A big thank you and a round of applause to those who came and supported the first-ever Festival of Feathers!
And it wouldn’t have happened at all without the tireless hard work and enthusiasm of our fantastic, talented and dedicated team of staff and volunteers. You are absolutely the BEST!
Baby Bird Season is here and Knitting is for the (baby) birds!
A wonderful idea has “taken wing,” just in the last week. With Baby Bird Season upon us, hundreds of little nests are needed for the young orphans placed in our care. Instead of constructing nests from paper towels, volunteers have begun knitting cozy, washable yarn nests from a simple pattern*. Several local yarn shops have posted the instructions for customers willing to help these baby birds in such a personal, tangible way.
Do you or your friends love to knit?  Download the pattern, and bring your creations to the Center or email dlaurice@comcast.net for knitting shops where they can be dropped off. We’ll keep you updated on this fun volunteer activity.
*Pattern adapted from one by Native Songbird Care and Conservation volunteer, Barbara Johnson
Education Program — meet the raptors
A major part of the BRC’s mission is education. Throughout the year we give many presentations both at the Center and offsite, for schools, public events and organizations.
 Are you an educator with a classroom full of kids who would thrill at attending a presentation with our Ambassador birds? Is your class studying owls? A presentation with a couple of our birds is a fantastic way to make it all come alive for the kids!
For more information, please call 707/523-2473 to speak with our Education Coordinator.
We can’t do this without you
Your support is how we continue to keep our doors open 365 days a year, and provide the best possible service to our native bird population.
Every donation helps ensure the future of our of The Bird Rescue Center’s rehabilitation and educational programs. Any amount helps and together we really do make a difference.
• Become a member and receive our biannual newsletter
and BRC window decal.
Download membership form PDF.
Salmonellosis outbreak among Pine Siskins—
prevention is key!
Both Native Songbird Care and Conservation and the Bird Rescue Center have been receiving calls about ill and dead Pine Siskins, and over the last few days, both organizations have received ill birds. Pine Siskins are extremely small birds and once they become infected, their health deteriorates rapidly. By the time they are discovered and rescued, it is usually too late for successful treatment of the illness.
Salmonellosis is usually fatal to Pine Siskins. Prevention is better than cure. An epidemic like this usually starts when birds feed together at bird feeders, or when they use dirty birdbaths. Please remember to keep your bird baths, feeders and the ground under your feeders clean. If you observe sick birds at your feeding stations, please take your feeders down for a couple of weeks until the sick birds die off.
Thanks for helping keep our songbirds healthy and safe!
General info
Hours of operation
8am to 7pm. The Center is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Phone: 707/523-2473.
Visitor days
Bird Rescue Center is open to the public on the first Saturday and third Sunday of every month (unless it’s a major holiday; if in doubt, give us a call at 523-2473). Come by and meet our 19 resident raptor Ambassadors. It’s a tremendous opportunity to see these beautiful wild birds up close. Photography of the birds is permitted outside the residents’ compound.
Our Location
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Our purpose is to assist the public in the rescue of injured, orphaned or ill birds. We are the only all-bird wildlife rescue center in our area. Our headquarters and primary care facilities are located in Santa Rosa, CA. We provide service throughout the North San Francisco Bay Area.
We hope the information provided here will help you learn more about how to help rescue a bird in distress. We depend on the volunteer support and contributions of caring individuals like you and hope you will also explore the ways you can get involved with us. Together we can make a difference.
Stay in touch
Join the BRC email list and receive periodic news, events info, training dates and more
Recent BRC newsletter — download
Photographic art benefactor, Hughes Goodwin
Hughes Goodwin is a longtime BRC member, dating back to when he dedicated a membership in memory of his late son, Evan. 
He has traveled the world, photographing wildlife and wild landscapes with a heartfelt eye towards the beauty and fragility of the natural world. Hughes has a special interest in our work at the Center, and over time has created some beautiful portraits of our resident raptor ambassadors.
He has generously offered to give 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this artwork to The Bird Rescue Center. He has also donated several of these raptor portraits, reproduced on a variety of materials such as ceramic tiles and glass, that are now available to members and visitors.
To view the entire collection of his incredible photography visit pedrogoodwinphotography.com. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of any artwork you order will be directed to The Bird Rescue Center if you mention our name when ordering any of his prints. We are deeply grateful for such generosity and appreciate your support.
View a slideshow of his evocative portraits of our resident raptor ambassadors.
Mela Brasset
March 31, 1948 – May 2, 2012
Those of us who were fortunate enough to know, learn from and work with long-time Bird Rescue Center stalwart Mela Brasset, knew that whether it was a songbird, a duck or a Great Horned Owl, birds were most dear to her.
During her years as a volunteer at the Center, Mela held many leadership positions, including rehab and raptor hospital Supervisor, raptor handler, community educator, Raptor Program Coordinator and much, much more. A woman of great heart and generosity of spirit, she worked tirelessly and joyfully on behalf of the birds.
Mela Brasset’s contributions were many and significant. She will be deeply missed, and live always in the hearts and memories of all that knew her.
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