What Wingspan Does

Conservation is at the heart of everything we do at Wingspan.

For over 30 years, we have led and facilitated the most significant raptor conservation work in New Zealand - and the kārearea, our threatened national falcon, has been at the centre of it all.

Captive Breeding for Wild Release

By establishing carefully managed breeding pairs from our resident falcons and injured wild birds, Wingspan breeds kārearea chicks each season and releases them into the wild to supplement struggling populations across the country. Our captive breeding programme follows internationally recognised best-practice protocols - including the highly successful hack release method - to maximise each bird's chance of surviving and thriving in the wild.

More about Captive Breeding ➙

Bird Rehabilitation

Sadly, many of New Zealand's raptors are injured each year - struck by vehicles, shot, caught in traps, electrocuted by power lines, and more. Wingspan operates a specialist rehabilitation programme for injured wild raptors, arranging expert veterinary care, delivering fitness training, and providing a pathway back to the wild for birds that would otherwise not survive.

Research & Monitoring

Evidence-based conservation requires robust research. Wingspan collaborates with universities, government agencies, and independent researchers to advance the understanding of New Zealand's birds of prey - their population dynamics, breeding ecology, threats, and responses to management. We have published peer-reviewed scientific papers both nationally and internationally, and we actively support student research in key conservation areas.

Conservation Action Programme

Drawing on nearly three decades of accumulated knowledge, Wingspan has developed a strategic Conservation Action Programme - a landscape-scale plan to restore birds of prey into New Zealand's everyday environment and secure their long-term future. This programme guides where we focus our limited resources for maximum conservation impact.

Wingspan Raptor Conservation Award

Conservation is about people. Every year, the Wingspan Raptor Award acknowledges individuals who have made outstanding contributions to raptor conservation and advocacy. It's our way of recognising the passion and dedication of the wider community in protecting our shared natural heritage.

Report a Falcon Sighting

Our knowledge of where kārearea are breeding across New Zealand is still surprisingly incomplete. If you see a NZ falcon in the wild, we want to know about it.

Your sighting data contributes directly to our population monitoring and conservation planning.

Report a Sighting ➙

FAQ's

Do you release all the birds you breed?

Wingspan holds back a small number of birds as they have a very important job – ambassadors for their species. We firmly believe that wildlife engagement is an important conservation tool, engendering empathy for the birds and empowering people to take action to protect them.

Alongside our education and advocacy work, Wingspan breeds kārearea for release into the wild, supplementing numbers of a threatened species. Read more about this here.

Birds of prey don’t seem very vulnerable – why is there a need for Wingspan?

Birds of prey are intelligent, fierce and powerful animals, there’s no doubt about that. But make no mistake, they face many challenges. Juvenile mortality is high, and surviving their first winter independent of mum and dad is tough. On top of that, man has affected a number of changes on our landscape that have a direct impact on our birds of prey.

Read more about our birds of prey and the threats they face here.

I have rescued a bird – what do I do?

Wingspan is licenced with the Department of Conservation to care for birds of prey; this includes owls, falcons and harriers (hawks). If you believe you have rescued a bird of prey, first call Wingspan on +64 7 357 4469 for advice.

If you have rescued a native species that is not a bird of prey, contact the DOC Hotline on 0800 362 468.If you have rescued a non-native species, get in touch with your local SPCA branch.

If you are unsure of the species you have rescued, email us a photo and we can help identify it for you.

Why do you only rescue birds of prey?

Wingspan specialises in birds of prey, and as such, does not have the permit, skills, experience, or resources to care for non-raptor species.

A bird of prey is hassling my chickens/pigeons/doves – what do I do?

Unfortunately, this is a common issue for holders of chickens, pigeons and doves worldwide. It is a particular problem in the cooler months when food starts to become harder to find and birds of prey venture further afield in their search, often appearing in people’s backyards.

The best thing you can do is act early and remove temptation. Enclose your birds in their chicken coop, dovecote or pigeon loft and ensure they are out of sight. A hungry bird of prey will quickly lose interest and move on.

We appreciate you looking out for our raptors in a difficult situation. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this in more detail, you can reach out to our team by calling 07 357 4469 or emailing us here.