Photography by Thomas Rollins Creative Photography
The bird bug bit Walter Crawford Jr. early on, while growing up in Venezuela, where his father first introduced him to birds. "My mom always blamed him for me never really getting a job," Crawford jokes, "because she didn’t think this was a job." He later moved to the United States, served in Vietnam, and graduated from Saint Louis University. He went on to work at the Saint Louis Zoo, before founding the World Bird Sanctuary in 1977. Crawford's been at the forefront of the region's bird-conservation efforts ever since. He's garnered soaring praise, particularly for his work with bald eagles. "Every day, I live with them, eat with them, sleep with them—it’s all part of my life," he says. SLM recently caught up with Crawford to discuss why he loves the birds so much, what St. Louisans can do to help bald eagles, and more.
What makes this region such a good habitat for bald eagles during the winter?
As rivers, ponds, lakes, and creeks freeze [north of St. Louis], the birds have to go somewhere to find food, so they come down here—Winfield, Clarksville, and Alton—because we have dams. As the water goes through the dam, it sometimes takes some of the fish with it. They are just slightly stunned as they spit up on the other side, so they’re easy targets. It’s almost like a buffet... I don’t think the people of St. Louis realize how lucky we are. People from Iowa, Nebraska—everywhere—come to see this. I think the most eagles I’ve ever seen in one spot without moving was 404. Very few people can say that... When you sit there and watch these creatures fly, you realize the freedom that they exude is the freedom that we here in the United States have. To me, that’s the ultimate experience.
How has the wintering eagle population changed in Missouri over the years?
When we started, back in the late ‘70s, there were no [eagle nests] left here in Missouri... So we started the breeding program; we raised them in captivity, and then we turned the birds loose. We also did education programs, which turned out to be extremely successful. I think all that contributed to the comeback of the bird in this part of the country... Last year, we had more than 150 confirmed nests, and there’s probably a lot more than that. The birds have learned to cohabitate with humans. As long as we don’t disturb them, especially when they’re nesting, I think these numbers will continue to rise.
How did eagle meet-and-greets start?
I was mentored by Marlin Perkins, who was the first individual to bring wildlife into the living rooms of people. He firmly believed that people are not going to get involved in something that they haven’t seen or don’t feel attached to. Of course, I’m also a Vietnam veteran; the eagle, for me, has always been the symbol of this great country: the strength, the pride, the beauty, the overall ora surrounding these birds. I don’t care who you are or what you feel—when you’re in the presence of one of these birds, you’re like, "Whoa, this is really impressive." The eagle, I guess, would stand out as the leader of getting people interested in other creatures as well.
What can visitors expect during meet-and-greets?
The first thing we tell them is to bring a camera. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one... The meet-and-greets are basically an effort to augment all of the programs that we do around the country. We hand out information about the conservation of eagles and what you can do... Recycle, and make sure no toxic chemicals are in our water. Don’t persecute the birds. Don’t mess up their habitat.
Is there anything else that St. Louisans can do?
A lot of eagles come into [the World Bird Sanctuary] that can’t be released. They’re injured to the point where our veterinarians can repair them cosmetically, but they can’t fly well enough to go back into the wild. I guess you’d say we have an assisted-living facility here for eagles. There’s tremendous expense, with food, housing, and staffing... People can adopt the eagles—that helps us feed them, too. You get a picture of the bird, and you can come out and visit with it. It’s that interaction, that direct feeling of ownership, that you don’t think about... I see a lot of grandparents bringing out little kids. I listen to them describe the eagle and how important it is. A lot of them realize that we’ve got to make the next generation understand.
This weekend, the World Bird Sanctuary will provide a number of opportunities for St. Louisans to get up close and personal with bald eagles. Click here for a guide to eagle-related activities for this weekend and beyond.
