Injured Birds - What to do

Do not endanger yourself or the bird, make sure you are safe

Be careful when handling large birds – watch for sharp beaks and claws

Do not ‘bird-nap’ – make sure that the bird really needs help

Rescue a bird if…

You can see blood on it

It cannot stand on its own

It has an open wound

It has a broken bone

One of its legs is hanging uselessly

It cannot fly (but it is not a nestling or fledgling being coached by nearby parents)

It is caught in a trap, fishing line, or string

Its beak is visibly damaged

It has oil on its feathers/body

It has been caught by a cat even if it seems fine

It is unconscious, not moving

It is having difficulty breathing

Bird rescue method

Once you have assessed the situation and you have decided to rescue the bird, do it carefully, quickly and quietly

Throw a towel or lightweight blanket over the bird

Be careful of sharp beaks and claws, do not squash the chest - birds do not have a ribcage to protect their airsacs

Use a cardboard box and beforehand, ensure the box has good ventilation by punching small holes in it

Keep the bird warm. Fill a hot water bottle with warm water, wrap the hot water bottle in a towel and place it under the bird

Place the bird in a box, cover the top of the box, the darkness will help to calm it

Please do not try to feed the bird and keep handling to a minimum, take it to your local vet or call DOC

Injured Wildlife: DOC Emergency Hotline 0800 362 468

It is important to give as much location information as possible, this will help when the rehabilitated bird is released back into the wild

Pets are an important member of many New Zealand families. Our lovely companions can have a negative impact on wildlfe. Below are some suggestions that can help wildlife in your area.

Cats

Many of the animals caught by domestic cats in urban areas are rodents or non-native birds. Domestic cats living near native habitats, have been reported as catching native birds (including kereru, tui, fantails, grey warbler), reptiles and native insects. It is hard to estimate the scale of domestic cat predation on native species because domestic cats only bring home about 25% of their prey, the rest being eaten or left where it was caught.

The best action is to keep your cat indoors and have a “catio” Catios are enclosed outdoor areas for cats, keeping wildlife safe while enriching cats lives in the great outdoors

If you live near an area with native wildlife, keep your pet well fed and indoors at night

Attaching bells to your cat’s collar will make it harder for them to stalk silently

Have your cat desexed to prevent unwanted pregnancies

Dogs

Dogs can have a negative impact on some of our native species through predation or disturbance. Flightless birds e.g. kiwi, penguins and weka, and birds that nest, breed and feed on our beaches, estuaries and braided rivers are at risk. Your well-behaved dog can become uncontrollable when they smell an interesting scent, especially if it’s one they’ve never smelled before.

Many kiwi and penguins are killed by inquistive dogs, it only takes a minute for them to race after a scent and maul a bird.

The best action is to keep your dog on a lead

If your dog isn’t on a lead, call your dog to you as soon as you spot wildlife

Keep an eye out for wildlife, always carry your lead and leash your dog when anywhere around wildlife populations.

Don’t let your dog chase birds at the beach, off-leash dogs that chase birds interrupt the foraging and resting time of shorebirds and the birds expend large amounts of valuable energy escaping pursuing dogs.

If you live near native bush, consider enrolling your dog in kiwi aversion training

Help Native Birds see windows and avoid striking the glass.

Each year many native birds suffer serious fractures after hitting windows.

Window-strike often occurs when birds perceive a line of flight through one window of your home and out another. This also occurs on buildings with corners made of glass or when birds see sky or trees reflected in your windows. Window strike is often a problem near bird feeders. Bird feeders should be positioned closer than 1 metre or further than 9 metres from your windows. Feeding birds are easily frightened and then take wild, evasive flight. If your feeder is close to the window, birds fly away from the house.

You can help stop window strike by putting Window alert decals on your windows, please see link for details: https://www.projectkereru.org.nz/store

If you have children, here’s a great craft activity for them: https://kcc.org.nz/portfolio/make-a-kereru-protector/

Or alternatively, hang something outside on your window, e.g. streamers, tape strips.

“Birdnapping” is a common occurrence particularly around spring. Many well-meaning people see a young bird on the ground, assume it is lost or injured and take it. This means the bird may have to go to a wildlife carer and may not be reunited with its parents. Each spring/summer vet clinics and rehabbers get swamped with baby birds e.g. sparrows, thrushes, blackbirds and finches.

If the baby bird has adult-looking feathers, but no tail, it's a fledgling, the parents will continue to feed it. It can usually hop and jump about but doesn’t usually fly at this stage. It is learning to fly and use it’s wings.

If a baby bird has no feathers, or only a few feathers, it is called an nestling. Nestlings need their parents to feed them and keep them warm in the nest. If you find a healthy uninjured nestling on the ground, it is important to make every effort to re-nest it so that it can be re-united with its parents. If you cannot find the original nest you can place it in a makeshift nest made out of a food container. Punch holes in the bottom of the container so it can drain and put some soft leaves or grass for the nestling to rest on. This can be attached to the tree with string or wire.

Parent birds will still continue to care for the nestling. They will not reject the baby because it has been handled by humans.

Endemic birds

Most of New Zealand’s native birds are endemic – they are found nowhere else. They evolved into new species in New Zealand, e.g. kiwi, saddlebacks and riflemen, bellbird, kereru, kea and many seabirds.

Native birds

Native birds naturally occur in New Zealand. In addition to endemics, they include species that also exist in other countries. Native birds that are also found elsewhere, e.g. white heron, cattle egret, kingfisher, pūkeko, harrier, morepork, wax eye.

Endemic and native birds are an important part of balanced, healthy ecosystems. They pollinate and disperse the seeds of plants, spread nutrients and keep populations of insects and other living things stable.

Introduced birds

These are birds deliberately introduced by people and have formed self-sustaining wild populations. They are not considered native. Most come from Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. They were brought in for sentimental reasons (sparrows, blackbirds and thrushes), or for sport (quail, pheasants and Canada geese), or to control insect pests (magpies, mynas).

Unfortunately many introduced birds have become pests themselves, damaging agricultural crops or threatening native birds.

Links

If you are unable to identify a bird, try this website: www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz

Citizen Science - The NZ Garden Bird Survey. Help monitor local bird populations. https://gardenbirdsurvey.nz/

Forest & Bird - Bird of the Year Competition. Vote for your favourite native bird. https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/

Before you start feeding native birds make sure your backyard is a safe place for them to visit.

Put any feeding stations well out of reach of pets

Provide water, especially in summer when it is scarce

Set traps to control introduced predators e.g. rats and possums. The link below has helpful information:

https://predatorfreenz.org/get-involved/backyards-and-neighbourhoods/

Keep your cat inside, especially at night

Native plants

Native plants and shrubs are the best way to attract native birds to your garden. Try growing species that provide nectar, seeds, and berries all year-round so birds always have food available to them e.g. kōwhai, flax, kakabeak, and tarata for nectar; and wineberry, karamū, and korokia for fruit.

Leaf litter

When leaves fall off your plants and shrubs, leave them where they fall. Over time, a thick layer of mulch will build up. This boosts insect populations, which provides a great food source for insectivorous birds e.g. pīwakawaka (fantails).

Fruit

Half-cut oranges, apples, and pears can attract tauhou (silvereyes), korimako (bellbird), and tūī.

Avoid these foods:

Seeds and grain.- these attract many introduced birds that out-compete native birds e.g. sparrows.

Bread - has poor nutritional value, birds are likely to become malnourished and some can develop deformities e.g. badly deformed wings and legs can be caused by a calcium deficiency.