Thanks to fast action by bird lovers in Oakland, CA, a dozen injured and scared herons and egrets are safely in care this week at our San Francisco Bay-Delta wildlife center.
Last Monday in a well-known Oakland rookery, a ficus tree infected by dry rot split in two and spilled wild birds near a busy downtown intersection. Fortunately bird heroes from a number of different agencies–including Golden Gate Audubon Society, the Oakland Zoo, Oakland Animal Control and the Oakland Police Department–sprung into action, scooping up the dazed and injured nesting birds. While some of the birds did not survive the fall, 14 birds were sent immediately to our wildlife center.
After transport to our rehabilitation center, the birds were treated, given needed food, medication and water, and a couple of them underwent surgery to repair broken bones, including the juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron shown above and in the x-ray.
Thanks to local media reports, attention was drawn to these unfortunate nesting birds and the public has graciously donated more than $1,000 to care for these birds. At $18-50 per bird per day, that gets us off to a good start, but there’s still more need to fill.
You can adopt a heron or egret today
Read more in the East Bay Times
Photos by staff veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr