Wolves Of The Sky

If ever there was a bird that’s all business, it’s Tequila! 

As I was leaving the World Bird Sanctuary Nature Center after a day of volunteering in the office, I happened to venture into the amphitheater as two of our naturalists were giving one of our Harris’ Hawk fliers its daily exercise.  At the end of every day two of our naturalist/trainers exercise our flying performers by taking them out on stage and flying them between the two staff members.  Of course, the bird knows that there is a treat of tasty rat meat at the end of each flight. 

Even though there are treats involved, some of the birds aren’t as quick to respond to the trainer’s cue as this one was.  I wasn’t sure which bird this was (since to me all Harris’ Hawks look pretty much alike), but I was mesmerized by its concentration and intensity.  No sooner would she land on the trainer’s glove and devour the treat than she would be ready for the return trip.  The bird sat on the trainer’s glove like a coiled spring, anticipating the next cue from the other trainer.  After the flying session was over I discovered that this spot-on performer was Tequila, one of our veteran fliers.

Harris’ Hawks are unusual in the raptor world in that they are not lone hunters.  Due to scarcity of day-active prey in their desert environment a family will work together cooperatively (somewhat like a wolf pack) to hunt and capture prey. 

One bird will land on the very top of a Saguaro cactus, and then another will land on top of that bird and another on top of that one until they are stacked as much as three or four high.  Hence, the name for this behavior—stacking! 

From this vantage point, and with many sets of eyes scanning the desert, any movement on the desert floor could signal the presence of a prey animal. Watching Tequila’s intensity I could only imagine what it must feel like to be a prey animal (mouse, rat, rabbit, etc.) when these wolves of the sky are on the hunt. 

Over the years I have attempted to photograph many of our Harris’ Hawks in flight, but in my opinion they are one of the most difficult to capture—digitally or on film.  Their speed in flight is amazing.  However, this particular day some of Tequila’s concentration must have rubbed off on me as I did manage to get several acceptable photos of this brown dynamo. 

If you would like to see Tequila in action join us for Birds in Concert any Thursday night in August.  Tequila and a number of our other performing animals will light up our stage, along with our in-house band, The Raptor Project.  In addition to our birds and The Raptor Project, each Birds in Concert features a different guest performer. 

Where else can you find entertainment featuring live music, guest artists, and flying birds--and all for FREE!

Birds in Concert Information

When:              Every Thursday in August

Time:              7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Where:              The World Bird Sanctuary amphitheater

                        125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road

                        Valley Park, MO 63088

Bring your family, friends and picnics.  Food will also be available from our snack table.

For the safety of our animals and other guests, no pets please.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Floating Classroom

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit one very unique classroom.  In fact, I kind of insisted on seeing it for myself after receiving a phone call from Mike Coyne-Logan, crewman, who was inquiring if we would be able to have a few of our educational programs at their site. 

Mike explained to me that this was a “floating classroom” that was on a barge.  This led to multiple questions, which would clearly best be answered on site and in person.  We coordinated schedules for when the barge would be located close to our area and met up in Alton, Illinois.  This began my introduction to an organization that WBS wants to collaborate with for many years to come.

Exterior of the floating classroom which is built from recycled materials 

This floating classroom, which was built from recycled materials in 2011, is the pride of the not for profit company Living Lands & Waters.  It was constructed to be as eco-friendly as possible, with solar panels and a wind turbine to conserve diesel fuel.  This organization shares a mission that lines right up along with ours at WBS. 

Hard to believe this classroom was constructed entirely from reclaimed materials

Their Mission:

To aid in the protection, preservation and restoration of the natural environment of the nations’ major rivers and their watersheds.

To expand awareness of environmental issues and responsibility encompassing the river.

To create a desire and an opportunity for stewardship and responsibility for a cleaner river environment.

In layman’s terms, this group travels up and down the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Potomac and Anacostia Rivers and coordinates clean ups with volunteers, collecting literally thousands of tons of garbage.  They also work to educate people about the environment and our watersheds.

I had never heard of their organization before that first phone call.  When I visited their floating classroom, I was truly blown away.  I saw with my own eyes the impact that they are having, from the awesome construction and creative use of recycled materials for the classroom, to the literal tons of garbage that was being collected from our own back yard.

