Bird Cams Around the World

Thanks for posting the update Mick! There's actually another one tonight.

Beans, I loved that hummer video and the music! What a joy to watch!
One of the rehabbers in my group loves doves, and its hard to convince her to graduate them to the next phase. She says the same things you said. Very hard to let go.

Thanks, gigi! I like a good outcome, too.

Congrats Gigi! Always nice hearing good stories!

Video: NYC Marathon – Training Day

From Mark Tercek:

Tomorrow we run 26.2 miles in the New York City marathon to help protect nature. I can't believe it's here. Watch this video to see how we prepared for the big day.

As the Conservancy's President and CEO, I've seen so many of the critical habitats your support helps to protect in the United States and around the world, places like China and Chile.

As I run through the five boroughs of New York City with 45,000 other runners, I'll be thinking about you and our conservation work—how we'll be able to do twice as much for nature when you give now and have your gift matched dollar-for-dollar.

Thanks to a generous matching grant from our New York trustees, all gifts made to get Team Nature Conservancy across the finish line will be matched up to $60,000.

Thanks again for all you do for our natural world and to cheer me on.

Sincerely,

Mark Tercek
President and CEO
The Nature Conservancy

Sometimes we forget about domestic animals, especially those raised for food. I have written letters and joined campaigns (such as Yes on Prop 2 in California) to stop cruelty to animals.

There are many offenders, but KFC is near the top of the list.



Video: Kentucy Fried Cruelty

This is an old video, one I've seen before. All of the reasons for not patronizing KFC are in this video. The video will disgust and sadden you. More people need to see it.

As Temple Grandin said, "Nature is cruel.. we don't have to be." Surely there are more humane ways to raise chickens for the market...

video: Cal-Maine Animal Abuse of Chickens

Some time ago I signed up for email alerts from the Humane Society. There are many issues that deserve the public’s attention. This is a particularly sad situation. You can take action by sending an email message to Dr. Margaret Hamburg of the FDA that the cage confinement systems used by the majority of egg producers are a problem that affects the health of the laying hens and increases the risks of Salmonella infection. It's quick and easy! Go to

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/

and click on Factory Farming.

This isn't wildlife, but these animals deserve a better life. We all love animals and we need to take action to stop abuse.

PATIENT: Peregrine Falcon, #10-2118
LOCATION: Richmond, Virginia
CAUSE OF ADMISSION: On ground, unable to fly
ADMISSION DATE: October 12
PROGNOSIS: Extent of injuries to eye and right shoulder will need to be assessed.

A female Peregrine Falcon is currently undergoing treatment at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

The Peregrine Falcon was found on the ground, injured and unable to fly, on East Cary Street in Richmond on Tuesday, October 12. She was picked up by A. K. Taylor of Richmond Animal Control and taken to the Cary Street Animal Hospital.

The falcon was examined by Dr. Kimberly Kuhn. Dr. Kuhn took x-rays of the bird and, in consultation with Wildlife Center veterinarian Dr. Miranda Sadar, concluded that the falcon should be brought to the Center in Waynesboro. Volunteer transporter Michael Knight drove the falcon to the Center, arriving at about 9 p.m.

At admission, the falcon was assigned Patient #10-2118 and examined by Dr. Sadar, assisted by Dr. Marc Isidoro Ayza [from Spain] and Pedro Paulo Giese Krindges [a veterinary student from Brazil]. In addition to a coracoid fracture identified in the earlier x-rays, the Center vet team found injuries to the falcon’s right shoulder and a detached retina in the bird’s right eye. Given that all of the injuries are on the same side of the bird, Center vets surmise that the falcon may have hit the side of a building or some other object.

Center vets administered pain medications, fluids, and anti-inflammatories and secured the falcon in a body wrap.



Photos from October 13 examination

On October 14, the Center veterinary staff did a blood test on the falcon — results were within normal ranges. The staff redid the body wrap that was used to keep the bird from flapping its injured wing. With the old wrap, the falcon was sternal; with the new wrap, the bird could stand. The falcon was offered “quail two ways” — whole and chopped — and ate [she seemed to prefer whole].

October 18 update
The peregrine was brought into the clinic for an examination and check-up by Drs. Miranda Sadar and Kelly Flaminio on October 18. New radiographs were taken, which indicated that the injuries to the right shoulder were healing well. The fractured portion of the coracoid is well-positioned. The vets will likely need to keep the peregrine in a body wrap for another two to three weeks.

