Sofia Herneryd

Brookfield Zoo

Sofia is the Lead Keeper in the Bird Department of the Brookfield Zoo. One request she had was to get as much experience as possible learning to vent sex young waterfowl. She definitely came to the right place at the right time. Mike Lubbock is possibly the foremost authority in this technique and Sofia’s choice to come to the Avian Breeding Preserve in late April, the height of the breeding season, provided the learning experience she sought. Sofia had these comments about her experience:

One of the great aspects of the Avian Program was learning how to simplify the process of rearing birds, especially with incubation techniques. Mike showed us the brooder hens, taught us nutritional tips, hatching techniques, sexing of young waterfowl—the whole process. I also learned some things during our tour of the North Carolina Zoo, such as netting techniques and how to use a cardboard box with a perch to x-ray small birds. 

It was inspiring just to work with the staff at Sylvan Heights. They are so dedicated to their work of caring for waterfowl. Everyone was so trusting—they would just give us an assignment or hand us a bird and let us do whatever needed to be done. Mike got us to think “outside the box” compared to what we’re used to doing. The whole idea is to keep things simple and get a better success rate for breeding birds.