Happy New Year - Kotare Nestlings and Tui in Care as 2026 Begins

Starting 2026 with a Full House

Happy New Year from Nys, Team Flock, and the birds! We're starting the year strong here at Wellington's only DOC-permitted native bird rescue, with 3 kōtare (sacred kingfisher) nestlings and 6 juvenile tūī in our care, keeping us busy with around-the-clock feeds.

Kōtare Nestlings: Growing Every Day

Our kōtare are thriving, putting on around 5 grams a day and happily devouring their egg and insectivore mix. Watching them grow and develop is endlessly rewarding — tiny milestones like these make every long day worth it.

New Flight Aviary Under Way

We're also installing a new flight aviary to give our kōtare and tūī fledglings the space to practice using those new feathers before release. We've also upgraded our kitchen with a new stainless steel bench and sink. Our volunteer team has expanded, and we've had quite a number of special patients pass through on their way to our friends at Wellington Zoo and The Nest Te Kōhanga.

We couldn't have done any of it without our amazing team, community, and new friends. Looking forward to a year of growth in 2026 — thanks Wellington, we love you.

Meet another remarkable kōtare in our kingfisher patient spotlight, or see the early days of raising tūī nestlings.

Related reading: our busy start to 2026 and the kōtare who survived poisoning and a cat attack.