Most people who are not directly involved in caring for injured birds in this capacity cannot comprehend the depth of knowledge and dedication this work demands. Providing medical care for wild birds extends beyond anatomical knowledge or how to properly bandage a wing. It requires an understanding of the unique natural history and behaviors of each species in treatment. A barred owl and a red-tailed hawk may both be raptors, but they live dramatically different lives in the wild. These differences guide us as we care for them and prepare for their release. Our medical team must balance their knowledge of a species with the circumstances of the individual case in order to ensure that each bird has the best chance to return to the wild.

One interesting case unfolded in February when our Avian Medical Clinic admitted a bald eagle that had become trapped in a mud pit at a waste treatment facility. Upon arrival, it was plastered in thick mud and waste. Its feathers were heavily impacted, it was weak, dehydrated, and clearly exhausted. Although we did not know how long it had been trapped, it was clear the eagle had spent a significant amount of time struggling to free itself. Once the bird stabilized, our Clinic staff worked cautiously but quickly to minimize stress and prevent shock, using multiple smaller washes to carefully target different areas of the eagle’s soiled plumage.

During the cleaning, an additional level of urgency was added with the discovery of a brood patch; a bare, highly vascularized area on the underside of a bird that allows it to transfer body heat to incubating eggs or chicks. An active nest was waiting, and it was essential to return this eagle to its family as soon as possible.

Over the course of two weeks in our care, our medical staff meticulously cleaned the eagle’s feathers and treated eye injuries it had sustained while trapped in the mud. Once its feathers were clean and its eye injuries healed, the bird was released back into its territory where plant workers had seen it with its mate and where we knew a nest was waiting.

Cases like these are a reminder that behind every patient is a team of dedicated and flexible staff, interns, and volunteer staff working to ensure the best possible outcome and to allow the bird the opportunity to once again take flight.