Sticky Situations: Owls in Need

Dear Friends,

International Bird Rescue is a world leader in treating oiled and entangled seabirds and other aquatic birds, but there are times when our help is needed by animals that fall outside of our usual spectrum of species. Such was the case this past month when our San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles Centers each admitted Owls in need of specialized care: one entangled, and the other oiled.

Worried about a Barn Owl trapped in thick netting inside a manufacturing facility, a local garbage company made a call to our San Francisco Bay Center. International Bird Rescue enlisted longtime volunteer Jeff Robinson to visit the building, where he applied years of entanglement experience to the task of safely freeing the Owl and transporting it to International Bird Rescue for medical examination and treatment. Its release back into the wild was a truly moving experience.

It is help like yours that empowers International Bird Rescue to rescue such magnificent creatures when they are in great danger.

Shortly thereafter, our Los Angeles Center received a Great Horned Owl from the Ojai Raptor Center. Covered in clear oil and unsuccessfully washed by its finder before being brought to the Raptor Center, it was in need of International Bird Rescue’s team of rehabilitators who specialize in washing oiled birds. The intake evaluation revealed that after all this Owl had been through it was in too weak a state to endure the stress of a wash, and that it would need to be stabilized first – knowing when to wait to wash a bird can be just as lifesaving as knowing how. Once this bird had regained its strength, it went through the intensive and exhausting wash process. It is now eating heartily and on its way to a great recovery.

We are always aware of the critical role that you play in our ability to say, “Yes. We would love to help!” Whether we are called in by other wildlife organizations or notified by concerned citizens, International Bird Rescue bears the brunt of the expenses in caring for birds like these Owls.

You keep our doors open to respond to daily emergencies – providing the lifesaving donations that will give thousands of birds this year a chance to recover and return to a life in the wild. Please help us reach our goal of raising $20,000 between now and Independence Day so that International Bird Rescue can continue to offer expert and individualized care to every bird that arrives at our Centers.

Every bird matters, and so does every donation.

Warmest Wishes,

Paul Kelway
Executive Director
International Bird Rescue