Unusual night heron rescued
The Scottish SPCA has rescued an unusual black-crowned night heron after it was found being attacked by buzzards in a Stranraer village.
A local resident called us for help after spotting the distinct red-eyed bird in Dunragit at the weekend (5-6 November).
Inspector Arianne Harkness collected the stricken heron and took it to a local vets for examination before transporting it to the South of Scotland Wildlife Hospital in Dumfries to recover from its ordeal.
Inspector Harkness said, "Once the bird was safe I set about trying to establish where it had come from because it's not native to the UK and was easy to handle which suggested it was used to being around people.
"After making some enquiries I was contacted by Edinburgh Zoo who explained that the bird used to belong to them, before being rehomed to Galloway Wildlife and Conservation Park in Kirkcudbright some years ago.
"I contacted the park's owner, John Denerly, who confirmed the bird was missing after it flew away during bad weather.
"I'm glad we were able to reunite the bird with its rightful owners and I'm sure it will be much happier back in its aviary and safely out of the reach of any buzzards!"
Black crowned night herons are nocturnal feeders with excellent vision. They are native to the Americas, Central and Eastern Europe, parts of Africa and Southern Asia. Their diet mainly consists of fish although they also enjoy leaches, earthworms and frogs. They usually live in small colonies.
Anyone who discovers an injured or distressed animal should call our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.