This spring, wildlife rehabilitation centers all along the California coast were admitting a wave of emaciated Brown Pelicans, and Pacific Wildlife Care was no exception. Between mid-March and mid-June, we admitted 50 pelicans, the vast majority of them starving juveniles. This wasn’t a one-time fluke. We’ve now seen a spring surge of underweight pelicans in […]
Great-horned Owl 2196 was found entangled in barbed wire fencing, with no possibility of freeing himself. Imagining the pain, a would-be rescuer with good intentions might rush to free the bird on the spot, or attempt to. This would be the exact wrong move. Fortunately for this bird, Sara Sylwester knew what to do. She […]
Red-tailed Hawk 2999 was covered in so much of a lightly colored viscous oil that her correct weight wouldn’t be known until the next day, after she could be washed. Contrary to the impression left by some TV commercials, aquatic birds are not the only ones who may need to be washed in a rehabilitation […]
A small cadre of PWC staff and volunteers gained a new level of appreciation for bats this summer, when they were enlisted to care for a group of Mexican free-tailed bat pups brought to the clinic after falling to the ground from their overpass roost in the scorching Bakersfield heat wave. The pups had fallen […]
The multi-episode saga of RTHA 24-1516 had all the dangers and plot twists of a summer blockbuster. The nestling hawk gained avian celebrity status in SLO County when he was taken to a bald eagle nest by one of the adults, presumably as food for their two eaglets. Against all odds, the hawk survived. In […]
In the sweltering July heat, baby Mexican Free-tailed Bats dropped to the ground like unripe fruit. These tiny mammals need warmth but not temperatures well over 105 degrees. For days in Bakersfield, it reached 120. As the temperatures soared, biologist Brooke Stutz and bat biologist Erika Noel knew to search the ground under the bats’ […]
Spring is turning to summer, and the demands of the Baby Bird Program (BBP) are intensifying. At the hub of the activity is the Baby Bird Room (BBR), a “nursery” or “orphanage” for altricial birds, who grow quickly but hatch unfeathered, with closed eyes, and unable to self-feed. (Precocial birds, such as ducks and shorebirds, […]
In May 2023, rehabilitated Brown Pelican 23-757 became the first ever pelican to be fitted with a promising new tracking device, just before release back to the wild — and in doing so made quiet history.
Rescue • Rehabilitate • Educate
Info
Follow Us
Our mission is to support San Luis Obispo County wildlife through rehabilitation and educational outreach.