The vet staff also had the first opportunity to perform a more thorough examination of the peregrine’s eyes while she was under anesthesia. Upon admission, the Center vets found that the peregrine had a detached retina in her right eye. On October 18, the vets found no improvement in that eye. In addition, a small spot was found in the peregrine’s left eye — most likely an older eye injury.

October 21 update
On October 21, Drs. Miranda and Kelly took the peregrine to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech for a consultation with J. Phillip Pickett, DVM, Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Dr. Pickett and his team found encouraging signs of healing in the bird’s right eye, with reattachment of the retina. Dr. Pickett also examined the bird’s left eye. There are two small scars there, which do not appear to compromise the bird’s sight.

Dr. Pickett would like to examine the peregrine in another four to five weeks [November 18 or later] to see how the eye has healed and to check the falcon’s sight.

Patient #10-2118 will continue to be housed in the Center’s inside patient ward, in a body wrap, for another two to three weeks. She is eating well — “like a pig”, to quote Dr. Miranda.

October 25 Update: A Case of Mistaken Identity …
The falcon — a large female [weight of 1 kg] — was intially identified by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologists as the female from the pair of peregrines that have been nesting in downtown Richmond since 2003 — first at the BBT Building, and more recently on the west building of the Riverfront Plaza. This pair has produced numerous offspring, included chicks that have been used to introduce peregrines into other areas of Virginia. This female also had been the “star” of the VDGIF Falcon Cam – a web-based camera focused on the falcon’s nest. Web-cam watchers have given this bird the name “Harriet” – her mate, of course, is Ozzie.

However, VDGIF biologists have now changed their minds and have concluded that #10-2118 is NOT “Harriet”. A pair of peregrine falcons has been seen in the past few days defending the downtown Richmond nesting site, and careful examination of photos of Harriet and #10-2118 suggest that these are NOT the same birds.

So who is #10-2118? According to Dr. Dave McRuer, the Center’s Director of Veterinary Services, this adult female is likely a southbound migrant – most probably from New England, Canada, or even Greenland.

November 9 – 10 Update
On November 9 #10-2118 was brought into the clinic for an examination. According to Dr. Miranda, the fracture site feels great and has a nice callus. New radiographs were taken; the fracture line in the coracoid is visible, but there is evidence of healing. The body wrap was removed from the falcon. She is holding her right wing slightly abnormally — not unexpected after a month in a wrap.

Center vets found that the Peregrine Falcon’s eyes are stable. The vets can still see areas of pigmentation where the retina is reattaching. The peregrine handled anesthesia — and the presence of a reporter and photographer from the Richmond Times-Dispatch – very well.

The peregrine has been housed indoors since admission. After the November 9 exam, the falcon was moved to a small outdoor flight enclosure and was able to hop/fly from the ground to a higher perch.

Dr. Miranda’s 7:15 a.m. update on November 10, “I just ran up the hill to check on her and she is perching on a middle height perch right now (and it looks like she ate a bit- quite impressive for her first night in a new place ).”

On December 2 the Peregrine Falcon has an appointment for a follow-up eye examination by Dr. Pickett at Virginia Tech.

November 19 update
On Tuesday November 16, the Peregrine Falcon was moved into a larger flight pen to allow her to have more room to fly. The rehabilitation staff report that she is an excellent flier and is zooming around the flight pen. An additional eye exam revealed no changes.

December 3 update from Dr. Miranda
The Peregrine Falcon was taken to Virginia Tech yesterday to see Dr. Phil Pickett and the news was encouraging. Her left eye is stable (the one that just had a couple of scars present, which are old and stable). The right eye is healing well and the area of reattachment is shrinking (just like a scar on your hand would as it heals). Her foveas (the areas of focus) are present in both eyes and are intact and free of injury. Dr. Pickett is optimistic about this and sees nothing about her eyes that would impair her release.

Of course, we’re not completely out of the woods yet. We still need to exercise the peregrine to test her flight and ensure that she can make a complete recovery from her shoulder injury. Within the next couple of weeks we will creance her–which is taking her into a field on a fishing line and flying her–to give her the best exercise possible. This will also allow us to make a thorough assessment of her flight to determine if she is releasable.

December 14 update
On December 9, the Peregrine Falcon was brought into the clinic for follow-up radiographs. Dr. Miranda reported that the bird’s right coracoid continues to heal well.

