East Auckland Bird Rescue

Hey everyone,

As you probably already know, I have been absolutely inundated with requests to help the birds of East Auckland. This has ranged from baby sparrows that need hand raising, right through to temporary care for native species until they can be safely moved to NZ Bird Rescue, in Green Bay. I liase with the general public and veterinary clinics, do welfare checks on wild birds that may need assistance, and spend countless hours on the phone giving general advice.

I operate on what I call the Three R's. These things are the cornerstone of my responsibilities as a rescue provider.

Raise: This is a hugely time intensive job that requires feedings as close together as every half an hour for orphaned birds. As well as specialised food, naked babies also need warmth, strict hygiene and suitable housing.

Rehabilitate: Often, the most overlooked group of birds that need care are the ones that have injuries which will take some time to heal. Broken wings and broken legs are not life threatening, unless you are unable to fly away from a cat!

Many vets choose to euthanise in these circumstances as a kind ending is more practical than trying to house a broken winged bird for its entire life span (sometimes 20 years!) However, in some cases, all the bird needs is a chance to develop the skills needed to manage with their injury.

Release: It is always the ultimate goal to release birds back in to the wild. During their care, I try to interact with them as little as possible, so that they remain a little bit cautious. A friendly bird can be at more risk than a nervous one, unless it has a permanent safe environment to live in.

Currently, I dont have a dedicated area to work in. Cat cages of the latest additions clutter my kitchen counter and I staple shade cloth to make temporary cages.

It breaks my heart to turn birds away. We need something on this side of Auckland. Having a separate area for the birds also means I can coordinate volunteers. A small shipping container/site office would be wonderful.

Please note that these donations do not get used for petrol money, site rental, power, advertising or admin costs. These expenses all come from my own pocket. Anything donated will be used to purchase physical resources directly used for housing and caring for birds. A breakdown can be found below.