The birth of the SPCA BirdWing Centres
 In 1971 the Wildlife Service endorsed
the work of the Tamaki Bird Rescue Centre, situated close to the Cormorant colony in the
outlet to the Panmure Basin, where many sea birds were suffering from water pollution and
harmful human activities.
Auckland Bird Rescue Inc. was established in 1984 by a group
of interested people who realised the need, even then, for a co-ordinated service. The
organisation did some sterling work, but eventually closed down due to a lack of funds. Those
who continued their volunteer service are now under the umbrella of the SPCA and are known
as SPCA BirdWing. The SPCA continues to provide ongoing support to their activities.
Several centres operate North to South in the Auckland Region. The majority of the expenses
are carried by the volunteers who rehabilitate all New Zealand birds, whether they are
native, garden or pet birds.
Most of the summer months are devoted to hand raising orphaned
birds which are released back into the wild, a process that can take weeks, sometimes months.
Services are offered to the community by way of advice, education programmes through
schools and community groups and seminars aimed at assisting Vets and Vet Nurses.
A re-homing
service for pet birds is also offered, and lost birds are often reunited with their owners
through contact with the SPCA BirdWing.
BirdWing is also a voice for the birds in environmental
issues. A continuing campaign against the Parapara Tree (more commonly known as the Bird
Catching Tree), pollution, set nets, jet skis and displacement from habitat are all examples
of important on-going projects.
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 How to rescue a bird
Fledglings
In the late Spring and
early Summer many baby birds, known as fledglings, may be separated from their nest and
their mother. There is a simple procedure that can be adopted in rescuing these vulnerable
little birds who have left their nests in their early attempts in learning to fly.
Should
you find a fledgling that is not injured but cannot quite fly yet, we suggest the following
three alternatives.
- Try to locate the nest and place the youngster back in. If the nest
has fallen out of the tree, wedge it securely back in.
- Place the young bird on top of
a thick hedge. This will be hard for cats to climb up onto and also gives a good platform
from which to eventually take off. The youngster will call out for its parents and should
be fed by them until it's time to take that first major flight, hopefully within a week
or so.
- If no hedge is available, get an ice cream container or cardboard / plastic milk
container - cut in half and discard the top part. Punch small holes in the bottom (for
drainage) and holes in the side (small enough to feed string, thread or wire through)
and hang it from either a tree branch or clothes line. (The clothes line is preferable,
as cats have difficulty climbing up clothes lines.) Put bark shavings, leaves, etc.
in the bottom of the container. Again, the bird should call out and be fed by the parents
until it gets its full flying wings and is ready to leave. Ensure that there is as
little human handling of the fledgling as possible and it is always better for the
young to be raised by their natural parents rather than by a human carer. Whatever
action you take remember to keep a watchful eye open from a distance in the hope that
the mother or father will return to be reunited with their young.
Injured Birds
Important things to remember:
- Do
not endanger yourself or the bird
- Don't birdnap (make sure that the bird is in
need of assistance)
- Extra care should be taken when handling large birds
- Watch
for beaks and claws
- Help a bird if:
- There is blood, an open wound or a recognisable
break
- It cannot stand on its own
- One of its legs is hanging useless
- It
cannot fly and it is not a nestling or fledgling being coached by nearby parents
- The
beak is damaged
- It has oil on its feathers
- It is caught in a trap
- There
is fishing line or string caught on the bird
- The bird has been caught by a cat even
if it seems fine
- The bird is unconscious
- If there is any difficulty breathing
Once you have assessed the situation and you have decided that there is a need to pick
up the bird, and it can be undertaken without endangering yourself or others, do so quickly
and quietly.
Use a towel or light-weight blanket to throw over the bird, it is usually
quicker and therefore less stressful. Place the bird in a box and cover the top - the darkness
will calm it.
If it is a baby bird, duckling or an adult with its feathers fluffed up you
will need to keep it warm. If you have a hot water bottle, milk bottle or container that
will hold warm water wrap this in a towel and place it under the bird (if the duckling
still has it's 'down' DO NOT put in water as it is not yet waterproof and will therefore
become very cold - treat as with other baby birds).
Contact the SPCA who will direct you
to the nearest BirdWing centre to you.
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 Other ways you can help wildlife
- Always
keep dogs and cats under control. Cats can disturb, maim or kill nesting birds as well
as young birds just out of the nest. The bacteria transmitted in a cat bite will quickly
cause infection and become life threatening. If cats are outside put at least two bells
on their collar to help alert birds that danger is nearby, giving them extra time to
escape.
- Before
you cut down or prune trees and shrubs, check very carefully for nesting birds, especially
in the Spring. You could unintentionally destroy a nest by trimming too closely or destroy
the habitats provided in the tree.
- Natural diets are always more nutritious for
bird life than human food. Bird feeders can be stocked with balanced mixes of different
seeds, appropriate for the birds in your area. Old bakery goods do not supply nutritional
levels for good health, especially when birds are preparing for migration or breeding.
- Many
birds depend on insects in or around back yards, therefore limit the use of insecticides
to help protect the health of our bird life.
- Reflections from windows can confuse
birds. This may cause them to fly into the glass or repeatedly peck at what they see
as their competition. Some simple remedies can be taken including breaking up the reflections
with stickers; decals or aluminium pie pans. Strips of coloured plastic flapping in the
wind or balloons with big eyes painted on them also break up the reflective pattern.
- Never
litter! All species of birds can become easily entangled in man-made products such as
plastic, fishing line, cans and bottles. Struggling to get free of such entrapments often
results in injury or death. Help by disposing of your litter properly, and recycle whatever
you can.
- If you take a bird to one of our BirdWing volunteers you can help by making
a donation of money or food (tinned or dried cat food, frozen peas and corn, mince),
or you may even volunteer your time and talents. Old linen, cages and aviaries in good
condition are also useful.
Remember that BirdWing is primarily a volunteer operation under the auspices
of the SPCA and is totally reliant on donations to operate.
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BirdWing Centres
To contact
the SPCA BirdWing central office, please phone the Auckland SPCA main telephone number
09 2567300.
BirdWing Volunteer Centres are located throughout the Auckland region. The
following phone numbers will connect you with a Volunteer in your area (Please note that
these are subject to change)
North
- Sylvia Durrant 13 Montgomerey Avenue, Rothesay Bay
T: 09 4788819
South
- Kirsty Shepherd 5 St Anne's Crescent, Wattle Downs, Manurewa
T:09 2693911
M:027 2954396
E: driftas@xtra.co.nz
- Robyn Sampson 65 Pioneer Road, Pokeno
T: 09 2336681
M: 027 6862905
E: robyns_nest@xtra.co.nz
- Lee Lochore 50 Harrisville Road, Tuakau
T: 09 2369126
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