Aquila
 

Name: Latin for eagle
Date in: 1/2/94
Hatched: May 1993, banded by USF&W 5/13/93.
Gender: Male
Age at arrival: 8 months
Came from: Ky. Fish and Wildlife, Elliott County.

Story:
A private citizen found him on the side of the road looking for food. The person called Bobby Newman of KFWS, who called us. The bird was weak and emaciated, weighing 5lbs 4oz on arrival. The usual weight for a bald eagle is 7 - 14lbs.

Upon vet exam at arrival two wounds were found in the right shoulder area. One wound was a large (quarter sized) and the other smaller (dime sized). He'd been down on the ground long enough to develop a nasty infection in the area, which had resulted in bone deterioration in the shoulder joint. We treated the sight until healed, which required irrigating the wound twice a day and administering antibiotics ($66 per bottle). The bone deterioration resulted in a permanent luxation (dislocation) of the joint. He is unable to fly.

After studying the wound sight and having some discussion, we had strong suspicion this was the result of being shot. Federal Fish and Wildlife officials investigated and in April 1994 found a woman who confessed to shooting the bird. She was prosecuted, but to what extent we don't know.

We traced his band and found out that he was hatched on Mazou Island, Michigan in May 1993 (near Saginaw Bay). He was one of three in the nest. His gender was determined through a technique of measuring the rear talon and the beak with calipers.