Remember this Brown Pelican with the monstrous pouch injury we posted earlier this summer? We have good news: The bird recovered and was released after major surgery and weeks of specialized care. On July 16 2017, a kind-hearted person in Huntington Beach, CA rescued a young Brown Pelican with a horrendous wound. The poor bird’s … Read more
We’ve got some exciting news to share! One of the blue-banded Brown Pelicans we released seven years ago was spotted with nestlings in Mexico. This is the first confirmed sighting of one of International Bird Rescue’s rehabilitated pelicans on a nest with offspring. It inspires us with hope and underscores our belief that wildlife rehabilitation … Read more
One of the biggest rewards of working in wildlife rehabilitation is seeing treated birds released back to the wild. The one thing better is learning that these patients are now thriving back in nature. This holiday season at International Bird Rescue one particular bird brings us further joy. A Snowy Egret released in 2012 was … Read more
Dear Friends and Bird Allies, For 44 years, International Bird Rescue has been responding to oiled wildlife emergencies all over the world, and yet 2015 has been a year to remember! On January 16th, we received reports of a large number of water birds on San Francisco Bay contaminated with an unknown sticky substance – … Read more
New research out of New Zealand is helping underscore what we’ve always believed: Saving oiled birds and returning them to the wild healthy and clean is not just well meaning but worth the effort. Researchers from Massey University’s studied Little Blue Penguins (in photo above) following the 2011 Rena oil spill in the Bay of … Read more
Dear Friends, As 2014 comes to a close, our wildlife centers in California have cared for nearly 5,000 patients since January 1. And every bird has a story. Many of the animals we rescue live most of their lives far away from the human-inhabited world. Others are caught up in it (sometimes literally) and face … Read more
All photos © International Bird Rescue-Cheryl Reynolds With the help of some eager young bird watchers, a group of herons and egrets has a new lease on life! On July 23, we teamed up with the Richmond Police Activities League (or “RPAL”) youth group to set free five Snowy Egrets and three Black-crowned Night Herons … Read more
Four of five juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons released at MLK Jr. Shoreline Regional Park in Oakland. Photos by Cheryl Reynolds We think it’s safe to say that most citizens of the Bay Area now know what a Black-crowned Night Heron is…. The subject of extensive media attention in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, … Read more
Photo by Isabel Luevano An elusive bird that hides in thick marsh vegetation, the Black Rail is listed as a near-threatened species (and formally listed as a threatened species by the State of California). The rail’s wetland habitat, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes, “is threatened by pollution, drought, wildfires, groundwater removal, … Read more
L.A. City Councilman Joe Buscaino releases Pink. Photos and video by Bill Steinkamp and Kira Perov (volume adjustment on lower right of video control panel) Pink, a California Brown Pelican and now arguably one of the most famous patients in International Bird Rescue history, was successfully released on Tuesday afternoon at White Point Park in … Read more