For the Center’s veterinary team, the injury presented a serious challenge. Because the break was located so close to the head of the humerus, surgical repair came with a guarded prognosis. She underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture, followed by months of rehabilitation and physical therapy designed to restore strength, mobility, and range of motion in her injured wing.

Recovery, however, does not end when a fracture heals. For an eagle, survival in the wild depends on far more than the ability to flap her wings. She must be able to fly with power, sustain flight over long distances, maneuver in changing conditions, land safely, and rebuild the endurance needed to hunt, navigate, and survive on her own. For #2026-0225, the next step in that journey would require space designed specifically for that purpose.

That next step came inside the newly completed A.L. Hutchinson, Jr. Eagle Recovery Flight Enclosure. As the first patient to take flight in the new space, patient #2026-0225 is helping mark an important milestone for the Center’s Avian Medical Clinic. The 120-foot, purpose-built enclosure gives recovering eagles and other large raptors the distance they need to rebuild muscle strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, and demonstrate the sustained flight required for life in the wild.

The enclosure’s distinctive “dogleg” curve adds another important dimension to that evaluation. Rather than allowing only straight-line flight, the bend helps the medical team observe whether a recovering bird can navigate, turn, and maneuver effectively. Once a patient has been stabilized, treated, and cleared by the Center’s medical team, the enclosure becomes the final stage of recovery, where birds can continue conditioning around the clock until they are ready for release.

“We are thrilled to have this enclosure advance our Medical Center,” said Stephen Schabel, President and CEO of the Center for Birds of Prey. “It will be an invaluable tool in the work that we do to treat, condition, and ultimately return these animals to the wild, where they play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.”

The completion of the A.L. Hutchinson, Jr. Eagle Recovery Flight Enclosure was a true community effort. Funds needed to build the enclosure were raised at the Center’s 2024 fall fundraising gala, Wingspan, where generous supporters came together to make this critical rehabilitation space possible. The final dollars needed for construction were generously donated by the family of Mr. Hutchinson and the enclosure is named in his honor. The enclosure was designed by Reggie Gibson Architects and built by Harbor Construction— helping transform that community support into a purpose-built space for recovering eagles and other large raptors.

The Center’s goal is always to return every bird to its natural habitat whenever possible, and the new enclosure gives patients like #2026-0225 the very best chance to prove they are ready. We are thrilled to share that, on Sunday, July 12, #2026-0225 completed her medical journey at the Center and was successfully released back into her home territory!