I once heard from what I thought was a reliable source, but can't confirm that as it was a long time ago, about a ornithologist handling a GBH and it reared back and put it's beak through his skull. I don't know if this is a true story, but I imagine it could happen, so great care needs to be taken handling these large birds with very long, sharp beaks. Evergreen
-----Original Message-----
From: Vermont Birds <VTBIRD...> On Behalf Of Ron Payne
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 3:17 PM
To: <VTBIRD...>
Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] injured heron?
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
On Tue, 16 Apr 2024 18:47:27 -0400, Maeve Kim <maevekim7...> wrote:
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
