Species: Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Intake Date: March 15, 2015
River, our resident Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), was transferred to the Wildlife Medical Clinic from Wildlife Prairie Park on the morning of March 15, 2015. She presented as an approximately 4-year-old, near-adult Bald Eagle. Before being brought to Wildlife Prairie Park on March 14, 2015, she was found struggling to stay afloat in the Illinois River. Upon presentation to our clinic, it was noted that she had a severe fracture of the forearm bones in her right wing, with the end aspect of the wing wrapped 3 times around itself. River underwent multiple surgeries at the Wildlife Medical Clinic in order to remove necrotic tissue. Unfortunately, she lost nearly half of her right wing due to necrosis—but otherwise, she healed well! However, with only half of one wing, she can no longer fly and survive in the wild. After she was nearly healed, she was transferred outside to our flight cage enclosures so that she would have more room to move around while we searched for a forever home for her. As we were searching, one of our veterinarians began working with her to help minimize her fear of humans. The results were incredible—she was calmer than expected when the veterinarian was near her (what the eagle would consider their “territory”) when cleaning her enclosure. River would also, cautiously come near, or step up onto glove, to accept food offered from forceps (tweezers). We were yet to find her a permanent home, but she was responding to human proximity and training, so we applied for a permit in late 2015 and made the decision to keep her as an official ambassador of the Wildlife Medical Clinic. River has made great strides in the years we have had her in our care. While she is still slow to warm up to new people, once she knows you, she is quite calm and even curious, sometimes approaching and perching where asked. While she is not glove trained and does not travel off site for programs, she is visible in her outdoor enclosure and helps to educate visitors about the challenges that eagles face in the wild.
Fun Facts
Bald Eagles are not actually bald; rather, their head feathers are a different color (white) compared to the rest of their body (dark brown). They receive their full, white heads at around 5 years old; before then, their heads are mainly composed of brown feathers, like the rest of their body. Bald Eagles are the national bird of the United States and are one of the largest birds in North America. While they are fierce hunters, they are also known to rob other birds of their hard-earned prey catches! They were previously endangered, but were taken off of the endangered species list in 1995, and now just remain a protected species.