A blue songbird in an enclosure that is lined with a red cloth. The bird has a medical wrap and splint on his broken left wing.
It may be baby season, but we are still here for injured adult wild animals who need help too! Mountain Bluebird 25-93 was admitted to our hospital recently with a fractured carpometacarpus (similar to the bones in our hands), which is now stabilized with a tiny splint and wrap to allow it to heal.
City Nature Challenge, April 25-28, 2025. Santa Fe Area: Santa Fe County, Rio Arriba County, Los Alamos County. Step 1: Get outside and find wildlife! Look for native plants, animals, or any evidence of life found in your area. Step 2: Take photos and videos of what you find! Make sure you also record the location where the animal or plant was found. Step 3: Share your findings! Share what you've found using the iNaturalist app or website. Your observations can help scientists learn more about the wildlife found in our city! The background photo of this image is a wide view of the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico at sunset; the sky is pink and orange.
Today's the last day of the 2025 #CityNatureChallenge! We hope you're able to get outside today and discover what kinds of plants, animals, fungi, and other natural items are out there in the #SantaFe area! Snap photos or take videos of what you see and upload them to iNaturalist.org.
This image includes text on a white background with blue and green border. Underneath the text is an illustration of the Earth in the shape of a heart. The text reads: To celebrate Earth Day and Olympia's return to the wild, you can donate to NMWC through the link in this post or by mailing a check to us at 19 Wheat Street, Española, NM 87532. Your support makes it possible for us to care for our Ambassador Animals and hospital patients, return rehabilitated animals to the wild, and educate the next generation of environmental stewards.
This image includes text on a white background with blue and green border as well as a photo of a Peregrine Falcon perched on a gloved hand in a parking lot. The falcon is wearing a falconry hood to reduce visual stimulation and stress. The falcon has bands on both legs, a silver one on the left leg (right side of image) and a black one on the right leg with the code "39-V" clearly visible. The text in the image reads: Before her release, Olympia - now identifiable as "39-V" - was banded. This will make it possible for observers in the area to report sightings of her for the rest of her life! The black "39-V" band can be seen from a distance to identify this falcon, and the silver band has Olympia's official USGS band number.
A Peregrine Falcon perches on a piece of wood on a sandy beach. There is an expanse of water and sky behind her. This photo shows Olympia just moments after her release, surveying the big wide world that is all hers now!
The conclusion of our #EarthDay story about our recent #PeregrineFalcon release. Alt text is included. If you would like to donate to NMWC, you can do so at this link: secure.qgiv.com/for/newmexic...
Happy Earth Day! 🌎🤩🪶
3/3
This image includes text on a white background with blue and green border. Underneath the text there is a photo of a Peregrine Falcon, feathers slightly ruffled, with trees and pavement in the background. The text reads: With Dave, Olympia's flight skills improved and she showed herself to be a very capable hunter. She was able to chase and dive after prey, and she relearned how to fly with just as much agility as any other Peregrine Falcon. There was no sign of weakness in her formerly-injured wing. Finally, after 16 months, she was fully ready to return to the wild.
This image has text on a white background with blue and green border, and under the text is a photo of a man in a grey shirt and black vest with a Peregrine Falcon perched on his gloved hand. The text reads: Since Olympia originally came from Washington, and many Peregrines in that area stay there year-round, the NMWC team and Dave collectively decided, with approval from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, that it would be best to release her there. This past weekend, Dave made the journey north with Olympia and sent her off to live the rest of her life as a wild Peregrine Falcon! The caption on the photo reads: Dave and Olympia stopped by NMWC on their way to Washington last weekend! A blue arrow points to the photo.
Text on a white background with blue and green border: Working with our Ambassador Animals is a privilege and honor for our team, but we also understand that it is always best for wild animals to live in the wild if they are able to. When we commit to the lifelong care of an Ambassador Animal, we take extensive steps to ensure that we are only accepting animals who cannot be released and who can still have an exceptional quality of life in human care. Practices in wildlife rehabilitation, including the ways in which animals are assessed for release, are constantly changing as we learn more and apply what we know.
