Season's Greetings From Our Nest To Yours...

brcsonoma
Dec 23, 2025
3 min read

We wanted to take a moment to send our wishes for a wonderful holiday, filled with fun, laughter and quality time with those you love. And from all of us here at BRC, thank you for the generous support you have shown us all year long!

We thought you might also enjoy a story about an unusual visitor who made his way to BRC just in time for the holidays!

Read on for that, plus an update on our Team Challenge Match

Black-footed Albatross Makes a Holiday Appearance at BRC!

Usually found nesting on sandy island beaches and in the warm waters of the tropics, the Black-footed Albatross does sometimes venture into waters off the west coast — but they are a definitely rare at BRC. In fact, our last Albatross patient was more than a year ago.

This one was rescued from a parking lot in Fort Bragg by the local F&W warden, Don Powers, who called BRC to assist.

Upon intake, our team discovered he was banded, and reached out to the US Geological Survey to get more information. What they learned next was nothing short of amazing!

The official records revealed he was banded in June, 2007, in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time of banding, he was listed as a baby, still too young to fly. That makes him now 18.5 years old! We also learned there was some talk among the locals that he had become stranded aboard a ship traveling from Hawaii to Fort Bragg. One thing was clear, while Albatrosses have an average lifespan of 50 years, this one was no spring chicken — and he was a long way from home!

Weighing in at over seven pounds, this guy was big. And he was very vocal in expressing his displeasure about being examined! Fortunately, he settled down to just clacking his bill once presented with some fish. We determined he was slightly dehydrated, had lesions inside his mouth on either side of his glottis (the opening at the base of the tongue through which birds take air into their lungs), and some light abrasions on one of his legs. Otherwise, though, he seemed to be in pretty good shape — especially given the journey he had been on. After triage care and spending the night to make sure he was stable, our Albatross was transferred to the International Bird Rescue's waterbird facility in Cordelia, where he will continue his convalescence. Once the current storm system abates, he will be evaluated for release.

So how did this guy end up so far from home? Is he an avian version of Dorothy, being carried away by a violent storm? The storm system we are currently experiencing did originate in Hawaii, so is it somehow responsible for his unlikely journey? Or did he perhaps take shelter on a passing ship only to find himself headed in the wrong direction? We may never know. If only he could talk, what a tale he'd tell!

Here's the latest on our Teams

Both Team Ops and Team Build continue to draw closer to their goals with just eight days left to get to the finish line. Will they make it? Only you can determine their success — and remember, every gift will be doubled between now and the end of the year.

Here's where they stand as of today... Just think about all the good your gifts will accomplish!

TEAM BUILD

Your generosity ensures our future home, and theirs. We began the permit process in 2024. We've completed the planning phase and all required studies.

We hope to have all our permits by the end of 2026. Your gifts will move us even closer to our new facility, fully equipped with a modern hospital, flight corridors, species-specific aviaries, and an interactive education center to delight children and adults – all to support the thousands of wild birds who rely on us.

TEAM OPS

Your support will provide food, medicine and critical medical care for thousands of birds who, thanks to you, will get a second chance to live free in the wild.

There is tremendous joy in the reunion of baby birds with their biological families; a special poignancy in watching the small and vulnerable grow and become self-reliant enough to be set free; and an equal thrill in watching those once injured soar with abandon in the wild skies.This will all happen in 2026 – thanks to you!

Yes! I'm up for the challenge!

Whichever team you choose to support (and why not both?), you will be investing in our skies and giving second chances to the thousands of wild birds we care for each year. Donate online using the button above, or mail your check to:

The Bird Rescue Center

PO Box 475

Santa Rosa, CA 95402