Have You Watched our Falcon Cam Yet

What is a Falcon Cam you may ask? 

The World Bird Sanctuary, in partnership with Missouri Department of Conservation and Ameren Missouri, is pleased to be able to bring you a live video camera trained on a Peregrine Falcon nest box located at Ameren Missouri’s Portage des Sioux Energy Center.  This live video feed will allow you to watch a pair of Peregrine Falcons nest and hatch their chicks from the comfort of your living room.  The video feed is active from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. each day.

One of the falcons early in the year inspecting the empty next box

The Falcon Cam has been up and running for the past three years.  In that time we have watched a Peregrine Falcon pair, which we named Coal and SiouxZee, lay 14 eggs and successfully fledge 12 youngsters.

This year, for whatever reason, SiouxZee did not return.  However, a new female has bonded with Coal and she is now sitting on 4 eggs, which we estimate will hatch around the 4^th or 5^th of May.

The female (on the right) watching the four eggs

 Watching this nest is somewhat like watching a soap opera.  There can be action, drama, danger, tenderness and yes, even comedy.

Click Here to watch this real life drama.  If you are lucky you may even see the male bring food to the female, or just change positions with her to give her a break.  When you go to the video feed, be sure to click on the “Ask Jeff” link to find out all the interesting details of the past history of this falcon nest.  You’ll find out what is involved in following a pair of Peregrine Falcons (the world’s fastest animal) from courtship to fledging the youngsters. 

Let me warn you—viewing the Falcon Cam can be addictive!

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Our Chrys

Here’s another poem by World Bird Sanctuary friend and guest author Marge Biermann about Chrys, the Long Crested Eagle. Chrys was taken from his African homeland by black market smugglers, and Marge’s poem is about his traumatic journey to the United States.

Chrys, the Long-crested Eagle (photo: Gay Schroer)

“OUR CHRYS

Greed is often an element for sadness in life.

It has certainly caused our little Chrys a lot of strife.

Taken from his African home, the wild place of his birth,

His trip covered many frightening miles on this earth.

He was a helpless victim of the black market trade.

In this whole world who could come to his aid….

Handle him with care and true understanding,

Because this life change was so cruel and demanding.

His beautiful crest cut off to give some disguise,

Why pick on this innocent creature so small in size?

He offered no threat but was a beauty to see,

And asked only that in this life he could fly free.

But good for our Chrys….he has found the help he needs,

From folks dedicated to birds of all breeds.

A sanctuary of rest and care….A new home.

He’s no longer alone to wander aimlessly and roam.

With nurturing and love from others,

Chrys has found a way to help all of his lost brothers.

He’s now a messenger of hope to birds in distress.

In this great place he found rest and time to convalesce.

It’s the St. Louis World Sanctuary for Birds,

A blessing to winged creatures that surpasses all words.

Since Chrys was captured as an adult, his age is uncertain.  He arrived at the World Bird Sanctuary in 1987, so we know that he is over 28 years old.   Even though he is somewhat shy, Chrys has adapted well to life at WBS and over the years has helped to educate thousands about the evils of the black market trade. 

Most days you can find Chrys sitting on his perch in the weathering area behind the World Environmental Education Center sunning himself, bathing or just people watching.

Chrys is available for adoption through our Adopt A Bird program. Your adoption donation will help to feed, house and care for Chrys during the coming year.   To adopt Chrys online Click Here, or call 636-861-3225 and ask for Marion.

Submitted by Marge Biermann, World Bird Sanctuary Guest Author

Why Am I Here?

This is the Question we at the World Bird Sanctuary wildlife hospital sometimes ask ourselves when times are tough.

Winter can be tough on us, as well as wild animals.  Just as we are susceptible to heatstroke and frostbite, wildlife can also get sick and injured from harsh weather.  Wild animals don’t have a magic shield that protects them from the extremes of our world’s climate, even though sometimes it seems they do better than us when it comes to surviving outside.  Animals burrow underground, migrate south and have thick fur or feathers.  All of these things help them deal with the cold.

As you can see from the photo this bird is missing most of its major flight and tail feathers (photo: Gay Schroer)

We recently admitted a Bald Eagle to the Kathryn G. Favre wildlife hospital, which would not have survived the winter, even though there are thousands of eagles in the Midwest this year. 

This eagle slowly lost all its major wing feathers.  Most eagles molt all the feathers on their bodies over a two-year period. This particular eagle was found starving to death because it had lost so many feathers it could not fly, hunt or keep its body insulated from the elements.  After we acquired the bird, it continued to lose the remaining feathers.  When new ones would start to grow in, for some reason the eagle’s body would reject the feathers before they even developed.  

