Get the inside scoop with World Bird Sanctuary
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Our youngest Barred Owl baby is the most vocal of our babies. This sound is a food begging noise. This baby is only a few days old and the eyes are still closed. Food calling starts whenever they hear noise or movement that may indicate something that can feed them is nearby.
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IT’S HAPPENING!!!
Bald Eaglet 23-126 was let out of the baby jail for a full introduction to Murphy yesterday and so far things are going very well! A staff member watched initial interactions through a peep hole to make sure the eaglet was safe. It took Murphy an hour before he
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Murphy does not need a real egg to feel accomplished!!He’s quite content with his rock, and VERY protective of it! After his spring hormones have run their course, he will get bored and move on to other activities. Poor rock.
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Murphy and his new charge are bonding beautifully.
In these videos, if you watch carefully, you can see Murphy waiting for the baby to eat. When the baby doesn’t eat right away, he takes a bit of food, & then the baby begins to eat. This is the kind of bonding we’re looking for
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It’s just too much for the heart to handle. The fact that the chick’s face is blurry is incredibly endearing.
All the funds made on this fundraiser will go right into that blurry beak, and the one feeding it! worldbirdsanctuary.org/donat…
Type RockBaby in the comments of the donation!
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Wow everyone! We are absolutely blown away by the support being shown for Murphy and eaglet 23-126 through our fundraiser and Amazon baby registry. We wanted to take a moment to address the topic of camera footage of these two.
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Here’s the Murphy update you’ve all been waiting for…
Murphy will be given a chance this week to bond with the eaglet we received last week.
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23-126 is not yet old enough to tear food which means MURPHY FED THE BABY!!!!
The enclosure has been rearranged to make sure that baby can access the spot where the food will come through the blind drop tube, but we are absolutely thrilled that Murphy has chosen to feed!
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Does this behavior look familiar to you? Murphy has transferred his protection of RockBaby to the eaglet.
So far, so good, but the real test is coming soon!
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We recently acquired new wool for Sofia! Since it was fresh from the sheep, we washed it before giving it to her to ensure it was free from potential parasites and chemicals. She took her freshly laundered wool straight out of her nest box and over to the grass to play with it.
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Bathing can be important to keeping a bird's feathers clean and healthy. Most birds prefer to take baths in shallow water so that it is easy to stand. This little dish is perfect for Winona's small size with the water being just deep enough to dip her wings and splash around.
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McGwire heard that Murphy became famous for incubating a rock. McGwire would like you to know that he is just as good at incubating and nest building as he tries to incubate one of his enrichment cups on a newspaper nest.
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Eaglet 23-126 is doing quite fine, as you can see here! Still begging for more food after gobbling down their morning meal!
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Sofia, the Bearded Vulture, is patrolling her aviary in search of the perfect pieces of grass to add to her nest alongside the wool she got a couple weeks ago!
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approached 23-126 and examined with curiosity.
Murphy didn’t get much of a chance to feed 23-126 as they had already stuffed themselves full with the entire pile of chopped food that had been dropped for them. That still didn’t stop 23-126 from doing a bit of food begging at
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Murphy/RockBaby/Eaglet
THE TIMELINE
Thank you for following our story so far!
Remember you can support this sweet pair and their 200 bird friends at The Sanctuary by hitting that green DONATE button on our website home page!
worldbirdsanctuary.org
See comment for TIMELINE
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All birds at WBS are safe after tornadoes, flash flooding, and severe thunderstorms hit our area last night, though Bald Eaglet 23-126 gave us quite a scare.
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MURPHY’S LAW
Don’t let them steal your dreams
A ROCK can be an EGG
If you believe it so.
And if you persevere…
It MIGHT just become a CHICK.
A dedicated dad
Can perform miracles
With great devotion,
A little help from his friends,
…and a dash of magic.
BELIEVE
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Meanwhile, while Murphy is still figuring out this first time parenting thing, superstar Sayyida is doing a great job with her babies. Sayyida immediately went over to preen her new babies when introduced and does a great job feeding them and keeping them warm.
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food begging at Murphy but it was fairly halfhearted.
This morning, Murphy got his chance to be a full parent as 23-126 left the nest to go be closer to Murphy. The food is being dropped through a blind drop tube into the nest and baby appears unable to be able to get over the
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Happy International Vulture Awareness Day! Vultures are among the most important, yet tragically misunderstood birds on our planet. By consuming carcasses and organic waste, vultures help prevent the spread of deadly diseases that could devastate wildlife, livestock, and people.
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With all of the rain, some of the birds are sporting some interesting "hairdos." Cricket, the American Kestrel, went for the spiked top look.
Our birds really do love rainy days. It is a perfect shower that is usually also accompanied by a bath in their water bowls and pools.
