Bird Rescue Services in the Wellington Region: Who To Call and When

When you find an injured or sick bird, the first question is always the same: who do I actually call? Wellington has several organisations involved in wildlife rescue, each with a different role, and knowing who does what saves precious time for the bird. Here is a plain guide to bird rescue services in the Wellington region and when to contact each one.

Flock Birdcare Wellington

We are an independent native bird rescue and rehabilitation facility permitted by the Department of Conservation, based in Korokoro in Lower Hutt. We take in sick, injured and orphaned birds from across the region, including Wellington city, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast.

Contact Flock when: you have found a native bird in trouble, such as a tūī, kōtare (kingfisher), pīwakawaka (fantail), tauhou (silvereye) or paradise shelduck, or you are simply unsure what to do next. We also hold and stabilise kererū and seabirds before transferring them to specialist partners for ongoing care, so we can act as your first point of contact even when a bird ultimately needs hospital level treatment elsewhere.

Our care philosophy is simple. Every bird is assessed on its own needs, no bird is turned away for financial reasons, and birds whose needs exceed what we can provide are moved on to the right facility rather than kept for the sake of numbers. You can reach us through the Flock Birdcare Wellington website.

SPCA

The SPCA responds to sick and injured animals of all kinds, including birds, and operates a national contact line on 0800 763 222. The Wellington SPCA centre can take in injured wildlife and pass native species on to appropriate rehabilitators and wildlife hospitals.

Contact the SPCA when: you have found an injured animal and cannot reach a specialist rehabilitator, when the situation involves animal welfare concerns such as neglect or cruelty, or outside hours when other options are closed.

Department of Conservation (DOC)

DOC is the government agency responsible for protected native wildlife. Its 24 hour emergency hotline is 0800 362 468 (0800 DOC HOT).

Contact DOC when: the situation involves a protected species emergency, such as a stranded or entangled marine animal, a threatened species like a kiwi or kākā in danger, or wildlife crime such as people harming or harassing native birds.

Wellington Zoo, The Nest Te Kōhanga

The Nest Te Kōhanga is the wildlife hospital at Wellington Zoo, treating thousands of native animals each year. It provides veterinary treatment, surgery and intensive care that rescue facilities cannot offer on site.

Contact The Nest when: you have a native bird with serious injuries and can transport it to the zoo during opening hours. Many of the birds we admit at Flock that need hospital care are transferred there through our partner network, so if you contact us first we can help decide whether a hospital admission is the right call.

Kererū Discovery

Kererū Discovery is a Wellington based conservation organisation focused on our native wood pigeon. They work closely with rescuers and rehabilitators across the region on kererū welfare, transport and advocacy, and they are one of Flock's key partners for kererū and seabird transfers.

Contact Kererū Discovery when: you want to learn more about kererū conservation, or you are involved in community kererū monitoring. For an injured kererū, contact Flock or the organisations above and the right transfer will be arranged.

Which one should you call first?

If you are standing over an injured bird right now, here is the short version.

1. Any native bird, or you are not sure what it is: contact Flock Birdcare Wellington and we will guide you from there.

2. A protected species emergency or wildlife crime: call the DOC hotline, 0800 362 468.

3. General animal welfare concerns, or nobody else is reachable: call the SPCA, 0800 763 222.

While you wait, put the bird in a ventilated cardboard box with a towel, keep it warm, dark and quiet, and do not offer food or water. Our full guide on what to do with an injured bird in Wellington walks through every step.

A region that looks after its birds

Wellington is one of the few capital cities in the world where native birdlife is returning in real numbers. Tūī and kererū are now everyday sights from Island Bay to Upper Hutt, and with that comes more window strikes, more cat encounters and more birds needing help. The organisations above work together far more than people realise, and a bird handed in at any of them has a network behind it.

Flock Birdcare Wellington runs on donations and volunteer time. If you would like to help us keep answering the phone for the region's birds, you can support our work here.