Description
The Wild Bird Care Centre is a registered charitable organization dedicated to the care, treatment and rehabilitation of injured, ill and orphaned wild birds in order to release them back into their natural environment. The Centre was founded in 1981 by the late Kathy Nihei when she successfully rehabilitated, over-wintered and released an injured hummingbird. Kathy continued to rehabilitate wild birds in her own home until it was no longer feasible and a larger location was needed. After being incorporated in 1991, the Wild Bird Care Centre moved to its current location in 1992. Today the Wild Bird Care Centre receives 30,000 phone calls and cares for over 2000 birds annually. The Centre is open year round, 365 days a year. This is possible due to a small but dedicated staff and our indispensable team of volunteers. Funding of the Centre depends solely on donations as we receive NO funding from any level of government.
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Last weekend's used feeder sale at Wild Birds Unlimited was a great success. The sales helped raise $1400 for the Centre! We'd like to give a huge thank you to Eric and Margo of Wild Birds Unlimited who hosted the event at their store on Bank St, and who donated $1000 in support of our cause! The feeders that were not sold are being displayed at the Centre and are available for a donation of any amount. So come drop in! Our visiting hours are every day except Wednesdays, from noon to 3pm.
I Like Birds by Eels - featuring Birds from the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre
Here's a little video that shows the quirky personalities of the birds that pass through the doors of the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre. Rehabilitation is not generally a glamorous job. On a daily basis we clean cages, wash an endless amount of dishes, prepare hundreds of meals, tend to all sorts of injuries, medicate birds of all shapes and sizes, and answer calls from the public. In the midst of all that shuffle the birds in our care manage to sneak in some of their magic, charming us with their unique traits and personalities. It is our pleasure to give them a chance to #flyagain.
Sad-faced owl set free after 10-day rehab at Wild Bird Care Centre
Owl release covered by the Ottawa Citizen! Help us make these types of stories happen more often by contributing to our fundraising campaign: https://goo.gl/oYlSyF By making a donation toward our #birdsofallfeathers fundraising campaign you will be instrumental in the rehabilitation and release of the sick, injured and orphaned birds we've received this year. #flyagain
Photos from Wild Bird Care Centre's post
A bunch of the #Warblers brought in by Safe Wings Ottawa and other caring individuals have completed their rounds of medication and have moved into the flight cage. Window impacts are very serious injuries for these little birds so we are very pleased with their rehabilitation progress. These little Warblers will be able to be released soon. #flyagain Safe Wings has an article in Centretown News that talks about what #Ottawa can do to be more bird-friendly: https://goo.gl/BGKCun
Barred Owl Release
We released a Barred Owl at the Arboretum last night, in the safest location close to where he was found. He was with us for ten days, recovering from head injuries due to an impact. In the past 6 years the centre has admitted 70 Barred Owls - 57 of which have had injuries from vehicle or window impacts. You can help us give the birds in our care the best chance at release by making a donation: https://goo.gl/oYlSyF Barred Owls are the ideal patient at the Wild Bird Care Centre. It's hard to tell if this is a result of the head trauma or just their personality! But in general they are calm, easy to handle, and take their medication without any complaints. We feed them about two whole mice a day, and keep them in a dark, quiet area to reduce their stress while they are with us. Before releasing them we ensure they have good pupil response, that their plumage looks good and that they can flap their wings in a strong, even way. #flyagain
Burnt Screech Owl
We received a Screech Owl a few days ago that came in with an unusual injury. It had fallen into a fire and burnt its wing and tail feathers. There wasn't any tissue damage, but he is very lucky to have been found and brought to the Centre. Wish him a full recovery!
Timeline Photos
#birdofthemonth
Timeline Photos
#birdofthemonth
Photos from Wild Bird Care Centre's post
Looking for a good book to read? We highly recommend the Peregrine by J. A. Baker. The Peregrine is a beautiful, lyrical book that condenses the author’s ten-year obsession with observing peregrines into one winter. He watches them hunting, eating, resting, and playing and as the book progresses the space between the observer and the observed slowly disappears. The reader feels as though the author becomes the peregrine through the act of observation. The book was written in the 1960’s in a period where the fate of the Peregrine was uncertain due to the widespread use of DDT. https://goo.gl/p0qdrZ Christine, one of our Bird Care Technicians, says that this book gave her a deeper understanding of this majestic bird and of the importance of preserving every bit of wildness possible in the birds that pass through the Centre. Excerpt from the Peregrine: “The valley sinks into mist, and the yellow orbital ring of the horizon closes over the glaring cornea of the sun. The eastern ridge blooms purple, then fades to inimical black. The earth exhales into the cold dusk. Frost forms in hollows shaded from the afterglow. Owls wake and call. The first stars hover and drift down. Like a roosting hawk, I listen to the silence and gaze into the dark.” ― J.A. Baker
Timeline Photos
Reminder: The annual used feeder sale is today! Where? At the Wild Bird's Unlimited Store on 1500 Bank St. When? 10am-3pm Saturday, October 1st and 12pm-3pm on Sunday, October 2nd. Show your support for the Wild Bird Care Centre. Meet the volunteers, learn about the Centre and buy a repaired and clean bird feeder or two from the Centre's dedicated volunteers! All proceeds support the Centre's work for injured, ill, and/or orphaned wild birds. And Wild Birds Unlimited Ottawa matches the total raised. See you there!
Photos from Wild Bird Care Centre's post
This is very likely a first for the Centre, a Lesser Black-Backed Gull. They breed along the Atlantic Coast of Europe, and have colonies in Iceland. They do visit Eastern Canada in the winter, and it appears they are becoming more common in Eastern Ontario. This one came in collapsed on September 26th. He was emaciated and dehydrated. A few days at the Centre has seen some improvement, and he is standing on his own now. He was weighed today and looks like he needs to gain some more weight! We will do our best to help him #flyagain!
Timeline Photos
We've already raised over $37k with our Birds of All Feathers Campaign. The support has been incredible. With your help we can reach our $100K goal! Please donate here and help our birds get a flying chance: https://goo.gl/qFHAUC The Story: We've had an unusually large influx of bird admissions at the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre this year due to increased public awareness of the plight of birds in our cities and across North America. In order to care for this increase in sick, injured and orphaned wild birds currently at our Centre we need the public's help, as the majority of our funding comes from public donations. DONATE: https://goo.gl/qFHAUC LEARN MORE ABOUT US: www.wildbirdcarecentre.org/about.php SIGN UP: Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/ceGD1L MEDIA COVERAGE: CBC - https://goo.gl/TcEHhK Ottawa Citizen - https://goo.gl/hSziLU CTV - https://goo.gl/Y9EVPF FOLLOW US: Instagram - https://goo.gl/tIrLh5 Twitter - https://goo.gl/EIJLhc Youtube - https://goo.gl/QzFK1w We will never turn away any bird in need. #birdsofallfeathers Thank you for your support! #flyagain #flightdreams
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