On May 23rd, I received a call about an injured Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) found along the shore of Palisades reservoir, located about 45 miles south of Jackson. A man's kind and concerned voice on the phone said there were two adult eagles standing on the ground side by side. He knew they were adult eagles because of their all-white feathers on their head and tail. Upon closer inspection, the side of the head of one of the birds was covered in blood. As the man approached closer, the eagle flew away on strong wings, but one eagle remained. This bird flew low to the ground and appeared to struggle in flight, then circled out over the water and returned to shore. The rescuer eventually captured and contained this eagle from the water, and we met at an arranged location late that night.
The following morning I brought the eagle to the veterinarian clinic, under the care of Dr. Erica Periman. Our medical exam revealed the following: 12 pounds in weight, a deep talon wound to the left thigh muscle, a shallow talon wound to the right thigh, an abrasion to the left wrist area, and a small cut on the upper mandible. Our immediate care was to flush all open wounds with a mild solution of Betadyne, begin a course of antibiotics, followed by undisturbed rest in one of the rehabilitation chambers at 3 Creek Ranch. We also suspected head trauma, but a complete eye and pupil exam looked normal, and we found no blood in the mouth or ear openings.
A typical male will weigh between 8-10 pounds; female eagles are about 25% larger than males and weigh between 10-14 pounds. The feathers of a bald eagle, which number roughly 7,000 per individual, weigh twice as much as the skeleton. Eagle bones are light, because they are hollow. The beak, talons, and feathers are made of keratin.
Along with the talented help of the Raptor Fund volunteers, we have rinsed all wounds and administered antibiotics every day for the past five days. Any thoughts on what might have happened to this bird? While the mechanisms of injury are numerous, my bet is that these two adults were engaged in the age-old tradition of territorial dispute. All bald eagle chicks are now about 4-5 weeks old and both parents are actively foraging in order to bring adequate prey to feed their young. It is possible one bird was on a territory, and the other was an 'intruder' and happened into this mess by mistake. Or, these are neighboring territorial birds and simply got too close to one another, or any number of other possibilities. What raptor biologists very often see is that territorial disputes within and between many raptor species can result in dramatic aerial displays where two birds lock talons, spiral out of the air, and can actually hit the ground before releasing one another. As to be expected, birds are often killed in this manner, but if lucky enough, they only knock themselves silly and simply need time to gather their senses and fly away. This scenario, however, left two birds with sustained talon wounds with one bird more seriously injured than the other. Recovery over the past five days has progressed very well, wounds healed remarkably fast, as is common throughout the family of raptorial birds, or birds of prey.
Ultimately, we want to know how well this bird will fly before releasing it back to the wild. Birds in captivity are often stressed and refuse to eat, resulting in problematic weight loss. One accepted method of exercising and rehabilitating an injured bird is in a large open field with the use of a 'creance'. After connecting this long string or tether to leather anklets, the bird is then allowed to fly. Several 'creance' flights later, we determined this bird was healthy enough for release back to the wild. On Wednesday, May 30th, we drove this eagle back to Palisades reservoir where it was captured. For the eagle, it was a quick and dramatic return to the wild. As for me, it was a truly humbling and unforgettable interaction with an amazing creature that shares this beautiful landscape with all of us.
Homeowners, please stop by the Nature Center to learn more about the natural world of 3 Creek Ranch, Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Respectfully,
Roger Smith
Resident Naturalist
Director of Outdoor Pursuits
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