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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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
'Benny' arrived at the hospital a few days ago after being spotted with a blow dart in their neck. Thanks to the efforts of multiple people Lil Quacks Refuge. ks Refuge. , they were able to be caught after days of attempts and transported to us for treatment. This is the second blow dart injury we've treated in a year. Although legal to obtain through sellers, they are designed for much smaller prey. While hunting is part of the NZ culture, there are appropriate seasons, targets, permit restrictions, and laws to follow. Otherwise, it is illegal to kill or harm wildlife under the Wildlife Act.
Both Lil Quacks Refuge and ourselves are not-for-profits. We work through donations and sponsorships. Benny has had 1 surgery already and may need more, depending on healing. You can help us care for Benny by heading to wildlifehospital.co.nz/ and Lil Quacks Refuge at givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-lil-quacks-refuge-sav#swan-#wildliferehab #wildlifehealth##wildliferehabilitatione#wildlifehospitali#wildlifep#nzbirdsl#birdsofaotearoab#siwhf#southislandwildlifehospitalildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you, can't understand why anyone would do this, obviously have got some issues, glad he has been rescued and getting the care he needs.
Will donate. Thx all involved.
Do you notify the police when you receive animals harmed by humans, or SPCA. Keeping data on this is important. Human activities, deliberate or non deliberate would be useful to know
I too can't understand why people do this to animals 😡 Thank you for the care given 🙏
There’s something sad bordering on psychotic of anyone who would do this. B
Will his mate be ok while hes recovering? I keep thinking about her and her grief thinking hes gone forever 🥺
So many cruel aholes in this country
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Patient update: The ruru with the broken right wing has had its pin removed and is now out in the flight aviary. This photo shows the morepork up in the rafters, a good sign that it is able to fly and get a good lift. Once satisfied that feathers and flight are in good state, it will be ready for release. #Ruru #morepork #birdofprey #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #wildliferehab #wildlifehealth #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less
11 CommentsComment on Facebook
Wonderful 🥰
Thank you to all those in the chain from injured bird to recovery. Wishing this beautiful creature all the best, and that all whose who met it on the way have been heartened with this result. It is hard to fins appropriate words other than Thank You!
Great work.
That's wonderful 👍😊
Thanks team, these guys really are a treasure. Lil cuties. ☺️
So cute 😍
Aww, well done! Hope the ruru does well.
Beautiful and lucky to be so cared for x
They are so sooo cute 😍
That’s great . Surely the owl is an he or a she and not an “it “
Dumb sheep
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A few weeks ago, we received a couple of kororā chicks through Project WellBird - Kaikōura Wildlife Hospital . Monitoring of their nest site in situ suggested only one parent tending to the nest, leaving the chicks exposed to the elements for hours, and resulting in reduced nutritional supply. Removing the chicks gives both the chicks the best chance of survival and will allow the remaining adult to regain condition.
In the hospital, they are overlooked by their surrogate parent: a stuffed toy little blue penguin with in-built sound effects. Although we can't completely avoid handling and human touch when they are critical, having a visual aid to imprint on that isn't human#kororāy#littlebluepenguinl#penguinsofinstagramf#penguinchicksg#penguins#birdg#birdsofaotearoao#nzbirdsa#wildliferehabd#wildlifehealthl#wildliferehabilitationb#wildlifehospitalf#wildlife #siwhl#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
Great intervention for the chicks as well as the parent( having to do double duties with their feeding.
So lucky for those chicks to be where they are. 😊
Really hard times for korora , penguins are struggling these days. Just read 3 hioho caught in fishing activities. We appreciate your rescue but need to do more to protect them from human activities.
Wonderful work!
What about parent conveying the .species language ? How does that develop whilst in captivity ?
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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
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fabulous outcome - Thankyou to all involved in Usha’s rescue recovery and release 🥰👏👏
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
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
Fantastic!
Susan Jane
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
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
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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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.3 CommentsComment on Facebook
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
1 CommentComment on Facebook
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
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
I wonder what's happening to bring them in to youlike that.
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