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We know everyone is very excited about Murphy and his charge and wants more and more photos and video of them, however, our first goal is to disturb them as little as possible.
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Look at this beautiful photo of our Murphy by photographer Gary Cochard! Stunning!
We’ve welcomed many new followers, so I’d like to recap a few things:
We will supply updates on at least a daily basis. We know you’re all invested in this story, and we LOVE that you are!
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Birds will stand one leg for a couple of reasons. One reason is to help with heat loss in the cold winter. The other is simply because it is comfortable for the bird.
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Here’s a little more video of two of your favorite eagles.
Just a lazy spring day.
Our little eaglet is growing fast, mostly eating and sleeping, & still very floppy. Murphy continues to watch over, and is very curious & attentive if the baby makes any moves.
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Vultures will eat all kinds of deceased animals including fish, and Inca the Andean Condor is loving her giant slice of carp! Local fishermen will donate several different species of fish, including Asian carp that they catch.
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Murphy says thank you for all the wonderful gifts you’ve sent to WBS!
Everyone who has sent/will send a gift, donation, or has/will buy a shirt by May 12 will be placed in a drawing to win a VERY special prize….
You will get to name our new education barn owl!! Pics to follow!
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Dynasty “helped” our staff a bit with some gardening today, but then saw a shiny thing with one of his favorite keepers behind it!
Dynasty is a 33 years old, Egyptian vulture. WBS has the largest collection of Egyptian vultures in the country. Our goal is to breed & release!
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Barred Owl 23-556 is not eating on her own as she recovers from a femur fracture, so we are hand-feeding her to provide the needed nutrition.
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It was a longer road than we had hoped for Bald Eagle 23-450, who sustained a severe fracture to her left metacarpus (outer portion of her wing) in a vehicle collision. Her treatment was complicated by lead poisoning and feather damage but she is now flying free again!
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Cash, the Black Vulture, loves to run around on the ground! American vulture species have feet adapted for walking. Their long toes and blunted talons are suited for moving around on the ground. You can meet Cash at our Vulture Awareness Day on September 6th from 10am to 4pm.
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Meanwhile, little eaglet is growing fast!
23-126 is just 18-21 days old at this point, and just beginning to be able the regulate their own body temperature.
This bird is insatiable.
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Murphy is back home on Avian Avenue! With his fostering duties done for the year, Murphy returned to his regular aviary in a special Father's Day celebration. We want to thank Murphy for his service and applaud his outstanding job in raising 23-126. Happy Father's Day Murphy!
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Anytime Shakespeare sees one of his preferred staff members, he will hoot in his most alluring voice to attract them to his aviary. He will then get extra excited if they enter his aviary to deliver food, as some owls will exchange gifts of food items during their courtship.
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Dorothy, the Andean Condor, loves to rub her face on just about any surface. Vultures will rub their faces on objects to clean food from their heads, to relieve an itch, as part of play, and just because it feel good.
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Hinkley, the turkey vulture, took advantage of the recent warm weather to start her nest. While she usually lays eggs, this year it looks like she has decided to foster two rubber ducks and a ball. We wish her and her mate, Attila, the best of luck with their new family!
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See a complete, up-to-date synopsis of the Murphy, RockBaby, eaglet story on our Facebook page this morning. It’s too long to share here!
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Here’s a goodnight message from Alejandro, our harpy eagle.
We’re not sure what the message is, but he’s not screaming, so we’ll call it a win.
Video by Cheryl Circo
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Dynasty, the Egyptian vulture, is ready to go trick or treating! He has received his bag of goodies, but instead of candy his treats are pieces of meat. Egyptian vultures are master scavengers and use their long narrow beak to get into small spaces on carcasses.
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We are only 1 week away from our Owl-o-Ween event! You can join us on Saturday, October 25th for a day filled with fun, spooky activities that celebrate the predators of the night: owls!
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Hot days mean staying hydrated! Turn up the volume to hear the sips from Attila and Hinkley, the Turkey Vultures.
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People frequently ask, "How is Murphy doing?"
Murphy the bald eagle is continuing to do great! Even though Murphy is one of our older eagles at 33 years, he is very healthy and full of energy.
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to get back into the nest to get the chopped food. When we checked back, we found that baby was still out of the nest and all the chopped food was still in the nest. However, Murphy’s whole fish had been removed from the nest and baby had a full crop. 23-126 is not yet old enough
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Not all owls hoot. With over 250 recognized species, there are a lot of different sounds to be made! Our ambassadors can be very vocal, and they were more than happy to share some of their amazing sounds for you.