Without tail feathers and primary flight feathers this bird could not fly (photo: Gay Schroer)

We are not sure what caused this odd feather loss.  We are running tests and treating the bird with vitamins, antibiotics and rich meats.  These treatments sometimes induce a bird to molt, which we are hopeful will result in a new growth of normal feathers; only time will tell.  We know that we have a long fight ahead of us.

The deteriorated feathers on his body could not provide insulation from the cold (photo: Gay Schroer)

This eagle would have surely died of frostbite if a number of individuals had not intervened to get the bird to the proper authorities.  This bird does not understand that we are trying to help him.  With daily treatment eagles will defend themselves when we try to restrain them to administer medication.  These are the challenges we face when trying to save a Bald Eagle.  

We here in the wildlife hospital are always focused on the end goal—seeing the bird returned to the wild.  This is why I am here! 

If you would like to sponsor a Return to the Wild Click Here—or call 636-225-4390 to be routed to the proper person for more information.

Submitted by Joe Hoffmann, World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital Manager

Birdlore: Common Loon, Spirit of the North

Imagine you are deep in the woods of the great north, wandering through the still trees and underbrush. 

The air is calm and quiet.  Sound doesn’t travel far in the dense forest.  A light fog lingers around you in the fading light.  As you push through the ferns and young trees, a clearing opens up to a calm and serene lake.  An eerie wail echoes across the flat water, sending a shiver down your back and drawing your attention to the center of the lake.

You've just entered the domain of the solitary Common Loon.

A typical Common Loon in breeding plumage (photo: the wikipedia files)

The common loon (Gavia immer) is a primitive bird species with a solid black head, red eyes, white ring around the neck, and colored with a black and white checkerboard pattern on their back (breeding plumage).  These water birds are found on lakes, rivers, large ponds, or estuaries in the northern wilderness during the breeding season.  They eat small fish for a living.

The loon is known for its haunting and beautiful calls which can be heard echoing across their watery habitat, especially at night.  They produce a tremolo when alarmed or announcing their presence on the lake.  Males give out a yodel to indicate their territory.   Lastly, the loon's wail, the most familiar and haunting call, is used to help determine a male and female's  location to each other. Click Here to hear the call of the Common Loon.

Common Loon swimming swiftly under the surface of a lake (photo: the wikipedia files)

The loon is also known as the Great Northern Diver in Britain, for their incredible diving and swimming ability.  This water bird has several adaptations lending to its superb skill. Their legs are situated to the rear of their body.  This allows for swift swimming underwater, but leaves the loon very clumsy and vulnerable on land.  Also, the loon is one of the few bird species with solid bones,  along with Puffins and Penguins, which helps them to sink more easily.  They also compress the interlocking pattern of their feathers to force out enclosed air before diving.  While under the water, loons will lower their heart rate to conserve oxygen.  The loon can dive without making a splash on the surface and reach a depth of 150 to 180 ft.

A Common Loon sitting on its nest near the water (photo: the wikipedia files)

Since the loon is so adapted to water, they are faced with equal disadvantages.  The rear legs of the loon are not suited to land, so they only go to shore to mate and nest.  Being a heavier bird, loons need to take a running start across open water for as much as a quarter mile to get airborne,  while at the same time flapping their wings.  Common loons can easily become stranded if they land in bodies of water that are too small. 

In the summer months, loons are spotted on the water's surface raising their feet to waggle them in the air.  Scientists believe this is done to help lower their body temperature.

The common loon often represents the northern wilderness's isolation and serene beauty with its own unique characteristics, haunting calls, and it's preference to live in remote quiet places away from humans.  

The Chippewa Indian tribe tells the following story of how, long ago, the whole world was covered in water.  One day the Great Spirit decided to make solid land for all the animals to rest on and live in.  The Great Spirit asked the animals if any of them would dive to the deep bottom to retrieve a little mud, so he could make the land.  Muskrat, otter, and beaver tried and failed.  Looking to the loon last, the Great Spirit asked if loon would dive as deep as he could.  Time passed and finally the loon surfaced, saddened.  He believed he had failed and waved his foot to the Great Spirit in farewell.  As he did so, mud appeared on the bottom of his foot and was enough for the Great Spirit to make the land.  Loon became a hero. 

To this day, when loons raise their feet and wave them in the air, they are remembering the hero of their species, the Loon Who Made the World.

If you wish to learn more about Common Loons or other water birds around the world, please stop by the World Bird Sanctuary and speak with one of our naturalists.

Submitted by Jessica Bunke, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

Midwest Bat Festival 2015

In collaboration with Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, BatWorld Ozarks and Missouri Bat Census Group, World Bird Sanctuary is presenting MidWest BatFest 2015.

