Please call us at 831-264-5427 or email us with your questions. You can also click the links below to learn more specifics about our most frequently asked questions. 

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND AN INJURED SEABIRD

Most seabirds are not able to walk on land. If you find a beached seabird in need of help, please safely contain it using a towel or blanket and a box that the bird can breathe in but not escape from. Please be careful to use a towel or blanket as they have sharp beaks. Move between the bird and the ocean so it does not try to escape back into the water. Please bring the bird to the SPCA Wildlife Center located at 1002 Monterey-Salinas Highway, across from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The SPCA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is open for rescues from 8 am to 5 pm in the Fall and Winter (from September 1 through March 31) and from 7 am to 7 pm in the Spring and Summer (from April 1 to August 31). Please see below for what to do outside of these hours.

If you are unable to safely contain the bird, please stay with the bird and call us at 831-264-5427. Since our beaches are large and the birds may be able to move, we are unable to go on beach rescues unless you are currently with the bird as it takes us away from our emergency hospital patients for too long and we are often unable to locate the animal. 

IF YOU FIND A BABY GULL OR OTHER SEABIRD

We often see baby gulls, common murre, and cormorant babies in need of help along our shores. Murres and cormorants are often mistaken for penguins. If you see a murre or cormorant baby without a parent, please contain them safely using a towel or blanket and a box that they can breathe in but not escape from, and bring them to us. The SPCA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is open for rescues from 8 am to 5 pm in the Fall and Winter (from September 1 through March 31) and from 7 am to 7 pm in the Spring and Summer (from April 1 to August 31). Please see below for what to do outside of these hours.

Baby gulls nest on roofs near the bay and can sometimes fall. If you find a baby gull on the ground please call us at 831-264-5427 so we can attempt to reunite the baby with his parents. 

AFTER HOURS RESCUE

The SPCA Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is open 8 am to 5 pm in the Fall and Winter (from September 1 through March 31) and from 7 am to 7 pm in the Spring and Summer (from April 1 to August 31).

If you find an injured or orphaned seabird after these hours, safely contain them using a towel or blanket to protect the bird and yourself, as they have sharp beaks. Please place the bird in a box or container that they can breathe in but not escape from and put them in a warm, dark, safe, and quiet location for the night such as a bathroom or a warm garage. Please bring them to the SPCA Wildlife Center in the morning or call us in the morning at 831-264-5427. The SPCA Wildlife Center located at 1002 Monterey-Salinas Highway, across from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Do not feed or water them as this could cause injury or death.