Rescue teams patrol Oakland neighborhoods searching for floundering Heron chicks

OAKLAND — Oakland Zoo officials have dispatched rescue teams to the city’s streets in search of fallen fledgling Heron chicks, who may have tumbled out of their nests during hatching season.

So far this year, officials said, more than 140 fledglings have been rescued.

Nesting colonies of black-crowned night herons return annually to trees in downtown Oakland. So each day, two foot patrols take to the streets, searching for fledglings in trouble.

 The project is a collaborative effort between Oakland Zoo, International Bird Rescue, and the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

“Oakland Zoo is fully committed to preserving wildlife in our great city,” said Oakland Zoo CEO Nik Dehejia in a news release. “With 140 fledglings rescued, rehabilitated, and released this year alone, we hope to continue this important work and see our city’s official bird thrive in the years to come.”

Zoo officials said that Oakland is home to the largest black-crowned night-heron rookery in the Bay Area. When nests are built in the trees on busy Oakland streets, the fledglings just learning to fly, sometimes fall from their nests onto the concrete sidewalks or streets, often resulting in severe injury or death. 

“Black-crowned night herons are the official bird of Oakland, and they merit some special attention to ensure that they can continue to thrive in the city,” said Glenn Phillips, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society. 

The teams bring the injured birds to the Zoo for intermediary medical evaluation and treatment. The Zoo then transports the birds to International Bird Rescue to complete their recovery period.

Once the birds have recovered and are old enough to survive and fly, they are released into the wild.