GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 15 October ) — A black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), a migratory wading bird, was rescued in Barangay Poblacion, Kidapawan City, after being attacked by crows, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-12 reported.

In a report on Wednesday, DENR-12 said the bird was discovered on October 12 behind a boarding house near a school where local teacher Sheila N. Olay and her husband retrieved the bird.

The exhausted heron was then brought to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) Cotabato on October 14 for observation and care.

According to DENR-12, initial assessments by DENR-PENRO Cotabato showed the heron is in good shape but displaying signs of weakness.

“The bird is currently under close observation and temporary care at the PENRO facility and is expected to be released back into the wild once fully recovered,” the report stated.

Similar incidents have also occurred in the past. In 2020, a juvenile Philippine serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus) was rescued in Sarangani Province after being found weakened and threatened by crows. 

Black-crowned night herons are primarily nocturnal and inhabit wetlands, including marshes, rivers, lakes, and tidal flats.

According to the website of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a research and conservation institution specializing in the study of birds, these birds are mostly active at night and feed on fish, amphibians, insects, and other small aquatic animals.

DENR-12 reminded the public that migratory birds like the black-crowned night heron are protected under Republic Act No. 9147, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

The law protects migratory and native species in the Philippines, prohibiting the hunting, collecting, or possessing of wildlife without proper permits. (Guia A. Rebollido / MindaNews)