For the past week, the rehabilitation staff has been exercising the peregrine daily. The bird has been showing great progress in increasing stamina and in her ability to maneuver around obstacles. The Peregrine Falcon has been showing so much progress that the veterinary team began looking for other ways to condition her and evaluate her flight.

Dr. Dave McRuer contacted local falconers to see if they would be interested in training the peregrine using falconry techniques. The Wildlife Center is hoping this training strategy will better condition the bird through intense exercise and test the bird’s eye sight and wings as it attempts to capture artificial lures while in flight.

On December 13, the Center contacted a pair of experienced local falconers to see if they would be interested in training the peregrine using falconry techniques. The Wildlife Center is hoping this training strategy will better condition the bird through intense exercise and test the bird’s eyesight and wings as it attempts to capture artificial lures while in flight.

On Monday, December 13, Peregrine Falcon #10-2118 was transferred to two experienced local falconers – Eva and Andrew King. Ultimately, the goal is to unleash the falcon so that it can fly freely in the field while still returning to the falconers for food. This free-flight outdoors will improve the bird’s stamina, build muscle, and test the healed shoulder through repeated stoops, tight turns, and lengthy flights — key elements of a peregrine’s survival skills.

If the Peregrine Falcon passes these “tests”, she will be ready for release back into the wild. The Center believes that this approach provides the best opportunity to build up the falcon’s stamina and to ensure that she will be able to survive, and thrive, in the wild.

December 20 update from Eva King
The Peregrine Falcon is doing very well. We began working with her on December 13 — the same night that Dr. Dave McRuer dropped her off with us.

The first part of this process is getting her comfortable around us, and build her trust in us. This is an essential first step before we can do any flight training and conditioning. In falconry, we call this part “manning” and it basically involves getting the bird used to us, establishing that we are no danger to her, and that good things happen when she’s around us. The falcon learns that being around us means easy food opportunities in a safe environment.

This first part of the training process can go very quickly or can take a while, depending on the individual bird. We have experienced birds that are totally relaxed around us and have “gotten the idea” within just a day, while others have taken up to a week.

The falcon is now sitting on the fist (on the falconer’s glove) comfortably and trusts us well enough to bend down to eat her food off the glove. That may not sound like much, but is actually a pretty big deal, because she has to take her eyes off the falconer to bend all the way down to the food at her feet. That takes courage on her part, and she’s doing it consistently now. She’s also fine with sitting on her perch, and her body-language tells us she is getting increasingly relaxed with her new living arrangement.

In a couple of days, we expect to start making the bird do a little bit of work for her food. That starts with asking her to stretch just a bit for food. Next we’ll get her to do a little hop, then she’ll do bigger and bigger hops until we graduate to free-flying outside. But that is still probably a few weeks down the line.

December 28 update from Eva King
We hope you all had a good time over the holidays! We are excited to give you our “Holiday Update” on Peregrine Falcon #10-2118:

Since our last post, the girl has graduated to the next training stage: doing a little bit of work for her food. She is now consistently flying/jumping to the fist over a distance of six to seven feet to get bits of food. We have also introduced her to the lure, which is the training tool she will eventually chase in free flight.

Right now her lesson has the theme of “good things (i.e. safety and food) happen when you are on the glove, but the lure really is where the big portions come from.” At this point, the lure is not swung around yet, but just presented to her and she hops to it. She is still getting familiar with the idea. We have also started to put her outside in the mews [outdoor raptor housing], under supervision for a few hours at a time. This increases her sensory input and kicks up her metabolism. She is out in the weather and is more active in the mews than on her perch in the house. All this increases her appetite, which in turn gives us more training opportunities, as we have a mostly food-driven relationship.

A bit of Falconry 101 for the day:

- The lure is a leather pad on a line with meat attached to it. It is swung in the air at high speeds to simulate a bird in flight. Lures can be highly artistic, beautifully-crafted objects, designed to actually resemble the prey a falcon is being trained to pursue.

- Did you know that falconry is an ancient art with more than 4000 years of documented history? Surprisingly, lots of the equipment and basic techniques we use today have not changed all that much over the centuries and are mostly the same all over the world! We are excited that United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently recognized falconry as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

For now, we wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to giving you our next update soon!

Information taken from the Wildlife Center of Virginia's website: http://www.wildlifecenter.org/wp/peregrine/


The Wildlife Center of Virginia is an internationally acclaimed teaching and research hospital for wildlife and conservation medicine located in Waynesboro, Virginia. Since its founding in 1982, the non-profit Wildlife Center has cared for more than 55,000 wild animals, representing 200 species of native birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

I just voted, too, and will add this to my morning routine.

