Collateral damage

Two eaglets rescued – one survives. The Bitterroot Valley has been lashed by some pretty stiff winds this summer and on Tuesday, June 26, a strong wind blew over a large cottonwood tree on a local ranch. Unfortunately this old cottonwood held a bald eagle nest containing two eaglets. Ranch manager Troy Webster discovered the disaster and rescued the two eaglets, which were obviously injured but still alive. Brooke Tanner of Wild Skies Raptor Center responded to a call for help and took the birds into her facility. She said that both were obviously seriously injured but one was more responsive than the other one which did not seem able to lift its head, though it was alive. By Thursday the pair had been delivered to a facility in Helena. The most severely injured eaglet died in Helena, the other is acting more lively and eating a little. It was determined that the bird had suffered a fractured pelvis. “But pelvic fractures can heal,” said Tanner. If the young eaglet survives it could be returned to the wild. Tanner said that eagles are known for acting as good surrogates if the bird is of the same age as their own fledglings. So if the bird’s parents, who will often return to the site, can’t be found, the little eaglet still has a chance at another nest. Photo courtesy of Wild Skies Raptor Center.