This mountain of garbage was pulled from our river in just two weeks

I stood there looking at the amount of garbage that had been pulled out of the river in a two-week time frame, in sheer amazement and disbelief.  In that very moment an adult Bald Eagle soared just a few feet above our heads, so close that we were able to identify the large fish he carried in his talons as a silver carp.  I literally got goose bumps and declared that the Bald Eagle flying over had to have been a sign.  We are really looking forward to working with Living Lands & Waters. 

Visit their website at www.livinglandsandwaters.org to learn more about what they do and to see how you can get involved in the cleanup efforts.  You can also find them on Facebook under Living Lands and Waters.

Submitted by Billie Baumann, World Bird Sanctuary Outreach Coordinator

Javier Mendoza & Jim Peters This Thursday

Javier Mendoza and Jim Peters with The Reserve at Birds in Concert this Thursday!

Javier Mendoza returns to our stage this Thursday along with Jim Peters for a rocking good time

The folk-rock collective The Reserve was formed in 2013 by longtime collaborators Javier Mendoza and Jim Peters.  The Reserve combines elements of laid-back storytelling with moments of white-knuckle guitar acrobatics, filtering all of this through a pop sensibility with just a touch of twang.

Mendoza and Peters have played music together since 2001, touring both the United States and Europe.  They have opened for such artists as Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, Ben Folds, and Chuck Berry.  Vocalist/guitarist Javier Mendoza has released several acclaimed records as a solo artist.  Guitarist/vocalist Peters was a member of the alt-rock group The Uptight Animals when not appearing with Mendoza.

Important Information

Date: Thursday, August 15th, 2013

Time: 7.00 - 8.30pm

Admission: Parking: FREE!

Sponsored by:

Join us for the Raptor Project, followed by The Reserve.  

Spin the Whole Foods Market Wheel during intermission for fun prizes, 

PLUS the chance to win a Kindle tablet from Nationwide Hendrixson Agency!

Bring your blankets, picnics and friends and join us for a fun evening of music!

Food will be available from our snack table.

For the safety of our animals and other guests, no pets please.

“Phee Phew”

“Phee Phew” is the call of the Mississippi Kite. 

This small kite is grey in color with distinct red eyes and a long black tail.  Their diet consists of large flying insects that are caught while the bird is on the wing.  For about the last 25 years the Mississippi Kite has been sighted in St. Louis during summer months.  They will raise their young in pockets of St. Louis city and county.   

One of two young Mississippi Kites currently in our hospital's exercise mews

With this being my third summer working at WBS’s rehabilitation hospital I have slowly noticed trends where certain species breed in the surrounding St. Louis area. 

We recently received a 3 week old Mississippi Kite that had fallen from a nest about 50 feet off the ground.  Luckily for the little one the land owner brought it to our wildlife hospital.  It was found after an examination that the kite has no injuries.  I got to thinking about the St. Louis area and the relationship with the Mississippi kite.  After doing some homework I have discovered that Coniferous, or pine forest edges, grassland edges, and urban areas are the preferred breeding habitat for this kite species.

This youngster was ready to take on the big bad photographer

Often times this species is misidentified as the Peregrine Falcon--although the Peregrine Falcon is over three times heavier.  The global population of Mississippi Kites is estimated to be as large as 100,000 individuals with no signs of decline.  Oftentimes multiple Mississippi kites will be seen flying and riding thermals, or the warm air rising from the ground.  The name for a group of kites has many terms, including a “string”, “kettle”, and “brood” of kites.

In mid-September the adults will start migrating to as far south as Argentina and the juveniles are soon to follow. But, before you know it they are back in the beginning of May.  This is the time of the year when we will most likely receive adult Mississippi kites at the wildlife hospital. 

In the case of the baby received over the weekend, hopefully with a few weeks of exercise at the WBS wildlife hospital and plenty of food the kites will be returned back to the wild before the migration begins.

Submitted by Adam Triska, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Really Weird Bird Behavior: The Great Tit

The Great Tit is a small (4.9–5.5 inches in length) passerine bird, but large in the family Paridae, which includes chickadees and titmice.  The species is very widespread, found in woodlands across Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa. 

