Rancho Simi Duck Park Waterfowl

03/27/2026

Hi Waterfowl friends - this wonderful lady was followed home by a dumped duck at her local park in Downey, CA. She would love to find a loving home for it. If you or you know someone who would be interested in a new feathered friend pet, please respond here and we'll connect you with her. Thank you!!

03/26/2026

It’s nesting season, please don’t trim shrubs or trees until the fall! 🙏🏼 🦉 🦅🪶

PLEASE DON'T TRIM SHRUBS OR TREES DURING NESTING SEASON!

Great Horned Owls are usually among the first baby raptors we receive each year because they begin nesting well before most other birds of prey. In California, their breeding cycle can begin as early as December, and by March, nesting season is in full swing. This is just one reason tree trimming should be avoided after December in areas where early nesters, such as Hummingbirds and raptors, nest.

Unlike many raptors, Great Horned Owls do not build their own nests. Instead, they take over old nests made by other birds, including Red-tailed Hawks and ravens, and sometimes even use squirrel nests. In some cases, if there is no suitable nest to be found, they may even lay eggs on the ground or in the nook of a tree!

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) mandates avoiding tree trimming from February through August, the most critical time to prevent disturbing nesting birds, which are legally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. However, if possible, we recommend August through November as the best time for tree trimming and vegetation control to minimize the impact on nests.

03/26/2026

Easter PSA!

03/26/2026

With Easter around the corner, good info to have if you have cats!

03/25/2026

Info from VCAS regarding injured wildlife.

WILDLIFE REMINDER: VCAS only responds to calls for sick, injured, or baby wildlife - who are transported to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for the next chapter of their journey. You can also connect with wildlife professionals directly by finding their information at Animal Help Now - AHnow.org.⁠
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This resource allows you to enter your location, and quickly provides contact information for certified wildlife rehabilitators in your area organized by species. ⁠
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Please keep in mind that many wildlife rehabilitators are volunteers, specialize in specific animals, may work out of their homes, and are often not on call 24/7 and be patient when you are contacting them. ⁠
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If a baby or small injured animal, keep them warm, in the dark, and away from kids & pets while waiting for help. DO NOT FEED or offer water unless given specific instructions from a wildlife professional.

03/18/2026

It’s baby bird season. Here’s some good info and guide to follow 🪺 🪹 🪶 (see the post pinned at the top for wildlife rehabbers in Ventura County)

Starting this week and continuing through July, you will find baby birds sitting on the ground. They look helpless. They look abandoned. They look injured.

Most of them are fine. And picking them up is the worst thing you can do.

A fledgling is a baby bird that has left the nest but can't fly well yet. It's the normal stage between nest and independence — and it lasts one to three days for most songbird species. During this period, the bird sits on the ground, hops short distances, and calls for its parents. The parents are nearby. They're watching. They're feeding it every twenty to forty minutes.

This week, the first robin fledglings of 2026 are hitting the ground. In two weeks, bluebird, chickadee, and wren fledglings follow. By May, your neighborhood will have fledglings on sidewalks, in gardens, on patios, and under bushes every day.

Here's the decision:

Feathered, hopping, eyes open, roughly the size of a tennis ball or larger? That's a fledgling. Leave it alone. Its parents are within fifty feet.

Naked, eyes closed, lying still, smaller than your thumb? That fell from a nest. Look directly above for the nest and put it back. The parents won't reject it — the "human scent" myth is false.

Injured — visible wound, blood, drooping wing, unable to stand? Contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

Cat in the area? Move the fledgling to a sheltered spot within thirty feet — under a bush, on a low branch. The parents will find it by call.

🌿 The rules for the next four months:

- A baby bird on the ground in spring is almost certainly supposed to be there — the nest-to-flight gap is one to three days
- Parents feed fledglings on the ground for up to two weeks after they leave the nest
- If you're unsure, watch from inside for sixty minutes — if a parent visits, the baby is fine
- Keep cats indoors during fledgling season — cats are the number one predator of grounded fledglings

The bird on your patio isn't lost. It just graduated. And its parents are watching you decide what to do. 🌿

02/19/2026

Good info to have - so reposting this from last year. Also California Wildlife Center in Calabasas is a good resource. https://cawildlife.org/

VENTURA COUNTY WILDLIFE REHAB DIRECTORY 2026: Save this post in case you need it 🙏

With baby season approaching, please remember that VCAS only responds to calls for sick, injured, or baby animals. The Camarillo shelter may temporarily accept wildlife until we are able to get in touch with the appropriate wildlife rehab.

