It’s hard to believe just how far we’ve come.
Over the past few months, our new Native Nest Bird Rehabilitation Hospital has gone from an idea to a building that’s beginning to look and feel like a real wildlife hospital. Every week brings another exciting milestone, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped make this project possible.
Built by a Community
This hospital is only becoming a reality because of the generosity of our local community.
We’ve been fortunate to receive support from so many incredible businesses and individuals who have donated their time, skills, materials, and resources to help us create a purpose-built rehabilitation facility for New Zealand’s native birds.
From laying the concrete floors and constructing the building, to installing plumbing, electrical systems, windows, doors, and joinery, every contribution has helped bring us one step closer to opening our doors.
A Purpose-Built Space for Native Birds
Unlike our current facilities, our new hospital has been designed specifically with native bird rehabilitation in mind.
The hospital will provide a quiet, dedicated environment where injured, sick, and orphaned birds can recover with minimal stress. Every part of the design has been carefully considered to create the best possible conditions for healing.
One of the most exciting additions is our dedicated Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where our most vulnerable patients will receive specialised care.
Our ICU Is Taking Shape
The ICU is quickly becoming one of our favourite parts of the hospital.
It’s now fitted with stainless steel work benches for treatment and food preparation, specialised brooders for young birds requiring additional warmth, incubators that carefully control temperature and humidity for critically ill patients, and our neonatal incubator for the birds needing the highest level of care.
These resources will allow us to provide a level of intensive care that simply wasn’t possible before.
Every Detail Matters
As construction has progressed, we’ve also been focused on creating a calm environment for our patients.
The lighting has been carefully designed with dimmable lights and separate lighting zones, allowing us to reduce stress and create the ideal environment for recovery.
Our custom-built recovery cages have also been installed, featuring calming green interiors that help create a peaceful space while birds heal. We’re now eagerly awaiting the installation of the Perspex doors to complete this area.
Still Caring for Birds Every Day
Although construction continues, our rehabilitation work hasn’t stopped.
Native Nest continues to care for injured, sick, and orphaned native birds from across the region, servicing communities from the North Shore through to Kaiwaka.
Every week brings new patients through our doors, from kōtare and kererū to ruru, shags, seabirds, and many other native species. While the new hospital will significantly improve what we’re able to provide, our commitment to helping every bird remains exactly the same.
Looking Ahead
Becoming a registered charity this year has been another exciting milestone. It allows us to apply for grants that will help us continue growing and improving our facilities, ensuring we can provide the highest standard of care for New Zealand’s native wildlife.
There’s still plenty to do before the hospital officially opens, but seeing everything come together has been incredibly rewarding.
To everyone who has donated, volunteered, sponsored materials, shared our posts, or simply cheered us on, thank you.
This hospital belongs to our community as much as it belongs to Native Nest, and every bird that flies free again will be a reminder of what can be achieved when people come together for a common purpose.
We can’t wait to welcome you as we continue this journey and share the next chapter of Native Nest.
-Tom & Ian
Native Nest Rehab 
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