Hello to everyone. This information is on a Great Horned Owl that was trapped in a chimney for two weeks - he is being cared for by the Wildlife Center of Virginia:



PATIENT: Great Horned Owl, #10-2051
LOCATION: Bedford County, Virginia
CAUSE OF ADMISSION: Trapped in chimney for two weeks
ADMISSION DATE: September 28
PROGNOSIS: Candidate for release November 2010

On Tuesday, September 28, wildlife rehabilitator Gwenn Johnston arrived at the Wildlife Center with a Great Horned Owl - and an amazing story.

Two weeks earlier, a couple in Bedford heard some noises coming from their chimney. Assuming that it was a nesting bird, they didn’t think too much of it. But after a number of days passed, they grew increasingly concerned and decided to take a look. After climbing to the rooftop of their one-story house, they peered down into the chimney … and saw a rather large owl staring back up at them.

Unsure of who to call, the couple ended up contacting the Blue Ridge Animal Hospital in Bedford on Friday, September 24. Fortunately, Wildlife Care Alliance president Gwenn Johnston works at Blue Ridge and has been a permitted wildlife rehabilitator for more than 20 years. Since she was working that day, Gwenn agreed to stop by the couple’s house after work to check out the situation. When she peered down into the chimney with a flashlight, she saw two large yellow eyes staring back up at her – an image that she says will forever be burned into her memory.

Knowing that additional help was needed, Gwenn spent a restless night coming up with a plan and got in touch with her good friend John Briscoe, who owns Black Goose Chimney Sweep, Inc.

On Saturday morning, John went to take a look at the chimney to better assess the situation. Once he had an idea of the equipment needed, he called in Gwenn for the big rescue. With John at the fireplace and Gwenn on the roof, a large chimney brush was inserted through the four-inch flue opening and was maneuvered under the owl. With the big bird riding on top of the brush, John used his extension pole to carefully raise the owl up the 20-foot chimney.

Unfortunately, about halfway up the chimney, the owl decided to jump off of the brush and ended up back at the bottom, on top of the damper. Changing brushes, John made another attempt. This time, the Great Horned Owl made it within four feet of the top before looking like it might jump again. Calling a halt to the “owl elevator”, Gwenn called out for someone to fetch her catch pole, which was in her car. With a lot of maneuvering, Gwenn managed to get the owl off of the chimney brush and brought it within arms’ reach. Once the owl was finally in hand, all involved breathed a sigh of relief after the hour-long ordeal.

With a cursory roof-top physical exam, Gwenn knew that the owl was certainly not out of danger yet. The bird was extremely emaciated, which was quite concerning to Gwenn. It also had wounds on both of its carpi (the wrists) and its talons were worn down from the prolonged struggle to free itself from the chimney.

Once Gwenn returned home with the owl on Saturday, she gave it fluids and was pleased to see the bird perk up. She tube-fed the bird on Sunday and later that night introduced a small amount of whole food. On Tuesday, September 28, she drove the Great Horned Owl up to the Wildlife Center to be checked over by the vets. By that point, the owl was bright and alert and was on the path to recovery.



Once admitted to the Center, the owl received a physical exam. Because the wounds on the Great Horned Owl’s wings were down to the bone, Wildlife Center vets cleanedthe wounds, treated them with antibiotic ointment, and covered them with tegaderm (a transparent dressing for wounds). Blood was also drawn from the owl; preliminary results show that the bird is anemic and also has some blood parasites.

While the owl is not out of the woods yet, the WCV veterinary team is optimistic. Kudos to Gwenn, John, and the couple in Bedford for the successful rescue of this owl!

October 1 update
On October 1 Dr. Miranda sutured up the wounds on the owl’s wings. According to Dr. Kelly, the owl is doing well, eating well, and has a great attitude. The vet team found no injuries to the owl’s eyes. The owl was moved to one of the Center’s outdoor recovery and rehabilitation enclosures on October 5 — a less stressful setting for the owl. The veterinary and rehabilitation staff will be watching to see if the owl regains weight lost during its time in the chimney.

