Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation is a Sarnia-Lambton non-profit that rescues, medically treats, rehabilitates, and releases injured birds of prey, loons, herons, and other waterfowl. The centre coordinates emergency intakes and veterinary care, relies on volunteers and community donations for feeding and facility needs, and provides public education and outreach using ambassador birds to raise awareness about wildlife threats and safer practices.
🕰️ Organization Hours:
Last updated on Feb 8th, 2026
Recent Activity
Turkey vulture rescue and outcome
Bluewater Centre reports a Turkey Vulture found in Dover Centre with an injured wing was recovered after a Facebook call for help, taken into care, and later died due to prolonged ground time and starvation. The update urges prompt transfer of sick or injured birds to qualified rehabilitators and includes several educational facts about Turkey Vulture behavior and biology.
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Wildlife rescue update
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation took in a Ring Billed Gull found running in and out of traffic on Exmouth Street in Sarnia on 2026-09-10. The gull arrived thin but uninjured, is alert, on pain medication, and eating smelt while staff keep him under observation for a day or two.
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Injured Turkey Vulture sighting - request for rescue assistance
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation reports an injured Turkey Vulture last seen at 8349 Bush Line in Dover Centre, Chatham Kent on 2026-09-10. Neighbors are asked to check the area and text sightings to 519-466-2443, and if able to help bring a blanket, gloves, and a large box with holes to safely contain the bird.
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Vulture Awareness Content
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation marked Vulture Awareness Day with Timmy the Turkey Vulture, sharing key facts about how vultures detect carrion, travel long distances for food, and neutralize disease with highly acidic stomachs. The post includes practical advice to slow down or move roadkill to a safe spot so vultures and other scavengers can feed.
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Wildlife injured by discarded fishing gear
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation urges anglers to keep fishing line, lures and weights secured because discarded gear can kill water birds and reptiles. A cormorant was recently found entangled and treated quickly, illustrating both the danger and the difference fast help can make.
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Summer student volunteer farewell and centre activities
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation marked the final week for summer students Teagan and Maia on September 4, celebrating their hands on work cleaning cages, learning mice husbandry, and training to feed raptors in care. The update highlights educational bird walks with Nico the American Kestrel, Miller the Peregrine Falcon, and new member Timmy the Turkey Vulture, with supervisors Dagmar and staff supporting the students.
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Roadway bird-safety advisory
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation warns drivers to slow down when birds are near the roadside during migration, noting that young inexperienced birds and geese are on the move. This simple safety step reduces collisions and protects both wildlife and drivers during peak migration season.
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Wild turkey rescue and rehabilitation
A young male wild turkey that wandered through Brights Grove in April and suffered multiple injuries was rehabilitated by Bluewater Centre For Raptor Rehabilitation with veterinary support, including X rays reviewed by the National Wildlife Centre Canada and surgery by Lakeshore Veterinary Clinic. After months of care the bird was released back to Huron Farms on July 24, 2026, walking without a limp and rejoining the local flock.
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Support via National Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation Ticketed Fundraiser
The National Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation is running a ticketed fundraiser that helps buy supplies for rehab centres, with the Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation named as a beneficiary. The Bluewater Centre asks supporters to consider buying a ticket to help care for wildlife that desperately needs help.
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Red-tailed hawk rehabilitation update
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation reports that a Red tailed hawk, which suffered serious head trauma after being hit by a car late last fall, has recovered and will be released this week in Sombra Township. Charlie Fowler from Hawk Cliff provided a banding demonstration for volunteers Laura and Loren as part of the release preparations.
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Merganser rescue follow-up and wildlife water request
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation reports a stranded Merganser was treated, found healthy but dehydrated, and released into a local Conservation Area pond on July 16, 2026. The center asks neighbors to leave water baths or bowls on the ground to help wildlife that cannot reach water during hot weather.
