YORK COUNTY — After five months of dedicated treatment and care, Bald Eagle #24-1328 is set to soar free once again.
Join Wildlife Center of Virginia President Dr. Meg Gammage-Tucker as the eagle is released at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown on Friday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m.
This hatch-year Bald Eagle was found in York County on May 13, 2024.
The eagle was spotted on the ground for several hours; while this behavior isn’t unusual for a fledgling bird, observers became concerned about the eagle’s lack of flight and activity.
Tidewater Wildlife Rescue helped contain the bird and transported it to the Wildlife Center of Virginia later that day. The Center’s veterinary team found that the young eagle was in overall good health, with no injuries or medical issues.
The team suspects that the eagle may have fledged too early and was not yet ready to
fly. The vet staff provided subcutaneous fluids and supportive care.
After three days, the eagle was moved to an outdoor flight pen and placed under the care of the rehabilitation team.
In June, the rehab team began flight conditioning the eagle. Initially, the eagle could not gain much lift and had very poor stamina. Staff were concerned that the bird would not develop proper flight, but after two months of daily flight conditioning, the team finally started to see improvement.
By October, the bird was consistently flying up to 10 or more passes in its enclosure, and on October 27, the eagle was cleared for release.