Protecting our Native Birds

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) has now been detected in New Zealand. There is currently no detection of H5N1 at Ngā Manu.

Here at Ngā Manu, the health and wellbeing of our animals and people is our top priority so, over the last 18 months, we have been putting a comprehensive H5N1 Preparedness Plan into action.

This plan, developed using Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) guidance, will help us to protect the precious native birds in our care while ensuring you can continue to enjoy everything that makes Ngā Manu special.

This means Ngā Manu continues to operate as normal.

Our:

  • wildlife experiences and guided tours continue;
  • walking trails remain open;
  • visitor centre and gift shop remain open;
  • conservation work continues.

A few changes visitors may notice are:

Bird feeding changes

To reduce opportunities for wild birds to gather within the Reserve:

  • Duck food is no longer available for purchase.
  • Our tūī and wax-eye feeding stations have been removed.

Aviary improvements

We are upgrading our aviaries with enhanced biosecurity measures to better protect the birds in our care, while ensuring visitors can continue to enjoy viewing our species.

Some temporary construction may be visible while these improvements are completed.

How you can help

Protecting our native species is something we can all play a role in. During your visit, please:

  • Do not feed birds anywhere in the Reserve.
  • Follow any biosecurity instructions from our team.

If you see a bird that appears sick, injured or deceased, please:

  1. Do not touch the bird.
  2. Take note of where you saw it.
  3. Alert a member of the Ngā Manu team as soon as possible.

Our Rangers are trained to assess and handle situations involving birds safely and appropriately.