Happy Earth Day
- Apr 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 30
Our Power. Our Planet. Our Birds.
Today, as we focus on Mother Earth, there is so much we can do right here in our little corner of the planet. By becoming stewards of our native avian populations, we are enabling them to effectively support the environment in countless ways: Spreading seeds, managing insect populations, supporting recovery after fires and floods, and so much more...
Whether you rescue an injured or orphaned bird, volunteer your time to feed helpless babies, or provide financial support for food and medical care, you are already having a positive impact. Thank You!
Our Newest Ambassador Introduces A New Approach
Please join us in officially welcoming Dakosa, a gorgeous American Kestrel and our newest Ambassador! Beautifully colored, with a personality to match, he is already a favorite with handlers and visitors alike!
He came to us last August as a first year bird after being accidentally hosed down by a worker at the Ukiah fairgrounds. He had been hanging out around the crowds and was overly friendly with people, a strange behavior for this normally wary species. He was deeply imprinted and none of our attempts to "wild him back up" proved successful. However well intentioned his past captor(s) had been, it was clear he would not be able to survive on his own in the wild.
It didn't take long for him to win over the hearts of everyone he came in contact with, so we knew we had to find a better ending to his story. Since he couldn't be released, the next best option was to see if we could bring him into our education program. After several months, we received the necessary permits. On March 11, 2026 he officially became our newest Ambassador!
Along with being BRC's newest ambassador, he is also helping us introduce a new training process called choice-based training. This new evolution in the raptor-training world uses positive reinforcement and active participation from Ambassadors. He has already progressed from knowing no cues at all to now responding to a whole host of cues centered around some of the unique behaviors necessary for his care.
It has been such a rewarding experience watching him grow into a confident and engaged falcon, and we're so excited for the public to see what makes these raptors worth protecting.
Fun Fact:
Dakosa comes from the Northern Pomo term meaning "little man" or "young man". The Pomo tribe is indigenous to Ukiah, where Dakosa was found. Being one of the smallest raptor species in North America, and having been imprinted within the first year of his life, his new name pays homage to his origins.
Mark Your Calendars
New Volunteer Orientation May 3rd, 11am-1pm!
Baby Bird Season is already underway and it won’t be long before hundreds of birds fill our wards. That means lots of hungry mouths to feed! As a BRC Volunteer, you can participate in the life-saving work that returns thousands of them back to the wild!
If you are 13 years or older, and can commit to working at least one 4-hour shift each week through August, you are eligible to attend our New Volunteer Orientation to see how you can make a truly life-saving difference.
Volunteer opportunities include working in our rehab hospital, joining our reception team, training for field rescue, becoming part of our release team, providing transportation for birds, participating in education and outreach activities, helping with landscaping and maintenance, assisting with data entry, and more. There are so many ways to participate and each one of them is both important and rewarding!
Click here for more information and to register!
A bumpy road to recovery finally brings a happy ending!
This gorgeous Peregrine Falcon was lucky to be alive after she fell from the sky. Unable to fly, she ended up in a backyard pool in Cloverdale before being rescued and brought to BRC for care. Her initial exam quickly revealed she had multiple fractures to her left wing plus a host of bruising and neurologic symptoms. How she came by these injuries we'll never know, but she was immediately put on "bed rest" with limited mobility so that her broken wing could heal.
Bedrest is, in and of itself, really difficult for such a high energy, stress-prone bird, so we took extra precautions to try and minimize her stress and maximize her safety as she recovered. She, on the other hand, was not helping one bit!
True to her falcon nature, she destroyed every kind of wing wrap we could think of (the avian alternative to a cast for broken wing bones), causing staff to continually think outside the box to ensure her wing had the best chance possible to heal correctly.
Since this species spends most of its life in the air, our ultimate goal was to ensure she would have full use of her wing again. It took a full month before it was finally callusing and remained in good alignment as it healed. The bruising and swelling were nearly resolved, so over the next few weeks, she received some gentle physical therapy to support her healing wing and increase the potential for her normal use of it in the future.
More than two months later, the fun really began. After such a long convalescence, she had lost most of her flight conditioning. In fact, during her first flight attempt, she wasn't even able to get off the ground. She would have to be able to fly over 2,000 feet in a single session before we could safely release her back to the wild.
And there was another concern to consider. Because Peregrine Falcons stress so easily in captivity, she was crashing into the walls of her aviary as she attempted to escape. We worried she would re-injure herself so, to prevent further injury, we had to limit our interactions and take additional measures to reduce her stress.
You've heard the saying that it "takes a village"...and it truly does. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful network of rehabilitation resources here in Northern California. Through the efforts of our own Dr. Rupiper and raptor expert Dr. Vickie Joseph, we received regular assessments, guidance and recommendations. Our friends at Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue hosted our falcon for a short time in their large flight aviary, and a local falconer partnered with us to help further condition her for flight. Ultimately though, it was our own Raptor Team's creance program* that finally helped her achieve the goal of comfortably flying 2,000 feet within a single session.
Finally, on April 15th, a full 8 months after being rescued, this beautiful Peregrine Falcon was released by the Russian River near the property where she had been found. "She took off like a bullet and we quickly lost sight of her over the distant forest. Peregrine Falcons are really difficult to spot in the wild, but as our team hiked out from the release site, they spotted another Peregrine Falcon along the riverbank. As it took to flight, we felt we'd definitely brought her home to the right place."
*Creancing is a form of tethered flight used to assess flight capabilities in recovering raptors as well as build stamina and condition them for release.
Event Calendar - Come Join the Fun!
 | Check out our upcoming events—there's sure to be something for everyone—avian displays, games, and practical ways to be a good wild bird neighbor! Some events will also include our Ambassadors, so make sure you come by and say 'Hi!'
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 | Sunday, May 3rd, 11am - 1pm BRC New Volunteer Orientation 3430 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa For new volunteers only, learn how you can participate in the life-saving work that returns thousands of birds back to the wild. Ages 13 and up. Click here to sign up. | |
 | World Migratory Bird Day Saturday, May 9, 10am - 3pm Safari West 3115 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa Come together to celebrate animal migrations at Safari West. This special event will feature conservation groups dedicated to safeguarding species worldwide, including BRC! Explore inspiring organizations committed to conservation and join us in making a difference. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite animal and enjoy a safari adventure all your own. Click Here for more info. |
We hope you enjoyed reading about Dakosa, our newest Ambassador and the release of the Peregrine Falcon. Your support makes all of this possible. And together, we can do so much more! Thank you!
The Bird Rescue Center
PO Box 475
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
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