A Bird Rescue Centre has been opened at the Warsaw Zoo. It is an innovative pavilion, unique in Poland, designed to provide round-the-clock care for wild birds in need of assistance. The facility was created to improve the work of the Ptasi Azyl Wild Bird Rehabilitation Centre and to make it easier for residents to hand in injured animals. The investment was financed from the civic budget.
Bird Reception Point at the Warsaw Zoo
The new centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is located at the entrance to the ZOO from the Gdański Bridge, in the vicinity of the Bird Sanctuary. People bringing in injured birds descend the stairs from the embankment towards the centre, without having to enter the zoo grounds. This solution is due to the sanitary and epidemiological requirements that apply in the immediate vicinity of the zoo. The specific nature of the Sanctuary’s activities requires strict adherence to biosecurity rules. When the centre began operating in 1998 in the Aviary building, it took in about 1,500 birds a year. Over time, this number began to grow steadily, and changes in regulations forced the creation of a separate space dedicated exclusively to wild patients.
“As a result, in 2014, a new Bird Sanctuary facility was launched on the outskirts of the zoo, which has been constantly developing ever since. More rehabilitation aviaries are being built, and now a Bird Reception Point,” says Andrzej Kruszewicz, director of the Warsaw Zoo.
An initiative by volunteers and the Bird Sanctuary
The idea to create the Bird Reception Centre came from volunteers working with the Sanctuary. During periods of peak demand, they were on duty at the zoo gate, collecting birds from residents. The project was submitted to the participatory budget in 2024. Architect Paweł Kubacz from the Kwadratura studio participated in its development, supporting the initiative with his technical knowledge. In a vote, Warsaw residents opted to implement the project, and the facility was put into use in 2025. The new pavilion was designed based on an analysis of the centre’s work and consultations with its team. The technical solutions were adapted to the realities of the daily functioning of the Shelter and seasonal increases in the number of feathered patients.
Bird Reception Point at the Gdańsk Bridge
The building has boxes adapted to different species and sizes of birds, from small tits to storks. The entire space is divided into two zones. People bringing in animals place them in the appropriate box from the outside, while employees collect them from the staff-only area. The facility is equipped with heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as sanitary facilities and monitoring. Such technical facilities make it possible to maintain the right conditions for weakened animals and improve the organisation of work.
Rescue for injured birds
Every year, over 9,000 birds are brought to the Bird Sanctuary, and at the peak of the season, the number of admissions reaches up to 80 per day! The new facility is designed to streamline the admission process and reduce the stress associated with transport and waiting for collection by staff. The investment was financed from the civic budget of the Capital City of Warsaw thanks to the involvement of volunteers and residents who voted for the project. As Magdalena Młochowska, coordinating director for Green Warsaw, emphasises, the project will improve the conditions for the care of wild birds, streamline the organisation of the centre’s work and make it easier for residents to obtain information about the fate of the animals brought in. The facility also serves an educational function, reminding people of their responsibility for urban nature.
Source:Warsaw City Hall,zoo.waw.pl
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