Māori believed the Sacred Kingfisher/Kāreke could foretell the future. If someone heard the Kāreke cry to their left, bad luck lay ahead; if they heard the cry on the right, it brought good luck.
News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news on our patients. Explore our posts and learn more about our work and the incredible animals we've rescued.
SIWH AGM
When: Tuesday 22nd October 7pm
Venue: Tuatara Structures, 10B Abros Place, Burnside, Christchurch
Usha's Story: This wee ruru was discovered on the West Coast, sitting by the side of the road back in May. Seemingly unable to fly, it was reporteDepartment of Conservationation who uplifted it. After initial care, it was transported to uAir New Zealandaland.
X-rays showed a fractured coracoid bone. The coracoid makes up part of the shoulder girdle, attaching the keel (chest) bone to the wing bones. It is an important bone for flight and is most commonly broken when a bird flies straight into an object.
Initially, the morepork was kept in ICU containment, where its movements were restricted to allow the bone to heal. Once healed, the ruru was moved to a flight aviary, where it can begin to stretch and strengthen the wing and flight muscles prior to release.
Thanks to Air New Zealand for flying the morepork back to Greymouth and to DOC for releasing it back to the wild.
(Release 📷 courtesy of Cassie Mealey/D#Collaborationa#conservationa#bird##nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#ruru##moreporke#birdofpreyf#wildlifed#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less
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Welcome home!
For the upcoming school holidays, our educator Alison is running a series of seabird rescue storytimes through Selwyn Libraries aimed at 3-8 year olds. All events are free to attend but require a spot booked through the links for each event.
Fri 4th July, 11am - 11.45am at Darfield Library (1 South Terrace, Darfield)
Booking Link: tockify.com/selwynlibraries/detail/3224/1751583600000
Fri 4th July, 2pm - 2.45pm at Te Ara Ātea (56 Tennyson Street, Rolleston)
Booking Link: tockify.com/selwynlibraries/detail/3225/1751594400000
Wed 9th July, 11am - 11.45am at Leeston Library (76A High Street, Leeston)
Booking Link: tockify.com/selwynlibraries/detail/3227/1752015600000
Wed 9th July, 2pm - 2.45pm at Lincoln Library (22 Gerald Street, Lincoln)
Booking Link: tockify.com/selwynlibraries/detail/3226/1752026400000 ... See MoreSee Less
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Fantastic!
Awesome!!
We see many tube-nosed birds (albatross and petrel species) at the hospital. These southern ocean wanderers spend most of their life at sea but can find themselves ashore on the mainland when blown off course in storms or if they become injured or unwell.
This light-mantled sooty albatross was found at Birdlings Flat and reported to Department of Conservation who brought it to us. It was in an emaciated state and had suspected trauma to the surface of its right eye. The right eye was also found to have a cataract. Cataracts affect the lens of the eye and render an eye blind if they are complete or limit vision if they are partial. In wild birds, they most likely occur secondary to trauma or infection. An ineffective eye can have a massive impact on a wild bird's ability to survive.
Thanks to the support of local ophthalmology vet Steve Heap at McMaster & Heap Veterinary Practice, the toroa pango was able to have a successful cataract removal procedure after initial stabilisation at the hospital.
Sadly, as can be the case with wildlife, not all our patients get the successful outcome we hope for. Unfortunately, the bird passed away at a later time despite all the effort and care of the vets and volunteers.
We share these photos to honour its memory and to allow our followers to see the beauty of a bird that most people won't get to see in the wild.
#lightmantledsootyalbatross #toroapango #albatross #tubenose #pelagic #oceanwanderer #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #nuts_about_birds #nuts_about_wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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Amazing team effort for this beauty 💚
How sad. At least he was in the right place.
A couple of kororā spotted in the estuary. ... See MoreSee Less
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Looks they’re squabbling
Fairy penguin
little penguins or Eudyptula Minor
Another juvenile at the hospital is this pied shag. Shags are regular admits to the hospital, most commonly due to starvation, but also due to entanglements and trauma. Kāruhiruhi are commonly spotted around the New Zealand coast and are one of 12 species of shags that can be seen around Aotearoa.