Now in its second year, MidWest BatFest 2015 is an educational and awareness-building event hosted over two days at two different venues, with the purpose of educating the public about the importance of bats to our ecosystems, the threats they face, and what we as individuals can do to help them.

According to the USGS report released in March of 2011, insectivorous bats are estimated to save the US agricultural industry $3 billion per year in pesticide usage.  MidWest BatFest partners believe that our mutual interest in preserving bat species and their habitats make for a productive working partnership to raise awareness about the importance of bats and what we can do to help rapidly declining bat populations.  We will be presenting programs, featuring live bats, that demystify bats in Missouri, and update our attendees about the impact of white-nose syndrome on bat populations in the MidWest, and why this should matter to everyone who lives here.

Program of Events

Saturday, April 11^th at World Bird Sanctuary: 10am – 9:30pm

Meet live Missouri bats at MidWest Batfest 2015

·      Exciting Ecosystems! Presented by World Bird Sanctuary at 10:30am and 3:30pm.
Environmental education program featuring bats, barn owls, snakes.

·      Bats of Missouri Presented by Missouri Department of Conservation and BatWorld Ozarks , with live bats at 2:30pm

·      Urban Bat Preservation

Presented by Missouri Bat Census, presentation at 11:30am

·      White-nose Syndrome Update

Presented by US Fish & Wildlife Service at 1:30pm

·      MoBat Census bat-house building activity and children’s craft activity presented throughout the day

·      Exhibitors:

o      Missouri Cave and Karst Conservancy

o      Missouri Bat Census

o      Wildlife Command Center

o      Wildlife Rescue Center

o      National Speological Society

o      Mark Twain Cave Complex

o      NSS 2015 Convention

o      NSS WNS Response

o      Ozark Karst Task Force

Sunday, April 12^th at Onondaga Cave State Park: 10am – 4pm

Enjoy discounted cave tours at Onondaga Cave State Park during MidWest Batfest 2015.

·      Discounted cave tours (Saturday and Sunday)

o      Adults - $10  (normally $15)

o      Seniors/Teens - $8  (normally $13)

o      Children 5 - 12 years old - $6  (normally $9)

o      Children 4 and under are free

·      All About Bats, featuring live bats Presented by Missouri State Parks and Incredible Bats at 11am and 2pm

·      Bird of Prey Display Presented by World Bird Sanctuary  from 11am – 2pm

·      Bat Kids Craft presented by Onondaga State Park

·      White-nose Syndrome decontamination demonstration

·      White-nose Syndrome Update Presented by Missouri Department of Conservation at 1:30pm

·      Exhibitors:

o      Missouri Cave and Karst Conservancy

o      Missouri Bat Census

o      Wildlife Command Center

o      National Speological Society

o      Mark Twain Cave Complex

o      NSS 2015 Convention

o      NSS WNS Response

o      Ozark Karst Task Force

Special Presentation: Public Bat Mist-netting at World Bird Sanctuary AND Onondaga Cave State Park

Saturday, April 11^th

6:30pm – 9:30pm

Watch as bat biologists capture wild bats, record important data, and release the bats again.

Watch bat biologists as they trap bats in mist-nets, capture their data (including species, sex, age, size, etc.) and then release them.  This information is used in identifying trends in bat populations, as well as identifying problems so that proactive solutions can be found to help bats.

Admission to all programs, mist-netting and demonstrations is free. Cave tours at Onondaga Cave State Park are discounted for MidWest Batfest weekend.

We encourage visitors of all ages to come and learn about the importance of bats, what amazing creatures they are, and how we can help them, at MidWest BatFest 2015!

Submitted by Catherine Redfern, World Bird Sanctuary Fundraising & Social Media Consultant

World Eagle Day A Huge Success

World Eagle Day a Huge Success

This year’s World Eagle Day event on March 29 at the World Bird Sanctuary was a resounding success!  We had record attendance.

This could have been you feeling the rush of air created by a free flying Bald Eagle (photo: Gay Schroer)

Young and old alike took advantage of the ideal weather and joined us for a day of outdoor fun.  Eagles from around the world were on display—some at a mere arm’s length, and our free flying Bald Eagle, Clark, amazed the crowds by swooping just over their heads.

In case you were unable to attend or live too far away, Click Here to see the Show Me St. Louis segment, which aired on KSDK Channel 5 on March 27.   You’ll see what World Eagle Day is all about.  

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all who attended, the staff and volunteers who made this event possible, and the local television stations that helped us to get the word out.  We would also like to thank Ameren Missouri for sponsoring the event.

