On April 8, a mature Bald Eagle was found on the tarmac at Washington Dulles International Airport. Rescuers suspected that an airplane clipped the eagle as it was flying near the runway. The bird was captured and taken to a local permitted wildlife rehabilitator. The rehabilitator kept the bird overnight, and a volunteer transporter drove the eagle to the Wildlife Center the following day.
Upon admission, Dr. Rich Sim, the Center’s veterinary fellow, examined the feisty eagle. The staff and students were impressed with the large eagle’s size and strength – weighing in at 4.7 kg, it is likely that the eagle is female. Dr. Rich noted an injury to the tip of the eagle’s left wing on physical examination. Radiographs confirmed a chip fracture of the minor metacarpal bone of the eagle’s left wing – a fairly unusual type of fracture. No additional injuries were found.
Dr. Rich and two veterinary students bandaged the eagle’s injured wing, and started the bird on a course of anti-inflammatories and pain medication. Dr. Rich will need to explore options for repairing the eagle’s fracture – although the wing-tip fracture may appear small, a poorly healed fracture could cause significant problems with the eagle’s flight in the future.
The eagle was placed in the Center’s holding room.