We recently received an injured bald eagle that was found in a Tsawwassen backyard after crashing to the ground during a territorial dispute with another eagle.
The other bird flew away but unfortunately, this one had some deep punctures in her leg and chest that required our care.
The injured ‘baldie’ arrived with a brood patch, which is a bare spot on the lower belly and chest that helps keep eggs and young warm with body heat. This meant she probably had a nest out there, but we couldn’t rush her recovery as her wounds were too severe and at first, she was not even able to stand.
After we sutured her up and she was feeling better (but not yet ready for the wild), we decided to try her with an injured eaglet who needed a foster mom while he was recovering from a broken wing. She immediately joined him in our makeshift nest.
We had a remote camera to watch and make sure the pairing worked. During the first night she pushed the baby out of the way to cuddle into the nest.
The next day we made the nest larger to accommodate both comfortably. This was quite a rare sight to see. Usually, the foster parents are happier watching from a nearby perch, but this momma was right in there getting comfortable and providing a good lesson on brooding for the young bird.
In a short time, the adult’s recovery appeared to be complete, and she was moved to a flight pen to get prepared for the wild, to which she was soon successfully released.
The young eagle is still recovering with us and will receive another foster eagle for the remainder of his time here.
Editor’s note: Nature Notes is a monthly column produced by the Delta Naturalists and their community partners.
For info on monthly meetings and more see www.deltanaturalists.org and www.facebook.com/DeltaNats.
