Tonight, tonight!

Tonight at 7PM the World Bird Sanctuary kicks off our annual Birds In Concert series with music, dancing, birds, mammals, and lots of good times. It's 100% free fun and will happen every Thursday night in August. We hope you can join us!

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Introducing Stewart

Stewart the African spur-thighed tortoise is a recent addition to our nature center, having been donated to the World Bird Sanctuary. I haven't met him yet, but looking at Cathy's video, I definitely can't wait!

He's fast!

It's almost here!

WBS's annual Birds In Concert series begins this Thursday evening at 7pm and continues every Thursday in August. Don't miss your chance to come out and hear the music, meet some beautiful birds, and have a blast with us! Did I mention it's free?

Meet Mariah!

As the face of WBS's online presence, I probably should have introduced you to Mariah a long time ago! Mariah is a female golden eagle. She hatched in 1972 and belonged to a falconer until March of 1987, when she was received by the sanctuary. Mariah's handlers tell us that she is a strong, powerful bird who is the boss at home, but sweet everywhere else. She is certainly one of the most beloved birds at the World Bird Sanctuary.

Golden eagles, also known as the King’s Messenger, Ring-tailed eagle or Mountain eagle, are found throughout the northern hemisphere. They stand 30-40 inches tall, with a wingspan about 7 feet wide. Golden eagles are one of only a few known predators of skunks. They will also prey upon other raptors and even coyotes.

Adopt a Bird Spotlight: Flash (American Kestrel)

Flash's Story

Species: American Kestrel
Hatched: Spring 2007

Flash was a wild hatched bird who was received at WBS's rehab facility, along with a large number of other young kestrels, following a severe storm that damaged many trees in the St. Louis area. The rest of this group were returned to the wild once they were old and healthy enough to survive on their own. It had been noted that, unlike the other young birds, Flash did not exhibit a wild bird's normal fear of humans, which meant that he would have a reduced chance of survival in the wild.

It was decided that Flash would make a good addition to our Office of Wildlife Learning department where he was kept under observation for several days before being introduced into the general population of education birds. During this period our ever alert staff noted that he did not have a normal food drive and was not maintaining his weight as expected. Our vet was immediately consulted, and after much research it was found that he was suffering from a highly contagious yeast infection carried by the pigeons his parents fed to him as a nestling. The majority of birds who contract this disease usually die within 7-10 days if untreated. Because of the quick action of our fine vet and the vigilance of our dedicated staff, Flash is now healthy and already educating visitors about his species.

To adopt Flash, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $50, and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: FLASH. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:

• *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• * Certificate of Adoption
• * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• * Sponsorship Card
• * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• * Life History and Natural History of the bird
• * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• * Discounts on WBS Special Events
• * WBS Decal

Natural History

American kestrel
Falco sparverius

Description: small falcon; long tail; long, pointed wing tips; rust colored crown, back and tail; double black stripes on white face resembling a mustache; hooked bill; in flight they have pale underwings

Sex: male has blue-gray wings, a buff breast and white underparts with dark spots; in flight he has a row of circular white spots on the trailing wing edge; female lacks the blue-grey feathers that denote the male; her back and wings are roufous with pronounced barring

Age: juveniles are similar to adults but with a heavily streaked breast and completely barred back

Length: 9-12”

Wingspan: 1.8-1.9’

Weight: 0.2-0.3 lbs. (3-5 oz.)

Habitat: open country, deserts, urban areas, farms, wood edges

Status: most common falcon in America

Range: North and South America, West Indies, Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile

Behavior: monogamous; don’t build nests; lay 3-7 buffy-pink to grayish-white eggs marked with brown in tree cavities, building crevices or old magpie nests; incubation lasts 29-31 days, generally by the female; chicks hatch semi-altricial and leave the nest after a month; 1 brood per year except in the south and when food is abundant; hunts by hovering over the ground with rapid wing beats or sitting on a tree or telephone wire and plunging after it’s prey; frequently bobs it’s tail while perched on telephone wires; use nestboxes often

Diet: mice, insects and small birds, reptiles, small mammals

Vocalization: shrill “killy killy killy” or “klee, klee, klee”

√ The American kestrel was formerly known as the “sparrow hawk”

√ Kestrels can frequently be seen “hovering” over the grassy areas of highway cloverleafs where they find an abundance of insects and rodents. A good example of how they have adapted their hunting skills to urban living

Adopt A Bird spotlights are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.

Tufted Titmouse!

Here are some pictures from Gay Schroer of one of our favorite feeder birds, the tufted titmouse. Maybe you've seen these little birds in your yard or in the park? According to "All About Birds," the tufted titmouse's summer range spans southern Minnesota, northern Michigan, southern Ontario and southern Vermont, southward to northeastern Mexico and the Gulf Coast.

I like their hats!

Beak of the Week!

Well our inaugural beak of the week was terrific with many guesses for the correct answer: Golden Eagle. Hannibal, you were the first person to identify this bird. Congrats!

This week is a little tougher, so I'll start things off with a clue. This bird is not native to the United States. Make your best guess and I'll divulge this bird's secret identity next Friday.

Having trouble making a guess? Here are the feet:

Maybe the eye will help:

Don't be a dodo...

