Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network

Another successful duckling release for this #FeelGoodFriday! These 14 mallards arrived at the Center as small orphaned ducklings, and are now back in the wild as independent young adults Fun fact: a group of swimming ducks is called a raft or a paddling!

Instagram vs. reality This great horned owl nestling is displaying its nictitating membrane in the second pic. Nictitating membranes are essentially a third eyelid they act as an additional layer of protection and help keep their eyes moist!

Wrestling match! : Lisa K.

Thanks to Santa Barbara County Animal Services for this successful skunk rescue and release! SBWCN was happy to play a part in their rehabilitation https://youtu.be/xASqluTIFnE

#HospitalHighlight: SBWCN's state-of-the-art Wildlife Hospital will feature significant upgrades to our facilities including a new surgery room! Currently, our staff veterinarian works out of a 10x10ft room inside of our songbird trailer. The Wildlife Hospital will not only include a brand new surgery room, but also designated x-ray and exam rooms. This will allow for even better care for even more animals. SBWCN is so close to reaching our fundraising goal for the Wildlife Hospital! This 5,400 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will be the first of its kind in the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas. Help us cross the finish line by donating today at sbwcn.org/wildlifehospital.

PSA: DITCH THE FIREWORKS TODAY Did you know the 4th of July (and the 5th) are some of the busiest days of the year for wildlife care centers? Most of us are familiar with the fact that fireworks can negatively affect our own pets, but they also have a significant impact on wildlife. By NOT using fireworks, you can save animals from: -Running into roadways -Abandoning their babies... -Suffering from hearing loss -Being exposed to wildfires -And so much more Thank you for doing your part to keep our wild neighbors safe! Pictured here: a Cooper's hawk with festive bands. : Allison J.

House finches are a popular species in our neighborhoods; can you guess how many we have in care right now? : Lauren G.

SBWCN currently has 21 cliff swallows in our care! Cliff swallows can be found on our coast during breeding season, where they build intricate mud nests on cliff sides (hence the name) and other vertical surfaces. These birds are the most colonial swallow in the world and can gather in colonies of anywhere from 200-1,000 nests! : Lauren G.

Mid-day naps are not unusual for these kits As a nocturnal species, raccoons rest during the day and are most active at night! : Sabrina S.

ITEM URGENTLY NEEDED: PET DRYER SBWCN is in urgent need of one new pet dryer after ours broke down this week! This machine is used constantly throughout the day for many of our patients, and is particularly important for drying oiled wildlife and waterproofing seabirds. If you're able to consider helping us with this purchase, we would be so grateful. Thank you, SBWCN friends!... https://www.amazon.com//wi/genericItemsPage/29WHAV3BDFKRQ

#DidYouKnow: Barn owls will spend about 50-60 days in the nest before they begin to fledge! This nestling was brought to SBWCN after it fell from its nest box in Santa Ynez and suffered some bruising. It was transferred to our partners at The Ojai Raptor Center where they'll care for it until it's ready to be on its own!

#TongueOutTuesday x6!

#DidYouKnow: Killdeer get their name from their distinctive call: a shrill, wailing "kill-deer!" sound. These plovers can be found year-round here in California, but unlike many shorebirds, they commonly inhabit dry areas away from the bodies of water. : Sabrina S.

#HospitalHighlight: SBWCN's state-of-the-art Wildlife Hospital is currently under construction! Once finished, this building will include a brand new Seabird Complex. This area will feature enhanced washing stations, allowing for increased care of oiled-impaired wildlife. Currently, most oiled animals need to be transported two hours to a partner organization, but this new building will provide us the resources to care for them all the way from rescue to release. SBWCN is so close to reaching our fundraising goal for the Wildlife Hospital! This 5,400 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will be the first of its kind in the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas. Help us cross the finish line by donating today at sbwcn.org/wildlifehospital.

Can you tell what kind of hummingbird patient #115 is? This hummingbird was brought to SBWCN after being found stunned on the ground in Carpinteria. He is currently recuperating at the Wildlife Care Center. Patient #115 is an Anna's hummingbird! They are frequent flyers at SBWCN. Male Anna's hummingbirds can be identified by the solid iridescent pink feathers on their throat while females have blotchy iridescent pink feathers. Both have metallic green feathers on their backs.... : Liora B.

