This year's Baby Season officially kicked off on May 1st and closed on September 16th. During those four months, we cared for approximately 1,500 patients, spanning 105 different species, ranging from just hours old to almost adult. That’s a lot of birds—and a lot of hungry mouths to feed!
Below are some fun facts and stats from the season...
Most common birds (in order of total number admitted):
House Finches
California Towhees
American Crows
California Quail
Black Crowned Night Herons
Most birds admitted in a single day:
37 (May 27th—what a day!)
Most incoming calls in a single day:
50 (Holy Moly, that's a call every 10 minutes!) Most frequent circumstances and reasons for admission:
Found on Ground (many with unknown circumstances): 42%
Cat Interaction: 20%
Displaced from Nest: 20%
Orphaned: 12%
Window/Wall Collision: 5%
Each Baby Season tends to have a unique personality—sometimes dominated by a specific species, others by a certain type of injury. This year might come to be known as the "year of the infant" as it was marked by an increased number of extremely young babies. We had a nest of woodpeckers so young they were still "nudies" (featherless), hummingbirds so tiny they were literally the size of jellybeans, and the youngest Northern Pygmy Owls we've ever admitted—so young it was impossible to identify their species until they had grown a bit.
As usual, the season began with the intermittent arrival of tiny hummingbirds followed by wave upon wave of babies. We received a lot of jays, with robins hot on their heels, then towhees, and then virtually everyone else. The unpredictable nature of baby bird season brought us those four baby Northern Pygmy Owls plus seven juvenile Osprey all at once. We were also providing long-term care for waterbirds as International Bird Rescue had become inundated with a pelican crisis. The straggling season-enders have been finches, quail, and more towhees.
Yes, there were many long nights and always lots of hungry mouths to feed. Yet, overall, this season felt lighter—and with good reason! We redoubled efforts to recruit new volunteers and there was palpable relief in having many hands on board to make the workload lighter. A very heartfelt thank you to all who contributed to Bird Rescue’s success, and those volunteers—new and returning— who made such a noticeable difference!
Just Four Hours A Week Will Make A Huge Difference!
And it might be your most rewarding experience ever!
With Baby Bird Season ending, it's time to look forward to next year. Learn how you can be part of the life-saving work that returns thousands of native birds back to the wild! Mark Your Calendars
BRC New Volunteer Orientation
Saturday, September 28th from 11am - 1pm.
Register Here Volunteer opportunities are available for those 13 years and older who can commit to working at least one 4-hour shift each week. There's no end to the kinds of work available! Volunteer opportunities include: working in our rehab hospital, joining our admissions and response 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! The first step is to attend the volunteer orientation on September 28th.
When reserving your spot, select one or more tickets depending on whether you are coming by yourself or bringing others with you.
Your name and email address are required to register.
The orientation will include an outdoor tour through portions of our facility.
Please Note:
We will be hosting this orientation in our outdoor education area to the right of the main building. Please dress in layers to accommodate cool mornings that continue to warm up into the 80's; and wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes appropriate for walking on uneven, outdoor surfaces.
Save the Date - BRC's Annual Art Auction
Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 10th, from 2-5pm when we will be hosting BRC's Annual Art Auction!
This year's event promises some exciting changes as we combine our online auction with an in-person reception! Preview the auction items online, bid on your favorites, and join us for wine and appetizers as we showcase the items in person during our auction finale.
You don't have to be present to continue bidding, but we do hope you will join us live to celebrate the art, the artists and, of course, the birds! Ambassador birds and keynote speakers will be showcased.
Mark your calendars now. More details will follow soon.
All proceeds support the lifesaving work being done each and every day at BRC.
As we celebrate another successful Baby Season, we sincerely thank you! Whether a volunteer, a donor, or someone who cared enough to rescue a bird in need—this important work happens because of you!
Your contributions support all the injured and orphaned birds in our care and truly make a life-saving difference.
THANK YOU!
Donate online using the button above, or mail your check to:
The Bird Rescue Center
PO Box 475
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
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