The Directory
Native Bird Recovery Centre
Maunu
Whangarei
New Zealand Native Bird Recovery
The award-winning Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre Incorporated provides help, treatment and rehabilitation for injured and ill native birds so that they can be returned to the wild. Founded in 1992 by Robert and Robyn Webb, the centre is run with the help of a small and dedicated band of volunteers. Entry is by donation as the centre is a non-profit organisation that survives without government help.
The centre takes in all injured birds, both native and non-native, and where possible nurses the birds back to health for release into the wild. More than 60% of the birds that are brought into the centre are successfully released again.
A special part of the centre is the Bayer incubation unit and kiwi recovery pens. This facility is used to incubate eggs found in the wild and also as a recovery area for injured kiwi.
The centre's diverse operations include:
- Rescuing, caring for and rehabilitating over 1200 birds each year.
- Running education programmes for approximately 6000 school children who visit the centre each year.
- Running birdlife education programmes in some of Northland's more remote schools.
- Lecturing groups of adults about the centre and its conservation work.
- Fostering environmental consciousness in Northland's communities.
- Educating local landowners on wild birds and care of their habitat.
- Helping save the kiwi by being part of the kiwi recovery programme in conjunction with the Department of Conservation
- Ongoing care of birds which cannot be released due to permanent injuries. These form a valuable part of the breeding programme and education.
- Providing advice on treatment of wild birds to other agencies such as veterinarians and zoos.
- Incubating kiwi recovery programme eggs and rearing chicks until ready to be released into the wild
Have you visited the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre? Tell us about your visit in the box below.