Long-tailed ducks love tiny snails and patient #119 is no exception Support the care this very special patient by bringing tiny snails to the Wildlife Care Center! The Wildlife Care Center is open every day from 9 am-5 pm at 1460 N. Fairview Avenue.

Patient #4679: Black-bellied plover Status: Released! It’s another feel-good Friday at SBWCN! Last time you heard about the Black-bellied plover, our team had been heavily monitoring the dissolution process of a piece of the hook that moved to the plover's stomach. Instead of performing another invasive surgery, our veterinarian decided it would be better to allow the hook to dissolve in the plover's strong stomach acid. After several weeks of rehab, the hook had dissolved a...nd the plover was ready for release! Patient #4679 was driven back to Ventura to where he was found and was released at the Ventura River Estuary. He joined another Black-bellied plover at the estuary where they will have loads of small fish and invertebrates to forage on before migrating back North for breeding season. : Erin M. and Sabrina S.

Thursday afternoons are for hammock siestas . Two of the six raccoons in care are taking advantage of peak nap time to rest up before dinner shenanigans! : Sabrina S.

Patient #5: Red-tailed hawk Status: released! This juvenile Red-tailed hawk came into SBWCN on New Years Day emaciated and weak. After 3 weeks of quality care, rest, and LOTS of food, patient #5 was ready to soar back to the wild! ... He was released at Rocky Nook Park where he was eager to leave the carrier. He stood around for a bit to examine his new home, then he took off into the nearby oak trees. : Sabrina S. And Allison J.

SBWCN has an URGENT Wishlist request: Our team is in need of 7-10 boxes of SMALL NITRILE GLOVES and our Center is running dangerously low! Some of our team members have a latex allergy and must use nitrile gloves when working with our animals. Can you help SBWCN out by purchasing us some of these gloves or donating in this post? COST: $31.08 LINK: https://smile.amazon.com//ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s... Gloves can be sent directly to our Wildlife Care Center at 1460 N Fairview Ave Goleta CA 93117. (P.S. if you end up deciding to help wildlife with one of these gifts, shop on Amazon Smile and select Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network as your charity of choice! A portion of the sales will go towards the animals at no extra cost to you! Link: https://smile.amazon.com) THANK YOU for keeping our team safe and healthy while we are saving wildlife! Purchasing items on our Amazon Wishlist or donating a portion of the funds through this Facebook post will go towards these items most needed to help the animals (and the humans caring for them) at the Center.

Special patient alert! This black-bellied plover, patient #4679 of 2020, came to SBWCN after being found at the Ventura Fairgrounds with fishing line trailing out of its mouth. Once in care at SBWCN, the expert team examined the black-bellied plover. The bird appeared to be in good body condition, other than the fishing hook it had swallowed. The team secured what was left of the fishing line to the back of the bird’s head using silk tape. This smart move allowed our veteri...narian, Dr. Avery Berkowitz, to use the fishing line as a guide to attempt to remove the hook. During this tricky maneuver, the bottom half of the hook broke off from the top, which was attached to the line. Because the hook piece had moved to the plover’s stomach, Dr. Berkowitz decided to give the remaining hook a chance to dissolve in the stomach’s acids to avoid another invasive, stressful procedure. The plover is recovering at the Wildlife Care Center, eating nutritious fish and exploring its spacious enclosure while staff frequently checks on the dissolution progress. It is a slow process, but the hook is dissolving in the strong acid content of the plover’s stomach. Black-bellied plovers are rare patients at SBWCN. The center has only received two black-bellied plover patients in the last five years. Like this black-bellied plover, many birds come to the Wildlife Care Center having swallowed hooks or wrapped in fishing line. This situation is one that is easily preventable. Remember to pack up all of your gear when fishing or talk with a fisher in your life! By working together to educate one another on the dangers of fishing line and hooks to wildlife, we can all help save and serve wildlife. : Sabrina S.

