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Flight of the Great Blue Heron (to Arizona)

This patient arrived at the West Sound Wildlife Shelter on October 30, 2008, most likely because it had been attacked by a bald eagle.  The heron had a fractured right wing and right leg.  With help from veterinarian and avian specialist Dr. Scott Ford, the heron underwent surgery, pins for the fractures, and splints.  After months of recuperation, the heron’s leg recovered beautifully, but the wing joint showed permanent damage. 

The heron would never be able to fly well enough to survive in the wild.

The heron during recovery, with a splint on its leg. Photo: ©Robin Purcell Photography

By law, any patient that can’t survive in the wild has to either be placed as an educational animal or be put to sleep.  Once it became clear that this heron couldn’t be released, the WSWS staff started looking for a facility that could take it on as an educational bird.  Success came in the form of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum, and botanical garden.

With the destination in place, the Shelter acquired the federal and state permits needed to transfer a wild animal.  Then the challenge became getting this long-legged bird to Arizona.  The Desert Museum prepared a box for the heron to travel in, but the box proved too big for many commercial airlines.  In addition, with the arrival of summer, the airlines stopped transporting animals.  With so many special needs—from the height of the box to air conditioning—the heron couldn’t travel by a regular flight.

In stepped KING 5 television.  The Shelter’s rehabilitation assistant, Lynne Weber, convinced the channel 5 news team to run a spot about the heron in hopes that a good Samaritan might appear.  And it did indeed.  Fed Ex called with an offer to fly the heron to Phoenix along with a handler and a donor stepped up to pay for the miscellaneous expenses involved in the transfer.  (Watch the KING 5 television spot.)

At 8:58 p.m. on July 5 the heron departed for Phoenix for free, via Fed Ex, with Jay Hart, a Fed Ex pilot, acting as a volunteer handler.  The heron arrived safely the next morning at 4 a.m. and was met by George Carpenter of the Desert Museum with an air-conditioned van. 

The heron is now installed in its new home, a bright, airy enclosure on the museum’s grounds.  George Carpenter reported that the second the heron was in its new digs, it shook out all of its feathers, ready to get settled. The West Sound Wildlife Shelter is extremely grateful to Fed Ex, Jay Hart, and to all the donors who stepped in to help this bird transition to the next stage in its life—educating people about life in the wild.

Below, you'll find photos of the heron in its Arizona living quarters. Many thanks to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for sending these to us.

Watch the KING 5 spot filmed after the heron arrived in Arizona.