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Puppet­Rearing
Puppets have been used to rear young raptors and prevent human imprinting. Along with the
puppet, the caretaker is gowned in a costume meant to both change the outline of a human
form as well as to offer a rough visual depiction including appropriate colors of the parent bird
of the species. In some cases, the disguised appearance of the human caregiver has been con-
sidered adequate to rear orphaned chicks. While those techniques still play an important role
in caring for chicks while in critical care and rearing some species, especially those that are rare
or endangered, it is labor intensive and has some problems including the lack of socialization
and species confusion in the offspring reared in this manner. Puppet rearing continues to be
successful for birds that will remain in a zoo situation or other captive care (Wallace 2000;
Finkelstein et al. 2015). Foster parents of the same species are key to the rearing and release of
normal, well‐adjusted wild eagles.

­ Initial­Care­and Stabilization

Normal body temperature for avian species is between 104 and 106 °F (40–41 °C.). Eaglets are cov-
ered with very light‐brown down at hatch until they are about 10 days old. At this first stage of life,
they are unable to thermoregulate or control their own body temperature. The ability to ther-
moregulate begins to develop gradually about the same time that the eaglet’s down changes to a
dark gray color, or when the eaglet is about 2 weeks old. Before that time, the body temperature of
the young eaglet reflects that of their surroundings and, consequently, they must have a supple-
mented heat source to support their body temperature, unless their parents or foster parents are
brooding them.
Eaglets admitted from dire situations in the wild, such as fallen nests or flooding, will often be in
shock, hypothermic, and dehydrated upon admission (Figure 21.1). They will present huddled,
shivering, lethargic, and uncoordinated, and have a slowed heart rate and slowed respirations. It is
vital to warm them quickly during evaluation. This is best done in an incubator or a cardboard box
version of an incubator described below. When examining the patient, do so on a heated

Figure­21.1­ Eaglet being weighed. Cold, dehydrated chicks will appear droopy and poorly responsive.