It's time to light up the New Year at SBWCN! Improved quality outdoor lighting at SBWCN is at the top of the Wildlife Wishlist right now. (P.S. if you end up deciding to help wildlife with one of these gifts, shop on Amazon Smile and select Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network as your charity of choice! A portion of the sales will go towards the animals at no extra cost to you! Link: https://smile.amazon.com) 1. OUTDOOR STRING LIGHTS at our Center help keep our staff safe and... visible in the evenings during these darker winter days! We have dozens of places on property that need better lighting, so we would love to have 10 individual lights to keep staff illuminated all day long. COST: $44.99 LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MF2X7XR/ 2. In addition to the outdoor lights, SBWCN will need 3 WIRELESS REMOTE OUTLETS to control the lights at all times of the day around the Center. These wireless remotes will help us adjust the lighting, keep the lights on a timer, and avoid using the electricity when not necessary. COST: $25.99 LINK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NXW1SPT/ THANK YOU for illuminating SBWCN! Both purchasing the lights and remotes through our Amazon Wishlist or donating a portion of the funds through this Facebook post will go towards these items most needed to help the animals (and the humans caring for them) at the Center.

Fuel up this Anna’s Hummingbird is flying again and eating well after she was attacked by a cat a few days ago. We’re going to keep sounding like a broken record on this issue because it’s too important: please keep your cats inside. Recent studies show that cats are making significant dents in songbird populations across the US. We see the carnage firsthand cat attacks often leave animals in critical condition. They are hard cases to rehab. Plus, with all the natural p...redators we have around, it’s much safer for our kitties to remain inside! On average, indoor-only cats live longer, healthier lives. Our buddies ASAP Animal Shelter Assistance Program have some good info about this on their website: https://www.asapcats.org/education/indoor-cats.html Save some feline and wild lives keep cats inside! : Katie C. See more

Let’s talk about owl eyes! We have had a lot of Western screech owl patients at the Wildlife Care Center. Many of these patients were suffering from ocular injuries as a result of head trauma caused by collisions. Owls have big eyes. When they are injured by blunt force trauma, their eyes are subjected to the same force and trauma, which can lead to bleeding and inflammation within the eye, corneal trauma, and possibly retinal trauma. Here we have a healthy eye with lot...s of lovely blood vessels, and a damaged eye with lots of dark brown spots (hyperpigmentation). These dark spots are commonly seen during the attempted healing process of the back of the eye after the trauma. Hyperpigmentation is a scarring response after retinal damage has occurred. The long, squiggly black thing is the pecten, a pigmented structure with many blood vessels that is present in all birds. When birds are admitted with ocular injuries, we begin by treating any injury to the cornea and inflammation or bleeding within the eye. The damage becomes inactive and scarred rather than active and inflamed. An eye with retinal damage like this will likely have some vision loss, but thankfully, owls largely rely on their hearing to hunt, so they really only need one completely healthy eye to be able to thrive in the wild (unlike other raptors, like hawks, that mainly rely on their sight to hunt). We have treated hundreds of birds with ocular injuries this year thanks to the expertise of our veterinarian, Dr. Avery Berkowitz, who has a special interest in avian ophthalmology. : Sabrina Skelly, Avery Berkowitz

Our freezer is on the fritz again time for a new one! We are looking to get a chest freezer that matches these dimensions so it will fit in the space we need to put it: 32 long 35 high 24 wide... Open long ways (Hotdog) Must NOT be on wheels The one in the photo is our dream freezer. It's $384 on Amazon. Here's the link to it: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/29WHAV3BDFKRQ Will you help us purchase a new freezer? Funds raised in this post will go towards the new freezer! If you have a freezer that you're willing to part with that matches these dimensions, let us know!

Mammals in hammocks to brighten your day! We give our mammals plenty of spots to rest, but the fleece blanket hammocks are some of their favorites. : Lisa K. & Liz P.

Did you make New Year's resolutions? Is one of them is helping wildlife while supporting one of your favorite non-profits? If you answered yes to either of those questions, check out www.sbwcngifts.com! When you donate through our online donor gift center, you can pick the premium you want to receive for your donation. If one of your resolutions is to get outside more, check out our bird hats featuring local species. If you want to be more sustainable, our reusable canvas totes are for you. If you are carrying the same 2020 energy into 2021, then you need an SBWCN stemless wine glass. For all of these donor premiums and more, go to www.sbwcngifts.com.

If raccoons could vote, they would vote to have jack-o-lanterns to play in every day of the year. Raccoons can’t vote, but you can! If you are able, exercise your civic duty by voting today, Nov. 3rd! P.S. if you have a Jack-o-lantern that is not moldy, bring it over to the Wildlife Care Center between 8am - 5pm! The raccoons will be thrilled. Let us know if you are coming with one! : Lisa K.