Text on a white background with blue and green border: A quote by Maya Angelou is frequently shared among animal caregivers: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." Olympia's medical exam in 2023 gave us better knowledge of her actual potential, and we used that knowledge to return a healthy Peregrine Falcon back to the wild. We couldn't be happier for her.
A continuation of our #EarthDay story about our recent #PeregrineFalcon release. Alt text is included. 2/3
This image includes text on a white box with a blue and green border, as well as a photo of a Peregrine Falcon against a blue sky. Text reads: Happy Earth Day! What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with the release of a Peregrine Falcon back to the wild? This isn't just any Peregrine Falcon, though. Swipe (or click through) for the full story!
Text on a white background with blue and green border: Those of you who have followed NMWC for awhile might remember our former Ambassador Animal, Olympia, a Peregrine Falcon from the state of Washington. Olympia suffered an injury to her left wing as a young bird in 2018. After a short time in rehabilitation, she was determined to be unable to return to the wild as a result of soft tissue damage to her wing. She came to NMWC in the summer of 2018 to be an Ambassador Animal, and she spent several years here educating the public about Peregrine Falcons and their incredible conservation success story.
Text on a white background with blue and green border: In 2023, Olympia's annual exam revealed no lasting damage from her wing injury. Her flight muscles were not as well-conditioned as they would have been if she had been living in the wild, but otherwise she was completely physically healthy. Of course, we had all grown very fond of Olympia as we do with all of our Ambassador Animals, but for that exact reason, we knew that we owed it to her to see if she could rebuild her strength and return to the wild. In the fall of 2023, NMWC staff created a rehabilitation plan that was approved by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and Olympia was officially transferred from education to rehabilitation.
Text on a white background with blue and green border: For a Peregrine Falcon to be truly ready for release, though, they need an extra step in their rehabilitation journey: flying and diving and hunting in the wild with the help of a licensed falconer. We got in touch with a New Mexico falconer, Dave Biddinger, who was excited to work with Olympia and prepare her for her return to the wild. We all approached the plan with extreme caution, knowing that there were a lot of uncertainties and that it was still possible that Olympia's old injury would flare up and prevent her release, but we wouldn't know unless we tried.
We have a really exciting story to share for #EarthDay today! It's well past the character limit, so click or swipe through the images to read it all. Alt text is included. Happy Earth Day! 1/3 #peregrinefalcon #falcoperegrinus #releaseday #wildliferehabilitation #falconry #newmexico #raptors #birds
Happy 7th hatch-day to Corazón, our #AmericanBarnOwl Ambassador Animal! Cora recently got a fresh piece of rabbit pelt for #enrichment, and in true owl form, tried to swallow it whole instead of plucking it. Enrichment encourages animals to engage in natural behaviors, and Cora did exactly that!
A tan lizard with grey and pink blotchy markings is sitting on a piece of wood. His head is raised up and he is looking forward and slightly to his left (or to the right, from the viewer's perspective).
Introducing our new common chuckwalla Ambassador Animal, who officially received his name this weekend: Say hello to Mojave! Mojave's species is native to parts of the American Southwest, including the Mojave Desert. There's a lot more than dust out there in the desert - it's a whole ecosystem!
Bubo is non-releasable because she imprinted on humans when she was a baby. She now looks to people for food and interaction, so she would not be safe in the wild. If you find an orphaned wild animal, do not try to raise them yourself, even if you intend to release them. Keep wildlife wild!
A Great Horned Owl in the process of swallowing a piece of rat. Her right eye (left side of the image) is closed, her beak is open, and the rat tail is sticking out of her mouth.
If you've ever wondered what feeling the "😜" emoji is supposed to represent, Ambassador Animal Bubo the #greathornedowl has an answer for you. In her defense, it's probably not easy to look graceful and demure in the middle of swallowing a big chunk of rat!
