Dunedin Wildlife Hospital/Supplied
A pūteketeke (AKA Bird of the Century) is recovering after surgery to remove a fish hook from its stomach.
A pūteketeke, of recent Bird of the Century fame, is recovering after surgery to remove a fish hook from its stomach.
The bird, also known as the Australian crested grebe and recently crowned New Zealand’s Bird of the Century, has been receiving celebrity treatment at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital from a vet in Twizel.
X-rays revealed the female pūteketeke had ingested a fish hook which had made its way into its stomach.
It was hard to know if the bird was in pain as birds generally don’t appear unwell unless they are near death as weakness can make them an easy target for predators, senior wildlife veterinarian Dr Lisa Argilla said.
“A good general rule of thumb, taking into account the fact that a lot of sick and unwell birds don’t look sick, is if you managed to capture the bird there is definitely something wrong with it.
“A healthy wild bird should be extremely difficult to catch.”
Further tests found the bird’s oesophagus had not been damaged by the fish hook, which was removed by surgery.
“We’re extremely happy to say that all went well and the hook was successfully removed and Miss prima donna Bird of the Century is recovering well in her 5-star accommodation where she is receiving the best food and care,” the wildlife hospital said.
The pūteketeke was a relatively unknown species to many New Zealanders before Forest and Bird’s annual competition to elect the best bird.
But now the species is known around the world, after British-American comedian John Oliver launched an aggressive campaign for the species, which saw the orange-mulleted, puking bird with a funny mating dance make international headlines.
Dunedin Wildlife Hospital/Supplied
The Dunedin Wildlife Hospital asks that those who go fishing responsibly dispose of their fish hooks so that they cannot be swallowed by birds.
The pūteketeke won the competition, claiming 290,374 votes, or 83% of the total vote, and saw more than $600,000 donated to Forest and Bird.
“When you talk about the historic all-time levels of dominance, the conversation now begins and ends with Michael Jordan, Lionel Messi, Serena Williams and the pūteketeke,” Oliver said in a victory speech on his show, Last Week Tonight.
The injured pūteketeke will stay in the hospital until late January or February, to allow it to grow back the feathers on its stomach that were plucked for surgery.
“This is not slowing this gal down, and she is super feisty and being a model patient.”
SUPPLIED
Comedian John Oliver, who took New Zealand’s Bird of the Century election to the global stage with an aggressive campaign for the pūteketeke, celebrates a landslide victory.
The total cost of treating the pūteketeke is yet to be determined, but it will likely be in excess of $5000, Dr Argilla said.
“It would be amazing if John Oliver could do a shout-out and maybe encourage some donations to head our way.”
Birds that swallow fish hooks can die a slow and painful death, the hospital said.
“If you enjoy fishing, please take care to be tidy, clean up your mess, don’t leave fish hooks and fishing line lying around.”
Dunedin Wildlife Hospital/Supplied
The pūteketeke will be released in January or February, once her feathers have grown back.
Diving birds are known to chase after lures while people are fishing. Anyone who catches a bird should call DOC or a vet clinic rather than cutting the fishing line and releasing the bird free, potentially with a fish hook inside.
Since opening in 2018, the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital has cared for more than 2800 animals, including the penguins, kākā, kea, kākāpō reptiles and sea lions.
Donations to support its work can be made here.
