Bald eagle found injured in field couldn’t fly. See OR rescuers repair its leg
A young bald eagle that was found injured in an Oregon field now has a fighting chance at life thanks to the resident who took it in and got it help, officials say.
A Powell Butte resident “found the eagle lethargic and unable to fly” in the field March 16, wildlife rescue nonprofit Think Wild said in a news release. They captured it and took it in to keep it safe and warm overnight, then had a state police officer take it to the rescue the next day.
Staff at the wildlife hospital discovered the 2- or 3-year-old eagle had “multiple traumatic injuries,” including a fractured beak tip, wing bruising, and a fractured femur that was causing mobility issues in the female eagle’s left leg, officials said in the release.
Radiographs confirmed the fracture, and hospital staff determined they would have to surgically repair it, officials said.
The organization believes the eagle was hit by a vehicle, “a common scenario for scavenging birds along roadways.”
The medical team stabilized the eagle with pain and anti-inflammatory medication and “undertook the complex surgical procedure” using a “common orthopedic stabilization technique for birds” March 20, officials said.
Despite the common technique, “the surgery was extensive, requiring care to deal with bruised and damaged tissue, and securing bone segments to ensure proper healing,” officials said.
Another injured bone didn’t need surgery and staff is treating it with “rest and activity restriction,” officials said.
Medical staff closely monitored the eagle while it was under anesthesia and after “to ensure a smooth recovery,” officials said.
Photos show the anesthesia process and surgery. Now, medical staff are tasked with the “delicate” balance of stabilizing the fractured bones while making sure the eagle gets her medications — “all without making her current condition worse,” Laura Acevedo, the nonprofit’s veterinarian, said in the release.
The team is “guardedly optimistic” about the eagle’s recovery. While her appetite is lower than normal “likely due to the stress of surgery and temporary captivity,” the team expects her to regain flying capability as long as the leg heals normally, which would allow her to return to the wild, officials said.
The large raptors are native to North America, typically nested in forests near water where they can hunt and eat fish. And while bald eagle populations declined over the last several decades, it’s starting to bounce back with “an estimated 4% population growth each year between 1966 and 2019,” officials said.
The species is protected in the U.S. and also holds “cultural significance for indigenous peoples of North America.”
Powell Butte is about a 25-mile drive northeast of Bend.
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Bald eagle found injured in field couldn’t fly. See OR rescuers repair its leg."