Here's one of our favorite songs, "Don't Be a Dodo," performed at last year's Birds in Concert event. The concerts begin one week from today and continue every Thursday evening at 7 PM throughout the month of August. Come check out the dancing dodo!

Countdown to the concert!!!

Every Thursday evening for the entire month of August, you can visit the World Bird Sanctuary for a free outdoor concert and even meet a bird or two! The concerts begin on August 7th, one week from tomorrow. To show you what goes on at this fantastic event, I'll be posting images from last year's shows courtesy of Gay Schroer. Come on out and listen to music, watch the show, and see some birds!

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Some other psittacines...

While we are on a parrot kick, take a look at these beautiful ring necked parakeets on display at our public sight, courtesy of Daniel:

Adopt a Bird Spotlight: Arizona (Thick-billed parrot)

Arizona's Story

Species: Thick-billed Parrot
Hatched: 8/8/96

Arizona was the third thick-billed parrot hatched and raised successfully by the World Bird Sanctuary. Thick-bills are the last remaining parrot species indigenous to North America. Once found in the high elevation pine forests of Arizona and New Mexico, they are now found only in the highland pine forests of northern and central Mexico. Attempts to reestablish a wild population in Arizona have so far been unsuccessful due to logging of the old growth pine forests necessary for their success, and the breeding success of various predators.

Arizona spends his time traveling the country to bring the message of the consequences of habitat destruction to thousands of audience memebers each year. Perhaps, with his help, conservationists will someday be successful in reestablishing a wild thick-bill parrot population in its native Arizona and New Mexico territory. Until then, this little ambassador for his species will continue to educate and entertain audiences with his message about the plight of endangered species.

To see more of these beautiful little birds, take a walk along the upper nature trail at the World Bird Sanctuary where visitors can view our resident flock.

To adopt Arizona, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $150, and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: ARIZONA. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:

• *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• * Certificate of Adoption
• * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• * Sponsorship Card
• * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• * Life History and Natural History of the bird
• * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• * Discounts on WBS Special Events
• * WBS Decal

Natural History

Thick-billed parrot
Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha

Description: pigeon sized; bright green overall; red forehead, eye stripe, and bend of wing, with red splotching on the thighs; a small patch of yellow on under wing coverts seen when in flight; adults have amber eyes surrounded by a yellow eye ring and black beak with dark grey legs and feet; wings and long green tail are both pointed

Sex: so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable

Age: juveniles have brown eyes and a flesh colored bill which turns black by the end of the first year; individuals may live 35-40 years

Length: 15-17”

Weight: 11-13 oz.

Habitat: high country pine and conifer forests;

Status: once inhabited the mountains of southern Arizona and south through the Sierra Madre mountains in western Mexico; extirpated from the U.S. by about 1920 through hunting activity; logging of large stands of old-growth forests in Mexico has taken a further toll on the remaining Mexican population; it is estimated that there now remains only 1000-4000 Thick-billed parrots in the wild; status is ENDANGERED; attempts to reestablish a population in Arizona during the 1980s was unsuccessful due to the birds’ inability to elude a well established population of predator species

Range: high mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental in western Mexico, migrating to their winter breeding range south of Durango to Colima and Michoacan, Mexico

Behavior: social birds that live in large flocks; an adult pair may stay together for life; nesting pairs have been known to share trees with up to three nests in one tree; breeding occurs in mid-summer to mid-fall to coincide with the peak of pine seed production; one clutch of 1-4 eggs is laid in a cavity next in a large conifer (old woodpecker holes are preferred); incubation is 28 days; hatchlings attempt their first flights at approximately 2 months, but remain dependent on parents until about 7 months

Diet: primarily pine seeds from various pine species are the preferred food; will also eat acorns, conifer buds and other food

Vocalization: large repertoire of calls; screech that can be heard up to 2 miles

√ The Thick-billed parrot is one of only two parrots formerly native to the U.S. The other (the Carolina Parakeet) is extinct

Our flock of sun conures

If you come to our visitor's site, be sure to check out the sun conures! As Daniel's pictures show, they are beautiful birds:

Woodpeckers!

These beauties were photographed here in Missouri by Gay Schroer:

Beak of the Week!

Here's something new, a little different, and hopefully lots of fun. Every Friday I will post a mystery beak and some hints (maybe photos, maybe facts from our natural histories) to help you guess who the beak belongs to. You are welcome to post your guesses, but my lips are sealed until the following Friday when I'll give the answer and name the first poster to guess correctly. Are you up to the challenge?

Here is this week's inaugural mystery beak:



Have you guessed? Still deciding? Maybe the feet will give you a leg up:



STILL not sure? Try the eye:



Tune in next week for the answer!

Birds In Concert Hurray!!!!!!

It is almost August and that means it is time to get ready for our Birds In Concert summer series. Every Thursday evening at 7 PM for the entire month of August, you can come out to Valley Park Missouri and join us for a free outdoor concert and even meet a bird or two. Perhaps you didn't know that the sanctuary has an in-house band (and our first cd)? Perhaps you weren't aware of of many fun and funny songs about birds? You should really check it out! To keep you cool, our amphitheater even has a beautiful new shade cover. It just gets better every year.

These pictures from our previous concerts by Gay Schroer show exactly how much fun we all have. Please come on by and enjoy the music with us, beginning next Thursday evening at 7.