Pacific Wildlife Care

03/21/2026

Spring has sprung…and so has baby season! Small actions can make a BIG impact on wildlife. Here’s how you can help:

🌳 Hold off on tree trimming. Nesting birds and baby animals need safe, undisturbed homes. Wait until fall/winter for pruning.

🐈 Keep cats indoors or in a catio. Cats are responsible for billions of bird deaths each year in the US alone. Keeping them inside helps protect vulnerable baby wildlife.

🚫 Skip glue traps & rodenticides. These inhumane methods harm not just rodents but also songbirds, owls, reptiles, and other non-target wildlife.

🦝 Don’t trap and relocate wildlife. You could unknowingly separate a mother from her babies. Instead, remove food sources (like pet food left outside) and close-off access to buildings after wildlife has vacated to discourage unwanted visitors.

☎️ If you find an animal in need, call our hotline! Please do not give injured wildlife food or water, attempt to care for them yourself, or keep them as pets.

🤲 Support PWC! Caring for injured and orphaned wildlife takes time and resources. Donate, volunteer, or spread the word to help make a difference!

Thank you for being a friend to wildlife this spring! ❤️🌸

03/20/2026

Last year, our clinic admitted the first Northern Pygmy-Owl in our organization’s history! These tiny owls occur in San Luis Obispo County, but they’re not seen very often, so it was already an exciting and unusual moment for our team. At the time, we had no idea the story was just beginning…

The first owl arrived in July from Templeton with fractures to the right coracoid and clavicle, injuries consistent with a high-impact collision like hitting a car or window. After nearly 3 months in care, from cage rest to rebuilding strength in a flight aviary, the owl was ready to return to the wild.

Then, just a couple months after our historic patient was admitted, a SECOND Northern Pygmy-Owl patient arrived at our clinic!

This second owl arrived after being hit by a car along Highway 1 near Gorda and had fractures in the radius and ulna in the right wing. This required surgery to repair the wing fractures, followed by months of recovery and conditioning before release back in Gorda.

For about two weeks, the two owls shared an aviary while their stays overlapped.

For Pacific Wildlife Care, caring for two Northern Pygmy-Owls in one year was both an unexpected and a special experience. Seeing both birds return to the wild made it even more rewarding.

We couldn’t do this work without our incredible team of staff, volunteers, and community supporters. If you’d like to help make stories like this possible, you can support our work at pacificwildlifecare.org/give.

03/20/2026

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 2! In partnership with the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, we’ll be presenting Wildlife Babies: When to Help and When to Leave Them Be. This informative talk will cover local ecology, wildlife rehabilitation, common myths, and practical tips. After the program, meet one of our PWC Animal Ambassadors! This talk is great for older children through adults.

Doors open at 5:30, talk begins at 6pm. This talk is free and open to the public, please register through the Garden’s website to save your seat:
https://slobg.org/event/pacific-wildlife-care-presents-wildlife-babies-when-to-help-and-when-to-leave-them-be/

03/18/2026

It’s tax season!

If you’re a California taxpayer, did you know you can support wildlife rehabilitation right when you file? By selecting the ‘Native California Wildlife Rehabilitation Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund’ (Line 439) on your state return, you’ll help support licensed wildlife rehabilitation organizations across the state, including Pacific Wildlife Care!

It’s an easy way to make a meaningful impact when you file. Every contribution helps rescue, rehabilitate, and return wildlife to the wild across our biodiverse state.

03/17/2026

🍀 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Celebrate with some of our local ‘green’ birds! Swipe through to learn more about the Green Heron, Violet-green Swallow, Green-winged Teal, and Green-tailed Towhee!

Fun fact: Most birds don’t actually produce green pigment! Their feathers appear green due to a mix of yellow pigments and blue-reflecting structures. The only birds that create a true green pigment are turacos, a unique family found in Africa 💚

03/16/2026

😅 Even though we do our best for our patients, not all of them appreciate our efforts.

Our current patient, a Great Horned Owl, is recovering from an injury to the third digit on his left foot. The toe is held in extension, giving him the unmistakable look of sharing a strong opinion about his care. It’s given the staff a chuckle but his attitude is actually a great sign.

In wildlife rehabilitation, our goal is to keep wild animals wild. When a patient hisses, clacks their beak, or “flips us off,” it means they still see humans as something to avoid, which is exactly what they’ll need to survive after release.

🦉 If you find injured wildlife, please don’t attempt to treat them yourself. We use specialized training, equipment, and veterinary guidance to ensure the best outcome for the animal. We’re happy to help, even if our patients aren’t always happy with us!

03/13/2026

✨ Freedom Friday! ✨

This Swainson’s Thrush arrived at our clinic as a suspected window strike victim. On intake, the little bird was open-mouth breathing and drooping both wings. Radiographs revealed fractures to the right coracoid and scapula, so our team expertly stabilized the fractures, provided fluids, oxygen, and medication, and monitored the bird closely.

