Peaky beaky bird nursed back to health by caring community

A critically sick Albatross found onboard a Picton-based fishing boat has been released back to the wild.

Juvenile Gibson’s Albatross Rosa was rescued after landing on the bow of the Santa Rosa fishing off the West Coast.

And after a huge community effort to get the huge bird back to health, Rosa is reveling in her freedom.

She has spent three weeks at Ecoworld in Picton being nursed back to health.

EcoWorld’s biologist Sarah Nooy says Rosa has the honour of being the biggest bird they have helped at the centre.

“Rosa is the biggest bird we have rehabbed at EcoWorld. We could not have asked for a better result. It’s a great example of our community working together. A huge thanks to all of those who helped and got involved, it was a big team effort.”

Skipper Matthew Collett noticed Rosa was unwell and underweight after she landed on the bow of his boat.

After advising the Department of Conservation, the ailing albatross was transported to Picton where she received around-the clock care.

Assessing her first, Wildlife Management International expert Mike Bell from Blenheim discovered Rosa only weighed 4.9kg.

“She is a young female albatross from this year’s breeding season. She was obviously very lethargic and weighed only 4.9kg when she should be at about 7kg in weight."

Ecoworld's Sarah Nooy helped care for Rosa. Photo: Supplied/Ecoworld

Mike, Toni and Dan from Wildlife Management International then helped EcoWorld’s staff to rehabilitate Rosa and get the youngster back up to a healthy weight.

NZ King Salmon Sanford Limited and Hendersons Limited kindly donated salmon and squid to help feed her up.

Rosa was recently released off the Kaikōura coast and staff are rescuers are keeping their fingers crossed they see her again, Mike says.

"Albatross Encounter Kaikoura were most accommodating, allowing Dan and myself to release her on to the water off the back of one of their tour boats. She spent a good amount of time bathing before swimming off.

"Here’s hoping we get a band re-sighting at her breeding colony in years to come, but she has a long way to go still facing a myriad of threats out at sea”.