Recently, a preschool director at a Long Island church went outside to the playground and found someone she never expected — a wild baby bird, all alone.
In need of expert help, the worried staffer contacted local animal rescuer Karenlynn Stracher, who
headed straight over.
Stracher identified the bird as a young yellow-crowned night heron, a smaller breed of heron known for their short legs, large heads and bold face patterns. This particular heron sported a tuft of wild feathers on his head, which, when paired with his beak and neck, reminded some internet commenters of the Jurassic era.
“What a cute little dinosaur,” one user commented on Stracher’s TikTok post about the rescue.
Stracher suspected the bird had recently fledged from his nest nearby and had accidentally ended up stranded in this busy, dangerous area.
“[There was] absolutely no shade, no place to hide or take cover to feel safe, and he was on a surface that heats up dramatically on a hot sunny summer day, which this happened to be,” Stracher told The Dodo. “In addition, there was no water source. He was in danger of overheating and dehydrating, even with his parents continuing to care for him on the ground.”
The rescuer decided the best course of action was for the heron to remain in the area, near his parents, but in the cooler, grassy section beyond the fenced playground, where there was more shrubbery and safety. She gently grabbed the bird and placed him in the fresh grass, where he happily ran back into the brush.
Later, when Stracher checked with the preschool staff, she was pleased to learn that the heron had reunited with his parents and was now flying in and out of the area on his own.
“These are the types of rescues that make me so happy because something so simple can mean so much to a little creature,” Stracher said. “All it took was a simple phone call and five minutes of my time, and this little bird gets to grow up.”
