Page 368 - Hand rearing birds second

Eagles 359

are strong (Scott 2016) and have excellent feather quality, or the bird is not a candidate for release
to the wild. The bird may need more time in the conditioning flight or may need to complete a molt
before it is ready to succeed as a wild bird.

Release

The release of a patient is the final stage of rehabilitation. The release must be planned and care -
fully considered as seriously as every other aspect of care from admission through flight condi-
tioning. The best option for the release of a young eagle is to find a wintering area where eagles
of all ages congregate. Wintering areas are chosen by eagles because the site is habitat that can
support a large congregation of eagles with a reliable and abundant prey source, while having
limited human disturbance. Wintering eagles are not defending their own territory and aggres-
sive disputes are rare. Adult eagles are cooperative with immature birds and will often assist a
youngster.
Networking with other rehabilitators, birding clubs, and wildlife professionals will ensure an
appropriate site for successful release. Traditional thought was that a bird should be released at
the site where it was found. That was sound advice in the past and still is for many species and
some circumstances. However, in some parts of the U.S. where the Bald Eagle population has
reached near saturation levels, release at the same site is simply no longer possible without
endangering or causing the death of both the released patient and their wild counterparts.
Where once territorial disputes were skirmishes that ended with the loser leaving the area, in
recent years a dispute may well end in the death of one or both birds. As our population of Bald
Eagles has recovered in the U.S.’ lower 48 states, eagle behavior is changing. We can expect it will
continue to evolve in response to population pressure, habitat loss, prey availability, and toxic
events such as lead exposure. These changes require rehabilitators to pay close attention to the
eagles’ behavior and alter our protocols, especially those surrounding the release of patients.
Currently, many parts of the country have reached what biologists feel may be a saturated popu-
lation. Eagles are increasingly reluctant to accept newcomers moving through their territory.
While this example is of Bald Eagle recovery in the United States, that scenario may be true of
any population of eagles anywhere in the world that has faced population change, habitat loss,
or other stressors.
It is well documented through the banding and tracking of released eagles that no matter where
they are released, Bald Eagles naturally return to their natal sites and to their territory on their
own. Convincing an anxious property owner that wants “their” eagle back of that fact can be dif-
ficult. It is, however, the responsibility of the wildlife rehabilitator to educate and make certain the
patient is released safely and has a chance to continue to recover or adjust to the wild without
being attacked, reinjured, or killed. When it eventually returns to the natal area or its former terri-
tory, it will be on its own terms and in its own time. A dispute may occur, but the bird will have a
choice to participate in a dispute or not, rather than being tossed into a bad situation where it has
no choice.
There are parts of the country where the Bald Eagle population is not as robust and habitat loss
not as evident. In these regions, the rehabilitator can still return a bird to its site; however, that
should be done carefully and with the advice of local biologists. The population is changing quickly
in some regions. Keeping pace with the behavior of the local birds is not an exact science. It is far
better to err on the side of safety for your patient as you educate the public on the new normal for
eagle rehabilitation.