The Bird Rescue Center

A beautiful new home for our newest Ambassador in training, Dakosa!

Built by Corners Limited, this custom mew was made possible by one of our generous donors. Corners Limited specializes in wildlife enclosures and will build and install mews at our new facility. Having this one in place now gives us an opportunity to see one of the new designs in use before the move.

How do wildfires impact local birds?

Wildfire smoke affects birds much as it affects us, but they cannot simply close the windows and stay inside.

Poor air quality can irritate their lungs, causing open-mouth breathing, reduced activity and singing, and puffed feathers. Prolonged exposure may have more serious effects, making clean air and quiet shelter especially important during heavy smoke.

Thankfully, our air quality has improved significantly. Staff, Ambassadors and patients alike can breathe deeply again!

Thousands knew her as "Jackie," one half of the Bald Eagle pair whose nest brought the wild lives of eagles into homes around the world. At The Ojai Raptor Center, she was also Patient 26-519: a critically ill wild bird entrusted to their care.

Nest cameras create a rare sense of intimacy. They allow us to witness bonds, storms, successful fledglings, failed hatches and loss. But they do not turn wild animals into characters whose stories must follow an ending we would choose. Jackie lived within the realities of a wild world shaped by instinct, weather, territory, illness and survival. That truth does not diminish the connection people felt to her. It asks us to pair that connection with respect for what she was: a wild Bald Eagle.

For more than three weeks, the team at the Ojai Raptor Center provided intensive, around-the-clock care while consulting with specialists and pursuing answers to a complex illness. Those who work in wildlife rehabilitation understand that effort and outcome are not the same. This work requires expertise, stamina, difficult decisions and the resolve to return the next day, even after a loss.

To our colleagues at the Ojai Raptor Center: we see you. You held the welfare of this patient at the center of every decision.

From one avian rescue organization to another, thank you. We stand with you.

When this small, streaky fledgling arrived after being caught by an outdoor cat, even his species was a mystery.

As his feathers grew in, the answer emerged: a Lark Sparrow, one of the rarer sparrows in Sonoma County and a species we may see only once in a year, if at all.

A deep puncture wound required antibiotics, pain medication and time to heal. Along the way, he found an unlikely foster flock among our young towhees. Though smaller than his companions, he gained confidence in their company, learning to forage and feed himself as the group moved from indoor care to outdoor aviaries.

Now fully grown and nearly ready for life in the wild, he will soon be released in an area where both Lark Sparrows and towhees are found, as soon as the air quality allows.

Meet the flock!

This is Paulette. She began volunteering with us in May and quickly became an invaluable part of the team. At the front desk, she answers phones, assists with patient intake, and helps guide and educate members of the public who have found a bird in need.

Paulette’s connection to BRC goes back many years. When her now-adult daughter was a child, they would visit the Center together. So when Paulette began considering volunteer opportunities and spotted our call for volunteers in The Press Democrat, the timing felt just right.

Her favorite birds are crows and ravens, which she admires for their remarkable intelligence. A family once lived near her, and she regularly left food for them. Before long, they began to recognize her and would call out whenever they were ready for a visit.

Paulette has been a wonderful source of support, and we’re so glad she landed at BRC!

This photo is from one of last week's smokier days, when Poe, our resident Common Raven ambassador, traded his outdoor post for an indoor office assignment.

We can't say he got much work done himself, but morale certainly improved.

Whether it's a recovering patient or one of our ambassador birds, we're always watching the conditions around us and making thoughtful adjustments to keep every bird in our care as healthy, safe, and as comfortable as possible.

Learn more about Poe here:
https://www.birdrescuecenter.org/product-page/poe

Fred Frey first shared his expertise with us as a speaker. Then he joined The Bird Rescue Center as our newest board member. Most recently, he and Vintage Tree Care made a remarkably generous donation to our Gala: a full day of professional tree care from a four-person crew of expert arborists and climbers.

A fourth-generation Sonoma County resident with more than 30 years of arboricultural experience, Fred understands the connection between healthy trees, protected habitat and thriving bird populations.

Thank you, Fred, for continuing to find meaningful ways to support the birds in our care and the wild places they call home.

The bidding was already fast and furious when Chef Carlos Mojica gave the room one more reason to raise those paddles.

Chef Carlos arrived prepared to donate a private four-course dinner for eight, featuring the vibrant Caribbean and Salvadoran flavors that have made Guiso Latin Fusion a local favorite. As the competition heated up, he made an extraordinarily generous decision on the spot: offering two dinners for ten and more than doubling the impact of his original donation!

Thank you, Chef Carlos, for meeting the enthusiasm of our flock with such remarkable generosity and helping make the evening soar.