Over the next 29 days, the thrush progressed from cage rest to rebuilding strength in a large aviary. After nearly a month of care, the bird was released back into Los Osos, ready to continue its journey in the wild 🎉

Window strikes are a leading cause of bird deaths. In North America alone, more than 1 billion birds die each year from collisions with glass. Birds can’t see windows, so making them visible can save lives! Start with any “problem” window at your home by applying decals or markers (spaced no more than 2” apart on the exterior) or adding screens. Learn more at featherfriendly.com.

🚨 If a bird hits a window, take it to your local licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Injuries like broken beaks, internal bleeding, and brain swelling may not show right away. In SLO County, call us at (805) 543-9453.

Small changes at home can save lives!

03/12/2026

⏳ Final days to apply to our Summer Internship Program! During this hands-on opportunity, you will build skills, learn from experienced staff, and get an inside look at wildlife rehabilitation.

A minimum commitment of 400 hours between April and September 2026 is required (at least three eight-hour shifts per week). Learn more and apply here: pacificwildlifecare.org/internship-program

03/12/2026

We'll see you at these SLO County Public Libraries this spring!

🦉Learn about the amazing animals who live among us when Pacific Wildlife Care visits SLO County Libraries this spring! Find out about their rescue and rehabilitation efforts, and what we can do to live in harmony with wildlife.

03/11/2026

Check out PWC volunteers making their homes more bird-safe! Huge thanks to Bob and Sharon B. for sharing their Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Markers installation. They had a ‘problem’ window that saw occasional strikes, and while the 2.5 x 3 ft window took about 1.5 hours to clean, measure, and apply the decal dots, the effort was well worth it — just a small change that prevents bird strikes and saves lives. Now six months post-installation and “no strikes is good news!” 💛

Birds fly into windows because they can’t see the glass. Making windows more visible to birds can reduce collisions by 95%, and you can make that difference! Have you noticed a particular window in your home that tends to lead to collisions? Making that window bird-safe is a great place to start!

Bob and Sharon used white dots, and as Sharon notes, “the view is minimally obstructed.” There are also other options, including clear markers that are nearly invisible to humans but highly visible to birds, so there’s a solution for every window! Just be sure stickers or decals are spaced no more than 2” apart on the exterior for maximum effectiveness.

Check out our recent post for more tips, and explore featherfriendly.com for additional solutions to keep birds safe!

03/10/2026

The rescuer did the right thing bringing this Yellow-rumped Warbler to our clinic after a window collision! At intake, the little bird couldn’t stand. With fluids, oxygen, and pain medication, our team monitored the warbler closely. After just three days in care, the warbler was standing, flying, eating mealworms, and ready to return to Atascadero! 💛

You can help protect birds by making your windows bird-safe. Even a few collisions per home add up across communities. Solutions can be simple, affordable, and nearly invisible to human eyes! Check yesterday’s post for tips, and explore featherfriendly.com for effective solutions to keep birds safe.

🚨 Birds that hit windows should be taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Collisions can cause serious injuries like broken beaks, internal bleeding, or brain swelling that may not appear immediately. Our team can treat and monitor these birds until they’re ready to return to the wild. In SLO County, call us at (805) 543-9453 for help!

03/09/2026

✨ Now is a great time to make your windows safer for birds!

A 2024 study estimates more than 1 BILLION BIRDS are killed EACH YEAR in North America from colliding with glass. Birds fly into windows because they can’t see the glass – it looks like their habitat reflected back at them. Making windows more visible to birds can reduce collisions by up to 95% – you can make a difference! Have you noticed a particular window in your home that tends to lead to collisions? Making that window bird-safe is a great place to start!

While you may notice just a few birds colliding with a window each year, that quickly adds up when multiplied across all homes! In fact, studies estimate that more than 40% of all bird-window collision deaths are from residential buildings 1-3 stories tall…this is not just a problem for tall buildings!

Save bird lives when you make your windows more visible to birds. Here are some solutions:
➡️ Feather Friendly Film ($3.07 per sq ft of window)
➡️ ABC BirdTape 3/4'' Tape ($1.11 per sq ft of window)
➡️ Bird Divert UV Residential Tape ($3.50 per sq ft of window) – this looks nearly invisible to humans!
➡️ Install a screen, even if the window doesn’t open
➡️ Artistic? Draw designs on your windows!

Explore products at featherfriendly.com - Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Markers

If you use stickers or decals, it’s important they are spaced no more than 2” apart on the exterior of the window to maximize effectiveness. Learn more at abcbirds.org/solutions/preventing-collisions

Already have bird-safe windows and want to do more? Advocate for bird-friendly buildings and bird-friendly legislature in your local community!

🚨 Birds who hit windows should be taken to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator ASAP. Crashing into a window can cause life-threatening injuries like a broken beak, internal bleeding, and brain-swelling that may take days to appear. Our wildlife professionals can treat and monitor these birds and release them back into the wild once they are healthy. If you’re in SLO County, give us a call at (805) 543-9453 – we can help!

Prevention is the best solution. Help spread the message of creating bird-friendly windows!