LAS VEGAS BELLAGIO STOPS ITS FAMOUS WATER FOUNTAIN SHOW AFTER RARE BIRD LANDS IN THE WATERS
Every day, a large number of people attend the Bellagio Hotel & Casino's fountain show on the Las Vegas Strip. But this Vegas mainstay had to be halted on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate a special visitor. One day, a bird that is uncommon on the American mainland—the yellow-billed loon—landed in the fountain.
The hotel staff posted on Twitter, "We are happy to welcome the most exclusive guests." The bird had "found comfort on Las Vegas' own Lake Bellagio," they said, adding that the fountains had been stopped and they were collaborating with state wildlife officials to rescue it.
Yellow-billed loons are normally found in the Arctic and along the Pacific mainland, so seeing one in the Las Vegas area is extremely uncommon. The National Park Service lists them as one of the ten rarest birds that breed on the US mainland and notes that 20–25% of the global population breeds seasonally in Alaska. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has listed it as “vulnerable,” meaning it may be at risk of endangerment in the future.
Kurt Buzard of the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve told FOX5 News that it was strange that the phenomenon had come to the crowded Bellagio fountains. He claims that the specimen is a younger bird that may have become lost while trying to migrate in the direction that most yellow-billed loons take, which is up the coast. This is going off course. Very uncommon to see that kind of bird in this area.
Initially, Nevada Department of Wildlife officials decided it was best to leave the bird alone and give it a day to resolve its differences. However, when Wednesday arrived, they became concerned about the loon's possible starvation if it remained there. They caught the bird once they determined what worked best. It was moved to the Wetlands, which is approximately 5 miles from the Strip, where it has access to plenty of food and water after it was determined that it was healthy and free of injuries.