Who’s missing a Blue Crane?
That’s the question International Bird Rescue in Los Angeles, California is asking the public and zoos. This unusual bird patient came into care on March 12, 2022 after it was found roaming around Whittier Narrows Nature Center.
A Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus), also known as a Stanley Crane, is not native to California, in fact, it is the national bird of South Africa and is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due to habitat destruction. These birds are tall, usually around 3 feet, with a wingspan of 5 feet. They are ground-dwelling birds who feed primarily on insects such as large grasshoppers in the dry, grassy, upland areas of Africa.
Our staff veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr, examined the bird on arrival and determined it to be in relatively good health aside from being skinny and having a wound on one of its wings. Our clinic staff also noticed that the bird’s other wing is pinioned. Pinioning is a technique commonly used in captive birds to reduce their ability to fly in order to help keep them in their captive environments. The bird also has a metal identification band which suggests it came from some sort of zoo or collection. Thus far, nobody has been able to identify where this beautiful bird belongs despite the metal ID Band.
Bird Rescue is working closely with colleagues from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to help find the “owners” of this bird based on its band identification or to help find an alternative placement option if necessary.
If you have any information on where this bird might have come from, please contact the Bird Center’s Los Angeles wildlife center via e-mail: kylie@birdrescue.org and include “Blue Crane” subject line.