Species we admit

Thank you for your concerns regarding a sick, injured, or orphaned bird rescue.

Thank you for being a bird hero. Each species requires specific clinical rehabilitation plans, and as of the 19 Feb 2025, BirdCare Aotearoa will focus our efforts on the recovery of Native and Endemic species- listed below. This is to ensure that our charitable resources are best utilised to save vulnerable birdlife that cannot be found elsewhere in the world.

Please note, the links below are not exhaustive. You will also find below PDF resources to Birds NZ’s lists of species considered native, vs introduced. Our busy nursery will make an exemption for orphaned songbirds- baby Blackbirds and Songthruhes.

• All species of Toroa Albatross (nzbirdsonline)
• Australasian Bittern | Matuku-Hūrepo (nzbirdsonline)
• Black petrel | Tāiko (nzbirdsonline)
• Black Stilt (not found in North Island) | Kakī (nzbirdsonline)
• Pāteke Brown Teal (nzbirdsonline)
• Giant Petrel | Pāngurunguru  (nzbirdsonline)
• Stitchbird | Hīhī (nzbirdsonline)
• Kiwi spp. (nzbirdsonline)
• Long-tailed cuckoo | Koekoeā (nzbirdsonline)
• Toroa Mollymawk spp. (nzbirdsonline)
• North Island Kākā (nzbirdsonline)
• North Island Kōkako (nzbirdsonline)
• Northern Dotterel | Tūturiwhatu (nzbirdsonline)
• Northern Weka nzbirdsonline
• Weweia NZ Dabchick (nzbirdsonline)
• Tara iti NZ Fairy Tern (nzbirdsonline)
• Kārearea NZ Falcon (nzbirdsonline)
• NZ Storm Petrel | Takahikare-raro (nzbirdsonline)
• Spotless Crake | Pūweto (nzbirdsonline)
• Royal spoonbill | Kōtuku ngutupapa (nzbirdsonline)
• Shore Plover | Tuturuatu (nzbirdsonline)
• Takahe (nzbirdsonline)
• White Heron | Kōtuku (nzbirdsonline)
• Ngutu Pare Wrybill nzbirdsonline
• Australasian gannet | Tākapu (nzbirdsonline)
• Banded dotterel | Pohowera
• Bar-tailed godwit | Kuaka (nzbirdsonline)
• Bellbird | Korimako (nzbirdsonline)
• Southern black-backed gull | Karoro (nzbirdsonline)
• Black-billed gull | Tarāpuka (nzbirdsonline)
• Caspian tern | Taranui (nzbirdsonline)
• Common diving petrel | Kuaka (nzbirdsonline)
• New Zealand fantail | Pīwakawaka (nzbirdsonline)
• Grey teal | Tētē-moroiti (nzbirdsonline)
• Grey warbler | Riroriro (nzbirdsonline)
• Grey duck | Pārera (nzbirdsonline)
• Fairy prion | Tītī wainui (nzbirdsonline)
• Swamp harrier | Kāhu (nzbirdsonline)
• New Zealand pigeon / kererū / kūkū / kūkupa (DOC)
• Little penguin/kororā (DOC)
• Paradise shelduck | Pūtangitangi (nzbirdsonline)
• Variable oystercatcher | Tōrea pango (nzbirdsonline)
• Cook’s petrel | Tītī (nzbirdsonline)
• Black-winged petrel | Karetai kapa mangu (nzbirdsonline)
• Pycroft’s petrel (nzbirdsonline)
• Grey-faced petrel | Ōi (nzbirdsonline)
• Pied stilt | Poaka (nzbirdsonline)
• Pūkeko | Pukeko (nzbirdsonline)
• Red-billed Gull | Tarāpunga (nzbirdsonline)
• Reef heron | Matuku moana (nzbirdsonline)
• Red knot | Huahou (nzbirdsonline)
• Ruddy turnstone (nzbirdsonline)
• Ruru | Morepork (nzbirdsonline)
• Kingfisher/kōtare (DOC)
• New Zealand king shag | Kawau pāteketeke (nzbirdsonline)
• Terek sandpiper (nzbirdsonline)
• Spotted shag | Kawau tikitiki (nzbirdsonline)
• Pied shag | Kāruhiruhi (nzbirdsonline)
• Little shag | Kawaupaka (nzbirdsonline)
• Fluttering shearwater | Pakahā (nzbirdsonline)
• Little shearwater | Totorore (nzbirdsonline)
• Sooty shearwater | Tītī (nzbirdsonline)
• Buller’s shearwater | Rako (nzbirdsonline)
• Flesh-footed shearwater | Toanui (nzbirdsonline)
• Shining cuckoo | Pīpīwharauroa (nzbirdsonline)
• Silvereye | Tauhou (nzbirdsonline)
• Spur-winged plover (nzbirdsonline)
• Tui | Tūī (nzbirdsonline)
• Welcome swallow | Warou (nzbirdsonline)
• White-faced heron | Matuku moana (nzbirdsonline)
• White-fronted tern | Tara (nzbirdsonline)

NURSERY EXEMPTION, we will admit orphaned chicks of:

• Song thrush | Manu-kai-hua-rakau (nzbirdsonline)
• Eurasian blackbird | Manu pango (nzbirdsonline)

Download as file: Priority_BirdList

Introduced non-natives: pdf

BirdsNZ native species list: pdf