Little Heron, hooked

YC Wee
on 10th February 2008

In early January, Daniel Koh came across a dead Little Heron (Butorides striatus) dangling at the end of a fishing line that got entangled on a branch of a casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) tree in Punggol Park.

The dead Little Heron apparently swallowed a fish still attached to a hook at the end of a fishing line. An angler must have carelessly disposed his line with a bait fish still attached to the hook and the bird must have swallowed the fish and subsequently the line got entangled onto the branch. Stuck to the hook and dangling on the line, the poor bird slowly died from starvation.

The pond in the park is a designated fishing area and anglers are always there. This is an example of what can happen if fishing lines are indiscriminately disposed of.

Daniel Koh
Singapore
February 2008
(Image by Daniel Koh and Chan Yoke Meng)

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the authors/contributors, and do not represent nor are they endorsed by the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore (LKCNHM, NUS) or any of NUS’s affiliates or subsidiaries. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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3 responses

  1. Wow how many times can you say poor little bird,some people would not rant that much if a child was hanging there.

    Reply
  2. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group » Another White-throated Kingfished strangled by kite string
  3. Pingback: Bird Ecology Study Group Young White-bellied Sea-eagle strangled by fishing net

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