After five months of dedicated rehabilitation and care, Bald Eagle #24-1328 was ready for release back to the wild on November 1 —only to make an unexpected return to the Wildlife Center. The Wildlife Center staff is sad to report that the eagle died later that same day.
This hatch-year Bald Eagle was found in York County on May 13, 2024. The eagle was spotted on the ground for several hours; while this behavior isn’t unusual for a fledgling bird, observers became concerned about the eagle’s lack of flight and activity. Tidewater Wildlife Rescue helped contain the bird and transported it to the Wildlife Center of Virginia later that day.
The Center’s veterinary team found that the young eagle was in overall good health, with no injuries or medical issues. The team suspects that the eagle may have fledged too early and was not yet ready to fly.
In June, the rehab team began flight conditioning the eagle. Initially, the eagle could not gain much lift and had very poor stamina. Staff were concerned that the bird would not develop proper flight, but after two months of daily flight conditioning, the team finally started to see improvement. By October, the bird consistently flew up to 10 or more passes in its enclosure and was cleared for release.
On November 1, the Wildlife Center staff drove to the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown to release Bald Eagle #24-1328. Unfortunately, the bird initially did not want to leave the crate; staff noted that the bird was exhibiting signs of stress. After a few minutes, the eagle walked out but did not fly off. After a quick assessment from staff and a permitted wildlife rehabilitator who was in attendance, the staff decided to return the young Bald Eagle to the Center for assessment.
Sadly, Bald Eagle #24-1328 died later that same day. After examining the eagle and reviewing the bird's case history, Dr. Karra, the Center’s Veterinary Director, found no conclusive cause of death. However, she suspects an undiagnosed, underlying condition.
“During this eagle’s time with us, the bird did not progress in exercise as most young healthy fledgling eagles would,” Dr. Karra noted. “On multiple occasions, we repeated diagnostics, including radiographs and blood work, to try and determine any issues or injuries, but results were always within normal limits. The bird was over-conditioned [overweight], so lack of progress in exercise was attributed partially to the extra weight the bird was carrying, but the veterinary team could never rule out underlying conditions.”
The eagle had been showing consistent improvement in exercise during October, so the eagle had one last assessment and pre-release bloodwork analysis. Results were within normal limits.
Post-mortem, Dr. Karra was able to perform an evaluation that did not reveal an obvious cause of death. Since eagle bodies must be sent to the National Eagle Repository, a complete necropsy could not be performed without permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dr. Karra also noted that necropsies are seldom rewarding in the case of sudden death.
“While capture, transport, and release is a stressful event for wild animals, this degree of decompensation is not normal,” Dr. Karra noted. “Given this patient’s full clinical history, we do suspect an underlying pathology (such as a cardiac or pulmonary issue).”
Center President Dr. Meg Gammage-Tucker notes, "This is a very sad outcome for the whole team at the Wildlife Center. In my short time at the Center, I have come to understand how deeply dedicated this team is to treating, rehabilitating, and caring for each and every animal that comes to us. Unfortunately, we continue to see more patients every year as wildlife conflicts and environmental shifts make it harder for animals to grow and adapt. We do appreciate all who attended the event at the Museum and are sorry that a better outcome was not possible for the young eagle and all who came to support its hoped-for second chance."