How to tell if a baby bird needs rescuing - Wellington Zoo

Not all baby birds found on the ground actually need help, Wellington Zoo is warning.

The zoo is aiming to educate people this summer about what to do when they find native birds that might need care.

"If anyone does see an injured baby that they're concerned about, if they're not sure if it's injured or if it's showing natural behaviour for that species they can always give us a call," said Baukje Lenting, senior vet at the zoo's animal hospital, The Nest Te Kōhanga.

If baby birds have no feathers or their nest is lying on the ground, it's likely they're nestlings and might need help. But if they're older, they could be fine.

Some older baby birds, fledglings, will spend some time on the ground while their parents watch from above, coming down regularly to feed them, Lenting said.

"So if they find something on the ground, it's not necessarily cause for concern."

People who aren't sure whether the bird is abandoned or not should watch from a distance for a while to see if the parents come back. If not, they could call the zoo, DoC, or the SPCA for advice.

If the bird is visibly injured, is holding a wing or leg strangely, or is bleeding, it should also be brought in for care.

If a featherless baby bird is found, it is best to first look for a nest and try to put it back in, then wait to see if the mother returns. But again, if the parents do not come back, the babies will need help.

The centre currently has a range of birdlife being cared for, including some fledgling kereru, a young kakariki hit by a car, an adult tui with an injured shoulder, a shag, and two little blue penguins brought in with eye and abdomen injuries.

A fledgling tui was brought in with "quite a large piece of metal in his gut" which has since passed through naturally.

Two scruffy wax-eyes have been brought in after people found their nest on the ground while trimming hedges. The finders tried to put the nest back into the hedge and watched for the mother bird to come back, but it did not.

The babies need to be fed every half hour while they're at the centre.

The Nest Te Kōhanga cares for native wildlife, while the SPCA looks after introduced species.