There's no doubt it's baby bird season with all the eggs, nestlings, fledglings, and ducklings that have come through our door this past month.
This tauhou nestling was snatched by a cat before being rescued. Cat attacks increase around this time as both domestic and feral cats take advantage of the easy targets of baby birds that can't escape. Aside from the initial trauma of the bite, cat bites drive bacteria deep into the body. If birds survive the initial attack, they often succumb to their injuries within hours or days as infection takes hold. Unfortunately this little silvereye did not recover, despite receiving medical and nutritional support at the hospital. Although there is less legislation around wandering cats compared to wandering dogs, you can reduce your cat's impact on wildlife by keeping it indoors, or restricting outdoor access such as building a catio, or harness train#nestling #babybird
#TauHoun#silvereyed#birdh#birdsofaotearoai#nzbirdss#springr#wildlifed#wildliferehabd#wildliferehabilitationl#wildlifehospitalo#siwhl#southislandwildlifehospitallandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

We currently have 8 chicks being reared at the hospital and this oystercatcher is one of them. After days of resembling a ball of fluff on stilts it is finally starting to look like an oystercatcher.
#oystercatcher #chick #bird #birdsofaotearoa #nzbirds #wildlife #wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

A second sealion has been found shot in the Catlins. The loss of a breeding female from a small population is such a blow.We're appalled and sickened to find a second New Zealand sea lion/pakake has been shot in Catlins Estuary.

The sea lion, known as Jade, was the mother of the juvenile sea lion recently found shot nearby. It’s a devastating tragedy that both mother and pup have been shot.

Jade was found by a local on Tuesday evening, about 100 metres from where her pup was found dead in late-September. She had begun to decompose, and it’s believed she washed up there during the recent flooding.

We are shocked and deeply disgusted by this sort of behaviour against a protected species. We're determined to find the person responsible and urging the public to contribute any information which may help the investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to come forward by calling 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust is offering a $6000 reward for information leading to a successful prosecution.

Under the Wildlife Act, it is illegal to injure or kill protected native wildlife like sea lions and anyone who does so can face punishments of up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

Read more: bit.ly/401ttPY ... See MoreSee Less

The beautiful blue of a sacred kingfisher. This kōtare has damaged the tip of its bill, presumably from flying into something. Kingfishers feed on a variety of aquatic and land prey, and utilise their beak to stab or grab their prey before swallowing them whole or battering them against a perch to break them up into bite-sized pieces. Beak injuries need to be assessed over time on an individual basis to decide if hunting and feeding is impacted. This little bird has a particular taste for beetles.
#kōtare #kingfisher #sacredkingfisher #bird #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehab #wildlifehospital #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

One of our volunteers is an incredible bird photographer. His 2025 calendar is available, with $1 from each purchase going towards the hospital.My 2025 Wildlife Calendars are now available!

12 of Aotearoa’s beautiful and charismatic species are displayed in this calendar, coupled with a few facts about each animal.

$1 from each sale goes towards the South Island Wildlife Hospital. Monthly expenses here range between $15,000 and $20,000, and the portion of money raised from my calendars will go towards valuable medical equipment, running costs and food that various native and endangered birds need when they are in care at the hospital.

Order before the 18th of November when the calendars will be ordered.

Get your own copy of my calendar here at www.joshoverendphotography.com/store/p/2025-calendar ... See MoreSee Less

A couple of weeks ago we received this juvenile pied shag from Sabrina at Project WellBird - Kaikōura Wildlife Hospital . Often these juveniles end up in our care malnourished, but after regaining weight thanks to a good fish intake, it was able to return to Kaikoura for release. Thanks to Hanmer Cheviot Couriers Ltd for transporting it, and thanks to Sabrina's care before and after its hospital stay with#wildlifed#wildliferehabr#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#shag##piedshagd#conservationa#collaborationation ... See MoreSee Less

Sometimes the neighbours like to come by and say hello...
As a wildlife rehabilitation facility, we are not open to the public, and that includes local chickens. Instead, Heihei gets to admire its reflection in the glass of our front door whenever it passes by.
As a lot of our work goes on behind closed doors, it can be hard to appreciate the many, many hours of volunteer effort that goes into the day to day running of the hospital. If you are interested in learning more about our hospital and its history, visit our website: wildlifehospital.co.nz/ There you can also view the ways to donate to help us keep helping our patients into the future.
#charity #conservation #wildlifehospital #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital #heihei ... See MoreSee Less