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.
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SIWH AGM
When: Tuesday 4th November 3:30pm
Venue: Tuatara Structures, 10B Abros Place, Burnside, Christchurch
Did you catch us on the TV tonight? Our head vet Pauline spoke to the @sevensharptvnz team about our recent patient 'Albie' the Salvin's Mollymawk. You can check it out on @tvnz.offic#salvinsalbatrossa#albatrossr#nzbirdsa#birdsofaotearoab#charityt#SevenSharpi#interviewh#wildliferehab #wildlifehealth##wildliferehabilitatione#wildlifehospitali#siwhe#southislandwildlifehospitalildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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Such a great job speaking up for our wonderful birdy creatures! X
Thank you South Island Wildlife Hospital for all the amazing work you do behind the scenes to assist our unwell or hurt wildlife with their recovery 💛 Thank you for your care and compassion. We are so very lucky to have you in Ōtautahi!
Steve Andrew it was a Mollymawk 🙂
This juvenile pied shag spent two weeks at the hospital after being found on Birdlings Flat in a depressed state. It's unclear what happened to the bird as there was an injury to one foot, but it recovered well with supportive care and nutrition. The kāruhiruhi was returned for release last w#bird##nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#shag##piedshagd#kāruhiruhii#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less
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Thanks to Black Cat Cruises and Lyttelton Port Company for their assistance with getting this beautiful Salvin's Mollymawk to the hospital for health checks and sustenance and then a release back to the ocean where it belongs. ... See MoreSee Less
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Gorgeous!
Epic, Pauline and co❤️
Hooray! ❤
Pauline and volunteers at the wildlife hospital are so awesome and know so well when the birds are rehabilitated enough to return to their wild freedom. How beautiful to see this bird have a perfect release
That is amazing to see, very touching!💕
Beautiful bird - great work team !
Love this and a ride on Black Cat Cruises, thank you to everyone involved.
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Thanks to LPC for looking out for this Salvin's Mollymawk and alerting the hospital. ... See MoreSee Less
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At the weekend, we received a tarāpunga which had been found in Lyttelton with fishing nylon sticking out of their mouth. On arrival, there was about 20 cm of trailing nylon as well as a loop of nylon caught round the back of the head. The rest of the fishing line disappeared down the red billed gull's throat. This raised immediate suspicions of a swallowed fishing hook, which was quickly confirmed by x-ray.
The gull was very underweight, so had likely been like this for some time. Although surgery was performed to remove the hook, it was found to have caused extensive tissue damage higher up in the digestive tract where the sharp point had perforated through. Additionally, there was evidence of aspergillosis, an infection that many birds can carry, but which gets worse when their immune system is compromised, such as with stress and injuries. With such a poor outlook, the decision was made to euthanase under anaesthesia.
Discarded fishing material is a common threat to our manu. Please be a tidy Kiwi and take all fishing gear home with you. If you accidentally snag a bird while fishing, please don't just cut the line and let them loose. Bringing them to the nearest wildlife hospital gives the bird a chance of rescue before starvation and secondary diseases t#fishinghooki#fishingk#fishinginjuryh#fishhook #tarāpunga##redbilledgullb#gullg#wildliferehabd#wildlifehealthl#wildliferehabilitationb#wildlifehospitalf#wildlife #nzbirdse#birdsofaotearoao#siwha#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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I see it all the time when I am out photographing birds, will often pick up discarded fishing line when I see it.
I've literally had seagulls grab the hook and bait midair... High chance this has happened to this one as well
A huge hook compared to body size. As always, heartbreaking and preventable - if only there was more care and respect. Threatened red-billed gulls are also increasingly desperate in pursuit of bait, due to starvation from decreased ocean productivity and decreased krill upwellings. Gull patients with ingested fish hooks that do have a chance of recovery, are lucky souls indeed, thanks to the specialist skills of wildlife vets.
Thank you for caring!
Michael Lawry
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Although our goal will always be to return our wild patients back to the wild, sustained injuries can sometimes prevent this outcome. Captive living is not suitable for every species or every individual, but for some, places like this can give an individual a second chance. ... See MoreSee Less
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As the red wind warning passes and the damage becomes clear, there will absolutely be displaced birds as a result of downed trees, rising rivers, and wind gusts. Only when it is safe to go out in your area, please take care while looking out for injured birds and downed nests.
If you come across a sick-looking or injured bird, call DOC (0800362468) for natives, or your nearest wildlife rehab centre, or vet clinic.
Sea birds may start showing up weak along our coastline over the next few days after being storm-blown. Keep dogs away at this time and call for advice about uplifting or leaving.
As breeding season is well underway, there will inevitably be compromised nests. Adults will return to an area for feeding, so where possible, aim to keep uninjured young close by:
• Return chicks to nests as soon as it is safe to do so
• For downed nests, try and return to the nearest standing tree - this may require artificial fixation
• For damaged nests, a new one can be made with household materials and filled with natural bedding before fixing into the branches of the nearest standing tree
• Cavity nesting species and those that favour higher nest sites (such as this white-faced heron/matuku moana) will be more vulnerable and less able to be returned
If in doubt what to do, call DOC or local wildlife centres for advice before moving birds.
#redweatherwarning #severeweather #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #bird #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #whitefacedheron #matukumoana #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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My biggest concern is the birds. The Oxford Bird rescue used to have alot handed in. I hope you can cope. Thank you for this info. I will share it.
Excellent information! 💕
🔊 Our Australian coot chick has been graduating their way through a series of makeshift habitats as they grow and need to explore and swim more. The rail's funky orange head from the previous post has been fading to make way for the understated adult colouration. Baby bird season can be a noisy time at the hospital thanks to harsh calls like this #babybirdy#coot##australiancootn#rail##nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less
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We are still on the lookout for another volunteer phone coordinator to share the load of manning the hospital phone. This is a remote (off-site) position. Our phoneline is the first port of call for people reporting found injured wildlife. Full job description in comments. Email volunteering@wildlifehospital.co.nz to express an interest.
#volunteering #charity #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
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Becca Barnett