Emergencies

If you have a wildlife emergency:

In Santa Barbara County, please call our Helpline at (805) 681-1080. Messages are picked in a timely fashion throughout the day and evening. If you are outside Santa Barbara County, click here to find an organization near you.

General Information:

Baby Birds: Many young birds are unnecessarily taken from their bird parents by well-meaning people, leaving parent birds frantically searching for their offspring. Leaving young birds to be cared for by their parents is a much better option. The only times you should interfere with nature are:

• Cat Attack: If a bird is caught by a cat, even if the bird appears unharmed, it needs antibiotics to counteract the bacteria from the cat's teeth and claws. Follow the directions below for Small Birds.
• Injured Baby: If you see an injury on the baby, do rescue it and follow the directions below for Small Birds.
• Fallen From Nest: If the bird has clearly fallen out of the nest too early and is still mainly covered in down rather than feathers, put the baby bird back into the nest as soon as you can. The parents will take care of it. (It's a myth that birds will be put off by human odor transferred to their young.) If you cannot reach the original nest, make a substitute one by hanging an empty margarine tub from a branch. The young bird will call to its parents, who will soon find it. Keep a careful watch from a distance to make sure that the parent bird has returned to it.
• Abandoned Nest: If a nest really has been abandoned because both parents have been killed, do rescue the babies. If only one parent has been killed, the survivor is capable of rearing the young on its own.

Do not attempt to raise baby birds yourself. Baby birds can be difficult to properly identify and have very specialized needs. Please read more about Baby Birds.

Small Birds: If you find an injured bird, catch it gently in your hands and place in a small covered, and aerated box with a cloth or tissues. Keep in a warm, quiet place and do not feed or offer water. Contact the Network immediately.

Large Birds: Birds that might do damage with beaks or claws can be caught by placing a towel over the animal so it can't bite or scratch. Place your hands firmly over each wing and lower the bird into a box with a cover. Contact the Network immediately.

Raptors and Mammals: Hawks, owls, or any mammal which might be rabid should not be handled. You can place a box over the animal to protect it from predators and then contact the Network immediately.

Marine Mammals: Report injured seals, sealions, dolphins, whales to the Marine Mammal Center at (805) 687-3255.