 A pair of Great Tits

These birds consume mostly insects during the spring and summer.  Once colder weather arrives and insects are scarce, they eat more seeds, nuts, and berries.  Similar to birds of prey, tits will hold larger food items in their feet in order to eat.  They will also strike at the food with their beak until it is ready to devour.  They can break open a hazelnut with this method in about twenty minutes.  They will hammer off the heads of large insects when feeding them to their young.  They will also hold down large caterpillars with their feet and rip out their guts so the chicks do not consume tannins (found in the plants eaten by caterpillers), which could inhibit chick growth.

When food becomes very scarce in the winter, these small birds turn into ravenous predatory beasts!  They will seek out and hunt hibernating common pipistrelle bats!

A Common Pipistrelle Bat in flight. 

A study done at a Hungarian cave, published in 2009, discovered that it was not an opportunistic feeding behavior.  The Great Tits actively and purposely searched for the bats, then pulled them out of their roosting cavities and pecked at their heads until they died.  The bird then proceeded to eat their brains…so nutritious!

The Great Tit has also been witnessed to kill smaller passerine birds and eat their brains.  One case reports Pied Flycatchers with smashed skulls were found in a nest box taken over by Great Tits.  There have also been reports of Great Tits attacking and killing birds that were caught in nets or traps.  They will attack small or weak birds and split their heads open with their beaks to get to the brains! 

Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

  

Birds In Concert This Thursday 8/8

The Raptor Project at Birds in Concert this Thursday!

Audience youngsters sit enthralled by the Raptor Project while the bird parade passes behind them

Join us on Thursday when World Bird Sanctuary's in-house band, "The Raptor Project" takes to the stage to perform songs from their popular children's environmental education CDs.  Fan favorites from the "Save the Future" and "All Along the Watershed" albums include "Turkey Named Fred", "Roadkill Shiver," "What's the Matter," "The Greatest Possum," and "Animal Noises."

Learn fun and exciting facts about the animals we share our planet with as they share the stage with The Raptor Project!  Audience participation is encouraged!

Important Information

Date: Thursday, August 8th, 2013

Time: 7.00 - 8.30pm

Admission & Parking: FREE!

Sponsored by:

Enjoy music from The Raptor Project.

Spin the Whole Foods Market Wheel during intermission for fun prizes 

PLUS enter our drawing for a chance to win a Kindle tablet from Nationwide Hendrixson Agency!

Bring your blankets, picnics and friends and join us for a fun evening of music.  Food will also be available for purchase at our snack table.

Really Weird Birds: The Shoebill Stork

Shoebill storks are native to East-Central Africa.  They favor freshwater swamps and dense marshes where they eat fish, young waterfowl, amphibians, and small reptiles – including baby crocodiles!  

These birds are very prehistoric-looking and have a very unusual beak!  It can be up to twelve inches long and five inches wide and it resembles the shape of a wooden shoe.

The beak resembles the shape of a wooden shoe

Shoebills are fairly large birds, with some reaching up to five feet in height with a wingspan of seven to eight feet in length.  They are quite solitary birds; even a mating pair will often forage at separate ends of their territory.  The monogamous pair builds a grassy nest on a floating platform of vegetation, up to nine feet wide, often amid dense stands of Papyrus, which is similar to reeds in our country.  The female lays up to three eggs but usually only one hatchling will survive.  The younger chicks are considered to be back-ups in case the eldest chick doesn’t survive.  Both parents will help to feed and protect their young.  They become reproductively mature at three to four years old and can live up to thirty-six years in captivity.

Some Shoebills may reach up to five feet in height

The Shoebill Stork is mostly an ambush predator.  They stand absolutely still waiting for prey.  Sometimes they will wade through the marsh very slowly in search of their next meal.  Once prey is spotted they can move with amazing speed and power.  The hook at the end of their large beak helps to grip and crush.  Click here to see some amazing footage of a Shoebill Stork hunting lungfish!  Their very large feet are well adapted for standing and walking on aquatic vegetation while hunting.  Their middle toe measures up to seven inches in length!