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American kestrels need to be able to lock their focus and head. Imagine sitting on a branch or power line, trying to track a mouse on the ground! If your eyeballs were bouncing around with that moving perch, you’d never be able to follow enough to pounce and eat that agile mouse
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American Vulture species such as Andean Condors, Black Vultures, and Turkey Vultures lack a syrinx. The syrinx is what most birds have as a voice box. American vultures lack this voice box, so they cannot make true vocalizations. Instead they make a series of grunts and hisses.
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The case of the amazing shrinking owl!
Birds can adjust the position of their feathers, and this is one of the best ways to understand what a bird is thinking. Trevor became alert when he saw one of his favorite trainers.
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One of our keepers was trying to rake up some leaves in the Bald Eagle aviary. Lewis thought the pile was for him and had fun playing in it.
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Our hospital has treated 64 patients for lead poisoning this year. That's over 8% of our patients. Shown is a Bald Eagle receiving a blood transfusion in an effort to save him from the deadly combo of lead poisoning and emaciation. Sadly the lead caused his organs to fail.
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Barred owls go into full relaxation mode when they sun. They will sit down, go into a full pancake, and tip their head back for maximum sun coverage. Gordon will do this on warm sunny days even on his trainer's glove.
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We're getting excited for Sunday at 11am when Murphy rejoins his roommates on Avian Avenue after a job well done as a first-time foster dad! We will work on getting photos and videos to share with you!
Eaglet 126 is off to flight school and we are making plans for his release!
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Dorothy thoroughly enjoyed the warm weather today and took a BIG bath. Just look at this big soggy chicken!
This condor is living the life.
Dorothy is an 18 year old Andean condor who was hatched and raised at WBS as part of a breeding program in the early 2000s.
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Another family photo of Murphy and 23-126 sitting on the platform together. We also thought we'd share a view of what they are looking at when they look out from that platform. 3 of the 4 walls look out into the Missouri woods
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Some birds are very cooperative for their annual exams. Uxmal, the spectacled owl, has most of her exam done voluntarily. We can mitigate a lot of stress by having the bird willingly participate in their exams.
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Watermelon is a tasty treat on a hot day!
Turkey Vultures, like Kinsey, will eat primarily deceased animals, but they will also eat some vegetation. They may be seen eating things such as pumpkins, berries, melons, and more.
Do you have any favorite summer snacks?
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Meet Lewis, one of Murphy's aviary mates! Lewis is most well known for being the bald eagle that flew for the St. Louis Cardinals. Lewis retired recently due to arthritis in one of his wings. He is enjoying retirement and loves to lay in the grass of his aviary.
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Happy Halloween from everyone at World Bird Sanctuary!
If you ever wonder what to do with your pumpkins after the holiday, as long as you haven't used any chemicals on them such as bleach, wild animals can safely eat them.
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Murphy and 23-126 get settled in for the evening. Little eaglet preens themselves. Murphy keeps a watchful eye on the sky from his platform, gives a big stretch, and vocalizes.
Goodnight from MurphyLand! 😴🌕🦅
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You can now “Adopt” Murphy as your very own!
The symbolic adoption program at World Bird Sanctuary helps to provide food and care for your favorite feathered friends.
worldbirdsanctuary.org/produ…
$29 - $129
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Very quietly and inconspicuously, one of our bald eagles, Murphy (male) has built an extremely simple nest on the ground and is incubating his single “egg” very carefully and attentively.
We wish Murphy all the luck in the world, but we have yet to see a rock hatch. 🥹
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We are officially getting into owl season. Owls are winter breeders, and the fall is when they start becoming more active. They will soon begin hooting frequently to re-establish their territories and court their mates.
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One of Murphy's favorite pastimes is taking baths, especially as it is being filled.
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The majority or our ambassadors are physically disabled. They have their aviaries tailored to meet their individual needs. Poe is using the stairs her keepers made for her to take her food up to her favorite perch. Poe had limited mobility due to her arthritis.
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Have you ever heard an eerie whinny coming from the woods at night? You might be hearing an Eastern Screech Owl. This whinny is how Eastern Screech Owls announce their territory. Bruno is letting everyone know that World Bird Sanctuary is his home.
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87 degrees today in the St. Louis area, and our chick was a little sweaty. You can see the eaglet panting a bit here. Fortunately this didn’t last long and they were soon comfortable once again.
Meanwhile, Murphy was curious about the screaming blue jays above.
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Inca the Andean Condor is having lots of fun with her Kong toy! Vultures are incredibly intelligent and need lots of training and enrichment to meet their mental needs. These birds will participate in play with toys, each other, and their trainers.
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Taz, the turkey vulture, loves to explore! Turkey vultures are very inquisitive and intelligent birds. They enjoy checking out new items and even play games with members of their flock.
