She cleans up after them, hand-feeds them, and gets them flight-ready.
Right now, she is caring for a bellbird and a blackbird which she will release at a later date into the wild.
When she cannot be on deck to help out, her son Sean takes over with the handling and feeding of the birds.
Sean says birds are remarkably adaptable and make good friends.
"When my mum's at work I feed some of them, help mix food...I like cuddling into them, and them running around after me.
"You get quite connected to them."
Sue moved from America to New Zealand at age 13 and a passion for feathered things quickly followed.
"I became the bird lady just by breeding birds, and helping people take in birds they've found and don't know what to do with... or take them to the vet if it's a problem I can't deal with."
The SPCA frequently enlists Sue to help with the calls they get about birds. Her latest acquisition is a baby duckling from a rescue at Green Island.
"They named him Donald... I put him in with two other little ducklings, and they just look after each other.
“We've had 27 ducks so far this season, and it's still going. We've released nine and have another five to release in a couple of weeks."
She has also started a Dunedin bird rescue page.
Bird Rescue Dunedin
"Looking after them you learn to treat their injuries and any problems they have.
“At the moment, I probably have 120 birds... it changes by the day."
Rosel Labone - The South Today
