More native birds landing in hands of Wellington charity

Record numbers of tui and kererū are stretching the services of a Wellington bird rescue charity.

Over the past year, the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust has cared for 1260 rescued birds.

Trust founder Craig Shepherd said it was great to see more birds being brought into their care, but the charity now needs to raise funds for more cages and aviaries.

"We've seen a massive increase in the number of birds, but particularly kererū and tui," Shepherd said.

"It's good to see them coming through our door - it means that in the majority of cases we can do something for them.

"And maybe it's a good thing it means we're getting a surge in literally the numbers - we've reached a point where they're becoming more than a self-sustaining population and they're blossoming."

Zealandia has maintained a predator proof fence since 1999, giving native wildlife a safe space to flourish in Wellington for the past 21 years.

Native birds had increased in numbers within the wildlife sanctuary and had flown over the fences into the city, Shepherd said.

"There's a huge amount of predator trapping going on in Wellington.

"We've got lots of people planting appropriate plants for tui and kererū to give them food.

"People are simply more connected with our wildlife."

While more people were showing greater concern for sick and injured birds, the trust was also becoming a "victim of its own success", he said.

"Some days I will get 20 phone calls and, depending on the weather, we might get a dozen people turn up with birds.

"It's like a traffic jam here some days, like a railway station."