Fri Nov 06 2009
By GEORGIA KOHART
A young eagle has been rescued near his nest site located off Ohio 111, south of Defiance.
A local family contacted Jacci Moss, a former wildlife rescuer, and informed her they noticed the large raptor sitting on a stump for a couple days. Moss suggested they contact Nature's Nursery, a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in Whitehouse. Center officials, in turn, requested Moss retrieve the bird and keep it protected until they were able to pick it up in Defiance and take it to their facility.
Although it has no obvious injuries, the eaglet is unable to fly, which made it possible for Moss to capture and move the bird to a safe place until it could be taken to the rescue center. On Wednesday, Nature's Nursery employees picked up the bird.
The eaglet's plumage and size indicate that it is a young male, between two and five years of age. It has not developed the signature white head of a mature bald eagle, which typically occurs around age four to six. The male bald eagle, haliaeetus leucocephalus, is smaller than the female. Adults have a wing span of about seven feet.
According Laura Zitzel-berger, operations director of Nature's Nursery, the bird was X-rayed to rule out any broken bones or hidden gunshot wounds. He was slightly dehydrated and underweight, but after one critical care-tube feeding, he is eating and drinking on his own.
The eagle has been moved to an indoor room and will be fed a diet of fresh rats for now.
"We are planning blood work next," Zitzelberger stated. "Different veterinarians perform different testing. We want to rule out lead poisoning. Although they are illegal, there are still lots of lead shot and sinkers in the bottom of our lakes and streams. Fish and waterfowl ingest them and, in turn, the eagles eat them."
She noted the non-profit facility usually receives at least one eagle a year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the local county wildlife officer have been notified of the eagle's situation.
Authorities say individuals should never attempt to approach a nest. It is suggested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep a distance of at least 150 feet so as not to disturb nesting.
According to Zitzelberger, should an eagle succumb to illness or injury, it is a federal requirement that the body is sent to an eagle repository in Colorado, so the feathers can be saved for sacred American Indian purposes.
However, at this point, the Defiance County eagle is doing well, expected to recover and be returned to his territory.
For more information on wildlife rescue and bald eagles, visit online: http://www.natures-nursery.org and www.fws.gov.
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