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 The Embden Geese are a relative new species of geese, having been been breed for the past two centuries, beginning in European countries, such as, Holland and Germany. These geese are pure white with a light orange, a short bill, orange feet and shanks. The adult geese grow to about nine kilograms for the female goose and 14 kilograms for the male Gander. The Embden's Gees have blue eyes, short legs, an oval head and a long, graceful neck. The adult bird lays her eggs, about 30 to 40, usually in February. The bird feeds on grasses and drinks plenty of water. |
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 (Strix varia)The barred owl is Nova Scotia's most common owl. It has a large head, no ear tufts and dark eyes. Barred owls are 43 to 55 cm long, greyish-brown, and have barring across the upper breast and neck and streaks running down the body. This owl's familiar night call sounds like "who-who-who-cooks-for-you-all". Barred owls are found year round in the province. They live in mature forests, preferring mixed woods near water and fields. They prefer to nest in tree cavities, but will use large stick nests of other birds. All owls have special adaptations for night hunting. Their eyes can function in low light conditions and their hearing is amplified by the shape of their head. The leading edge of their flight feathers have a frayed edge that allows them to fly virtually soundless. Barred owls hunt small prey, such as voles, shrews, frogs, salamanders, fish, insects and snakes, because they have weak talons. Barred owls usually mate for life and breed from February to June. The birds of prey in the Park have been injured and cannot be returned to their natural habitat. |
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 (Bubo virginianus)Common in Nova Scotia, the largest owl is the great horned owl which is 52 to 60 cm in length. While the plumage varies in each sub-species, they all have a mixture of brown and varying shades of black and buff. Several feathers are white in color, especially under the chin. As well, they have large eyes, a large beak and claws, and toes that are completely covered with feathers. Distinctive to great horned owls are the two feather-horns on their head. Mainly night hunters, great horned owls feed on snowshoe hare, grouse, crows, skunks and porcupines. They use nests abandoned by crows, hawks or eagles, which have a platform of sticks and are lined with dead leaves. Occasionally, these owls use natural tree cavities. After laying 2 to 3 eggs, great horned owls incubate them for 30 days. During the nesting period and before the chicks fly, which is usually around 10 weeks of age, they are fed and protected by both parents. The birds of prey at the Park were received with permanent injuries and cannot be released back into the wild. |
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 (Nyctea scandiaca)Found throughout the Arctic, the snowy owl is an uncommon transient to Nova Scotia in winter. Largely dependent on lemmings for food, these birds move southward when food is scarce in their normal range. The breeding cycle of the snowy owl is directly linked to the lemming population. These birds control the number of eggs they lay based on the food supply. The nest is scooped out of lichens on a dry hummock, which is where they incubate from 3 to 10 eggs. While the female incubates the eggs, for about 30 days, the male brings food and defends the nest against intruders. The chicks are born with dark down, which helps keep them warm from the cold temperatures. The snowy owl is a large, powerful bird reaching a length of 55 to 65 cm, with the females being larger than males. The females are white with more prominent black markings than the adult males. Snowy owls mainly hunt their prey during the day and are therefore "diurnal". Their main diet are lemmings, but they do eat other small mammals, birds, fish and carrion. The birds of prey in the Park have been injured and cannot be returned to their natural habitat. |
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 (ema)The Emu derives its name from a Portuguese word, 'ema," meaning large bird. Native to Australia, an adult Emu stands about two meters tall and is the second largest bird in the world, next to the Ostrich. Like the Ostrich, the Emu is a fast runner, up to 50 kilometres per hour. Emus are also known for their distinctive communication through their long thin windpipe, which creates a grunting noise. The Emu breeds in May or June, laying a clutch of five to 20 dark green eggs, which hatch out in eight to 10 weeks. The young emus are actually cared for by the male emu and stay with their father for up to two years. The emu feeds on plants, fruits, insects and herbs. |
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 (Rhea americana)Rheas can run very fast to escape from danger, outrunning a horse with their long, powerful legs. A good thing, since they are usable to fly. They run with their necks stretched out horizontally using their wings like a sail to turn. The largest bird in the Americas, the common rhea stands 1.5 m tall and weighs 20 kg. They have no feathers on their head or neck, but do have soft body plumage. Tehir wings are longer than those of an ostrich. Rheas live in flocks of 20 to 30 in open country of pampas and highland plateaus. Their nests are located in a shallow hollow in the ground and are lined with grass. Either sex will mate with several partners. The females lay 11 to 18 eggs in several nests or on bare ground. Their contribution to the young ends once they lay the eggs. The male incubates up to 80 eggs and cares for the young once they are hatched, hissing and snapping at the females if they come near. There are two species of rhea. The common rhea, which resides here in the Park, can be found from northeast Brazil to central Argentina. Darwin's rhea is smaller and ranges from southern Peru to southern Argentina. Common rheas are not abundant. They are hunted and have lost their habitat to agricultural activities. Their diet includes both plants and animals such as leaves, seeds, insects, worms and lizards. |
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 (Buteo jamaicensis)The red tailed hawk is one of Nova Scotia's most familiar hawks. These are large birds, measuring 48-61 cm in length. In flight, look for their broad, long wings and the belt of dark streaks across the lower, white underside of the body. With dark heads and bodies, the rusty-red upper side of the adult's tail distinguish this hawk from others. Immature birds have greyish-brown tails with dark narrow bands. Open areas such as woodlands, fields, and forest cut overs suit their hunting style of soaring in wide circles or perching on trees and telephone poles at the edge of clearings. The diet consists mainly of rodents. They also eat small birds, snakes and frogs, and are capable of taking larger prey such as snowshoe hare and grouse. When mating, both adults do a series of steep dives and climbs, gliding together with their feet down. Both sexes take turns incubating the 2 to 4 eggs over a four-week period, between late March and May. Both adults feed the young through May and June. Nests are built with large sticks and lined with finer materials. There may be two or three nests constructed close to each other, and the same pair will use one or more of these nests year after year. Deciduous trees, such as birches, and hardwood forests tend to be favored as nest sites. Some of the more northern red tailed hawks migrate south to the United States in October. The birds overwintering in Nova Scotia may have bred in the province or further north. The birds of prey in the Park have been injured and cannot be returned to their natural habitat. |
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 (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)It's pretty hard to miss seeing a bald eagle flying through the sky. Even at a distance, its size with a white head and tail are readily identified. Immature eagles are dark brown, gradually showing white on their head and tail each year. They reach adult plumage at 5 years. Eagles may reach 1 m in length, have a wingspan of 2 to 2.5 m and weigh 3 to 5.5 kg. Fish is the main food in an eagle's diet. They will also eat the carrion of almost any dead animal. Uncommon in many parts of North America, this bird of prey can be found throughout Nova Scotia, particularly around the larger lakes in Cape Breton. To re-establish the bald eagle to the eastern seaboard of the United States, young eagles from Nova Scotia have been relocated to New Jersey and Massachusetts. Bald eagle nests are massive structures. Eagles use the same nest year after year. Their nests are usually near the top of tall trees overlooking large rivers, lakes or coastal area. Nesting starts in late March, with 1 to 3 eggs laid in April. Both parents bring food to the nest, but the female usually feeds it to the young. Bald eagles usually migrate south; those living in Cape Breton during the summer may move to mainland Nova Scotia and those birds living around Shubenacadie could move to the Yarmouth area. Eagles and other birds of prey in the Park have been injured and cannot be returned to their natural habitat. |
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