down and his first set of “real” feathers grew in.  However, at this point he looks like a little old man with a scraggly white beard, since some of his down feathers are still clinging in places. 

Mortimer is gradually losing his white down feathers

At first, since he was unable to fly, Mortimer was allowed the freedom to roam freely in an enclosed area, getting used to the comings and goings of our staff.  His major accomplishment in the ensuing weeks was exercising his wings and stealing everyone’s heart.  However, once he began to take his first tentative flights it was time to outfit him with jesses, and introduce him to his perch in the weathering area, where he joined our other avian stars.  Click here for a video of those early days.

At this point it was time to begin his formal “education.”  Training one of our avian ambassadors is serious stuff!  They need to learn things like stepping to a trainer’s glove, then balancing on the glove while being walked around the Nature Center amongst visitors.  They need to learn to go into and out of a travel crate without being afraid, and that doors will not eat them as they pass through.  They learn to step onto a scale to be weighed, and then to step back to the glove from the scale.  Mortimer has mastered all these skills with flying colors.

Mortimer and Naturalist Cathy Spahn at Birds in Concert - Photo by Sandra Lowe Murray

The next big step for Mortimer was to perform before large crowds—which he did this past August when he appeared at our Birds In Concert series.  A few people in the safety of the Nature Center is one thing—but two hundred people in the amphitheater, a band, and cameras flashing is another!  However, because Mortimer totally trusts his handlers and he got small doses of all the other things mentioned during his initial training, he passed this test like a pro.

Since that first public appearance he has passed another hurdle—traveling in the van to a distant location and then appearing at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival.  This was a true test of all his careful training, since there is nothing more chaotic than a Renfaire with it’s crowds, banners, music, parades, strange animals (such as dogs, horses, snakes, etc.).  Mortimer took all of this in his stride and is well on his way to becoming a real pro.

When you visit the World Bird Sanctuary be sure to look for Mortimer.  It’s not often that you will have the opportunity to see a baby Turkey Vulture.  Check him out while he still has his juvenile plumage.

As with all our birds, Mortimer is available for adoption through our Adopt A Bird program.  If you don’t see Mortimer (or any bird you are interested in adopting) on our website you can call 636-861-3225, XT 10, and tell the person answering that you would like to adopt a bird.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Turkey Vulture Migration Study

LOOK!  Up in the sky—it’s a bird, it’s a plane….its definitely a Turkey Vulture!

After spending the winter months as far south as South America, those winged wonders, the Turkey Vultures, are once again circling overhead in Missouri skies with their amazing demonstrations of avian aerodynamics.

On March 22, 2009 we ran a blog post about a Turkey Vulture migration study being done by researchers at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in conjunction with other researchers in South America.  To review that post Click Here. 


If you’ve never paid particular attention to these birds in flight, stop for a few moments and really watch them.  You’ll be mesmerized!  Now that they’re back, this is your opportunity to be a part of an important ongoing study  about the migration habits of these fascinating birds.  To read more about the study's findings to date click here.  

There is a photo posted on the link of a bird wearing the tag so that you can see what it should look like.  So, the next time you see a turkey vulture soaring overhead, perched, or on the ground, stop what you're doing for a moment, and take a closer look.  That bird may be wearing some important jewelry!

Turkey vultures tagged for the tracking program may have blue, red or yellow wing tags. Anyone spotting a turkey vulture with a tag is asked to report it to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Please note the location where you saw the bird, which wing the tag was on, the color, the number if possible, the bird’s behavior such as flying, perched or feeding, and whether it was with any other vultures.  Even if you’re not able to supply all the above information, contact them with whatever information you do have.

For more information on how, what and where to report Click Here.  

Once you’ve reported your sighting to the Hawk Mountain study, don’t forget to let us know about it by submitting a comment on our blog.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer