Patient of the Year

She wasn’t rare, flashy, or widely adored, but in 2025, a Western Gull made history as International Bird Rescue’s first-ever gull to be named Patient of the Year.

Each year, International Bird Rescue highlights some of the most incredible stories of survival and resilience from the birds brought into care, and now YOU get to help decide which one will be crowned the 2025 Patient of the Year.

We are thrilled to announce that the Western Burrowing Owl has been named International Bird Rescue’s 2024 Patient of the Year!

We are excited to announce the nominees for our 2024 Patient of the Year! This year, we cared for an incredible 3,187 patients, including 425 Brown Pelicans rescued during a mass stranding event. Each bird has a story of resilience, but only one will earn the title.

The prestigious Patient of the Year award goes to none other than the elegant and resilient Black-crowned Night-Heron!

International Bird Rescue is thrilled to present the nominees for the coveted title of 2023 Patient of the Year – a distinction that symbolizes the triumph of hope and healing in the lives of wildlife.

The 2022 Patient of the Year is the Red-tailed Tropicbird! Nicknamed the “Lady Gaga bird” by a TV news reporter, the Tropicbird was a stowaway in March 2022 on a container ship that arrived into the Port of Los Angeles.

We need your help in choosing the official 2022 Patient of the Year. After much consideration, we’ve narrowed it down to these four birds, who each had to overcome their unique challenges.

Thanks to all the voters who selected the Black-crowned-Night-Heron as International Bird Rescue’s 2020 Bird Patient of the Year.