Be sure to check out the World Bird Sanctuary Calendar for other exciting events coming soon. 

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Meet Kahn

Basking comfortably in the warmth of his large cage in the Nature Center at World Bird Sanctuary, you will find Kahn, the albino Burmese python.  Kahn has been a resident of the sanctuary since about 1998, when he flew to St. Louis from Rapid City, South Dakota in the coat pocket of Walter C. Crawford Jr.

Kahn, World Bird Sanctuary’s Albino Burmese Python (photo: Dawn Griffard)

Kahn is an albino Burmese Python (Python bivittatus).  The term albino refers to the fact that this particular animal lacks pigment in his skin.  In animals, albinism is a hereditary condition characterized by the absence of pigment in the eyes, skin, hair, scales, feathers or cuticles.  It is a recessive gene (meaning the gene’s traits are rare to see) passed down by one of the parent animals.

 

Unfortunately, albino animals do not fare well in the wild.  They fall easy prey to predators since they have much difficulty camouflaging their bright body color. 

Normal color Burmese Pythons may be pale tan, yellowish-brown or gray.  On top of this base color are large reddish blotches outlined in cream or gold.  Kahn does have the Burmese Python blotches, but they are the same yellow as the rest of his body and are outlined in white.  His eyes are pale red instead of gold.

Burmese Pythons are one of the largest snakes on Earth, averaging 16-23 feet in length and up to 200 pounds.  Their girth can be as big as a telephone pole.  Female Burmese Pythons are the larger of the two sexes and usually have a different coloration and a smaller head relative to the body.

If you are considering a Burmese Python, remember that they can reach 23 feet long, weigh up to 200 lbs., and live as long as 30 years--are you ready for that responsibility?

Our Kahn weighs about 70 pounds and is 12 feet long.  He was the runt of his litter and was not doing well when he was hatched at Black Hills Reptile Gardens, so Executive Director Walter Crawford, offered to bring him back to WBS for some focused attention.  He arrived at the sanctuary when he was only 12 inches long.

The life span of these snakes is 20-30 years.  Since our Kahn is only about 16 years old, he has a long life ahead of him!

Burmese pythons are indigenous to southern China, Burma, Indochina, Thailand, and the Malay Archipelago. These snakes generally live in rainforests near streams, although they survive in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, swamps, marshes, and rocky foothills.   Populations are dependent upon a permanent source of water.  Interestingly, Burmese pythons are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes before surfacing for air.  They use their powerful body muscles to flow gracefully in the water.

Kahn in his swimming pool (photo: JoHanna Burton)

They have very poor eyesight, but can use the special chemical receptors on their tongue and the super-sensitive heat-sensing pits around their mouth to find food.  Pythons are constrictors, which means they grab their prey with their teeth and coil their muscular bodies around it and squeeze until the prey is suffocated.  Because they don’t use venom, they do not have fangs.  However, they do have many rows of backward curving teeth that allow them to grab prey and not allow it to escape.

In the wild, Burmese pythons will eat small mammals, reptiles and birds.  They swallow their prey whole and spend the next several days to weeks keeping warm enough to digest their meal.  Like most snakes, Burmese pythons can unhinge their jaws and have special ligaments that allow them to swallow an animal four to five times as wide as their heads.

Our Kahn eats pre-killed food items, which are much safer than live prey.  Snakes that are born into and live in captivity generally lose some of their wild inborn ability to catch and kill prey items quickly and efficiently.  Because of this, they can often be bitten by that prey animal.  In turn, that bite may turn into a dangerous infected wound.  The snake may also react to such an attack by learning that the smell of that prey animal means “fear and injury” instead of “food”; subsequently becoming a problem eater.

Closeup of Kahn (photo: Dawn Trainor Griffard)

The plight of the Burmese python in the wild is extreme.  Native populations are considered to be threatened and are listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) Appendix II.  Although the snake is widespread throughout their range, they are diminishing in numbers.

Hundreds of thousands of these snakes are killed for their skins – which are made into accessory items such as shoes, boots, belts and other items.  Their blood and gall is used in folk medicine, and for “snake wine” in Viet Nam.  Young snakes are captured and sold in the pet trade.  Some snakes are commercially bred for these purposes, but too many are still removed from the wild.

Conversely, non-native populations of Burmese pythons are booming as an introduced species in southern Florida.  Populations begun by overwhelmed and irresponsible pet owners, who thought it was a good idea to release their pet snakes when they got too big to handle, have flourished in the warm and humid Florida climate.  These unnatural introductions are having devastating consequences on the Florida ecosystem.  Preying on many different native species and therefore competing with the native natural predators, these Burmese Pythons are seriously impacting the natural order of the ecological community.  Over 2,000 Burmese pythons have been removed from Everglades National Park.   Although the Burmese Python will likely never be eradicated from south Florida, the National Park Service has been taking great strides to manage the existing population.

