Clockwise from top left: A white heron chick; Tuis, about two weeks old; Lapwings, about a week old, looking into a mirror; And a little ruru, less than a week old. Photo: Supplied / BirdCare Aotearoa
An Auckland bird hospital is expecting hundreds of injured baby birds to be brought in to its clinic over the next few months, with breeding season starting to kick off.
BirdCare Aotearoa's staff member Catriona Robertson said baby birds were exposed to a range of risks, including falling from their nests during storms, losing their parents, and encounters with predators.
They were often brought in to the nursery by members of the public or Department of Conservation staff.
Robertson said last year, the nursery took care of about 700 baby birds between October and February.
She said many of these native birds would not have survived without the clinic's intervention.
The not-for-profit was currently running a campaign to fundraise for its busiest period of the year.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
