WildCare

After Hawk Hill we headed to WildCare, an urban wildlife rehabilitation center in San Rafael.  They operate a wildlife rehabilitation hospital that is staffed primarily with volunteers. It cares for nearly 4,000 wild animals a year from as many as 200 different species. It is open seven days a week, fifty -two weeks a year.

At Wildcare, they house various animals that can not be let back into the wild due to injury. Many are unique animals that you normally would see at a zoo.

They had a great group of raptors:

Pele, a Peregrine Falcon (Falco), came to the center with an injured left elbow in 2006. Even with extensive flight training, he would never achieve the speed of flight that he needs to have in order to survive in the wild.

Phoenix, a Red- Shouldered Hawk (Buteo). Some of his flight feathers were permanent damaged in a fire in 1996 resulting in deformed or missing feathers. He is not fully flighted and cannot be released.

Vladimir, the Turkey Vulture was stolen as a cute, fluffy chick and soon he proved to be a very unmanageable pet so he was brought to the center. He has been imprinted (identifies with humans, not his own species) thus he cannot survive in the wild.

Grace, a Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo)

Boy, is she a beautiful bird of prey. Check out that beak and eye!

Sequoia, a Northern Spotted Owl, was found on the ground as a nestling. She had a wing injury and could not be reunited with her family. The injury proved to be irreparable impairing her ability to fly.

Kele, an American Kestrel (Falco)

Skye, an Acorn Woodpecker, came to the center in 1998. He broke a wing flying into a window and his wing did not heal properly. Woodpeckers are NOT raptors by the way.

In their bird pool there are a variety of Shorebirds...

Jersey, a Double-crested Cormorant, came to the center in 1999 from New Jersey. He has permanent wing injuries caused by a fishing line entanglement.

Brown Pelican

..with Winter, a White Pelican, came to the center in 2008. She was found with an old improperly healed wing fracture and was wrapped up in fishing line and hooks. She cannot fly thus cannot survive in the wild.

Pelicans are quite large!

WildCare also offers educational opportunities such as welcoming school field trips or bringing animals to a school for an Animal Talk. They also offer on-site-once-a-day  Talks... "Meet the ___ such as Tortoise, Rabbit, Trainer, Raptor and Vulture." Since we came on a Saturday, it was "Meet the Raptor". Perfect since we just came from Hawk Hill.

Unfortunately when we arrived the Meeting had just ended. (The time on the website was incorrect). But the wildlife ambassador, Marianne, was gracious enough to take out their Swainson Hawk, after she fed Kele, the American kestrel. So we got to see a feeding and a live raptor up close!

Hinton, a Swainson hawk, has been at the center for over 15 years. She was found as a nestling with a stick in her right eye. Surgery was able to save her life but she lost her eye and her depth of perception. Her inability to hunt prevents her from being released to the wild.

She is so gorgeous! Check out that wing span!

Hinton, even though she spent almost her whole life at WildCare, is still considered very wild and her instincts and actions reflect that nature. Our Trainer had to restrain her a few times when she tried to take flight.

Rachel and Emily with Hinton. They couldn't get too close to it.

You can check out ...WildCare

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