MGM Resorts International has switched off its famous Bellagio fountains out of respect for one of Las Vegas’s rarest celebrities, a yellow-billed loon.
The loon, one of the US’s rarest birds, has taken up residence in the artificial Bellagio lake. Las Vegas Locally took to X Tuesday to share that MGM has turned off the fountains for the bird’s sake:
According to media reports, The Nevada Department of Wildlife is monitoring the loon in the hope it will move to a more suitable habitat.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal meanwhile cited an MGM spokesman addressing the fountains’ pause. Despite initially stating the Bellagio may switch on the fountains again Tuesday night because wildlife officials ascertained the bird was untroubled by them, he later said MGM Resorts would, in fact, cancel the evening’s display.
The Fountains of Bellagio are paused as we work with state wildlife officials”
The Bellagio also stated on X: “The Fountains of Bellagio are paused as we work with state wildlife officials to rescue a Yellow-billed loon.” The resort added it was happy to host the bird it called one of its “most exclusive guests.”
The National Park Service lists the migratory bird as one of the US’s ten rarest breeding birds. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies the loon as a “near threatened” species.