#shag #piedshag #kāruhiruhi #cormorant #bird #seabird #birdsofaotearoa #nzbirds #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #nuts_about_birds #nuts_about_wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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Is this the Kaikoura chick rescued and transferred? 🥰
This juvenile white-faced heron was brought to us in April as a nestling. It was emaciated and weak, and its neck was caked in dry matter. It has since been raised at the hospital and has now been moved offsite, where it can be monitored to ensure it can fend for itself. We've had a few matuku moana nestlings in the past year found in similar circumstanc#heronh#whitefacedheronh#matukumoanam#bird##birdsofaotearoae#nzbirdsb#nuts_about_birdsb#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less
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I wonder what's happening to bring them in to youlike that.
💜
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Fantastic! These people are amazing!
June 8th marks World Oceans Day. This year's theme is 'Sustaining what sustains us'. We know more about space than we do about our oceans. We are only beginning to recognise the importance of the ocean as a carbon sink and its role in mitigating some of the effects of a changing climate. But it is also suffering, with global productivity on the decline. This affects regional food chains and has an impact on biodiversity. There are many causes, which are generally human-induced.
A large portion of our patients rely on the marine environment. We routinely see sea birds in a state of starvation. Although there are natural cycles of food availability associated with El Niño and La Niña, climate change and fisheries activities can cause birds to have to travel further to feed, resulting in reduced ability to raise chicks or chicks fledging underweight.
The hospital is the proverbial 'Ambulance at the bottom of the cliff': we manage the end result of the problem. Big lifestyle changes can feel overwhelming or off-putting. Not everyone can make the same sacrifices. But even small changes in how we shop and consume can add up over time to affect the root cause.
You can help us do our work by donating to the hospital at https:/#charitye#WorldOceansDay
#WorldOceansDay2025n#oceanhealthc#penguin0#penguinsofinstagramg#wildliferehabf#wildlifehealthl#wildliferehabilitationh#wildlifehospitali#wildlifei#nzbirdss#birdsofaotearoa##siwhd#southislandwildlifehospitaluthislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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We normally only receive ruru sporadically, but currently, there are three morepork at the hospital. This one has a fractured radius and ulna in its wing and has had a pin placed to stabilise the bones to aid healing. Birds usually heal quicker from fractures than mammals do, but it will still need several weeks of confinement before the pin is removed and flight testing can occur. With looks like this, they're very popular patients among the vets and volunte#ruru##moreporke#bird##nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#birdofpreyf#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#nuts_about_birdsb#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less
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Gorgeous 🥰.
Gorgeous
So cute
Dear little soul ♥️
Didn't realise how cute the morepork was...occasionally hear a morepork in our trees..
God that's beautiful
So cute!!
Ruru is Kaitiaki of Whangaruru up North in Bay of Islands where my dad was from. After my dad's tangi and he was buried. Same night. A Ruru came above my head and snatched a insect flying above me. My cousins watched in shocked. We knew I was being watched over. Then it flew to a tree very close by It was watching me for over an hour. Flew to another bush and still sat watching me. My cousin s and my partner all saw it . We all stood up and watched it. It just say their. Later another two came. One walked into the kitchen , Later 3 where seen flying past the Marae where we all where sleeping . We knew it had spiritual significance. They don't normally do that. I love Ruru s. We felt it was my dad with his brothers . Ruru s are Beautiful wise and majestic. Thank you for assisting this magical bird. May this beautiful one heal and Rise when able to go and when called to do so. 💛⚜️🌹
Such a cutie 🦉💕
soooo cute !!!🥰
Sooooo cute 😍
Aawwww he's sooooooo pretty 🦉🖤🖤
Gorgeous
It's so cute it looks like a kid's toy.
🥰🥰
so many fine soft fur feathwrs,
As a kid growing up on the Coast I used to love being snugged up in bed listening to these wee guys calling out.
Our cat brought us one a few weeks ago. Looks like it flew into our bedroom window and broke it's back, our cat heard it clicking and brought it inside to us. I was able to put it in a safe place then take to our local wildlife vet early next morning. I'm not sure that it survived unfortunately.
ruru are everything too me. xxoo thanks for sharing
Get alot where I live in the rural Wairarapa - have seen them over the years sitting on my fences, silently flying past me at night, flying from tree to tree in my section, often in the macrocarpas in the paddock - I leave the lights on outside and they come for the big bugs. Have had a couple fly into my deck doors & sat with them for a while before they flew off again - very special little birds, I love them ❤️
What a soulful look
Oh my I love ruru, there so cute 🥰
Aww what a little cutie , hope lil Ruru heals well
He’s such a little cutie, good luck little one 🥰
Such a beautiful bird. Hope this one fully recovers.
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