Warsaw Zoo opens 24-hour drop off point for injured birds

Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Warsaw Zoo has launched a new facility, open 24/7, at which people can drop off injured wild birds in need of treatment. The project was funded as part of the city’s “citizens’ budget”, in which residents can propose and vote for projects to be implemented with municipal funds.

The new drop-off point is located near the zoo’s entrance and directly adjacent to its dedicated bird sanctuary, allowing residents to deliver birds without entering the zoo’s paid visitor area.

“Helping birds is very important, but let’s remember to do so responsibly,” wrote the zoo in a social media post. “Not every bird found in nature needs to be taken away. Before you react, it is worth checking whether the bird really needs intervention or consulting the bird sanctuary.”

The bird sanctuary was first established in 1998 within the zoo and initially cared for around 1,500 birds a year. It then moved to its current location at the edge of the zoo in 2014 amid growing demand for its services.

It now receives over 9,000 birds annually, and up to 80 a day at peak times, says Magdalena Młochowska, who is responsible for coordinating Warsaw’s environmental protection and management.

Until recently, staff and volunteers worked special shifts to receive birds at the zoo’s gate. But residents can now access one section of the new facility to place injured birds in dedicated boxes of various sizes depending on the species, while the other section is for staff to collect them.

“The building is equipped with heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and monitoring systems, among other features, which will help maintain a high standard of care and energy efficiency,” explains Andżelika Gackowska, manager of the bird sanctuary.

Młochowska added that the new facility will improve bird welfare, streamline staff work, and make it easier for residents to receive information about the fate of rescued birds.

Warsaw city hall notes that funding for the new facility was proposed for the municipal citizens’ budget in 2024 and was then implemented last year.

Poland has become a global leader in so-called “participatory budgeting”, with more than 50% of such schemes in Europe found in Poland.

Participatory budgeting is now mandated by law for every major city and has also been adopted voluntarily in many smaller municipalities.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main Image credit: Szymon Pulcyn/UMW

Olivier Sorgho

Olivier Sorgho is senior editor at Notes from Poland, covering politics, business and society. He previously worked for Reuters.