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be reversed as circumstances change. It is not beneficial for a wild bird to be habituated, particu-
larly in the habit of seeking out people when it is hungry. Habituated birds are rarely aggressive;
however, if an eagle approaches people or domestic animals, its intentions may be mistaken as
an attack.
To prevent the patient from becoming habituated, in the months prior to release, cease any per-
sonal interaction such as focused food delivery or special attention. It is important that a wild
patient also not interact with domestic pets including dogs, cats, or farm animals in a casual man-
ner. They may become habituated to dogs and incorrectly perceive them not to be a danger, or
approach farm animals they see as companions. That behavior is not looked on kindly by the pub-
lic and may be interpreted as an attack, which can lead to the eagle being killed due to the misun-
derstanding between species. It is important for their life in the wild to remain wild in every aspect
from seeking food to the company that they keep.

­ Expected­Weight­Gain­and Feather­Development

Eaglets grow quickly. At hatch, a Bald Eagle weighs just 70–100 g, but 10–12 weeks later when they
are ready to fly and leave their nest, they weigh in at 2.7–6.8 kg depending on gender (females are
larger) and the area of the country in which they are native. The rapid growth rate requires a con-
stant food supply always available to the young eagles in the nest. While in captive care, food should
not be withheld or limited if the youngsters are healthy and appear alert. Good quality and quantity
of nutritious food items supports the growth of bones, organs, connective tissue, and feathers. If the
young eagle’s food intake suddenly stops or is compromised due to parental loss, storms that pro-
hibit a parent from hunting, or lack of prey availability, the eaglets growing body suffers. One of the
most visible indicators is reflected in the feather growth. When a chick suffers either physiological
or nutritional stress, the feathers that were developing at the time of the stress will develop stress
bars across the feathers. There are times when the stress bars are so extreme that the tail feathers
break off, leaving the young eagle with a short tail. In these cases, the remaining feather shaft may
be too weak to allow successful imping of tail feathers. The full tail is important to flight. The tail
feathers are longer in a chick than an adult and play a vital role in successful flight and
maneuverability. It is not advisable to release an eagle that does not have full‐length tail feathers.

Housing

Rearing­Chamber
The rearing chamber should be a large area 40 × 60 × 20 ft. (12.2 × 18.6 × 6.1 m) that contains natu-
ral logs and perches. It should have limited sound of human interaction or activity. Nature
soundtracks played during daylight hours may help provide a natural ambiance to the chamber
and mask human sound in the area. The rearing chamber should have cameras to allow the reha-
bilitation staff to observe the eaglet’s growth and development remotely. In this way, the health and
behavior of the eaglets, as well as their interaction with the adults and each other, can be docu-
mented without entry to the chamber. A constructed nest 4 × 4 × 1 ft. (1.2 × 1.2 × 3 m) lined with
fresh pine boughs and elevated at least 2 ft. (0.6 m) from the floor will be needed to accommodate
up to three eaglets. Additional nests and foster parents can use the same rearing chamber
(Figures 21.4 and 21.5). A “hatch” or “food drop” door should be used to deliver food to the foster