Conservationists Aid Injured Bald Eagle Bird Found Near Sandpoint Being Treated At WSU Animal Hospital

Local conservation teams are helping a young bald eagle survive several injuries.

The injured eagle was found and turned in to authorities earlier this week near Sandpoint, according to the Idaho Fish and Game Department. It was spotted on a road near a deer carcass.

Doctors are still trying to figure out what caused the bird’s injuries.

Dr. Stephen Lindsay of Coeur d’Alene’s Animal Medical Center received the bird Tuesday.

Because it was found by the road, the bird could have been hit by a car, Lindsay said. But pellets found in its body, including the eagle’s damaged left wing, also mean someone shot the bird. Lead poisoning is another concern, Lindsay said.

Lindsay said the bird had some neurological problems.

Lindsay thinks the eagle is about three or four years old. The bird has about a six-foot wingspan, but couldn’t open its wounded wing.

The 10-pound eagle arrived at Washington State University’s Veterinary Hospital on Wednesday evening to undergo more tests.

Dr. Erik Stauber is in charge of the raptor rehabilitation program at WSU. The bird will go through more X-rays and blood tests.

If the bird survives, it will stay at the hospital until it is released.

Stauber said it’s common to find birds with lead poisoning this time of year. Eagles get the lead poisoning by preying on ducks that are contaminated with lead after being shot by hunters or eating lead pebbles.

Lead settles in the birds’ tissues and can cause nerve, kidney and other organ damage.

The Sandpoint eagle is the fourth injured bird of prey Stauber has received at the hospital this week.

The Bald Eagle Protection Act was passed in 1940, protecting the birds by federal law. However, the nation’s living symbol earlier this year was declared no longer threatened following its dramatic recovery from the edge of extinction. The bird could be formally removed from the endangered species list this year.

WHAT’S NEXT The 10-pound eagle will undergo more tests at Washington State University’s Veterinary Hospital.