If you encounter an orphaned or injured small animal, DO NOT FEED OR GIVE WATER unless instructed to do so. Keep the animal warm, in the dark, and away from kids & pets while waiting for help.

Please keep in mind that many wildlife rehabilitators are volunteers, specialize in specific animals, may work out of their homes, and are often not on call 24/7. Be patient when you are contacting them. ⁠

BIRDS:
• The Ojai Raptor Center (Ojai, CA) 805-649-6884
• Camarillo Wildlife Rehabilitation (Camarillo, CA) 805-482-7617
• Wildlife Care of Southern California (Simi Valley) 805-428-7105
• Ojai Valley Wildlife Care (Oakview, CA) 805-758-8190
• Ventura Hummingbird Rescue (Ventura, CA) 805-320-2438
• Baby Birds (Ventura, CA) 805-448-2379
• Santa Barbara Wildlife Care (Santa Barbara, CA)
805-681-1080 ( www.sbwcn.org )

SMALL MAMMALS: (squirrels/opossums/raccoons)
• Camarillo Wildlife Rehabilitation (Camarillo, CA) 805-482-7617
• Wildlife Care of Southern California (Simi Valley) 805-428-7105
• Squirrelmender Wildlife Rehabilitation (Thousand Oaks, CA) 805-338-0481
• Ojai Valley Wildlife Care Valley Wildlife Care (Oakview, CA) 805-758-8190
• Christina’s Critters (Santa Paula, CA) 805-832-9794
• Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (Santa Barbara, CA)
805-681-1080

LARGE MAMMALS: (coyotes/bobcats/fox/deer)
• Wildlife Care of Southern California (Simi Valley) 805-428-7105
• Camarillo Wildlife Rehabilitation (Camarillo, CA) 805-482-7617
• Santa Barbara Wildlife Care (Santa Barbara, CA)
805-681-1080

ANIMAL CONTROL: (Bears/Mountain Lions)
• Ventura County Animal Services (Camarillo, CA) 805-388-4341
• Dept Fish & Wildlife (Ventura, CA) 805-644-1766

MARINE LIFE:
• Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) (Goleta, CA) 805-567-1505
• Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) 800-399-4253

WILDLIFE REHAB - LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Visit: www.laaudubon.org/wildlife-rehabilitation

For all other areas go to: www.animalhelpnow.org to find wildlife rescue in your area.

THANK YOU to Christina's Critters for compiling this list.

02/19/2026

sharing obo Dog Days SAR - help Mulligan find a home!

02/18/2026

The more you know….. the healthier they will be! 🦆

02/13/2026

After nearly seven years of advocacy, science, and community voices coming together, our California mountain lions finally have the legal protections they deserve.

Check out the full update in our latest newsletter for:
✅ Links to the official listing details.
✅ A special thank you to California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Commission, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
✅ ICYMI: The video replay of the historic meeting.
✅ Hear from our ED: Korinna Domingo’s reaction and public comment.

Read the newsletter: https://bit.ly/cc-cesa-news
Sign up for our listserv @ http://eepurl.com/g-D4SH

Your voice is a tool for conservation. Thank you for using it to protect one of California's apex predators.

Photo by Cougarmagic.

02/10/2026

Please read and send email if you can support the efforts to save the Mountain Lions.

12/24/2025

Stay safe out there with the storms this week.

Please see CWC post if you come across any wildlife in distress or injured. They are open 24/7/365 - call the number in their post and follow the prompts. Let's all take care of each other and our wildlife friends! Stay safe!!

Winter often brings an array of more unusual migratory bird patients to CWC’s doors. Storms like the one expected this week, in particular, can send uncommon patients like this Costa’s Hummingbird from last year for a loop and you may find yourself in a position to help!

Remember that CWC is open 365 days a year, holidays included, if you find a wild animal in distress. Call (310) 458-9453 and select the correct prompts for your situation to be connected with the right department for your case.