The grey heron does not normally winter in Finland. When waterways are frozen and there is plenty of snow, catching fish can be a challenge.
– I thought it was a dog and peered cautiously, but there was a long, sharp beak,” Selin says.
The creature turned out to be a grey heron. Selin opened the door a little more, but then the bird headed off.
– I wondered if it was in front of the door for some falsely warmth,” he says.
Morning broke into day, and the winged was nowhere to be seen. Selin also asked his neighbors in Iivisniemi if there had been sightings of the large bird. Was not.
Then the afternoon came, and the heron pecked in front of Selin’s door again. This time the bird’s back was towards the door and its head was apparently hidden.
The bird looked like it was frozen in place. Selin approached the bird a little.
– Then it burst through the door, he says.
“Quite a lot of fuss”
The gray heron headed for Selin’s hallway. He pulled the door shut and thought about what to do in such a situation.
– I tried to approach it, and it raised its wings and tried to slide on the floor. I thought it would be quite a treat if I tried to pass it, he says.
Selin called the Animal Protection Association of the Capital Region.
– It was in really bad shape. The bodies of water are frozen, so catching fish is a challenge, says Muurinen.
The gray heron is a timid bird, and if it states that it is more comfortable to be inside in the warmth, it says a lot about the animal’s desperation, according to Muurinen.
The gray heron that was trying to get to Selin’s home was already so badly starved that the treatment was no longer effective. The bird died the night before Friday.
The grey heron is a migratory bird
Selin wondered if the bird could have flown to her house following the smell of the fish dish in the oven.
Muurinen says that the birds, however, mostly rely on their sense of sight and hearing to navigate. The reasons for the visit could have been seeking warmth and being startled.
Gray herons are not usually found in Finland in winter, as they are migratory birds. For example, the individual in question may have wintered here successfully in the past, which has caused it to stay.
– However, it is exceptional that they strive for apartments, says Muurinen.
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