Jude Reardon doesn't want to stop looking after injured and unwanted birds - but she has to.
For more than 10 years she's been looking after masses of finches, silvereyes, thrushes and blackbirds, as a Bird Rescue Wanganui-Manawatu volunteer. Then her husband, Mike, died suddenly.
He was a good supporter, and used to fetch the birds for her. Now Mrs Reardon has to get job herself, and people will be needed to replace her.
The role will be best for people who like birds, and if there is more than one person they can split it.
Mrs Reardon has enjoyed the work.
"If you are passionate about birds and want a challenge, it's extremely satisfying to watch a little bird grow and then give it back its rightful life, by setting it free," she said.
The volunteers will need a cat-free indoor space for birds held in cages and boxes, and an outdoor space for birds in cages and aviaries. Bird Rescue Wanganui-Manawatu co-ordinator Dawne Morton warns that caged birds can be smelly.
And while rearing baby birds can be rewarding, some will be badly injured, and have to be euthanised.
As well as blackbirds and thrushes Mrs Reardon has been looking after unwanted poultry and parrots. On Thursday she had two roosters, two ducks, four ringneck parrots, 15 blackbirds and thrushes, one goldfinch, three sparrows, two mynahs, four magpies and others in her house and outside.
Some of them need feeding every two hours. She provides their cages and food, with Bird Rescue helping out where it can.
Her house has been the drop-off point for injured native birds, which are transferred to Turakina. They are looked after there by Mrs Morton and by Massey vet students doing work experience.
Spring is the busiest time, with up to 100 birds a month coming in.
If no volunteers are found, Bird Rescue may have to stop taking non-native birds. Mrs Morton said that would be a pity, because it would mean children would be watching injured or abandoned baby birds die.
And she said Bird Rescue gets more donations for non-native birds than for native, because people expect the Conservation Department to look after the native ones.