Sandhill crane resident in Regina attracts bird fans and concerns
Regina’s Wascana Park is often filled with geese, so a lone whooping crane spotted in the area is causing a bit of a stir.
Bird fans like Dessie Matchett-Orb and her 11-year-old son Chevy have been coming to the park to look for the cranes.
Early last week, they decided to try their luck near the Saskatchewan Science Center – a location where people have reported seeing sandhill cranes – but when they got there they didn’t see any.
Later that day, Machete-Orb checked out the area near the Conexus Arts Center and saw the tall, red-crowned bird, then returned with her son after school.
“I was excited because I saw him that morning, but my son was much more excited,” Matchett-Orb said.
She said her son has always had a passion for birds – a love he shares with his grandmother – and has been taking photographs of them since he was six years old. They carried a zoom lens so they could keep their distance.
“He got some really nice shots of (the crane) lying down and said, ‘We need to print them for my grandmother.'”
Bonnie Dale, executive director of the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan, said she believes the bird is injured because it does not appear to be able to fly long distances, and sandhill cranes are not commonly found in urban settings.
“Our biggest message is, leave this poor bird alone,” Dale said.
Video captured Wednesday afternoon by CBC Saskatchewan videographer Will Draper shows the sandhill cranes that have been spotted around Regina.
Over the past few months, Dale said, there have been several instances of crowds of people gathering around the crane, sometimes even being chased by dogs.
“(The birds) are trying to create calories to keep themselves warm and unnecessarily stressing this bird takes away the extra energy it needs to survive right now,” he said.
Dale is asking people to stop searching for the bird and to refrain from posting its location on social media.
The Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan is working with Salt Haven to capture and care for the sandhill crane. Dale said eight “dedicated” volunteers are monitoring the bird until then.
He said if the injury is old or can’t be fixed, they’ll come up with a plan – which could result in Euthanasia Due to provincial laws that prevent ownership of non-free-ranging wildlife.
“If this bird cannot be returned to the wild, if we are able to capture it safely, it would be the kindest thing for this bird,” Dale said.