Shoebills are listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  Their population is declining because of habitat loss, hunting, and capture for the black market bird trade.  Their habitat is being destroyed in order to create farmland and pasture.  These birds are also hunted for food in some countries and their eggs are collected and sold as food or to zoos or collectors.  Capture and sale of these birds is a problem, especially in Tanzania, where trading of the species is still legal.  In Zambia, fire and drought threaten shoebill habitat, and nests are often crushed by large herbivores foraging in the swamps.

If you want to help endangered birds, part of the World Bird Sanctuary’s mission is to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments.  You can help us fulfill that mission by simply visiting us and spreading what you’ve learned, becoming a member or friend, or adopting-a-bird and feeding that bird for a year!

Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Amazing Animal Encounters

Visit World Bird Sanctuary this summer and experience Amazing Animal Encounters!

Ameren Missouri brings you free, family-friendly, fun and education Amazing Animal Encounters at World Bird Sanctuary, all summer long!

Free, fun, family-friendly environmental education programs are presented by our naturalists, using snakes, parrots, birds and mammals to teach you about the amazing creatures that share our planet, and what we can do to help them survive.

Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day

Time: Saturdays at 11.30am and 2.00pm; Sundays 1.30pm. 

Admission: Admission and parking is FREE.  No reservations required.

Sponsored by Ameren Missouri

Get ready to rock with Babaloo!

It’s here!!  Our first Birds In Concert of 2013 is going to start off with a bang!  Our first featured guest artist is the hugely popular Babaloo.

Babaloo--Not your run-of-the-mill performer

Where else but WBS could you enjoy free family entertainment that includes not only a concert, but live birds of prey and other animals?

Ready for something different?  Then join us this Thursday night, August 1, for a high energy, often hilarious, musical comedy act for kids (and parents) of all ages.  Be warned—this is not your usual run-of-the-mill kids’ crooner.  Babaloo’s show is fast-paced, totally interactive, full of fun props, hilarious tunes and wacky stunts.  Everybody gets into the act!  

Everybody gets into the act!

This prize-winning pied piper packs more fun than seems possible into every show, and he performs over 300 shows per year.  The Children’s Music Web Awards named him “Best Entertainer”, and he placed 1^st and 2^nd in the world’s largest songwriting contest.  St. Louis Magazine voted him “The region’s best family entertainer” and he’s a selected touring performer for the Missouri Arts Council and Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Date:  Thursday, August 1, 2013

Time:  7:00 – 8:30 pm

Admission and Parking:  FREE!

Snacks and beverages may be purchased from our concession stand—or bring your own picnics and blankets.  Since Babaloo usually draws a full house you may want to bring blankets or folding chairs to take advantage of lawn seating.

Following is the full schedule of artists and dates for Birds In Concert 2013:

August 1 – Babaloo followed by The Raptor Project

August 8 – The Raptor Project performs songs from their CD’s

August 15 – The Raptor Project followed by The Reserve featuring Javier Mendoza and Jim Peters

August  22 – The Raptor Project followed by Fowl Play

August 29 – The Raptor Project followed by The Rebounds

Birds in Concert is sponsored by:

For the safety of our guests and animals--please no pets.

Why I Love WBS

Not to be outdone by her younger brother, following is a post from guest contributor, 11-year-old Isabelle B. 

I love going to the World Bird Sanctuary because there are so many interesting things to do there and you learn so much about birds from all over the world.

Isabelle poses in front of our Raptor silhouettes

Some of the things I like to do there are look at all of the birds they have set out, and go to the open houses and “Bat”urday.

One of my favorite memories is from International Migratory Bird Day 2012, where I got to release a Scarlet Tanager, and International Migratory Bird Day 2013, where I got to release a Warbler.

My personal favorite bird is a Eurasian Eagle Owl named Xena.

Whenever the WBS has an open house I WANT to go because they have so many birds on display, and have a show where they fly owls and eagles.  And that is why I LOVE the WBS.

Submitted by Guest Contributor Isabelle B. – 11 years old

Make Your Reservation Now

World Bird Sanctuary will be hosting its hugely popular Avian Training Workshop October 31-November 3, 2013.

If you've considered attending the World Bird Sanctuary Avian Training Workshop in the past but couldn’t work it into your schedule, now is your chance to plan ahead.   There's still plenty of time to arrange your schedule and take advantage of the early registration bonus!  Save $100 by registering before October 1st!

What is an Avian Training Workshop you may ask?  

