About Us
Wild Wings Inc. is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3 corporation established in November 1995 which cares for permanently injured and non-releasable animals. Thousands of animals are injured in the U.S. every year. If their injuries are treatable they are released back into the wild. Unfortunately, the fate of many of these injured animals is euthanasia because they can no longer survive in the wild and are unable to find placement at a wildlife sanctuary. Wild Wings serves as a lifelong sanctuary for animals who depend on the care of humans for survival. Among the raptor residents are eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, and owls. We also care for native mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. Their injuries range from imprinting to gunshots and car accident victims. We believe the key to environmental conservation and preservation is education. Our mission is to foster awareness, enhance respect, and promote personal responsibility for the natural world. We achieve our mission through serving as a wildlife sanctuary and offering educational programming with our wildlife ambassadors.
From November 1995 – January 2006 Wild Wings was located in Hilton, N.Y. In the fall of 2004 Wild Wings approached the Monroe County Parks Department about the abandoned site at Mendon Ponds Park. We began fundraising and went through legislation requesting a lease for the park land. We broke ground in May of 2005. The building was constructed by volunteers with the guidance of an architect and professional builders and completed in January 2006. In 2019 Wild Wings expanded to include operation of the Mendon Ponds Park Nature Center and Sharon’s Sensory Garden. With the support of the community we raised funds to construct animal enclosures and well as make several large scale building and facility improvements.
We do not receive funding from Monroe County and are financially dependent on donations from the public and the fees received from our educational programs. We offer on-site programing and tours as well as traveling demonstration and virtual programs. Our programs help to educate people of all ages about the importance of animals within the ecosystem and gain an appreciation for these magnificent creatures.
Our bird of prey facility as well as Sharon’s Sensory Garden are outdoors so please dress for the weather. You can take a self-guided tour around the facility during our normal business hours. The facility is handicap accessible. There are also many activities and special events to enjoy all year round in beautiful Mendon Ponds Park. We offer snowshoe rentals in winter as well as sunflower seed in the gift shop to feed the chickadees on nearby Birdsong Trail. Our dedicated volunteers are there to help make your visit with Wild Wings and Mendon Ponds Park an enjoyable and educational experience.
Please be aware when you visit, Wild Wings will not place some animals in the enclosures in severe weather conditions and reserves the right to close if necessary. Some of the non-releasable animal’s age and injuries prevent them from tolerating extreme heat or cold safely. We know that visitors want to see all the animals, but we will always do what is in the animal’s best interest and appreciate your understanding.
Due to recent incidents ALL cameras (other than cell phones) are NOT to be used in the facility.We appreciate your cooperation with this.
We look forward to seeing you out at the facility!