Found an Injured Bird in Wellington? Here Is What To Do

Every week people across the Wellington region find a bird in trouble. A tūī stunned on the deck after flying into a window. A kererū sitting on the ground, quiet and fluffed up. A tiny fledgling on the footpath. A seabird blown inland by a southerly. If that is you right now, take a breath. This guide covers exactly what to do with an injured bird in Wellington, and who to call.

First steps for any injured or sick bird

1. Approach slowly and calmly. Injured birds are frightened, and stress alone can be fatal. Keep dogs, cats and children well away.

2. Contain the bird gently. Drop a towel or t shirt over the bird, then lift it into a cardboard box lined with a towel. The box should be just big enough for the bird to sit comfortably. Punch a few air holes first.

3. Keep it warm, dark and quiet. Close the box and put it somewhere quiet indoors, away from noise and pets. Darkness is calming for birds and dramatically reduces stress.

4. Do not offer food or water. This surprises a lot of people, but feeding a sick, cold or injured bird can do serious harm, and water can be inhaled. A bird can wait until it reaches proper care.

5. Contact a rehabilitator as soon as possible. Do not wait to see if the bird improves overnight. The sooner a bird gets assessed, the better its chances.

Who to call for bird rescue in Wellington

Flock Birdcare Wellington. We are an independent native bird rescue and rehabilitation facility permitted by the Department of Conservation, based in Korokoro and serving the wider Wellington region. Get in touch through our website and we will help you work out the next step, even if the bird needs to go somewhere else.

SPCA. For sick or injured animals, the SPCA can be reached on 0800 763 222.

Department of Conservation (DOC). For emergencies involving protected native wildlife, the DOC hotline is 0800 362 468, available 24 hours.

Wellington Zoo, The Nest Te Kōhanga. The zoo's wildlife hospital treats native wildlife. Birds we admit that need hospital level care are transferred there through our partner network.

If you are ever unsure who the right contact is, just reach out to us. Getting a bird to the right place quickly matters far more than getting the first phone call exactly right.

Common situations and what to do

A bird has flown into a window

Window strikes are one of the most common injuries we see in tūī, kererū and silvereyes (tauhou). A stunned bird may recover in a warm, dark box within an hour or two, but head trauma is often worse than it looks. If the bird is not fully alert and flying strongly within a couple of hours, or shows any wobbliness, closed eyes or laboured breathing, it needs to be seen. Contact us rather than releasing a bird you are unsure about.

A kererū on the ground

A kererū that lets you walk up to it is a kererū in trouble. Common causes are window strikes, car strikes and cat attacks. Contain the bird as described above and contact us. Flock is permitted to hold and stabilise kererū before transferring them to specialist partners for ongoing care, so we can make sure your bird ends up exactly where it needs to be.

A baby bird or fledgling on the ground

Not every baby bird needs rescuing. Fledglings, which are feathered and hopping about, normally spend a few days on or near the ground while their parents feed them. If the bird is feathered, alert and in a safe spot, the best thing you can do is keep pets inside and watch from a distance. A nestling, which is bald or only partly feathered, does need help. If you can find the nest, pop the chick straight back in. It is a myth that parents reject chicks touched by humans. If you cannot find the nest, or the chick is cold, injured or covered in ants, contain it and contact us.

A seabird found inland or in the street

After storms we regularly see seabirds grounded across the Hutt Valley and Wellington city, sometimes species that spend almost their whole lives at sea. These birds cannot take off from flat ground and will die without help. Contain the bird, keep it somewhere cool and quiet rather than warm, do not feed it, and contact us urgently. Seabirds need specialist handling and we work with partner facilities to get them assessed fast.

A sick or injured duck

We take waterfowl too, including paradise shelducks and mallards. Fishing line injuries, dog attacks and vehicle strikes are common around Wellington's rivers and coastline. The same steps apply: contain, keep quiet, no food or water, and get in touch.

Areas we cover

Flock Birdcare Wellington helps birds from across the region, including Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Petone, Korokoro, Wainuiomata, Eastbourne, Wellington city, Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast. If you cannot transport a bird to us, contact us anyway. Between our volunteers and partner network we can usually find a way.

About Flock Birdcare Wellington

Flock is Wellington's only independent native bird rescue and rehabilitation facility permitted by the Department of Conservation. We care for native species including tūī, kōtare (kingfisher), pīwakawaka (fantail), tauhou (silvereye) and paradise shelducks, and we hold and transfer kererū and seabirds to specialist partners. Every bird is treated on its own needs, and no bird is ever turned away for financial reasons.

We are a small facility doing this work on donations and volunteer time. If this guide helped you, or a bird you found, you can support our work here. Every dollar goes directly to bird care.

Found a bird right now? Contain it, keep it warm, dark and quiet, and contact us through the Flock Birdcare Wellington website.