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Rescue of stranded Red-Breasted Merganser
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation reported that on 2026-07-16 volunteers Mark and the author rescued a stranded Red-Breasted Merganser in Wyoming by corralling it into a flower garden. The duck cooled off and drank from a sprinkler while neighbors recognized it needed help.
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Communication outage and interim instructions for wildlife assistance
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation reports their primary phone is out of service and asks the public to use the secondary help line at 226-349-2443 or Facebook Messenger for inquiries. The team recommends searching Ontario Wildlife Rescue to direct callers to another rehab if needed, and asks locals to put out water for bees and other critters while response may be delayed.
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Wildlife rescue and veterinary surgeries highlight
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation posted a highlight on June 23, 2026, about a recent wildlife rescue and the surgical work carried out by National Wildlife Centre Canada veterinarians. The brief update spotlights clinical care and collaboration between rehabilitation and wildlife veterinary teams.
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Warning: sticky traps unsafe for wildlife
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation warns against using sticky traps and fly strips because they pose a danger to wildlife. The advisory, published on 2026-06-21, urges people to choose safer alternatives and to contact the centre if they find entangled animals.
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Nestling Merlin Falcon intake
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation admitted a nestling Merlin Falcon on 2026-06-21 after it fell from a pine tree. The team will try to renest the chick with its parents or place it with a non releasable foster Merlin, while using special housing and feeding precautions overseen by Lynn and Dagmar.
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Fishing gear harms to waterfowl
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation warns that lead sinkers and discarded fishing line are killing waterfowl, with staff receiving numerous calls daily about tangled and poisoned birds. The center urges anglers to fish responsibly and switch to bismuth sinkers, and to secure or dispose of hooks and line so they do not harm wildlife.
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Baby bird inquiries and advice
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation reports many calls about baby birds on June 21, 2026, and can provide advice to people who find fledglings or nestlings. Note that the centre does not accept song birds for intake but is available to guide you on what to do next.
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Freezer donation for raptor food storage
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation announced a $1,200.00 donation from the Rotary Club of Sarnia to buy a new freezer for raptor food storage. The centre stores chickens, mice, rats, fish, and occasional road kill, and the new freezer will replace an old unit whose lid no longer seals.
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Donations and volunteer support update
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation shared a thank-you update on 2026-06-19 noting supply donations from the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation and Pets and Wildlife Services in Chatham, and that volunteer Deb Chapman picked up supplies from NWRF in Waterloo. The short message, signed by Lynn Eves, recognizes both organizational donors and individual volunteer effort.
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50/50 draw
The National Wildlife Centre Canada is running a 50/50 draw to raise funds for rescuing and caring for injured wildlife coming from the Bluewater Centre For Raptor Rehabilitation and other Ontario rehabilitation centres. Proceeds support transport and care for animals brought in by rehabilitation partners and members of the public.
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Window collision awareness post
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation posted on 2026-05-28 urging continued public attention to window collisions to help save bird and raptor lives. The short awareness post encourages simple, practical steps and community sharing to reduce collisions and support rescue efforts.
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Wildlife injured or killed by human hazards
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation posted on 2026-05-28 about the recurring problem of wildlife being injured or killed by human hazards, noting the emotional toll on rehabilitators. The short message calls attention to an ongoing conservation and safety issue in local environments.
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Sharing rehabilitation centres' educational information
The Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation urges sharing educational resources from rehabilitation centres to inform the public about hazards to wildlife caused by humans. This brief, personal appeal is focused on amplifying outreach so communities learn how to reduce risks to local wildlife.
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Rescue and treatment update for oiled Canada Goose
Bluewater Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation confirmed an oiled Canada Goose rescued in Petrolia on 2026-05-12 is in guarded condition with dehydration and starvation. A team of three Goosebusters and neighbour Josh Leblanc captured the bird, staff will stabilize her with fluids, antibiotics, and liquid nutrition before beginning washing in a day or 2.
