Shhh. Be very quiet. Listen. Do you hear that? That faint “ca caw! ca caw!”? If you listen closer, you’ll hear that it’s really tens, nay, maybe dozens of Vogelliebhabers (the Germans really do have a word for everything and in this case, it means bird lover) chanting “bird law! bird law!”
Yes, friends, the bird law beacons have been lit: The yellow-billed loon calls for aid.
Not part of the Vogelliebhaber community? Well, I’ll paint you a picture with words then because my brushwork has been called too experimental for concrete thoughts and ideas.
Earlier this week, a yellow-billed loon was spotted in the fountain of the Bellagio casino on the Las Vegas strip. Now, if you’re not particularly hip on this bird in particular, you need to know these tiny living almost-dinosaurs are one of the rarest birds in the United States. But also, they simply do not belong in Las Vegas. (One could argue no one does, except for maybe Wayne Newton, but that is a story for another day.)
As a result, the Bellagio had to shut down its famed fountain water show, and coordinate the human removal of the loon for a day, something they rarely do:
Lest you think a private company devoted to fracking your bank account for all its value shut down its fountain out of the goodness of its heart, I’d like to point you toward bird law. Yes, it’s a real thing and not just a figment of Charlie Kelly’s beautiful mind. In this case, specifically, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This means that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages them, and steps in when they’re someplace they shouldn’t be, like Vegas.
Now, if you’re an Alaskan or Canadian, you might be surprised to find out these birds are protected, as they’re a pretty common sight around those parts. That’s because that limited area is the only place in the world the yellow-billed loon likes to call home, according to the National Audobon Society:
Most winter in limited area of southern Alaska and coastal British Columbia, but route between wintering and breeding areas unknown; may follow coast around Alaska rather than flying overland. In recent years, single birds (usually immature) have been found wintering on reservoirs and lakes in interior as far east as Illinois and Arkansas, as far south as Arizona and Texas.
So, most likely, this bird getting so far off the route is climate-change-related, just like every “oh, this isn’t normal” thing we encounter in nature in 2024. This feathered friend tends to pop up where you least expect them when the weather disorients them to the point they change their normal course. So that’s a fun and deeply sad anecdote.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. If you’re wondering, the loon was safely removed by professionals and, after being checked out, was released in a remote location outside of Vegas in the hopes that it would resume its trek north. Possibly being one of the few times a story ended happily with someone who was taken from a casino and released into the desert. Thanks, bird law!
(featured image: FX; randimal/Getty Images)
