Flock Birdcare Wellington

Flock Birdcare Wellington We’re a small bird rehabilitation and boarding facility in Lower Hutt, Wellington, caring for garden birds, introduced species, and feathered companions.
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All cases are overseen by our vets. Follow us for updates!

πŸ₯¬πŸ¦’πŸ’• Update on the geese from earlier this week: We've named them Salt and Pepper! We hope their name sakes will help giv...
18/06/2026

πŸ₯¬πŸ¦’πŸ’• Update on the geese from earlier this week: We've named them Salt and Pepper! We hope their name sakes will help give them back the sassy goose flavor they're missing.πŸ§‚βš‘οΈπŸ§‚

They're still very anxious, but have begun to peek out of the shed occasionally. So very brave.

πŸ₯— We've tried some cabbage, lettuce, sliced fruits and pellets, but they don't seem to know what to do with them - so fresh grass and foraged green are their main meal for now.🌾

🫢 We've also had a wonderful response from the bird loving community willing to take these lovelies in, so after we finish some general health checks and let them destress a little they'll be going off to their forever home on farm with massive fields of grass and lovely pond just for them πŸͺ±πŸ¦’🌱

16/06/2026

We are sharing this post from Avian Empire because these proposed changes do not only affect pet bird owners. They have the potential to fundamentally change wildlife rehabilitation across Aotearoa.

For those who may not understand what this means in practice, wildlife rehabilitation does not happen by appointment. A bird does not wait until Monday morning to be hit by a car, attacked by a cat, or suffer a severe injury.

At 10pm on a Sunday, a rehabilitator may receive a bird with a fractured wing, a deep cat bite, a severe wound, or significant pain. Under the current collaborative model, experienced rehabilitators can assess the bird, provide immediate stabilisation, and consult with their veterinary provider to commence appropriate treatment under veterinary direction.

The proposed guidance would significantly restrict this pathway. It may mean that a veterinarian must physically examine the bird before certain medications, including pain relief and antibiotics, can be authorised.

This creates a serious question for DOC-permitted wildlife rehabilitators:

How are we expected to meet our obligations under our Wildlife Act permits, WReNNZ minimum standards, and the Animal Welfare Act if timely veterinary treatment is no longer practically accessible?

This is not just a Flock Birdcare issue. It affects every wildlife rehabilitator, rescue organisation, sanctuary, conservation group, and community member who relies on experienced avian veterinary support.

We want to be clear: we support appropriate veterinary oversight, responsible use of medications, and maintaining high professional standards.

What we are asking for is recognition that wildlife rehabilitation is unique. A framework designed around scheduled appointments, known clients, and established veterinary relationships does not always translate to a critically injured wild bird arriving unexpectedly in the middle of the night.

We are currently raising these concerns with DOC and WReNNZ and will be making a formal submission to the Veterinary Council.

If you have ever brought an injured bird to a rehabilitation centre, received help from an avian veterinarian remotely, or simply believe New Zealand's wildlife deserves timely access to veterinary care, please take the time to learn about these proposed changes.

Please:
πŸ•Š Sign the petition
βœ‰οΈ Write respectfully to the Veterinary Council at [email protected]
πŸ› Contact your local MP
πŸ“’ Share this information with others

This conversation must include the people on the front line of bird care: veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, DOC, WReNNZ, and the wider bird community.

For the birds πŸ¦πŸ’š
Nys and the Flock Birdcare team

A very firm reminder - we are NOT a bird sanctuary!We are a bird hospital. While we have our own fowl, we do not have th...
15/06/2026

A very firm reminder - we are NOT a bird sanctuary!

We are a bird hospital. While we have our own fowl, we do not have the space and resources for people to dump their unwanted fowl onto us.

This morning a member of the public, despite being told multiple times we are not a sanctuary, dumped two geese on our doorstep.

This poor pair were taped inside a small cardboard box, possibly for an extended period of time judging from the condition of the box.

We can only assume they've been treated awfully, as this pair is extremely timid and scared.

Not even a warning hiss when approached! They refuse to look at us, hide in the corner and haven't touched their food.

If anyone is interested in taking in these two geese, please let us know. From what we know theyre around 2 years old and seem to be physically healthy.

πŸ’•πŸ¦—πŸŒ± They say it takes a village to raise a child. In wildlife rehabilitation, it takes a village to save a bird.Behind e...
13/06/2026

πŸ’•πŸ¦—πŸŒ± They say it takes a village to raise a child. In wildlife rehabilitation, it takes a village to save a bird.

Behind every patient that comes through the doors at Flock Birdcare is a whole team of incredible humans who give their time, skills, and hearts to make their second chance possible.

Our volunteers show up rain or shine. They finish a 10 hour day at work and still stop by with crickets for a hungry kingfisher. They spend their weekends trawling op shops for the perfect heavy-based dishes for recovering seabirds and ducks. They pick up shovels to dig drainage, build aviaries, create feeding stations, plant bird-friendly gardens, tackle mountains of laundry, and help with the endless paperwork, administration and reporting that keeps Flock running.

