Canterbury has their very own subspecies of penguin, the white-flippered penguin. They can be identified by the white edge on the front and back edges of their flipper compared to the more common little blue penguins. While not that common locally, kororā are periodically spotted in the coastal areas of Christchurch, and one was even recently spotted swimming up river towards the city.
This individual was transferred to us from the After Hours Vet Clinic after it was handed in there during the night, having been found near New Brighton. The bird was severely underweight on arrival and was at the end of their transition from fluff to feathers. Reductions in food supply, nest abandonment and parent loss can result in juveniles either dying before leaving the nest, or maturing at a suboptimal weight, leaving them vulnerable to predators and with poor resilience for sourcing food when they are left to fend for themselves.
This photo was taken at the mohawk phase of fluff loss, and after some weight gain. Since then, the penguin has regained enough weight, and has lost the last of the fluff, which gives the green light for pool time ahead of release.
If you spot seabirds along the beach that look quiet, sick, injured or don't fly/waddle off on approach, call DOC in the first instance. Keep dogs and people at a distance, and do not handle the bird without adv#penguinn#kororāo#littlebluepenguinn#wildliferehabr#southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

Our parliament of little owls are big enough to be out in an aviary where they can start to get some flight practice in ahead of release. All 8 ruru nohinohi are looking a lot more grown up now with their plumage through and their fuzz fading away. Despite being reared, they have retained their wild spirit which is great for their future prospects, but does mean they have a lot of attitude when the team are weighing them.
#rurunohinohi #littleowl #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #WildlifeRehabilitation ... See MoreSee Less

We are currently raising this pāpango at the hospital. Ducklings thrive better when they are with kin but in situations where a duckling is found alone, or is the sole survivor, this is not always possible. Although New Zealand scaup can be found around Christchurch, they're not a common species at the hospital.
Using mirrors with lone ducklings can help with stress control. It mimics the presence of kin, as ducklings view their reflection as another individual. It can help encourage some normal behaviours such as preening, which birds can neglect to do when they're stressed. It also acts as a focal point of interest for them to investigate and interact with.
Pāpango are excellent divers and this one is already honing their skills during pool time. The young scaup has just passed 200 grams in weight, a third of the adult weight, so still has some growi#scaupd#newzealandscaupa#pāpangop#duckling #wildliferehabd#wildlifehealthl#WildlifeRehabilitationb#wildlifehospitalf#wildlife #nzbirdse#birdsofaotearoao#siwha#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less

Shower time at the hospital.
After our previous Northern Giant Petrel was released back to the wild a few weeks ago, we received a transfer from Project WellBird + Project BlueBird of another one that was threatening to become beach cast. These oceanic wanderers are often quite sick when they're spotted around the mainland. A blood test identified kidney distress in this pāngurunguru which requires careful management with regards to fluid and nutritional intakes.
With this need for ongoing hospital care, it is important for sea birds to maintain good waterproofing and feather quality. This means daily access to a shower and dipping pool where they can perform natural preening behaviours and stretch their impressive 2 metre wingspan. ThankBunnings Warehouse New Zealandaland for supplying us with a new hose line after our previous one became knacke#petrele#northerngiantpetrele#pāngurungurun#oceanwandererd#Seabirda#wildliferehabr#wildlifehealthe#WildlifeRehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#wildlifed#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

Our baby ruru nohinohi are looking a lot more grown up now. We are currently raising a parliament of little owls at the hospital. They have changed from the grey fuzzy fluff in the earlier post and are transitioning to feathers and the pattern of adults. They are also self feeding now which not only reduces the labour it takes to care for them, it also allows us to be much more hands-off with them as they move towards fledging and release.
#littleowl #rurunohinohi #owl #chicks #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #WildlifeRehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

The hospital has an incredible team of volunteers that help behind the scenes to support our mahi and goals. Our educator, Alison, has been busy this term talking to school groups about some of the birds we treat, and has handmade some incredible outfits, props, and puppets to help engage tamariki in conservation.
Alison is also available for community group talks for adults and has an upcoming talk through @christchurch_envirohub on December 18th, 6-8pm at Cascades Bar & Courtyard (219 High St.). Free tickets are available at events.humanitix.com/copy-of-green-drinks-safeguarding-seabirds
Want to book Alison for your school, education centre, or community group? Email education@wildlifehospital.co.nz
#education #volunteering #community #environment #conservation #wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehealth #wildlifehospital #wildlifeveterinarytrust #wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less