A kookaburra found with a skewer lodged in its throat has left vets at a Gold Coast wildlife hospital scratching their heads.

The native bird was found by residents on William Banks Drive at Burleigh Heads.

It could not fly and was taken to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital where it was examined by veterinarian Dr Robin Stenner.

"It was a bit of a surprising case to be honest," she said.

The kookaburra is resting after having the skewer removed. ( Supplied: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital )

"We did X-rays to check that the wings and the legs were okay, and there was nothing internal, and we ended up finding a large metallic skewer inside the bird."

The kookaburra was then sedated and the skewer carefully removed.

"Luckily in this case, the tip of the skewer was still sitting at the top of the oesophagus so with the bird under anaesthetic we were able to grasp that with some forceps and just pull it out through the mouth," she said.

Dr Stenner said the bird was resting in a cage after the operation.

"We're hoping that a couple of days in care, on some pain relief, and some rest, we'll be seeing this guy ready for release," she said.

Staff at the wildlife hospital cannot be sure how the skewer became lodged in the bird's throat.

Dr Stenner said it could have been the result of a feeding mishap.

"It sort of looks like the type of skewer someone may have tried to feed the bird with some meat."

The veterinarian said people should think twice before feeding native fauna.

"Our advice is to not really be feeding wildlife, it can cause a lot of health problems if you're not feeding them the right thing," she said.