We received this kāhu after they were found with a broken leg. On assessment, there was a concern that the nerve function to the foot may have been compromised. Being able to grip carrion, rest on a branch, or grab food while in flight are vitally important aspects of thriving as a bird of prey so permanent nerve damage would not have been an acceptable outcome. Thankfully, after repairing the harrier hawk's fracture, the bird regained an ability to stand on the leg and grip with the foot. This manu has now moved out of the hospital and into a pre-release aviary where they can regain flight strength in a more open space.
This species usually ends up in our care due to being hit by cars while feeding on roadkill. Juveniles are especially prone to injury this way as they are less capable of releasing their grip on their food in time to hop out of the way. Keeping roads free of roadkill can help reduce the risk of carrion eaters meeting the same fate as the animal they came to feed#australasianharrierhawkr#kahu##WildlifeHospitalp#nzbirdsb#southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

There's been a bit of a revolving door for kea these last few months with 17 kea admitted over the last 5 months. And yet that number doesn't even make them our most commonly treated species.
We have been breaking records with our patient admits since last year, and have already admitted 104 more patients in 2026 than at the same date in 2025. Increased demands on our services and a current need for increased biosecurity increases our labour hours and uses up more of our supplies. As a charity, we rely on donations, sponsorships, grants and funds to keep doing our mahi.
If you or your business can support our work, head to wildlifehospital.co.nz/ to find#charity.#keaa#birdsofaotearoao#WildlifeHospitalf#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less

Working at the wildlife hospital means getting to see some quite unique birds. We admit several giant petrels throughout the year, which are commonly brown in colour. About 10% of the southern species are a white morph with a predominant white colour mottled with dark spots. Rarer still are leucistic birds which have none of the dark spots, such as this one which we had in our care last month.
Found underweight and on land in Kaikōura, we were able to rehabilitate the pāngurunguru over the course of three weeks. Following a lot of fish, a lot of fluids, and a lot of shower time, the bird was released back to the wild at the end of June.
#pāngurunguru #southerngiantpetrel #birdsofaotearoa #WildlifeHospital #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

With the arrival of HPAI H5N1 in New Zealand, we are monitoring this emerging situation while still operating and accepting patients. Prior to its arrival, our team were already planning and implementing biosecurity measures in expectation of this eventuality. How we triage and accept patients may look different though.

Please do not turn up at the hospital without phoning us first. We may ask more indepth questions about the situation over the phone and you may be asked to keep the bird in your car on arrival while we go through an admittance procedure.

Birds need our assistance for many reasons, and the occurrence of H5N1 in the country should not be a reason to avoid seeking help. If you come across a native bird in need of care, call DOC (0800 362 468) in the first instance or if local, you can call the hospital (022 106 0170).
If there are multiple sick/dead birds or a bird has symptoms suggestive of HPAI H5N1, call the MPI exotic pest and disease hotline (0800 80 99 66) and do not touch or handle the birds.

#WildlifeHospital #southislandwildlifehospital #wildliferehab #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa ... See MoreSee Less

One of our patient releases has been spotted with a mate! A hopeful sign of future breeding.Remember lucky Resi, the tiny chick found on the walking track in 2024?! 🐧

Well, we've got some good news! Last time we saw Resi was when we released him/her in January 2025 after being cared for at the South Island Wildlife Hospital.

Recently spotted in one of the nest box not far from our "Soft Release" area, it looks like Resi has a partner... and now, we think Resi is a female! ... See MoreSee Less