A Golden Eagle Is Rehabbed And Tracked

The following story about a golden eagle was submitted by Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Washington.

On January 22, 2021, we received a call from a homeowner regarding an eagle down on the ground at their home. They believed it was a juvenile bald eagle, and it was unable to fly. Once our rescue team arrived, the eagle was quickly identified as a golden eagle. These are rare to find in our area and are more common in the eastern part of our state.

The eagle was suffering from severe dehydration and emaciation. While she had no injuries, we were guarded on her prognosis. We started her on rehydration therapy and EmerAid IC Carnivore. She slowly began to improve and soon was regaining her strength.

Once it was determined she was going to recover completely and be released, we worked with our state fish and wildlife department and a non-profit out of Colorado to make her part of a research study tracking the movements and post-release success rates for golden eagles in rehabilitation.

In May of 2021, she was finally ready to go and was equipped with a transmitter and banded.

She was taken to the eastern part of our state for release. Soon after her release, the tracking equipment picked her up heading due north. She made it all the way to Juneau, Alaska, just two weeks post release. She eventually moved deep into the mountains surrounding the Arctic Circle and now is once again making her way south.

It has been rewarding to watch her migration routes and know that she was strong and healthy enough for the journey.