Thanks for sharing that info, Ron. I wondered about that. I saw a man pick up an injured red-tailed hawk once, and he mentioned birds he wouldn’t try to help but I couldn’t remember if GBHE was one. I participated in a loon rescue once, and we were warned over and over about the dangers of that long, strong bill.
Maeve Kim
> On Apr 17, 2024, at 3:17 PM, Ron Payne <rpayne72...> wrote:
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> I once pointed someone who was trying to get aid to an injured Great Blue Heron to rehabbers and heard back to them after, and apparently the consensus is that they are too dangerous to handle.
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> Ron Payne
> Middlebury, VT
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> On Tue, 16 Apr 2024 18:47:27 -0400, Maeve Kim <maevekim7...> wrote:
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> I spent several hours Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at Brilyea and other nearby birding hotspots. (Bernie gave me two nights in a b-and-b, and three days solo birding, for my birthday!) On Sunday, I noticed a Great Blue Heron standing completely still, with its bill open. Herons standing still aren’t unusual, but this bird didn’t move for the whole twenty minutes I watched, and it wasn’t fishing. It was simply staring straight ahead, with its bill open. Then I noticed that the bill looked shorter than usual, with the lower mandible shorter than the top. The possible explanation I came up with is that the bird had tangled with a snapping turtle and was in shock. I checked back after a half hour and it was gone; if it had still been there, I was going to contact a rehabilitator for suggestions. Has anyone else noticed this bird? Can a bird regrow an injured beak?
> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center
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