They celebrate every release with us and sit with us through the losses. They scrub pools, prepare food, clean enclosures, monitor patients, and quietly do a thousand little jobs that nobody ever sees.

The truth is, Flock has never just been me. It has always been a community of people who believe that every tiny life matters.

Together, we are giving Wellington’s native birds a second chance and helping protect the precious taonga of our forests, waterways, and coastlines for future generations.

To every volunteer who has ever walked through our doors, answered a late-night message, donated their time & skills, or simply asked β€œwhat do you need?”… thank you.

You are the reason Flock exists.

With all my love and gratitude,

Nys πŸ¦πŸ’•πŸŒ±
Flock Birdcare

⚠️ A swell warning has been issued for the Wellington and Wairarapa Coasts!Some waves over 10 meters 🌊Because of this, w...
08/06/2026

⚠️ A swell warning has been issued for the Wellington and Wairarapa Coasts!
Some waves over 10 meters 🌊

Because of this, we're expecting some seabirds to end up landbound in some weird areas as they're knocked off course.

If you find a seabird - please reach out to Flock through Facebook or Instagram and we can get you in contact with Tony from Kereru Discovery who has a transport and holding permit from DOC.

While Flock can take in any drop offs, Tony is a much better first call!

If you are confident - you can use a towel or blanket to gently contain the bird and get it into a carrier or box but please do not attempt to give the bird food or water.

And please be careful if you're thinking of taking the birds to any local rescues - check you're going to a DOC approved rescue! βœ…οΈ

Sadly, our patient Pluto was humanely euthanised this week.πŸ¦†πŸ’•We understand that some people may find this decision diffi...
06/06/2026

Sadly, our patient Pluto was humanely euthanised this week.πŸ¦†πŸ’•

We understand that some people may find this decision difficult, so we want to be completely transparent about how and why it was made.

When Pluto first came into our care, she had a significant leg injury. Hoping for a full recovery, we spent weeks caring for her with medication, supportive nursing, and physical therapy. While she made some progress, she remained unable to properly use one of her legs. She struggled to walk, swim, and even rest comfortably.

Concerned by her lack of improvement, we arranged radiographs through the SPCA. These revealed osteomyelitis; a serious bone infection affecting the injured leg.

While osteomyelitis can sometimes be treated, treatment would have involved months of intensive care, repeated procedures, and potentially amputation. There was no guarantee that a wild duck would survive the stress of treatment, nor that it would ultimately be successful.

More concerningly, there were signs that the disease process may also have been affecting her remaining weight-bearing leg. Even if treatment had been successful, Pluto was likely facing a future of chronic pain, severe arthritis, and significant mobility issues.

As a wild duck, she would never have been safe to release. Ducks have complex social structures and aggressive breeding behavior. A disabled bird is highly vulnerable and would struggle to compete, avoid injury, or live a normal life.

We could not ethically put a wild animal through months of invasive treatment when the most likely outcome was a life of ongoing pain, limited mobility, and an inability to return to the wild.

We loved Pluto, and we truly did everything we could for her. Sometimes, the kindest and most compassionate decision we can make for a wild animal is to allow them to pass peacefully and with dignity.

Thank you to everyone who cared about Pluto and followed her journey.πŸ¦†πŸ’“

Team Flock and the birds 🐦 πŸ’•

βœ¨οΈπŸ”¦ Patient Spotlight 🐠🐦We have one of our favorite birds in this week - A kōtare or kingfisher! πŸ‘‘Found in a member of t...
05/06/2026

βœ¨οΈπŸ”¦ Patient Spotlight 🐠🐦
We have one of our favorite birds in this week - A kōtare or kingfisher! πŸ‘‘

Found in a member of the publics yard, we believe that he has survived both environmental / secondary poisoning, followed by a cat attack while in this vulnerable state.

A little dazed, lethargic and on the lighter side for their species. (45 grams!)
But very much still has that fighting spirt πŸ₯Š

Recovering incredibly well eating some freshly caught king fish from the Coromandel brought in by one of our incredible volunteers and decimating at least 20 crickets a day! πŸ¦—

Lil bud has also been passing a pellets, always a good sign!

It's an expensive diet for a gorgeous little bird!

04/06/2026

Protect Access to Veterinary Care for Birds in New Zealand

04/06/2026

IMPORTANT!

If this goes through - Avian Empire, Flock and many other bird rescues will no longer be able to continue operation as we currently do.

We cannot ethically operate without the approval to dispense immediate pain medication to the animals we received.

This will KILL many birds! Many birds we receive come in with shock or are critical condition.

The extra handling and travel time for birds in pain will kill the animal's we are trying so hard to save and rehabilitate.

This proposed legislation goes against both our DOC permit and our do no harm oath - which clearly state no unnecessary transport, handling or stress is to be allowed.

It's short sighted and unethical.

Address

Lower Hutt
Wellington

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Website

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