Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured native CA wildlife. The center is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

www.WWCCOC.org
21900 Pacific Coast Hwy Huntington Beach, CA92646 The Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned native wildlife in Orange County. Our trained volunteers are also on a 24-hour call to respond to petroleum spills involving California wildlife. We are solely funded by generous public donations and with this support, we ensure our doors remain open. Capable of rehabilitating over 400 animals at one time, the facility is equipped with animal washing stations, a hospital, indoor and outdoor caging, and food prep area. Though treatment and rehabilitation areas are closed to the general public, tours may be arranged. Please call for details. WWCC HISTORY
In 1990, 400,000 gallons of Alaskan crude oil were spilled off the coast of Huntington Beach, sickening over 1,200 birds. Less than half of the effected bird survived treatment at a makeshift facility. As a result, the Alliance for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education and the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy began taking steps to provide a permanent facility capable of responding to the wildlife injured in daily encounters with humans and future toxic spills. On March 31, 1998, with the assistance of the California Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Southern California Edison and others, the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center opened in Huntington Beach. The Center has evolved over the years into a sophisticated network of rehabilitation professionals and volunteers. We are proud of the dedicated veterinarians, trained wildlife technicians and certified volunteers who make our success possible. VOLUNTEER/DONATE
The Center is continually expanding to better serve the needs of Orange County and the surrounding areas. Join the effort to coexist with local wildlife. Volunteer or make a donation. Support your wildlife center!

09/22/2026

Hey bird nerds! How much do you know about feathers and what they can tell us about birds? Drop your favorite feather fact in the comments🪶!

Q: Have you ever wondered why snakes don’t have feet but lizards do? Keep reading to learn why!Reptiles may be a smaller...
09/17/2026

Q: Have you ever wondered why snakes don’t have feet but lizards do? Keep reading to learn why!

Reptiles may be a smaller part of our caseload at WWCC, but they receive just as much care and attention as our birds and mammals.

And while they’re biologically very different, they’re often brought to us for the same reason: cat attacks!

That’s why we advocate for keeping cats indoors or providing wildlife-safe enrichment alternatives. Protecting wildlife starts at home!

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading and here’s the answer you’ve all been waiting for.

A: snakes don’t have legs!

09/10/2026

TW: Worms, roaches and flies oh my! Come learn about the important role insects play in caring for our insectivore patients.

Autumn promises cooler weather and amazing events! Come join us this season and support conservation, wildlife, and the ...
09/08/2026

Autumn promises cooler weather and amazing events! Come join us this season and support conservation, wildlife, and the community.
Will we see you there?

09/05/2026

Happy National Wildlife Day! Come take a look behind the scenes at some of the animals we’re caring for right now, and your donations at work.

Peter Nguyen captured these amazing shots of some tropical migrants we’re already seeing as an effect of warming ocean w...
09/02/2026

Peter Nguyen captured these amazing shots of some tropical migrants we’re already seeing as an effect of warming ocean waters El Niño brings.

Original caption: “El Niño continues.

The parade of birds used to the tropics continues in Orange County waters. Pelagic birding involves going out to sea to look for sea faring birds normally further out than our near shore where the water is deeper, colder, and more nutrient rich.

This Nazca B***y was hunting bait fish along side a huge pod of Common Dolphins. The majority breed off of Galapagos Island and to see one as an adult in OC waters is a treat.

Scripps’s Murrelets are part of the Alcid family of birds, which I fondly think of as Northern Hemisphere flighted penguins. This family includes puffins and fill the niche of penguins in the northern waters. “

Thank you Peter for letting us share your beautiful photographs and for shedding some like on one of the many impacts El Niño has in store for us this coming season.

08/28/2026

Diving bird releases are not always the most climatic as they often immediately do what they do best: dive! Birds that spend their whole life on the water are one of the most difficult to rehabilitate due to their unique needs and challenges, so getting to be a part of their success is a triumph all around- regardless of the “splash” they make at their release!

This Pied-billed grebe was found crash landed in the parking lot of a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (sponsor us? 👀). We don’t know how it ended up there as donuts are not typically part of their diet… But crash landing is quite common for water birds as they can mistake moisture on blacktop for a body of water.

Special shoutout to Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy for letting us send him off in Magnolia Marsh 🫶🏻.

08/27/2026

AMGO? More like AMGLOWUP.
(AMGO is birder slang for American Goldfinch).

Caption these photos! This stunning Red-Footed B***y will be on its way home soon, and we can’t wait to share more about...
08/20/2026

Caption these photos!
This stunning Red-Footed B***y will be on its way home soon, and we can’t wait to share more about its journey and how it may be a calling card for what El Niño will be bringing over the coming months…

Address

21900 Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach, CA
92646

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+17143745587

Website

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