The WBS Avian Training Workshop is an intensive 4-day workshop, which covers all aspects of housing, training, feeding and caring for raptors, parrots, corvids and many other species.  The workshop includes both classroom and hands-on training.

Subjects covered in the classroom section include:  

*  Establishing your own program--permits, insurance, facilities, staff & volunteers

*  Working with and training your bird--manning and positive reinforcement, desensitizing

*  Choosing the correct species to work with

*  Transportation--crates, permits, driving, flying, shipping

*  Housing--mews, jumpboxes, A-frames, flight cages, climate, hotwiring enclosures, substrates

*  Perch types--bow, platform, screen, etc.--which perch works best for which species

*  Diets--food types, frozen vs. live, storage, prep, raising food colonies, vitamins

*  Training your birds for flying--weight management, base weights, target weighs, flyer food

Everybody's favorite--the hands-on section:

Our staff believes the only way to learn is through the hands-on experience of doing things yourself.  At our workshop you will have the opportunity to actually do the following:

*  Make jesses, anklets, leashes

*  Practice imping feathers

*  Experience coping and trimming of a raptor

*  Participate in simple public speaking games and learn how different elements make you a better public speaker

*  Fly a Harris' Hawk and/or Barn Owl with WBS staff

*  Help train a new behavior with a Raven or crow (continues throughout the workshop)

*  "Be the Bird" in our training game

*  Participate in emergency medical care and do a gross necropsy on a raptor

The workshop also includes an extensive tour of WBS' facilities and opportunities to see birds and housing up close.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.  Workshop has a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 20.

WHEN:  Thursday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 3

EARLY REGISTRATION:  Sign up by October 1st - Cost - $650/person

LATE REGISTRATION:  Sign up after October 1st - Cost - $750/person

$100 non-refundable deposit required by 10/01/13 for early registration, balance due by 10/15/13.

Registration fee includes lunch each day.

Transportation to and from St. Louis, hotel accommodations and breakfast & dinner are the responsibility of each participant.

To download a registration form CLICK HERE

Further questions?  Contact Teri Graves, 636-225-4390, ext. 0 or email workshop@worldbirdsanctuary.org

Tomorrow Only: Help the WBS Wildlife Hospital when you shop at Whole Foods Market!

Shop at Whole Foods Market Town & Country or Whole FoodsMarket Galleria tomorrow, Thursday, July 25^th, when 5% of the total sales from each store for that day will be donated to World Bird Sanctuary’s wildlife hospital!

Bald Eagle Meet-and-Greet at Whole Food Market

• Enjoy a unique shopping experience at Whole Foods Market’s Community  Support Day at World Bird Sanctuary:
• Meet owls, hawks and eagles from World Bird Sanctuary – see exactly how your support makes a difference!
• Meet the staff who run the wildlife hospital – find out what it takes to treat an injured bird and prepare it for release back to the wild!
• FREE entry for a Return to the Wild gift certificate – you can win a Return to the Wild and feel the joy of returning a previously injured bird back to the wild!
• Purchase a bird house for your garden – made by Bob Sayer, who salvages wood from construction sites that would otherwise be destined for the landfill.  Instead, it becomes a new home for birds in your yard!
• Find out about the fun, free, family-friendly events at World Bird Sanctuary.
• Enjoy a children’s sing-a-long at various times throughout the day (at Town & Country store only).

An injured Red-tailed Hawk is treated at the World Bird Sanctuary wildlife hospital

 It costs approximately $50,000 per year to operate the Kathryn G. Favre Wildlife Hospital at World Bird Sanctuary.  Your support of Whole Foods Market’s Community Support Day will go directly to helping treat and care for the 400-450 birds admitted to the hospital per year.

  

We wish to express our thanks to Whole Foods Market for supporting World Bird Sanctuary through their Community Support Day program, and through their ongoing efforts to encourage us all to shop in a more environmentally sustainable way.

We hope to see you at Whole Foods Market tomorrow, Thursday, July 25^th, where your shopping will make a difference to the birds admitted to World Bird Sanctuary’s wildlife hospital.

Date: Thursday, July 25^th

Time: 11am – 7pm

Place: Whole Foods Market Town & Country and Whole Foods Market Galleria