Celebrate Wildlife this Weekend!
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
National Wildlife Day is September 4th. Each year it inspires a deeper connection with Earth’s diverse creatures and their habitats. This day reminds us to stop and reflect on the importance of conservation and preservation efforts worldwide. Why not take some time today to learn about endangered species, support wildlife organizations, and advocate for protecting our planet’s precious biodiversity.
It all begins at home, and BRC has been busier than ever. As of September 1st, our clinic has cared for over 1900 patients representing 119 different species, including a handful of rare ones. We will typically see about 130 different species during the year, so it will be interesting to see who else lands on our doorstep this fall.
In addition to caring for our feathered friends, BRC also serves as an educational resource for questions about birds. So far this year, we have taken as many as 62 phone calls about our local avifauna in a single day.
Our community clearly cares about nature and birds, and with our sister organizations in the Bay Area also treating birds, mammals, reptiles, and more, we collectively have a keen focus on all wildlife in need. Thank you for taking the time to support all wildlife on National Wildlife Day!
National Hummingbird Day
National Hummingbird Day takes flight on Saturday, September 5th. As we celebrate these remarkable, jewel-toned birds, we encourage you to learn about their vital role in preserving our environment as pollinators, and the challenges they face. Discover what you can do to support hummingbird conservation and create a welcoming environment for them in your own backyard.
Upwards of ten hummingbird species have been spotted throughout California. Three of them, Anna's, Allen's, and Rufous Hummingbirds, abound in Sonoma County, others are sometimes spotted during migration, and some are spotted locally only on rare occasions. Each year the arrival of our first baby hummingbirds heralds the beginning of baby season.
BRC has a long history with hummingbirds. One of our founders, Martha Bentley, was affectionately known for years as "The Hummingbird Lady". Because of that long history, hummingbirds are among the species we specialize in caring for. In fact, Anna's Hummingbirds were among the top five species we cared for this year!
Watching baby hummingbirds grow, develop, and especially learn to fly is an amazing treat. We invite you to watch a beautifully crafted film about how we care for the county's smallest birds by Sarah Killingsworth, photographer, filmmaker, and dear friend.
International Vulture Awareness Day
International Vulture Awareness Day is also September 5th and focuses on a group of highly important yet often misunderstood birds – vultures. In honor of their valuable contributions to maintaining a healthy environment, here are some fun facts about them...
The horaltic pose (above) is a distinctive sunbathing behavior in turkey vultures. They stand with their backs to the sun and wings fully outspread. This posture can be seen in the morning after cold or damp conditions, or simply as part of their daily routine. It not only makes them look regal, it helps with temperature regulation, feather maintenance, parasite control, and the reduction of bacteria.
The Turkey Vulture’s stomach acid is extremely strong, so they can digest just about anything. This also allows them to eat carcasses tainted with anthrax, tuberculosis, and rabies without getting sick. As a critical part of the food chain, vultures play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Without them, carcasses would accumulate, and diseases would spread, impacting other animals and humans alike.
Turkey Vultures don't inherently have bad body odor, however their diet of rotting dead animals and their unique defense mechanisms can create a very strong stench which is effective in discouraging unwanted encounters. When threatened, they project (vomit) foul-smelling half-digested meat at anything that gets too close. The intense, putrid odor is a powerful weapon against predators.
Turkey Vultures have a powerful sense of smell. The part of their brain responsible for processing smells is particularly large compared to other birds, giving them the heightened ability to detect odors. Even just a few parts per trillion allows them to find dead animals.
Gas companies will actually use Turkey Vultures to help find pipeline leaks. Ethyl mercaptan, a chemical added to odorless natural gas, mimics the scent of decaying flesh. This shared scent makes vultures reliable biological detectors so workers often look for Turkey Vultures circling overhead to help locate escaping gas.
There are tons more fun facts about Turkey Vultures, nature's "Clean Up Crew". We invite you to learn more about them and other "spooky" birds at our October Open House!
As we wind down from another busy Baby Bird Season, we want to thank you for your ongoing support. Whether you give of your time or provide the funding that keeps our programs running smoothly, we are so very grateful.
Thank you!
The Bird Rescue Center
PO Box 475
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
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