- Admitted
- October 28, 2024
- Released
- December 11, 2024
- Rescue Location
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Cause of Admission/Condition
- Suspected window strike
- Status
- Former Patient
Last Updated Jump to patient updates
On October 28, while promoting a Cape Henry Audubon initiative to make Hampton Roads safer for birds, bird advocate Pat S. received a call from Tidewater Wildlife Rescue, an Eastern Shore rescue group, about an injured American Bittern. A construction worker had found the bird following a likely collision with a window. Pat S. quickly dispatched Cape Henry Audubon volunteers Heidi and Pat Q. to the site to help contain the injured bittern.
When they arrived at the rescue site, Heidi and Pat Q. discovered the bird was feisty but obviously injured. After carefully containing the bird – who they dubbed “the Hissinator” due to its defensive hissing vocalizations – they transported it to licensed rehabilitator Dana for further assessment. On physical exam, Dana discovered that the bittern had a broken femur (thighbone). Unfortunately, the rehabilitator's veterinarian was not available to surgically repair the fracture, so Dana promptly transferred the bird to the Wildlife Center of Virginia for further care.
The Center's veterinary team performed a thorough physical exam upon intake. They confirmed the presence of a left femur fracture through radiography and performed an emergency blood panel that revealed mild anemia. To treat these findings, the vet team provided anti-inflammatories, pain medication, and supportive fluids, and placed a bandage on the fracture until surgery could be performed. Because wading birds are especially stressed in care, they also administered an anti-anxiety medication.
The next day, the veterinary team anesthetized the bittern for surgery. Because the bird was mildly anemic and already undergoing surgery, the team also performed a blood transfusion. With no other bitterns available as donors, they selected a Great Horned Owl, a genetically similar patient, to donate. Following the transfusion, the team successfully placed a pin to stabilize the fracture. The bittern recovered smoothly from surgery and was placed on strict cage rest to support its leg's healing.
Since surgery, the veterinary team has been closely monitoring the bittern and cleaning the incision site daily. They will continue to check the fracture’s progress, provide necessary wound care, and take extra precautions to reduce the bittern's stress during its stay. Known for their selective diets, bitterns can be challenging to feed, so staff are supplying small live fish to support this patient’s recovery. Check out these snippets of the bittern consuming some of its meal!
Patient Updates
Throughout November, the bittern continued to heal and eat well in care, although it clearly preferred the black fish over the goldfish provided by the rehabilitation team. Staff cleaned the bittern's pin and incision sites daily, ensuring they remained clean and dry throughout the healing process.
On November 12, the veterinary team took a new set of radiographs and shortened the pin to allow for a greater range of motion, though the bittern remained on strict cage rest. A week later, on November 19, additional radiographs were taken, and the pin was removed entirely. In the following week, staff observed the bittern standing and using its leg more effectively, so they moved it to a larger crate to provide more room for movement.
On December 9, the bittern was transferred to a large outdoor enclosure, where it immediately demonstrated not only its feistiness but also its ability to fly. The Center's team determined that it was ready to return to the wild. Dr. Karra, the Director of Veterinary Services, released the bittern at Lakewood Park in Norfolk on December 11, after 44 days in care. Initially reluctant to leave the safety of its transport crate, the bittern eventually flew powerfully out of the crate and into the trees—back to the wild where it belongs.