October 14 update
The owl continues to do well, however, his carpal wounds are proving to be difficult to treat. Because these injuries are on the parts of the owl’s wings that stretch and move, the sutures that Dr. Miranda originally used to keep the wounds closed have popped open. The veterinary team has changed their wound management process recently to encourage more tissue to grow over the injured area. Great-horned Owl #10-2051 continues to put on weight, though staff expect him to gain more with his extra dinner portions.

October 20 update
On Monday, October 18th, the veterinary team decided to stop daily wound treatments and instead are providing treatments every other day. The wound on the right carpus continues to heal more quickly than the left. Because the Great-horned Owl won’t be handled quite as often, the staff moved the bird to a larger flight pen so that it can begin to build muscle mass. When released into the pen, the owl made a couple of flights down the length of the pen and was able to sustain altitude to land on the perches.



November 2 update
On November 1st, the WCV veterinary team checked on Great-horned Owl #10-2051’s carpal wounds during outdoor rounds. The wounds on both wings are healing well, and while the vets will continue to monitor the wounds and apply A&D ointment, they will now do this procedure every three days. While the owl has been flying back and forth in his flight pen on his own, he will begin his official exercise program today. This means that the rehabilitation staff will be making this bird fly back and forth several times while monitoring his progress. Over the next couple of weeks, the goal will be to have the owl fly more and more “laps” in the flight pen while increasing his endurance.

November 9 update
The owl continues to make great progress and has now passed “mouse school” — demonstrating that it is able to hunt successfully. Center veterinarians have now cleared this Great Horned Owl for release. Outreach Director Amanda Nicholson is now working to pin down a release site close to the place where this owl was originally rescued. A November 2010 release is likely — possibly as early as the week of November 15.

November 19 update
On Monday November 15, both staff wildlife rehabilitators noticed that the Great Horned Owl was flying loudly, and with more effort. Since Great Horned Owls need to fly entirely silently to able to hunt their prey (which this owl was doing beautifully last week), this is a cause for concern. It appears as though the bird broke several of its tail feathers over the course of the weekend, which could cause it to fly with additional effort. Further examination is needed to determine if anything else is affecting the owl before release is considered; radigraphs are scheduled for Monday, November 22.

November 22 update
On Monday, November 22, Dr. Miranda examined the Great Horned Owl to determine whether any additional problems were inhibiting the owl’s smooth and silent flight. During the course of the physical examination, she found that the owl’s right carpus was swollen. Radiographs confirmed a soft tissue swelling around the bird’s “wrist”, but fortunately did not show any changes to the bones. The bird has been started on a one week course of anti-inflammatories to see if any improvement is made and exercise has been temporarily discontinued. The owl will be reassessed on November 29.

December 6 update
After nearly two weeks on anti-inflammatories, the swelling on the Great Horned Owl’s wing has decreased, though has not completely disappeared. The wing doesn’t seem quite as stiff upon physical examination. The anti-inflammatories will be continued for at least another week while the owl resumes its exercise regimen.

New Wildlife Center of Virginia Patient: Young Bald Eagle found in King George County (Virginia).



PATIENT: Bald Eagle, #10-2220
LOCATION OF RESCUE: King George County, Virginia
CAUSE OF ADMISSION: Avian pox?
ADMISSION DATE: November 21, 2010
PROGNOSIS: Guarded

On November 20 Joyce Hall, a resident of King George County, spotted a large juvenile Bald Eagle, on the ground and unable to fly, on her driveway. The eagle was captured and taken to licensed wildlife rehabilitator Diana O’Connor, who stabilized and housed the bird overnight. On November 21 Ms. Hall drove the eagle to the Wildlife Center.

On admission, the eagle — the 21st Bald Eagle admitted for treatment thus far in 2010 — was assigned Patient # 10-2220. The bird, a very large juvenile and likely a female, was thin and has lesions around its eyes, beak, and feet — lesions consistent with Avian Pox. [Additional background information on Avian Pox]. Radiographs were taken and the vets found no fractures; the bird is otherwise bright and feisty.

The Bald Eagle is currently being housed in the Center’s isolation ward, in a special unit purchased through the financial support of fans of Buddy, the Norfolk Botanical Garden Bald Eagle admitted in 2008 with Avian Pox.

There is no “cure” for Avian Pox — treatment generally involves providing supportive care until the patient’s immune system can respond to the infection. Eagle #10-2220 is receiving vitamin supplements, an anti-lice medication, and antibiotics [to minimize secondary infections]. The lesions on its feet have been scrubbed and treated with a topical antibiotic cream.

