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Family Rescues Shivering, Rare Corncrake Aboard Cruise Ship — They Name It 'Aaron Burrd'

A family on the Sky Princess found a shivering corncrake sheltering beneath a hot-tub step while the ship cruised the Mediterranean. They brought the rare, red-listed bird into their cabin overnight, warmed it, and nicknamed it Aaron Burrd. After docking in Portland, England, they arranged for rescuer Derek Davey to collect the bird for rehabilitation. Davey said the corncrake will need overwintering care and a plan to return it north when migration resumes.

06:57 AM, 11/22/2025Environment
Family Rescues Shivering, Rare Corncrake Aboard Cruise Ship — They Name It 'Aaron Burrd'

A family traveling on the Sky Princess discovered a surprising and rare stowaway sheltering beneath the step of a hot tub on the ship's 16th deck while cruising the Mediterranean. The bird, later identified as a corncrake, was found cold and shivering and appeared unable to fly.

Passenger Charlene Halsey and her daughters alerted the crew and kept a close eye on the small, secretive bird. When it continued to tremble and seemed too weak to survive the night outside, they moved it into their cabin, wrapped it in a towel to warm it, and cared for it until the ship reached port.

"It was raining quite hard, and the poor thing was shivering. We monitored it for a while, and it was wandering around, seemingly unable to fly," Halsey said. The family playfully nicknamed the bird Aaron Burrd, in reference to the Hamilton character, and described it batting at hairbands and exploring its reflection.

When the Sky Princess docked in Portland, England, Halsey and her family researched the bird’s identity and arranged for local rescuer Derek Davey to collect it. Davey, who is now caring for the bird, confirmed it is a corncrake — a species listed as at risk on the red list and known for its secretive nature. Corncrakes typically spend summers in northern areas such as Scotland and migrate to Africa for the winter.

"The stowaway was a corncrake... I feel very privileged to have seen one but also quite nervous with the responsibility of looking after it," Davey wrote, noting the particular challenge of finding suitable overwintering care and a plan to return the bird north when migration resumes.

Corncrakes are elusive and rarely seen, so this unexpected rescue represents a fortunate encounter. For now, Aaron Burrd is in the care of a rehabilitator who is arranging the necessary long-term support and an eventual release aligned with the species' migration patterns.

Status: In rehabilitation while rescuer locates an appropriate overwintering facility and plans for eventual release when migration conditions permit.

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