OH, BABY! It's Nestling & Fledgling Season!

Each spring and summer, Ojai Raptor Center takes in hundreds of hatchling, nestling, and fledgling raptors. Often, these young birds of prey have fallen from their nests and, whenever possible, we’ll return them to their nest or a nest box to be raised by their parents. But if renesting is not feasible, they’ll stay at ORC for rehabilitative care until they can fly and fend for themselves in the wild.

These youngsters require specialized diets and housing and, if needed, will also receive medication and veterinary care. We go to great lengths to ensure that our patients don’t mal-imprint, or habituate, onto our staff, which would prevent their return to the wild. We disguise our human features, and sometimes use taxidermy specimens of the same species when hand-feeding is necessary.

Growing birds eat more than adult birds, sometimes consuming as many as two rats or twelve mice a day! With inflation and the increased price of whole-prey items, feeding each one of our nestling and fledgling patients can cost more than $10 a day! With hundreds in our care, that’s quite a food bill - and doesn't include staff salaries, medicine, or other medical care costs.

We are seeking your support to help us treat these most vulnerable patients. Please donate today.