Bird Care in Palmerston North

Bird care in Palmerston North

Few New Zealand cities offer as close a look at specialist bird care as Palmerston North. Massey University's Wildbase Hospital on the Manawatū campus is the national wildlife hospital, and its patients are rare and endangered native birds, reptiles and bats from across the country. Once treated, many birds move to Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery in Victoria Esplanade, where Massey wildlife technicians continue their care.

At Wildbase Recovery, rehabilitation aviaries hold species such as kiwi, takahē and yellow-eyed penguins, and the Esplanade also has breeding aviaries for whio and pāteke. Further afield, the Manawatū Estuary at Foxton Beach is a Ramsar wetland where 95 bird species have been recorded, including eastern bar-tailed godwits. Together they cover captive rehabilitation, breeding for release and wild shorebird behaviour within a short distance of the city.