November 29 update
Over the course of the past week, the lesions present on the eagle’s head and feet have gradually started to dry up and slough off. The veterinary team continue to scrub the lesions on the bird’s feet. There is marked improvement around the eagle’s eyes and beak, though a large pox lesion still remains over the left nostril of the bird’s beak. Hopefully more improvements will be seen over the next couple of weeks.

December 6 update
While the pox lesions on Bald Eagle #10-2220’s face and feet were slowly improving over the past week, the bird showed a decreased appetite and was noticeably more depressed on December 3. Bloodwork revealed a very high white blood cell count. When the veterinary team arrived on the morning of December 4 and checked on all the patients, they found that the eagle died during the night.

Dr. Kelly performed a necropsy on the bird and found it to be in good body condition with no large abnormalities other than an enlarged spleen. There were several plaques in one of the bird’s air sacs; these will be cultured to see if there was a bacterial or fungal infection in the air sac. Samples are also being sent out for further testing.



The Wildlife Center admitted two other bald eagles the second week of November - one a gunshot victim from Highland County and the other from Accomack County with unknown injuries. Both eagles had to be euthanized (Accomack eagle euthanized prior and brought to Center for necropsy).

ACCOMACK COUNTY BALD EAGLE:
PATIENT: Bald Eagle, #10-2204
LOCATION OF RESCUE: Accomack County

CASE HISTORY: Euthanized; brought to Wildlife Center for necropsy
On November 11, a jogger in Mount Nebo, near Onancock in Accomack County, found an adult Bald Eagle along Route 638. The eagle had a broken right wing and was unable to fly. The eagle was rescued by licensed wildlife rehabilitator Kathy Cummings and taken to the Eastern Shore Animal Hospital. Veterinarians there assessed the extent of the bird’s injuries and euthanized the eagle.

The Bald Eagle was brought to the Wildlife Center on November 13 for an examination and necropsy. The eagle was assigned Patient Number 10-2204 [if the Wildlife Center will be performing diagnostics on an animal’s remains – an x-ray, or test of lead levels in the blood, or a necropsy – a patient number is assigned. This is the third Bald Eagle carcass logged in and tested thus far in 2010.]

Dr. Kelly Flaminio performed a necropsy [autopsy of an animal ] on the eagle and found multiple fractures to the right ulna and radius on the wing; ruptured airsacs; a fractured liver; internal hemorrhage from the liver; and significant trauma to the right side of the bird’s body.

There were reports that this Bald Eagle had been shot; the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is reportedly investigating [see “Eagle Fatally Injured, Possibly Shot Near Onancock”, DelmarvaNow.com, November 17, 2010.] There was no evidence seen on x-rays or on necropsy that indicated that the bird had been shot. According to Dr. Dave McRuer, the Center’s Director of Veterinary Medicine, the eagle’s wounds are consistent with right-side trauma that could have been caused by an impact with a vehicle or from a fall. Lead bullets almost always fragment and leave small bits behind in the tissue, although a steel bullet could pass through the wing without leaving a trace. While gunshot cannot be totally ruled out, Dr. Dave reports, the eagle’s skin did not have holes consistent with a gunshot wound.

These findings have been shared with VDGIF.

HIGHLAND COUNTY BALD EAGLE:PATIENT: Bald Eagle, #10-2210
LOCATION OF RESCUE: Highland County
CAUSE OF ADMISSION: Wing injury — gunshot
ADMISSION DATE: November 15, 2010
OUTCOME: Euthanized

On November 5, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries wildlife biologist Al Bourgeois received a report of an injured Bald Eagle in Highland County. However, the bird could not be captured. On November 13, the eagle was rescued — from a spot about five miles south of Monterey, in Highland County.

The Bald Eagle was admitted on November 15 — the 20th eagle admitted to the Center for treatment during 2010 — and was assigned Patient #10-2210. The eagle was emaciated and had open fractures on its right wing. Radiographs found that the eagle was a gunshot victim.

The eagle was euthanized; VDGIF was notified that the bird had been shot.

The eagle was banded. A bit of investigation reveals that the eagle had been found as a nestling on Jordan Lake in Durham County, North Carolina and admitted to the Carolina Raptor Center on May 18, 2005. No injuries were found, and the eagle’s feathers were still growing. The eagle was banded and released near Jordan Lake 21 days later.

To read about these and other patients, please visit: http://www.wildlifecenter.org/wp/news/whats-new/