PO Box 225 Montgomery Creek, CA 96065
This adult male red-shouldered hawk was also hit by a vehicle in Fall River Mills. We are rehabilitating him, and hope to release him soon.
Hawks, and other raptors, are an important part of Nature's check and balance system. One hawk or owl consumes about 1,000 rodents per year!
In 2014 we received a call about a gray fox who the finders had penned because he was blind in one eye. Luckily for the fox, the finders let him go. In Spring of 2016 one of our volunteers saw this fox with one blind eye with another fox, about a mile from where the call came from. The laws for wildlife rehabilitation do not usually allow us to release one-eyed animals.
A new red-tailed hawk patient surveys the situation.
We imagine he is saying: "Where am I, and what am I doing in this box?"
Note: SOL Communications, where you will be directed, is our fiscal sponsor. EIN: 95-4648687
UPDATE: Although no one thought this eagle would fly again, his wing healed and he was released on July 7th!
You can help us care for injured raptors!
These red-shouldered hawk siblings, approximately a month old, fell from their nest into a roadway on a hot, record-breaking day. We try to re-nest young birds whenever possible because their parents can care for, and teach them, much better than we can. But the high heat and location of the nest made it too likely they would not survive.
This beautiful female golden eagle was rescued from Bella Vista, CA, but died of lead poisoning and starvation. This bird was found in the Fall, when lead exposure typically comes from scavenging on gut piles left from large game animals, such as deer and wild pigs, or from ground squirrels who are shot for target practice. In 2019, the ban on lead in ammunition in California will go into effect. It's hoped that no wildlife foraging in California will sicken and die slowly from lead poisoning after that.
To further our mission of taking substantive action to protect the natural world, Battle Creek Alliance members began rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife several years ago. We have expanded to also operate as Defiance Canyon Raptor Rescue specializing in eagles, hawks, and owls. Wildlife rescue is not funded by governmental agencies; generally, wildlife agencies do not perform rescues. See the introductory video to our work here
People often focus on individual species, but we believe every species is important, whether it is on a man-made list or not. Habitat fragmentation and loss have serious effects on wildlife. Wildlife rescue, in conjunction with our work to keep watersheds and forests intact, addresses the root causes of the problems.
Go here to find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in California.
Rehab of a nestling Cooper's hawk
Some recent rescues:
This bald eagle was found on a roadside near the town of Bieber, probably hit by a car. A volunteer from Tehama Wildcare traveled to capture him. A Fall River Mills game warden drove him part of the way to us and we cared for him overnight. The following day we took him to the vet hospital at UC Davis. He had surgery for a broken lower mandible and has a break in his left wing. He is recuperating at the UC Davis Raptor Center.
Here is a video of an eagle we rescued last year.
Here is our Flickr site with more photos and stories.
Wildlife is often poisoned by chemicals, either firsthand, or secondhand by eating another animal who has been poisoned. An excellent site with valuable information is: raptorsarethesolution.org