Yup, you read that right! Used to be, LWR would see a bald eagle every 4-5 years; for the past several years they’ve been coming into rehab at least once a year and frequently more often.
This one was a three-and-a-half-year-old bird; we know this from the mottled head and tail feathers. It had bands on both legs; the numbers on those were reported to Bob Sargent, head of Georgia DNR’s Eagle Program (he found out the bird had been banded in Florida in 2018). It weighed 8lb, 10oz on intake and was alert but docile and unable to stand and its breathing seemed shallow and labored. Vet Peggy Hobby of Smalley’s Animal Hospital noticed a small fracture of the left radius and pointed out that the left lung also looked cloudy. Additionally, as we positioned the bird for x-rays, it sliced the nastiest, smelliest pea soup-green, gritty poop I’ve ever seen or smelled from an eagle.
This one was a three-and-a-half-year-old bird; we know this from the mottled head and tail feathers. It had bands on both legs; the numbers on those were reported to Bob Sargent, head of Georgia DNR’s Eagle Program (he found out the bird had been banded in Florida in 2018). It weighed 8lb, 10oz on intake and was alert but docile and unable to stand and its breathing seemed shallow and labored. Vet Peggy Hobby of Smalley’s Animal Hospital noticed a small fracture of the left radius and pointed out that the left lung also looked cloudy. Additionally, as we positioned the bird for x-rays, it sliced the nastiest, smelliest pea soup-green, gritty poop I’ve ever seen or smelled from an eagle.
Given the bird’s increasing lethargy, I was eager to get it transferred to Auburn’s Raptor Center for more extensive care than LWR can provide. Volunteer transporters Doug and Joy Daniels came through at a moment’s notice, literally, both coming straight off full days of work to transport the eagle to Auburn. We were all honestly afraid it would die en route.
The good news is that according to Auburn’s case updates, the eagle is eating on its own and more alert but not yet standing. They suspect “organophosphate toxicity with secondary trauma,” meaning the bird likely has some form of insecticide poisoning along with the physical injuries. Their exam caught a coracoid fracture we missed in our focus on that cloudy lung, and they noted a very low heart rate, which has since begun improving.
For the full details on the eagle’s treatment at Auburn, go to http://w2.vetmed.auburn.edu/rm1/html/2021-203.html. Their most recent updates are at the top, so you’ll need to scroll down and start reading from the bottom of the page up.
DNR also delivered another MIKI, this one slightly younger than the one that came in the previous week, so they’re both remaining inside till the younger one is ready for the raptor flight.
The good news is that according to Auburn’s case updates, the eagle is eating on its own and more alert but not yet standing. They suspect “organophosphate toxicity with secondary trauma,” meaning the bird likely has some form of insecticide poisoning along with the physical injuries. Their exam caught a coracoid fracture we missed in our focus on that cloudy lung, and they noted a very low heart rate, which has since begun improving.
For the full details on the eagle’s treatment at Auburn, go to http://w2.vetmed.auburn.edu/rm1/html/2021-203.html. Their most recent updates are at the top, so you’ll need to scroll down and start reading from the bottom of the page up.
DNR also delivered another MIKI, this one slightly younger than the one that came in the previous week, so they’re both remaining inside till the younger one is ready for the raptor flight.
A concussed barred owl came in Tuesday and, after a couple of days of being too out of it to eat, he started eating well and will go in the raptor flight for a few days just to make sure he’s flying well.
Unfortunately, two other barreds weren’t as lucky. Both came in with fatal wing fractures requiring euthanasia. The second of the two, a juvie, came in the same day as the eagle and was euthanized at Smalley’s.
A first-year red tail came in with a swollen right eye and stargazing, but no fractures. Vet Peggy Hobby also examined him and concluded the neurologic symptoms were treatable with time and steroids. The steroids we’ve managed; the time—well, it will take care of itself. The good news is his depth perception is improving as the swelling in the right eye slowly goes down, and the stargazing isn’t as severe as it was. He’s able to pick up mice he drops in the bottom of his box now; two days ago if they fell from his beak as I hand-fed him, I had to pick them back up and hand-feed them to him again. Baby steps!
The screeches are enjoying the mini-pen, although it’s hard to tell that from their expressions...
And, of course, the recently released black vultures are still hanging around being goofy juvies and sunning—a LOT—and I’ve seen a couple of adult vultures starting to check things out.
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