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Many birds enjoy sunning by opening their wings and fanning out their tail feathers. By increasing their surface area, they can absorb more vitamin D and drives any potential parasites from the feathers. Different species may have different preferred poses for sunbathing.
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It's a fashion statement!
Dorothy, the Andean condor, has always had a love of sticks. She particularly enjoys wearing them, and has been known to twirl around with them on her back.
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Step 1 will be placing the chick in Murphy’s enclosure during the day (w/a warmer) within the small cage shown by Kylee, so we can see how Murphy reacts to the chick without having full access - just in case the reaction is negative.
We affectionately call this the Baby Jail! 😆
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23-126 watches Murphy eat, and then watches as he goes to get a drink.
These are all learning experiences for our little eaglet! Murphy is doing a great job being a role model. Don’t you think?
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Birds have more neck bones, or vertebrae, than mammals do. Almost all mammals, including giraffes, have 7 neck vertebrae. Birds can have anywhere from 10 in parrots to 25 in swans! Birds of prey have 14 neck bones.
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Gracie, the golden eagle, is showing off a wonderful bird rouse. A "rouse" is when a bird raises their feathers away from their body and shakes them all out.
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Red-tailed Hawk with rare color aberration admitted to our hospital! This Red-tail has either Leucism or Progressive Greying. Eyes are normal, beak/talons are normal or pink, plumage can be all white or a mix of all white feathers and normal colored feathers with both conditions.
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First your baby takes your food, then he interrupts your bath time, and now he's mobile enough to take your favorite spot?! Murphy is probably wondering what outrage he'll be victim to next. Murphy is still taking it all well and is very tolerant of his baby.
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Bald Eagle 24-390's beak continues to slowly regrow. We are finally starting to see some keratin coming in over the top of the beak! The keratin on the sides is continuing to move upwards to cover more of the beak and is starting to come in more smoothly and normal in appearance.
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Last year, a Bald Eagle couple's nesting season ended in tragedy when a tornado destroyed their nest and sent their chick to our hospital. That chick was 23-126, and we fell in love as we watched him with Murphy. This year, 126's parents have rebuilt and have 3 healthy eaglets!
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We will not be able to give you constant photo updates since we don’t want to disturb the process at all.
Keep your talons crossed!
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Murphy enters the nest to get food. Watch how carefully he chooses to enter, taking care not to step on or injure 23-126.
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For this gloomy day in St. Louis, we present you with a flash of sunshine!
Penelope coming at you!
Penelope is a 13 year old scarlet macaw and is training to show off in education programs as an ambassador for our mission. A well cared for scarlet can live up to 75-90 years.
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Solo, the peregrine falcon, LOVES bath time. Birds prefer to bathe in shallow water that is easy to stand in. From there, it is all about wetting their feathers one section at a time. Lots of butt dunks, wing dips, and shaking all around.
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The cold temperatures are here, which means one thing: Crystal the Snowy Owl is back outside for visitors to see! As an arctic bird, Crystal is only outside during the cold months. Be sure to visit her this winter, as she returns to her indoor behind the scenes aviary in spring.
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After an incredible journey, 23-126 was released back to the wild earlier today! Thank you to all who attended, tuned into our live stream, or have supported our mission and followed 23-126's journey.
Photo Credit Stu Goz
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Barred Owl 23-556 is bright and alert, standing on her perch. Every morning, she indicates she is not happy to see us by vocalizing for morning check. She is still recovering from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle.
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Barred Owl 23-141’s fractures continue to heal well. We were able to pull the surgical pin out after just 1 week and remove their wrap. This is due to how much faster babies heal than adults.
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Pink is the new black!
Lenore, the White-necked Raven, is showing off her iridescent plumage. Iridescent plumage colors are produced by nanostructures in feathers, and the building blocks of these structure are called melanosomes (melanin-filled organelles).
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Drama in the nest! 23-126 has fallen asleep after eating their fill but Murphy wants a piece of food that 23-126 is sleeping on! Murphy gives 23-126 a gentle nip on the wing to try and get them to move. 23-126 gets excited and starts nipping at Murphy in hopes of getting fed.
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The continuing saga of “Days of our Lives - WBS Bald Eagle Aviary Edition” reaches a boiling point.
Our beloved Murphy the eagle has begun to cause a BIT too much drama with his over exuberant protection of his nest and rock-baby in the 90,000+ cubic square foot eagle aviary
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Well, it seems Murphy knew better than us all along…that wasn’t a ROCK at all!!
We have a new family member at World Bird Sanctuary!
We’re not quite sure how to care for this one, and it seems it might eat a lot as it grows.
We’ll never doubt Murphy again!
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Since we’ve been talking a lot about the eaglet’s crop, I thought I’d reshare this post from awhile ago.
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