Mushtaq Taleb, a bird lover from Iraq, has transformed his hobby into a business in the southern city of Basra by creating a sanctuary that houses more than nine species of ornamental birds.

Thanks to Chaska resident Leroy Oestreich’s handiwork, birds and squirrels in the downtown area have a new place to nosh. Oestreich, who worked as a carpenter for 18 years, created a miniature ...