In the last month, we've received 19 ducklings at the hospital. This is par for the course at this time of year with ducklings regularly being orphaned or injured by motor vehicles. With urban landscapes and roads dissecting wetlands and parks, waterfowl and pukeko regularly come into conflict with traffic.
We monitor the growth of each duckling that comes to us, and this requires being able to tell one bundle of fluff apart from another. We use coloured nail varnish to mark individuals, as can be seen by the red dot on one of these paradise shelduck/pūtangitangi duckli#springp#ducklingsl#pūtangitangit#paradiseshelduckl#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

One of our talented volunteers has a wildlife photography calendar for sale with part of the proceeds being donated to the hospital. Check out the post to find out more.My 2026 Aotearoa Wildlife Calendars are here!

You can now order your very own calendar at joshoverendphotography.com/store, or get in touch directly if you’d like to arrange a special order.

I’m proud to share that $1 from every calendar sold will be donated to the South Island Wildlife Hospital, an incredible organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured and unwell native wildlife across Aotearoa.

Thank you all for your continued support—it truly means a lot.
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#calendars #2026 #wildlife #aotearoa #newzealand ... See MoreSee Less

It might seem like we only treat birds, but we do also receive reptiles occasionally too. This grass skink (mokomoko) was brought to us after being brought home by a cat. Skinks, like many lizards, have a mechanism where they can sever or 'drop' their own tail as an escape mechanism when caught by a predator. Notice the stumpy tail in the photo. The tissue self-seals itself, and over time, a new tail can regrow (although it is often shorter, narrower, or distorted). Aside from this, there was a bite mark on the thigh, requiring minor surgery and antibiotics. Today, after completing treatment, it was released back into #skinkl#grassskinkg#commonskinko#Reptilek#wildliferehabd#wildlifehealthl#wildliferehabilitationb#wildlifehospitalf#siwhi#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less

Introducing another of our current mob of babies being raised at the hospital. This one might be a little less familiar to some people as they aren't as common as the pukeko and ducklings, which are more prevalent around our city parks and wetlands.
This rather brightly coloured chick is in stark contrast to the single-coloured dark body and white bill/facial shield of the adult. Australian coots/rail are a subspecies of the Eurasian coot and can be found in both Australia and New Zeal#chickc#coot##australiancootn#bird##birdsofaotearoae#nzbirdsb#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

Like other gull species, tarāpunga get a bit of a bad rep. But chip-stealing tendencies aside, these manu are quite charismatic and are a loved patient by several of our volunteers. This red-billed gull suffered a broken wing after being hit by a car. After orthopaedic surgery to stabilise the fracture, the broken ulna bone has healed well. Now, it's a matter of regrowing the lost feathers and building up flight strength again in an outside aviary before being able to be relea#Gull##tarāpungap#redbilledgulld#bird##nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

Baby bird season has started at the hospital. We receive baby birds for a few reasons, including being orphaned, as was the case with these two pukeko chicks. Sometimes, though, chicks are uplifted by well-meaning rescuers when they are fine to be left where they are.
Baby birds are either altricial (born naked with eyes closed) or precocial (covered in down or fine feathers, with eyes open and mobile). Altricial babies should be in a nest until fully feathered and are intermittently tended to after fledging. Precocial babies can self feed and follow their parents around, relying on them for protection and assistance with feeding.
If you find a baby bird that is clearly injured, weak, or obviously orphaned, call your local wildlife centre for information on where to get veterinary treatment and how best to transport them there.
Otherwise, check their surroundings first before touching them. If they are a non-feathered altricial baby, look up for a nest and put them back in it if it is safe to do so. You can make a makeshift nest if the original nest has been damaged. If it is a fledgling and is not in danger, chances are a parent is tending to it. If there is some danger such as a road or nearby dogs, move it away from the danger but within the immediate area. Then, keep some distance and observe for a while to watch for parents. For precocial chicks, observe from a distance to see if other birds of that species are nearby. Listen for their calls. Occasionally, chicks get separated and will call out to reunite. If there are no signs of parents returning to chicks after a period of observation, call your local wildlife centre for advice before removing them from the area.
#chicks #pukeko #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #spring #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

There's still time to vote kororā for Forest & Bird Bird of the Year 2025. Little blue penguins may be diminutive in size, but they're full of character and can be quite fiesty patients at the hospital. Sadly, the species, like many in Aotearoa New Zealand, is suffering through human impacts on their environment and food supply.
We regularly receive kororā, predominantly from Canterbury, and thanks to the monitoring work by Pōhatu Penguins/plunge on Banks Peninsula, and through transfer from Project WellBird - Kaikōura Wildlife Hospital . You can help these declining penguins by keeping dogs on leash and away from breeding habitats; by voting for policies and supporting causes that actively combat climate change, habitat destruction and overfishing; and donating to rescue centres around the country that treat and rehabilitate the many injured and starving seabirds that need help each year. Don't forget to head to www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/ to vote little blue penguin!
#kororā #littlebluepenguin #littlepenguin #penguin #penguinsofinstagram #boty #birdoftheyear #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less