Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia

Dear Cheat Lake Elementary School first graders, You made everyone at the ACCA smile! We loved receiving your beautiful drawings and thank-you notes. We hope to visit you again soon. Sincerely, your friends the bird people🦉♥️

Did you know that we’re celebrating our TENTH anniversary in 2022? Time has flown by (no pun intended, haha). We have several exciting events coming up this year. We’ll post more details soon, but for now, save these dates! 🥳🎊🎉🦅

This yellow-billed #cuckoo was admitted for rehabilitation in the fall. He had puncture wounds and missing feathers. The wounds hadn’t resolved by the time cuckoos migrate to the tropics, so this bird has to stay with us all winter. (The cuckoo had crickets for breakfast!)

In honor of her 100th birthday on January 17, the #BettyWhiteChallenge asks folks to donate $5 to an animal organization in her honor. If you choose to donate to ACCA, info can be found here. THANK YOU! And thank you Betty ♥️ accawv.org/donate

Looking for even more reasons to love birds? Our feathered friends play a critical role in ecosystems worldwide. Without birds, we’d have fewer plants, less rich forests, more pests, and more disease. Learn about how birds help the world go round. bit.ly/3q4zasK

Owl? What owl? For raptors and other predators, blending in is vital to surprising their prey. Explore these images to see just how good their camouflage can be. audubon.org/news/these-ama…

The birds seemed to enjoy their Christmas enrichment! Thank you to our staff & volunteers for providing excellent care to them during these busy holidays. They are fortunate to have wonderful, dedicated, professional caretakers & supporters. On behalf of the birds, thank you! ♥️

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you from everyone at ACCA! Thank you for caring about birds and wildlife. ♥️ (We know we post a lot of pictures of Killy the American kestrel, but he is just so photogenic and fun to work with. Merry Christmas, Killy!)

A Snowy Owl flight is developing with dozens spotted in Great Lakes / Midwest region of Canada & US this week. These Arctic owls bring excitement and often some strife, as photographers & general public may try to get too close and birders then sometimes overreact.(Thread: 1/4)

Thank you for your support today — #GivingTuesday — and everyday! Your support helps us care for injured wild birds like this Eastern screech-owl that was hit by a vehicle and is suffering from head and eye trauma. 🦉 To donate visit accawv.org

Killy the American kestrel explored the forest on this beautiful afternoon. Kestrels are primarily a grassland species, but that doesn’t mean that a forest walk isn’t enriching! Killy is an educational ambassador in the care of the ACCA.

Happy Veteran’s Day to all who served from Mac the bald eagle and his young roommate. Bald eagles don’t get their pure white heads until they’re 5 or 6 years old; young bald eagles are mottled brown with some white.

In 2022 we will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary. We have a new Bonfire fundraising shirt design featuring an image of Mac, the non-releasable bald eagle in our care. Check them out! bonfire.com/acca-celebrati…

Yesterday a group of #WVU students from a Comm class spent the day volunteering w us. They helped w construction at the Outdoor Classroom, & in the afternoon helped care for birds, incl learning about & designing enrichment. Thank you again to these students for working w us!

Before #Owloween, brush up on your owl knowledge and learn how you can identify five different owls just from their calls. audubon.org/news/learn-ide…

The common pauraque is a master of camouflage. So much so that it naps on the ground during the day, but that doesn’t stop them from jumping up to half a meter off the ground to grab a snack! 📷: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren/CC BY 2.0. flic.kr/p/2i5CVj2

Check it out! One of our founders was recently interviewed for Bird Watcher’s Digest’s Out There with the Birds podcast:

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