If you are considering a snake as a pet please remember that this species grows too large for most home environments (Photo: Gay Schroer)

Considering these grim facts about our wild Burmese pythons, it seems they will never be seen in a good, respectful light.  Snakes are often not seen as desirable, important creatures overall, but they serve a great purpose to their native environments, as rodent control for one example.

Our Kahn is an important symbol for the exploited native wild animal populations that are disappearing quickly on our planet, and as one who has unwittingly become a “nuisance animal” as an introduced species by the irresponsible human hand.

Please consider showing your support of this troubled species by adopting Kahn into your family today.  Your $50.00 adoption fee will help feed, house and care for Kahn in the coming year.  Your donation will make a great difference.   Kahn does not yet have a family of his own, and it would be wonderful to have his nobility recognized!

Submitted by Dawn Griffard, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Birds on the Line: Thick-billed Parrots

This year I will be talking about some of the many birds you will encounter as you walk down the World Bird Sanctuary’s exhibit line just beyond the Wildlife Hospital.  The first bird I have chosen to talk about is not an individual, but an entire flock.  They are the Thick-billed Parrots that live on the exhibit line in a large flight cage.

Closeup of one member of our Thick-bill flock (photo: Cathy Spahn)

The Thick-billed Parrot, Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha, is a highly endangered species.  They are the only remaining parrot that is Native to the United States.  They were originally found in Arizona and Mexico.  Today they are only found in Mexico. 

Our free flying flock of Thick-billed Parrots (photo: Gay Schroer)

The wild population of this amazing bird number only 500 to 2,000.  The Thick-billed Parrots that we have at the World Bird Sanctuary are mostly from confiscated birds that were brought into the United States illegally.  Some individuals are from other collections of single birds, and a few in the flock have hatched at World Bird Sanctuary. 

In the United States, the Thick-billed Parrot was hunted to extinction.  In Mexico, the biggest threats to the existing Thick-bill populations are logging and trapping for the pet trade.  Logging has changed the composition of the forests and decreased the Juniper forest, which provides food and nesting cavities for these parrots.  Insects have increased due to climate change created by the logging, which in turn changes the habitat.  The climate change and damage to the forest from both insects and logging have then resulted in an increase in the number of forest fires.  The increase of fires to the forests and the increase in insect populations may cause the biggest threat to the Thick-bills. 

A pair of Thick-bill sitting on a branch in their flight cage (photo: Cathy Spahn)

 Thick-billed Parrots may be identified by their bright green color, large black bill, the distinctive red crown, shoulders and thighs, and the yellow patch under the wings.  They live at high elevations (6,000 feet and higher) in the pine forests in the mountains of Mexico.  They are also known as the Christmas Parrot, because of their colors and the fact that they will often play in the snow.

Efforts are under way in Mexico to try to save this species, and groups here in the United States are again working to try to figure out a way to reintroduce birds into their former habitat in Arizona.  In the late 1980’s World Bird Sanctuary helped the Arizona Fish and Game Department, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service with efforts to reintroduce Thick-billed Parrots back into the mountains of Arizona.  Several youngsters produced from WBS’s flock were released to the wild.  However, for various reasons, the reintroduction did not work.  Hopefully this time, having learned from the former attempt, we will have more success.

A pair of Thick-bills peeking out from their nest box at WBS (photo: Cathy Spahn)

 Here at the World Bird Sanctuary we have a large enclosure with a free flying flock of Thick-billed Parrots.  It’s always a treat to watch them flying and interacting with each other as they would in the wild.  During the winter you may see them early in the morning as they leave their night roosts looking for breakfast.  They are often heard more than seen.  They love their nest boxes and can often be heard “laughing” (yes, their voice sometimes sounds like a human laughing) inside the boxes.  They also like to sit in pairs high in the cage, so be sure to look up. 

Arizona, WBS’s Education Ambassador (photo: Gay Schroer)

 During the summer you can also meet Arizona, a Thick-billed Parrot that is one of our Education Department birds.  He lives in the Nature Center and likes to greet our visitors when he is not traveling to one of our outreach programs.  Arizona, as well as all of our other resident animals, is available for adoption as part of our Adopt A Bird program.  If you choose to adopt Arizona your adoption donation will help to feed, house, and care for him throughout the coming year.  Of course, if you are so inclined, there is always the option to adopt the whole flock!

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist