About Us

Learn about how we help raptors here at World Bird Sanctuary

Our History

World Bird Sanctuary was founded in 1977 by Walter C. Crawford Jr. to provide the St. Louis area with a hospital for sick or injured raptors. As the Sanctuary grew, so did our mission. Now located on 305 acres of Missouri hardwood forest in partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, World Bird Sanctuary is home to over 200 animals representing over 60 species from all around the world. What began as a small rehabilitation center has grown into an internationally renowned rehabilitation, education, and conservation organization.

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Animals calling World Bird Sanctuary home

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Raptors treated annually in our hospital

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People reached annually through our education programs

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Save The Raptors

Our Mission

Saving Birds and Their Habitats

We protect and preserve birds and their habitats through conservation, rehabilitation, and education. Our vision is to create a world where birds and humans live in harmony.

Support Us

Rescuer's Giving Club

Become a hero to our feathered friends and experience the joy of saving lives and protecting our planet. Join the Rescuer’s Giving Club and elevate your impact on the lives of sick and injured raptors!

World Bird Sanctuary

Wildlife Hospital

The World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital rehabilitates over 600 birds of prey each and every year in the St. Louis, Missouri area. 43% of these birds are returned back to the wild – that’s higher than the national average!

Meet our animals

Testimonials

What Our Visitors Have to Say

We love hearing words of encouragement from our guests! Your visits help us care for our raptors.

The World Bird Sanctuary is a wonderful place. They take in and treat injured birds. Raptors are their specialty. Bald Eagles, Vultures, Owls, Hawks, Falcons, and others, including our favorite "Dorothy" the Andean Condor are outside for your viewing pleasure. We just renewed our membership. My granddaughters love this place too.

Very neat place with many raptors to enjoy! It is a free experience, but they do ask for a donation for each car when you pull in, which is perfectly acceptable. The trail to walk and see the birds is wide to provide plenty of space. Almost every habitat has both an information card about the species as well as history and detail about the individual birds and how they got there. It was a great way to spend an hour on a beautiful morning.

The location was easy to get to and a lovely place just to walk around. The birds were beautiful and we liked that the signage discussed their individual personalities, not just the traditional information. We paid extra for the Emu Encounter which was really interesting.

They have different kinds of Eagles and it is great experience for young and old. The boy scouts are highly involved in this attraction. It is a must see.

An amazing place to visit in west St Louis County right of Highway 44. They have an animal hospital on the premises and they help take care of Eagles, Raptors, Owls and many other birds they may need help in some way. They have events and shows throughout the year that are entertaining and educational. A great place to take the kids.