Boreal Owl

We normally think of fall as a time of the year when Canadian Geese, Loons, Swans, Hummingbirds, Robins and a variety of other birds leave our back yard feeders for warmer climates.

But did you know that there are many varieties of birds that call Wisconsin home during the winter months? During the next few months we will highlight several of these birds who leave the cold and snow of their summer home for the cold and snow of our neighborhoods.

We start off with one of the most elusive members of the owl family - Boreal Owl.

These seldom seen owls are among the smallest members of the owl family and are rarely seen in the state of Wisconsin. However, earlier this year a crash in the rodent population in Canada forced several species of owls, including the northern hawk owl, great gray owl and boreal owl, to venture further and further south in search of food. It is unknown how many of these birds ventured into Wisconsin. The rare bird alert on the website of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology saw numerous posting, including observations of owls as far south as Dane and Kenosha counties.

Several sitings of Boreal Owls occurred near bird feeders as the owls were attracted to the mice that are found under the feeders.

This YouTube video shows a Boreal Owl hunting in daytime

Bat Appreciation Days

Bats - one of the center stage players during Halloween - is a much maligned creature of the night. 

Did you know that bats don't attack people - nor do they do not get tangled in people's hair and even true vampire bats are not true vampires.

Bats live on all continents except Antarctica, are essential members of many types of ecosystems - from rain forests to deserts. Bats pollinate and disperse the seeds of hundred of species of plants and are the major pollinators of many types of cacti that open their flowers only at night - when bats are active. They also eat copious quantities of insects and other arthropods. On a typical night, a bat consumes the equivalent of its own body weight.

Bats are very nimble flyers because of the dexterity of their wings, which, unlike insect and bird wings, are structured to fold during flight, very similar to the way we fold our hands. Bat wings are draped with skin that stretches and are powered by special muscles.

The importance of bats as part of our world compounds the tragic dimensions of an almost always fatal epidemic in bats: White-nose Syndrome.

Named for a cold-loving white fungus that is typically found on the faces and wings of infected bats, White-nose Syndrome causes bats to awaken more often during hibernation and use up the stored fat reserves that they need to get them through the winter. Infected bats often emerge too soon from hibernation and can be seen flying around in midwinter. These bats usually freeze or starve to death and is almost always fatal.

White-nose Syndrome has killed more than 5.7 million bats since it was discovered in a single New York cave in February 2006. Seven bat species in 23 United States and 5 Canadian provinces have now been documented with White-nose Syndrome.

Close to home, White-nose syndrome has been detected in two Minnesota state parks.

The disease is transmitted primarily from bat to bat, inadvertently fungal spores are carried into caves by humans on clothing and caving gear. The syndrome is not known to be a threat to humans, pets, livestock or other wildlife.

While only a few of the bats in the Minnesota state parks have tested positive for the fungus, if Minnesota follows the trends of other states, the disease is likely to be present in Minnesota bats within two to three years.

Mortality rates approaching 100% are reported at some sites. White-nose Syndrome threatens some of the largest hibernation caves of the endangered Indiana myotis, gray myotis, and Virginia big-eared bats. Ultimately, all bats across North America are at imminent risk.

What is being done?

In 2009 and 2010, a team of federal and state agencies prepared a White-nose Syndrome management plan to address the threat to hibernating bats. In Tennessee, a state of 10,000 caves and 16 species of bats including the winter home to 270,000 gray bats, a very special project is underway.

Canadian Lynx Kits Are Growing Up

On June 16th, we introduced several new additions to the zoo, including two Canadian Lynx kittens.


Fast forward a few months and we thought an update was in order. 

What's New at the Zoo!

Everyone at the park is understandably over the moon about our new arrivals. We hope you'll plan a trip to Minocqua to visit. See you soon!

A recent photo of our black leopard Teeah. You can see how big she has gotten since she was first introduced a few short weeks ago. Teeah is very inquisitive and loves to explore her surroundings.

The goats are one of our park's more popular residents. Here is a photo of a mother goat with her babies. Children of all ages love to get up close and personal with the goats.

Aren't they adorable? These two Canadian Lynx kittens are just too cute for words. The Canada Lynx is found in northern forests across almost all of Canada and Alaska. It is a threatened species in the contiguous United States. The adult Canada Lynx has a dense fur that is silvery brown but in summer becomes a reddish brown color. It has a short tail with a black tip and has long furry tufts on its ears. Its long legs with broad furred feet help the lynx to travel through the deep snow.

These beautiful birds are Ring-Necked Doves, otherwise known as Cape Turtle Dove that can be found living in the Savannah's, farmlands and woodlands of southern and eastern Africa. Their name comes from a black patch of feathers on the back of their necks. The rest of their feathers are a beautiful pale brownish-grey, with darker colors on their backs. They also have white tips on the end of their tail feathers. Doves usually lay two eggs which incubate in about 15-days. The males sit on the eggs during the day, and the female at night. Ring-Necked Doves rest in the treetops during the night; they feed mainly on seeds but they will also eat insects.