Injured Spoonbill

After not being seen in the area since last Sunday, our big pink friend returned to the marsh yesterday and we immediately noticed that he had suffered an injury. There are some fresh gashes around his throat and chest area. We suspect he got into it with someone (my guess would be a blue heron) and possibly got the worst part of the exchange.

Our concern was that the injuries would prevent him from catching food which could weaken him severely and lessen his chances for survival. But as we observed him for a while yesterday morning out in the salt marsh, he seemed to be able to feed, preen, and fly normally which was good news.

He did get along fine with all the other birds who were also out there going about their day doing the same things as spoonie.

Our hope is that the wounds will heal and he will have a full recovery from the injuries.

We are heading out shortly for low tide in the marsh to see if he is out there again and try to get an update on his condition and behavior.

18 thoughts on “Injured Spoonbill”

roughseasinthemed on August 9, 2014 at 12:59 pm said:

It’s life isn’t it, but it still tugs at the heart to see them injured. When we got our big dog from the street, he had a pink necklace from street fights and a badly damaged ear. All well now of course, but Spoonie has to look after himself.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 11:53 am said:
  
  Yes it is of course part of nature but as you say at those times when nature appears cruel it can be tough to see.
  There was consideration given to contacting the bird rehab facility because they could provide treatment. But the spoonbill would have been impossible to catch which in many ways is good news. We plan to go look for him again later today and check on his progress. Thanks for your kind comments.
  
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The Dancing Rider on August 9, 2014 at 2:12 pm said:

Please do update if you can, you guys. I hope he is able to recover, and does not become infected. It sure does look like he got into it with somebody. Poor guy.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 11:55 am said:
  
  Yes infection was definitely a concern but looks like he has taken care of cleaning out those wounds himself as best he can which is how it should be. Nature can appear cruel at times and he hate to see a favorite out there be hurt.
  We have been keeping an eye on our buddy “Radar” for a while now, he has been looking a bit raggedy lately.
  
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Lee Wilkerson on August 9, 2014 at 2:54 pm said:

Sorry to know he’s injured, but at least the wounds are not limiting his activities. Hope he recovers fast with no infection, but I worry because these cuts aren’t located where he can keep them cleaned.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 12:01 pm said:
  
  Yeah it’s especially tough to see one of the all time favorite birds be injured. We know it happens but still tough to see. He did appear to get in a bit of a bath and seemed to wash away some of the blood spots. Still looks like he got a significant gash though.
  
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Meta on August 9, 2014 at 3:46 pm said:

He looks just terrible. Keep us posted on his progress. I sure hope he heals quickly. Poor Spooney.
Glad that his present companions are treating him kindly.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 12:03 pm said:
  
  That is one good thing, none of the other birds are picking on him or giving him a hard time. He had not had to deal with an alligator since last week but I bet he will avoid interaction there if he can.
  
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Pat on August 9, 2014 at 7:27 pm said:

Poor fellow. I imagine he’s no match for a sharp-billed bird.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 12:04 pm said:
  
  No he does not have many weapons at his disposal to fight or defend with. I expect a good jab from a large bird such as a blue heron could easily cause an injury like this.
  
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Charlie@Seattle Trekker on August 9, 2014 at 7:42 pm said:

Some great shots, really like the focus on the spoonbill crane.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 12:05 pm said:
  
  Thanks for checking them out and we hope his condition improves.
  
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dinajohnston on August 9, 2014 at 8:30 pm said:

So sad to see such a beautiful bird hurt. Hopefully, he will heal. Great shots!

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 12:06 pm said:
  
  I know it seems especially tough to see one of the favorites hurt. We of course feel bad if we see a hurt cormorant, but somehow it’s not the same. Not fair I know but that’s often how it shakes out.
  
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foxleylady on August 10, 2014 at 7:26 am said:

I hate to see any creature hurt, Phil. He looks so sorry for himself, I do hope he’s ok.

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- Phil Lanoue on August 10, 2014 at 12:08 pm said:
  
  Yes we always feel bad to see any of the animals hurt. One of the alligators that often goes out into the salt marsh to feed has a huge chunk ripped out off his back and another is missing about a foot of the end of his tail. Feel bad for those guys too.
  We plan to go look for spoonie again later today/
  
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anotherday2paradise on August 10, 2014 at 3:14 pm said:

He does look a sorry sight here, Phil. I hope he will be okay. Great photos again.

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dawn on August 13, 2014 at 11:49 am said:

I just came in from a beautiful morning with the birding volunteers at the park. We did see the spoonbill feeding in the salt marsh. I hope he continues to heal and recover. Thank you for such a beautiful photo documentary of this natural event.

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