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Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns 275

Figure­17.1­ American Bittern chicks in a 100 °F (37.8 °C) animal intensive care unit, note the diversity of
sticks for toes to grab and fish offered in shallow dish. Source: photo courtesy of International Bird Rescue.

electrolyte solution, may be given orally at 5% (50 ml/kg) of body weight. This helps hydrate and
warm them internally and promotes gastrointestinal motility. Subsequent hydrations and all nutri-
tion should be withheld until after a complete examination has been performed after giving the
chick 30 minutes to absorb its tubing. Oral fluids may be given with size 8–12 French red rubber
tube attached to an appropriately‐sized syringe.
Alert young herons and egrets are poor candidates for oral hydration. The ability to expand the
throat and mouth very wide is required for young to ingest the sometimes‐large fish, insects, and
rodents that parents may deliver to the nest. However, the ability to gape wide enough to swallow
a whole 15 g fish provides these birds with an easy mechanism for rejecting oral hydration: they
simply open their throats in a gape following fluid administration and the fluids fall right out of
their proventriculus onto the floor of the cage in front of them. This scenario creates unnecessary
risks of aspiration and can be avoided by administering pre‐warmed sterile isotonic fluids, such as
lactated Ringer’s solution, subcutaneously at 5% body weight (50 ml/kg).
Extremely young hatchlings arriving with only downy feathers may be placed in a shallow dish
lined with cloth to support their bodies in an upright position. Place small sticks or grasses in the
nest to give their large feet something to grasp, which aids in foot development. Herons and egrets
that are old enough to begin developing contour or flight feathers on their bodies are generally able
to hold their bodies up independently and look around. Do not use terrycloth with older chicks as
they may catch their toenails in the loops.
When warm and alert, new arrivals should be given a thorough initial examination, consisting
of a cloacal temperature check followed by a beak‐to‐toe physical exam (see Chapter 1).

­ Common­Medical­Problems­and Solutions

Metabolic­Bone­Disease
Metabolic bone disease (secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism) (MBD) is caused by an imbal-
ance of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D 3 . Young herons and egrets are vulnerable to skeletal