Bird shelter looking for a new home

“Unfortunately, some of the birds are not ready to be released and still require our help and care. There are, for example, birds that have been injured during migration or attacked by cats. Even though breeding season is over, Le Nichoir continues to receive inexperienced juvenile and injured adult birds,” said Susan Wylie.

Le Nichoir’s current home is an old barn on Main Road in Hudson, and it isn’t appropriate for the winter months. The bird-rehabilitation centre is looking for a temporary winter home or a permanent new home. Basically, they’re moving. The only question is where.

“We’re looking for a partner that would be interested in donating, lending or leasing us, for a reasonable cost, a year-round building,” said communications vice-president Elise Villeneuve. “We have an option of looking for a 40-foot site trailer, which could serve as a temporary home, but we are looking for a bigger site, because we have more birds than ever.”

Villeneuve said the idea of teaming with such wildlife advocates as McGill University (with its Ste. Anne de Bellevue Macdonald College campus) or the Ecomuseum in Ste. Anne de Bellevue is a possibility, but there are lots of avenues to be explored.

“With McGill, in the past efforts have been made to form some sort of relationship, but nothing recently, and we’ve thought about partnering with the Ecomuseum,” she said.

Villeneuve emphasized Le Nichoir’s non-profit status, adding potential land, building or any other type of donor can get a tax receipt for the value of their donation.

“We would potentially need an acre of land, if that were to come available for us,” she said.

Founded in 1994, Le Nichoir has become the largest songbird rehabilitation centre in Canada. Last year, the centre cared for more than 1,300 injured or orphaned wild birds and fielded 5,000 calls from all over Quebec.

For more information, call 450-458-2809 or e-mail info@lenichoir.org.