We hope you are having an awesome opossum 2021! SBWCN is already super busy with 30 new intakes in the last 5 days, including this baby opossum who was found alone and dehydrated. We warmed him up, administered medications and fluids, and sent him on his way to our expert home rehabber, Dawn, for extended care. Good luck tiny opossum! : Sabrina S.

Hats, stickers, wine glasses, tote bags, and more are available at www.SBWCNGifts.com! Donations for gift items go straight towards quality care for wildlife. Psssst... if you haven't already gotten a holiday gift for that animal lover in your life, this is the time to do it! Our team is limited so order processing times may be a bit longer. We appreciate your patience!

Watch juvenile raccoon patient #4370 check out her jolly ball for the first time! She was found by the kind employees of Ayers Auto Repair on the second floor of their downtown office. City of Santa Barbara Animal Control Officer Aguayo (part of Santa Barbara Police Department) rescued her and brought her to our Wildlife Care Center. The awesome mammal and vet team are treating her for ocular injuries, and keeping her healthy and stimulated : Lisa K.

Happy national bird day! 75% of the patients SBWCN cares for each year are birds. This includes raptors, seabirds, and songbirds big and small. We care for them all. There are plenty of ways that you can help birds stay safe. Window strikes make up a large portion of admissions for birds. By putting up window decals, you are letting the birds know that there is something in the way of their otherwise clear flight space. Another reason we admit birds is because they have falle...n out of their nest too early or were orphaned. Check out the last picture for a chart to help you determine if the bird you see on the ground needs our help! Let us know in the comments: What bird that you see around Santa Barbara is your favorite? : Rebecca G. and Sabrina S.

We are looking for 4 desks that are around 50-60" long! Our staff currently shares folding tables, which makes the small office inefficient and uncomfortable for staff who need spaces to work. If you have a desk that you are looking to get rid of, or know of someone or someplace that may, please let us know! Donation receipts are available for desk donations. Thanks!

This red-shouldered hawk is back home at Pismo Beach! He was found at the side of the road unable to fly. After plenty of good meals and lots of space to fly and regain his strength, he is now back to haunt the skies of Pismo once more. Many thanks to our AWESOME volunteer Sherri who released him.

Our red-tailed hawk that had two broken wings has been flying so well! We decided to move her to our largest flight enclosure so she can stretch her wings even more. The range of motion in both of her wings is good, and her flying gets stronger each day. We want to make sure she is completely ready before releasing her back to the wild, but with her progress, we think that day might not be too far off! : Sean P.

Sorry this is coming a little late, but if you have Jack-O-Lanterns or pumpkins that are in good condition (not moldy), our mammals would LOVE them for enrichment! They can be brought to 1460 N. Fairview Ave, Goleta, CA 93117. Let us know if you have some and if you're coming over! Photo: Mercury news

AMAZING NEWS! Our spotted skunk was released back to his home in Romero Canyon after 139 days in care. He was the size of a potato, scared, and alone when he was found in the middle of the hiking trail by a kind couple. The couple who rescued him were able to attend show us where he was found and watch him go free. He was released right next to a running stream. He is healthy as can be and more than ready for life in the wild. : Andrea, one of his rescuers

Western screech owl #4209. Status: Released! This owl was found unable to fly in Lompoc. We discovered he had a badly damaged right eye. The eye was not viable and could have caused chronic pain and inflammation due to the damage. Thankfully, western screech owls can still live healthy lives in the wild with one eye since they largely rely on their hearing to hunt and protect themselves. Our veterinarian Dr. Avery Berkowitz removed the active contents of the eye while maintaining inactive structure so facial discs and acoustics were not harmed. The owl was successfully released once the incision site healed! : Ginny H.

RELEASE! this juvenile red-tailed Hawk was found unable to fly in Goleta. He was suffering from head trauma, ocular trauma, a wounded left wing, and some injuries on his legs. After many bandage changes, doses of pain medication, and tons of tasty meals he was released onsite at the Wildlife Care Center in Goleta by our veterinarian, Dr. Berkowitz! : Alison J.

Burrowing owl patient #4242 is in a constant state of . The little owl struck a window pretty hard, and is now recovering from some head trauma and bruising. Thankfully, he has a nice temporary burrow to hang out in while he recovers. Can you spot him? : Ginny H.