News From The Mews

American Kestrels are cavity nesters. They find holes in trees or utilize nest boxes to keep their eggs safe. Then why does Aldo the American Kestrel make a nest on the ground every year? He creates a depression in the gravel and chatters noisily, bowing up and down, to advertise it to potential mates. Meanwhile, his enclosed hutch remains relatively unused during breeding season.  I once worked with another male ambassador kestrel that tried to nest on the ground. Curious! Both of these kestrels are human imprints - they were raised by people. I wondered recently whether that impacted their nesting preferences. Maybe the people didn't raise these birds in a cavity. Perhaps they were growing up on a flat, open surface, like someone's kitchen counter or a rehab facility's clinic. If they imprinted on their caretakers, did they also imprint on their nest type? That's just my speculation - what do you think?

Toward the end of my interview, I was still waiting for a hard-hitting question.  Two peer reviewers were visiting the Museum as part of a reaccreditation process through the American Alliance of Museums. During my scheduled time block with them, it was not the interrogation I imagined. We simply chatted casually about the daily care and training that I do with our live animals.  At the end I asked if they had any questions for me. One of the reviewers said, "I think that says it all." He indicated the sign I have posted above the whiteboard: The quality of our work is the quality of their lives. I truly believe this sentiment. Any time I think about cutting corners because I'm busy or tired, I realize that our animals deserve my best - even if it takes a little extra willpower some days - because the quality of their life depends on it.  It was meaningful to be recognized by the reviewer for this core belief that has shaped my work at the Museum.

I've always been a fan of artist Lili Chin, who specializes in animal drawings. She often works with animal trainers to create useful drawings of dog, cat, or bunny body language. What does a fearful dog look like? An overstimulated cat? A curious bun? She's got an illustration for it! See the full image here: Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin But what does happy snake look like? How can you tell if a snake is scared? I never learned snake body language other than hissing or striking means "stay away." Fortunately Lili recently published a guide to snake body language that shows much more nuance.  If Emory the rat snake has twitchy movements, an s-shaped neck, or tight coils around my arm, I know that she's starting to get uncomfortable. I should give her a break so she doesn't feel the need to escalate to hissing or striking. Being able to respond to her "whispers" of discomfort keeps me safe from bites and respects her feelings.