Las Vegas’ Bellagio pauses fountain show after visit from rare bird, later rescued and relocated

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A visit from a rare, fine-feathered tourist on the Las Vegas Strip interrupted a hotel-casino’s prominent water show before wildlife biologists captured the yellow-billed loon and relocated it Wednesday, unharmed, to an unspecified remote location where they expect it to resume its migratory trek north.

The Bellagio said in a social media post Tuesday that it had paused its fountains after the loon “found comfort on Las Vegas’ own Lake Bellagio.”

“We are happy to welcome the most exclusive guests,” the Bellagio said.

The yellow-billed loon is an international species of concern that is considered to be “one of the 10 rarest birds that regularly breed on the mainland U.S.,” according to the National Park Service.

Initially, the Bellagio’s fountain shows were paused while officials figured out how to proceed, an MGM Resorts International spokesperson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wildlife officials determined that the bird wasn’t bothered and the show was cleared Tuesday to resume, but a spokesperson later said the shows would remain on hold.

Concerned birders called the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Southern Nevada office asking the agency to intervene, spokesperson Doug Nielsen said. The bird, a juvenile, likely sought shelter from a storm, Nielsen said, noting that it isn’t uncommon for migratory birds to visit the valley.

Security officials working with the wildlife biologists initially had hoped the uninvited guest would leave on its own without requiring an escort from the property.

But Nielsen said in an email to The Associated Press they decided Wednesday morning to launch a rescue mission, captured and relocated the bird “to a more suitable and remote location where it has space, food and quiet surroundings.”

“According to the biologist who oversaw the capture, the bird had no apparent injuries and appeared to be in good health,” he said.

Nielsen said birds sometimes get a bit off course during their annual migration due to such things as heavy winds or poor weather conditions.

“The important thing at this point is the bird is where it has an opportunity to get reoriented and resume its northern migration,” he said.

AP sent an email Wednesday seeking updated information from an MGM spokesperson, including when the shows might resume.