LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A young golden eagle rescued at Red Rock Canyon early last month is recovering, but still weeks away from being released into the wild.
“It was on death’s door,” according to Matt Flores, a Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) biologist who helped get the eagle to a vet when it was found on the ground near the Icebox Canyon trailhead on July 11. He said the eagle was less than a year old.
“It was so weak. It was dehydrated. It was emaciated to the point where it was weak and couldn’t fly,” Flores said. The eagle wasn’t injured, he said, but it might have been hit by a vehicle or ran into a power line.
“BLM called us, basically saying we have a bird that’s on the ground. It’s an eagle. They were wondering what they could do with it. There’s a very set course of action,” he said. Even feeding an eagle in distress is a bad idea because it’s likely to make them more sick.
Decision to intervene
A young bird’s best chance for recovery is its parents. Flores said it’s best to leave the bird alone and the parents will show up. An eagle that leaves the nest usually stays nearby and the parents feed it.
But a known eagle’s nest in Icebox Canyon was empty and there were no signs of other eagles.
NDOW isn’t in the business of nursing birds back to health. You might remember the story of a rare yellow-billed loon that took up residence at the Bellagio fountains on the Las Vegas Strip in March. NDOW assisted by moving that bird for its own safety, but it’s rare that officials take such steps.
“You have to have a plan if you’re going to pick it up,” Flores said. A park ranger captured the bird with a net, and then covered it with a towel.
If there’s a need for medical attention, it’s a job for a vet. For this eagle, NDOW found a specialist who took the bird for 48 hours, giving it saline injections to restore hydration. But with the eagle’s parents gone, there was no way to teach the juvenile bird to hunt.
Expertise with raptors
Enter the Arizona Raptor Center, a wildlife rescue organization that helps injured and orphaned birds of prey. This was the first time NDOW had worked with the organization, Flores said.
The eagle was sent to a “hack site” in Cochise, Arizona, where master eagle falconer Jerry Ostwinkle has taken over caring for “Nevada Dave.” The center assigns nicknames for the birds to include the name of the person who found the bird.
“If the officer wouldn’t have rescued that eagle it would have died the next day,” Ostwinkle said.
On the same day Nevada Dave was rescued, a similar situation was unfolding 240 miles southeast of Las Vegas near Seligman, Arizona. An injured eagle took refuge under a police vehicle. Officers knew how to handle the eagle, covering the bird to prevent injuries and moving it into the vehicle to help cool it off.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office posted a video and photos of the eagle and thanked the Arizona Raptor Center for taking care of him. They call him “Charlie.”
What’s a ‘hack site’?
The two eagles are among four that were at the hack site in early August, making progress toward being released into the wild. “Hacking” falcons is a practice developed centuries ago to reintroduce the birds to the wild. According to a 2023 article, “Falconers placed young falcons in a wagon or ‘hack’ and took them to the top of a hill. They fed them daily and the falcons could come and go as they pleased. Over several weeks the young birds developed muscle tone, flying and hunting abilities.”
In Cochise, the eagles learn from ravens and turkey vultures in the surrounding Dragoon Mountain Range. They sometimes feed on carcasses left behind by mountain lions.
Recovery, release
“Nevada Dave probably won’t be released for another three weeks,” according to Jerry Ostwinkle of the Arizona Raptor Center.
“It has to do with growth. He’s not fully feathered. He has to become hard-pinned. That’s when all the blood leaves his feathers and it’s easier for him to fly.”
Even though the Arizona eagle was injured, it is making fast progress and could be released sooner. Ostwinkle said it’s not unusual for an eagle to be released 18-22 days after it is brought in. Methods used by other rescue operations usually take three to four months, he said.
The difference is the unique environment of the hack site, Ostwinkle said. Eagles need access to game, and elevation is important. He said the thermal activity provided by monsoons is also a factor that works in the site’s favor.
“No rehabber will ever know this because they don’t fly golden eagles,” Ostwinkle said.
The Arizona Raptor Center had already turned two other eagles back to the wild before the two new arrivals in July, he said. They have joined up with other eagles in the wild.
What should you do?
NDOW emphasizes that not every young bird needs human intervention. It’s almost always best to leave a bird alone and allow its parents to return. Flores said if the parents are near, a bird is generally on the ground for 24-48 hours.
Flores also recommends leaving dead birds in place. Some species feign injuries as a defense mechanism.
If you find an injured bird that needs a vet’s care, always call ahead — not all veterinarians treat birds. Know what you are going to do before you take the first step of intervening.
Covering the bird with a towel before you pick it up will make it easier because birds will fight to get away from what they can see.