Our American Kestrel Ambassador Animals are...vegan? Ahhh, you got us good, Pancho and Amelia. Turns out they're just shredding some green beans, not eating them! Kudos to the education team for this fun enrichment idea! #aprilfoolsday #americankestrel #thinkinboutthosbeans
Since both fractures are close to the wrist joint and a piece of the ulna is still displaced, this patient's prognosis is still uncertain, but we are hoping that the surgical intervention will help this hawk return to the wild later this year!
A Ferruginous Hawk is standing in an ICU enclosure with green walls and a sheet covering the floor. There is a wooden perch behind the hawk. The hawk has a white and brown head, long feathered brown legs, and bright yellow feet. The hawk's beak is slightly open; this photo was taken extremely quickly after a routine medical treatment to keep the bird's stress minimal.
Late last week, this injured Ferruginous Hawk arrived at NMWC via the Navajo Nation Zoo. The hawk has two fractures in their left wing, one in the radius and one in the ulna, which were surgically stabilized last weekend.
A small brown Northern Saw-whet Owl perched in a juniper tree. The owl is slightly below the center of the photo, looking over her right shoulder toward the camera.
A Northern Saw-whet Owl perched on a broken branch in a pre-release enclosure. The owl has brown and white feathers, a prominent facial disc, and bright yellow eyes.
After suffering a fractured femur and scapula back in December, then making it through three months of recovery in our hospital, Northern Saw-whet Owl 24-988 is officially back out in the wild! She was released this week in the same location where she was rescued. 🥳
25-32 has been moving her tail well and getting around the pre-release space just fine, so we're very hopeful about her chances for release! This coyote was likely hit by a vehicle in late February. Please be careful on the roads and look out for wildlife!
An adult coyote in an outdoor pre-release enclosure. The coyote is facing the camera and standing with a wide stance and her tail tucked between her hind legs. There are two wooden stumps and chain-link fencing in the background.
Coyote 25-32 has moved outside to our largest pre-release mammal enclosure and she's doing great! Because one of her injuries affected her spine at the base of her tail, we have been keeping an eye on her tail positioning and movement to assess if there are lasting effects from the injury.
A small handprint in some mud. There are five distinct fingerprints, each with a claw at the end. It is the print of a raccoon forepaw!
An adult raccoon climbs in a juniper tree. One forepaw is slightly raised, his mouth is slightly open, and he is facing forward. This is Pepper, an Ambassador Animal at NMWC who is non-releasable because he was illegally raised by humans and is habituated to people.
The art...and the artist! Ambassador Animal Pepper the raccoon left a perfect little handprint in some mud after running around a bit in his home. Raccoons have extremely sensitive and dexterous hands that help them navigate their environment with ease. 🦝🙌
NSWO 24-988 underwent surgery to pin her fractured femur, and her wing was also wrapped to immobilize the scapula while it healed. It has been a long road to recovery for this owl, and we hope to see her get back into the wild as soon as she is ready!
A Northern Saw-whet Owl perched on a log in an outdoor pre-release enclosure. The owl is about six inches tall, has brown and white feathers, and is looking directly at the camera with her yellow eyes.
Northern Saw-whet Owl 24-988 was admitted to our hospital in December with a fractured femur and scapula. Both bones have now healed well, and now it's time for 24-988 to rebuild muscle tone and work toward getting strong enough to go back out into the wild!
Four photos of wild animals. From left to right: a North American porcupine balanced on a log, a male American Kestrel with a high desert landscape in the background, a Common Poorwill resting in a hospital enclosure with a wing wrap on, and a desert box turtle on rocky ground next to a cactus. Bonus info: The porcupine and poorwill were patients in NMWC's wildlife hospital in 2024. The kestrel is NMWC's non-releasable ambassador named Pancho, and the turtle is another non-releasable ambassador, named Patches.
We're happy to be on Bluesky! New Mexico Wildlife Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Española, New Mexico. Our center is home to a wildlife hospital that treats native New Mexico wildlife, as well as a nature center and outdoor trail with 20+ non-releasable Ambassador Animals. ☺️🌲🪺🐾🪶
