This beautiful Australasian Gannet was found on the beach in Colville and came to us via my trusted driver from Coromandel, Neville Cameron.
It is quite difficult to examine large birds on your own, so a trip to Peninsula Vets was best to find out why it wasn't flying, with the diagnostic tools and equipment they have available.
Vet Kirsty felt some swelling around the lower wing and the radiographs soon showed an old dislocation on the lower joint, which was pretty hard to move.
If we tried to surgically fix it, the bird would have to stay a long time to make sure it was healing. But seabirds do not do all that well in captivity, and it would possibly still have a slight disability even if surgery was successful.
RIP Beautiful Gannet.