Behind the Scenes at Flock: 15-Hour Days, 7 Days a Week

We're Open Every Day — Even When You Don't See Us

Did you know our hospital operates every day from 7am to around 7:30pm? These hours are a little different from our public drop-off hours, as much of our bird care happens quietly behind the scenes.

A Director's Day at Wellington's Only DOC-Permitted Bird Rescue

For Nys, the director of Flock, this usually means around 15 hours of work a day, seven days a week, with no weekends or public holidays off. The babies must be fed — and as Wellington's only independent DOC-permitted rescue for native birds, that responsibility falls to our small but dedicated team. None of us are paid. We do this all for the love of the birds.

Our Incredible Volunteer Team

Our amazing and diverse volunteer team gives their time generously alongside Nys. They show up after long work days, on weekends, in the rain. They trawl op shops for the right equipment, dig drainage, build aviaries, and quietly do a thousand little jobs that nobody ever sees. Flock has never just been one person — it has always been a community.

How You Can Help

The quickest way to help us grow and expand our services is through physical or monetary donations, or by signing up to become a volunteer. Email us at flockwellington@gmail.com. A little understanding and patience when getting in touch also goes a very long way — we are a small team doing our best for every bird in our care.

If this post makes you want to help, community donations keep our birds fed. And for what to do when you find a bird, start with our bird rescue questions guide.

Related reading: a look inside the Flock kitchen and our DOC permit explained.