SPRING INFLUX OF BABY BIRDS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Charitable organisation BirdCare Aotearoa needs to raise $200,000 to ensure it keeps its doors open in what is shaping up to be a busy spring season, with an expected 2000 baby birds to be admitted for treatment between October and March.

Whilst the frantic fundraising efforts continue, the birds keep flocking in with the hope that they can be rehabilitated and sent back into the natural world. But they require an extraordinary amount of care and resources to make their journey back to health. The baby bird urgent fundraising appeal is open now www.birdcareaotearoa.org.nz/urgentappeal/

As of mid-October, BirdCare Aotearoa is caring for a busy nursery of hungry orphans including many native birds (tauhou, warou, kāruhiruhi), songbirds (thrush, blackbird), several rock pigeons and doves, and a paddling of mallards and native paradise ducklings.

Being as young as one day old, these babies keep the nursery team hard at work for 12+ hours every day. Some smaller native birds, such as pīwakawaka/fantails, require feeding as often as every 10 minutes. They are also regularly showered to keep their feathers in good condition and given the opportunity to practice their flying skills in a bespoke outdoor aviary.

Each species has its own specific menu to ensure the correct nutritional needs are met, and the chicks are regularly weighed to monitor their development. They are raised in habitats which are as natural as possible, which helps them to learn how to find food for themselves and adapt to the wild.

“While the care of these feathered youngsters is very intense, it is also greatly rewarding. The chicks often have individual personalities and can be quite entertaining at times, especially the ruru/morepork. Listening to young tūī learning to sing is a wonderful albeit a somewhat noisy experience.” said Ariel-Micaiah Wijaya.

BirdCare Aotearoa have just opened an urgent appeal to raise $200,000 by the end of summer for feeding and caring for the huge annual influx of baby birds.

Based near the Waitākere ranges in Auckland, BirdCare Aotearoa’s small core staff team is assisted by many dedicated volunteers which allows the bird hospital to operate at a scale that can cope with over 6,000 admissions every year. Injured, sick and orphaned wild birds are brought in by caring members of the public, SPCA, vet clinics, and other organisations, for the specialised care the expert team provides.

The charity currently relies solely on funding and donations from a large supporter base, rescuers, and community grants. They are now also seeking sponsorship to secure the future of its critical care of rescued wild birds. 

Join BirdCare Aotearoa to become part of the special story of precious lives saved in support of conservation.