PHS/SPCA Wildlife Center Bird Rescue, by Kathy Wilson

Western Bluebirds Rescued, Rehabbed, and Released Back into the Wild

When a mated pair of Western Bluebirds found themselves stuck on the same sticky glue trap, the future looked bleak. Their luck changed dramatically, however, when a concerned citizen found the pair in distress and contacted the PHS/SPCA Wildlife Center asking for help. A rescue team was dispatched to the site, and when they arrived, they were able to carefully remove the birds from the trap and transport them to the newly opened Larry Ellison Conservation Center for Wildlife Care (LECCWC) operated by the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS/SPCA) for assessment and treatment. 

The Power of Rehabilitation

The birds hadn’t been on the trap long and had only come away with minor skin injuries, but unfortunately they had lost all of their tail feathers as they struggled to get free. Happily, these injuries turned out to be things that rehabilitation could fix. 

This 197-acre campus at 24103 Congress Springs Road in Saratoga has 10 acres dedicated to a state-of-the-art hospital and outdoor enclosures for intake-to-release rehabilitative care of sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife from San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Once recovered, animals are released back into their natural habitat, hopefully to live long healthy lives.

“We welcome the public to bring injured, orphaned, or sick wildlife to us directly. We also hope they will come for a walk along our Learning Path, book a docent tour, or schedule an educational outreach event with one of our wildlife educators.”  Nicole Weger, PHS/SPCA Wildlife Director of Operations. 

Making a Full Recovery

LECCWC commonly receives small birds and mammals that have been caught by glue traps. Oftentimes they come in emaciated after being stuck for a long time, and the traps can cause severe injuries to the animal as it tries to pull itself off the trap. 

In the case of our two injured Bluebirds, the pair only needed to be treated for their skin injuries and housed in a safe habitat while their feathers grew back. After 4 ½  weeks, they both made a full and robust recovery and happily flew back into the wild!  

Let’s All Do Our Part

The diversity of wildlife living among us is both a blessing and a responsibility. These animals add so much richness and wonder to our natural environment, and that gives each of us the opportunity to appreciate and protect our wild neighbors whenever and wherever we can. Removing glue traps from around our homes and gardens would be a great start. For those of us who value Earth’s complex and magical ecosystem, it is an honor and a privilege to respect and safeguard it for this and future generations to come.