June 2026 Update:
This golden eagle originated from Burwash in Nov.2025. It was brought in by COs after a member of the public called because the bird had been sitting on their chimney and seemed unable to leave. At the time the weather was in the -40s, but its unclear whether the bird was actually stuck to/in the chimney or just unable to fly and not able to leave.
When we received the bird, it was in normal body condition (weight) and it's feather colours indicate it was ~2 years old. However, it had a palpable bend in the ulnar bone of its left wing. On xray you could see the abnormality (see our blog). The bones were already stabilized, but it was unclear whether the bend developed due to a fracture that was healing, or from nutritional deficiencies during bone growth that caused it to grow that way. We leaned towards a fracture, because the bird was already 2 years old and in good body condition so it must have been able to fly well until recently.
During the first month of care we were unsure whether the bird would regain full flight ability despite the bend in the wing bone. We tried daily flight training that increased in intensity. However, after 4 weeks the xrays still looked the same and the bird had made very little improvement in its ability to fly. This made the bird non-releasable, since it wouldn't be able to hunt or avoid predation. It is calm in the aviary, responds relatively well to the presence of people, and co-existed really nicely with other rehab eagles when they passed through. This makes the bird an excellent candidate for remaining with us on display. It is a native species that few people get to see and is very majestic.
Normal Husbandry Routine:
The eagle gets fed ~400g of a variety of meats (bison, mice, fish, quail, etc.) split into two meals every day. We adjust the quantity of food depending on the birds body condition, weight, and food interest. It generally does not like fish, but prefers mice and bison.
Raptors meet most of their hydration needs through the fluids present in whole prey. You will rarely see any raptor drinking unless it is very hot out. We never give water bowls to birds in the winter because they can get water on their feathers or feet that then freezes and permanently damages them. In the summer, its recommended to provide water mostly for bathing, even then raptors rarely drink.
Every day the animal care team encourages the eagle to fly to reach it's food on various perches twice a day. This helps keep the bird healthy, active, and mentally engaged. During the winter, we have tried to shovel off the platform and various perches as often as possible, but sometimes the snow gets away from us.
When this eagle flies, it can make good distance from perch to ground, but has a very difficult time getting lift to return by flight to the perch. You will often see it walk or flap through the snow to use the steps back up to the platform. This does not seem to negatively impact its feathers or comfort. Sometimes, it flies so well that it decides to grab the netting and stop up high on the net-wall. It will only hold on for a second, then drop to the ground. Sometimes this looks uncoordinated and can surprise people who do not expect it, but its completely normal and safe.
Approximately every two weeks, animal care team members catch the eagle with a net and restrain it in hand for an exam. This is important because perching on similar shaped perches for long periods of time can easily cause pressure sores on bird feet. Pressure sores that are inflamed and can be infected are often referred to as "bumblefoot". During the exam we check the condition of the tips of the feathers on the tail and bottom of the wings. If the perches are not positioned correctly, the feathers drag on the ground and damage begins on the tips. We check the eagle's body condition by feeling the keel (bone along the chest), weigh it on a scale, and examine its eyes, beak, bent wing bone, and overall reactions. Birds can lose or gain body weight very quickly, so it's important to weigh them much more often than mammals.
Raptors are most comfortable up high, and generally do not like their vision blocked by shelters or walls. Not being able to see their surroundings makes them anxious, which is why you often see them in treetops in the wild. Our eagle has the option to go under the platform and stand on a couple of different perches, but much prefers the exposed top of the platform. Since this bird cannot get a lot of lift during flight, it needs low perches or steps to reach higher ones. Hopefully during the summer we can make a similar set of steps to a high perch on the opposite side of the enclosure for it to alternate and fly back and forth.
Lastly, the Preserve will repair the current aviary into its original larger L-shape during summer 2026! We might make some small adjustments as well, to create a better space for this eagle to be if it stays in that enclosure long term. We have also discussed more formal training that might allow less handling for weights and health checks moving forward.
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