Rescued eagle remains grounded

Male eagle wounded near school thought to be a partner in Milford’s resident pair

By SANDY LONG

MILFORD, PA — Roy DeLuca was delivering snacks along routes 6 and 209 near the Delaware Valley School Complex on January 4 when he spied something strange along the side of the road. “I came out of the school and saw an eagle just sitting there,” said DeLuca. DeLuca parked his van and approached the bird, which ran from him, dragging a wing. The wounded raptor ducked into an alley, where DeLuca was able to trap him until help arrived.

Teachers from the school, along with a growing crowd of bystanders, gathered at the site and watched as Stephanie Streeter of Milford’s Delaware Valley Raptor Center (DVRC) retrieved the injured bird utilizing heavy gloves, a towel and a box.

“The bird turned out to be a mature bald eagle and most likely was part of the pair of eagles that nests nearby on an island in the middle of the Delaware River near the school,” said Streeter. “I’ve watched this pair engaged in mating/pair-bonding flights in February in years past. The female will have to quickly replace this male if she is to produce young this year.”

Although the pair will not be reunited, Streeter said she has high hopes for the female’s successful selection of a new mate. “There are lots of eagles around this year, and lots of migrants,” said Streeter.

Streeter has followed the fate of the female for some time, noting that the bird’s first mate was killed on Route 84 in an automobile collision. Streeter said that such collisions are unfortunately commonplace, and that DeLuca helped to prevent another typical outcome—when the injured bird is struck a second time and sometimes killed.

On her way to rescue the downed bird, and again when Streeter was returning to the center with him, she noticed the female sitting on the cliffs along Route 84. “What really broke my heart was knowing full well that she had been able to see everything that had happened to him,” Streeter said. “The following day she was again on the cliffs, alone.”

Hoping against hope, the DVRC sent x-rays and consulted with the Tufts Veterinary School Wildlife Clinic, Tri-State Bird Rescue and the University of Minnesota Raptor Center for advice on surgeries to restore flight. Unfortunately, the bird’s injuries are too extensive, including a dislocated wing at the elbow joint and a bone that shattered into small pieces.

While the eagle will not return to the wild, he might become one of the DVRC’s education birds, helping to increase knowledge of birds of prey throughout the region. “My daughter Brittany can’t wait to see him,” said DeLuca, who will take Brittany to meet the eagle for her 10th birthday. “I’m so sorry that he can’t return to the wild, but it was a great experience to see an eagle up close and help to rescue it,” said DeLuca.

The DVRC is currently housing seven eagles, along with other raptors ranging in size from four-ounce birds to 14-pound eagles. The cost of providing care for one eagle is estimated at $100 per month. There is no federal or state funding available for this work. Membership and donations support the DVRC and are always needed, especially at this time of year when winter weather conditions take an additional toll on local wildlife populations. Visit dvrconline.org or call 570/296-6025 for more information.

The DVRC is a non-profit state and federally licensed conservation and education center that has provided care and emergency services for birds of prey for more than 20 years. The organization also publishes an informational journal and provides more than 160 education programs featuring live birds of prey throughout the Upper Delaware region. Bill Streeter will deliver this program at EagleFest on Saturday, January 19 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in Narrowsburg, NY.