Naturally West: Introducing Bird Rescue Green Bay

Introducing Bird Rescue Green Bay

Dr Lynn Miller: “We really have our hands full ...”

Releasing Cook’s petrels at a private bird sanctuary on Ihumoana Island at Bethells Beach. Bird Rescue is a charitable trust, operating from a large property next door to Pinesong Retirement Village in Green Bay. The trust aims to rehabilitate injured birds and release them back into the wild.

The trust’s founding group of local residents had been caring for birds in their own homes until the property was bequeathed to them by bird enthusiast Jocelyn Grattan in 1985. The centre now incorporates a bird hospital, a rehabilitation centre and other facilities.

The hospital was established in 2009 and has been expanded from just one room in the on-site house to a full professional hospital over the past two years. It now includes a laboratory, two nurseries (one for native birds and one for non-natives), spaces for cleaning and waterproofing birds, a volunteer lunch room and offices.

Outside there is a vet examination room and a sea bird enclosure, currently housing a couple of shags with fish hooks in their gullets. A black swan currently has a trough at its disposal with a drip rigged up for it, while it recovers from being hit by a car.

The centre services the needs of sick and injured birds from across the Auckland area, with the help of volunteers. Dr Lynn Miller was appointed general manager in 2019.

The centre assists thousands of birds each year, many being directly and indirectly related to human behaviour including victims of cat attacks, road accidents, water pollution (such as fishing line and nylon entanglements and botulism) or human cruelty.

Lynn says that in 2020 the centre admitted 6,170 birds, a 20% increase on the year before, and 2021 has already been busy with 2,150 birds admitted.

October to December are typically the busiest months but on just one day in April, 45 birds were released. They included juvenile tūī that had hit cars and windows, juvenile silver eyes hand-raised at the centre, orphaned black backed gulls (victims of human abuse, dog attacks and fish hooks) and a population of myna, starlings and sparrows (some juveniles raised at the centre and some the result of cat attacks). Other birds released in April included a ruru, five banded rails, a black swan, eight mallards and a kererū, illustrating the diversity of species at the centre.

April was also a busy month for Cook’s petrels with 40 being taken to the centre and 13 others being released all on one day. When flying from one coast to the other (east to west) at night, the city lights confuse juvenile petrels and they think roads are the sea. Once they land they become stranded (they need a cliff top or other high point to take off from), making them very vulnerable to dogs and cats. Eventually they can starve.

The population of this species is decreasing and it is classified as vulnerable because of the limited areas for breeding. If you find a Cook’s petrel, do not feed it (they have a specific diet) but take it to the centre as soon as possible.

“We have admitted 148 Cook’s petrels this year compared to 20 last year,“ says Lynn. “They are such beautiful wee birds and yet to help them, we really have our hands full with ensuring they are hydrated, fed and their water-proofing is spot on.”

If you love birds, you would be warmly welcomed as a volunteer at Bird Rescue. Sought after skills include feeding injured and orphaned chicks, ground maintenance, cleaning and other general duties and building traps, wētā houses and enclosures. Email volunteer@birdrescue.org.nz to get involved.

Other ways you can help the centre include donations of dry kitten food, chicken feed, eggs (hard boiled or fresh), frozen mixed veggies, kūmara, spinach, oranges, apples, berries, live and dried mealworms, frozen bloodworms, frozen Brine shrimp, toilet paper, paper towels, puppy pads and old newspapers. The centre would also like help fostering baby blackbirds, feral pigeons, thrushes, sparrows and starlings. Financial donations to care for sick, injured and abandoned birds are also welcome.

The centre will be running a responder training workshop on June 17, 9.30am-4.30pm. “This full-day workshop emphasises human safety and humane management of the bird in trouble before they get to a vet or rehab facility. Our goal is to increase their chances of survival and to reduce suffering,” Lynn says. Visit https:// www.facebook.com/events/491539698704113/.

The Bird Rescue Centre, 74 Avonleigh Road, Green Bay, is open seven days a week 8am-4.30pm.

213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604 Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 6188

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Respite & Day Care, Specialist Hospital Dementia Care and Young Persons Disability Care We believe that inclusiveness, enjoyment and fun, contribute to a resident’s holistic well-being. Phone: Resina Rakai on (09) 828 3741 / 021 835 743 www.annemareeresthome.co.nz 24 Coronet Place, Avondale