Sibling bald eaglets admitted to wildlife hospital
By Joanna Fitzgerald | Director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital
Two bald eaglets were among the 44 animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week.
The two juvenile bald eagles were from a nest on Marco Island. The male “parent” bald eagle was killed after being electrocuted which left the female to continue caring for her brood on her own.
The female had successfully protected her eaglets from several “intruder” eagles that had visited the property where her nest is located. A problem occurred when a subadult eagle went after some food the female had brought to the nest for her two babies.
Reports are conflicting as to exactly what happened — either the subadult kicked the babies out of the nest or the two eaglets jumped when the subadult landed at the nest and went after the food.
Either way, the eaglets ended up on the ground. Officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission brought the two eaglets to the Conservancy for care.
The eaglets were extremely stressed when admitted, yet no external injuries were noted. Both were in good body condition and both had pale mucous membranes. One eaglet had increased respiratory effort compared to its sibling. Since it was late in the evening, the eaglets were settled into a large enclosure in the bird room at the hospital to rest.
The following morning, the two young eagles were alert and responsive. One eaglet continued to show signs of distress when handled so hospital staff kept handling to a minimum. Both birds are eating well and recovering in the bird room at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital. They will be moved to a large recovery enclosure outdoors as soon as they are more actively moving about.
If you see an animal you believe is injured, sick or orphaned, please call the hospital and continue to monitor the situation. Hospital staff will be able to determine the appropriate course of action. Details are crucial since every situation is so different.
Recent Releases
Eleven eastern cottontails, a gopher tortoise, an anhinga, a laughing gull, a gray catbird, a herring gull, a mourning dove, a ring-billed gull and a brown pelican were released this past week.
Opportunities to Help
Please visit the Conservancy website at www.conservancy.org to view all of the amazing volunteer opportunities at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Many of our seasonal volunteers will be leaving soon and we will desperately need additional volunteers to help in the hospital. Your volunteer time, donations, and memberships are vital in helping us continue our work to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife and future.
Joanna Fitzgerald is director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Call 239–262–2273 or see conservancy.org
