Golden Eagle Release
By Dan Spurr

The best guess is that GOEA 93-03 was hit by a railroad maintenance cart near Raynesford, Montana. The female golden eagle was found by railroad personnel and brought to the rehabilitation center on June 25, 2003. Estimated to have just fledged out of the nest at the time, her most serious injury was a fractured pelvis, which required surgery. Also, the tip of her right wing had been cut off, as well as the right wing flight feathers and part of her tail feathers. After a year of hard work, the eagle was deemed as ready as she’d ever be for release. A transmitter was sewn to a tail feather and a date set.
On a hot day in late July, 2004, one year and six days after her arrival at the Center, volunteers Anna Denton and Becky Kean drove the eagle to a location west of Ross Pass in the Bridger Mountains. The cage was positioned on the tailgate of a pick-up truck and the door opened. The few spectators waited anxiously, but didn’t have to wait long. Within seconds the golden eagle burst forth and landed in the grass along the road’s shoulder. She preened her wings several times while conning her head in all directions. As if to warn everyone to stand back, she opened her mouth and arched her tongue.
Then suddenly she took to the air and flew a short distance into the nearby field, landing a little awkwardly. Well, what the heck, it’d been a year and she hadn’t had much practice. Unfazed, she collected herself and took stock of her surroundings.
Once Anna and Becky and the other few observers left, it was anyone’s guess how the eagle fared its first night as a free bird (if Lynard Skynard’s song by that name is any indication, it was quite a rush!).
Three weeks later, 93-03 was seen having a good ol’ time with her newfound friends (a pair of resident mature goldens), dive bombing and flying upside-down. On her 23rd day of freedom, she took off over the Bridgers, beyond range of the tracking device, making her rehabilitation a success story, and a testament to the good work done at MRCC.
But the story doesn’t end there, GOEA 93-03 turned up again in Absarokee about one month after her release. She was found feeding on a calf carcass and not wanting to leave the area. Once back at MRCC, she was found to have a high white blood cell count, which indicates an infection. After a short course of antibiotics, GOEA 93-03 was ready for release again. It seems she just couldn’t get enough of the friendly service here at the Center. She was released for a second time at the north end of the Bridgers, and a week later no radio signal was found. It is our hopes that she is somewhere soaring high above, learning what it means to be an eagle.

As the close of another MRCC year approaches, reflection on the fall season proves one thing for certain for the center. MRCC needs to expand. With more and more traffic and vehicles on the road each year, more and more birds are being struck on Montana roadways. A group of four Swainson’s hawks in particular come to mind, three of which suffered some kind of fracture presumably from auto accidents. These four birds were part of an MRCC high of 23 birds being cared for at one time in the rehabilitation wing.

The Swainson’s story begins in August with not a hit by car (HBC) but a possible electrical contact for bird number 74-04. This immature bird was found in the Great Falls area with a drooping right wing. After closer examination a laceration on the left wing was found as well as a fracture in the right corrocoid bone (or shoulder). After several stitches and a short course of antibiotics the bird recovered nicely and was ready to get back to flying.

The second Swainson’s hawk of the group (number 82-04) was a HBC from the Manhattan area. This immature female bird was found hopping around on the ground in a field. A caring Manhattan resident called the center and the bird was picked up. An x-ray of the bird showed she had a fractured right corrocoid as well. After about two weeks of immobilization of the wing by wrapping it, the bone healed and rehabilitation of the wing began. This process involves stretching of the wing daily by hand and finally releasing the bird into the flight barn where she began to exercise on her own.

Another Swainson’s hawk (number 86-04) came in from the Bozeman area. This sub-adult female bird was found down on the ground not moving at all. She was found to have a fractured pelvis and right corrocoid, similar to the two Swainson’s retrieved earlier. Again the wing was wrapped and the bird placed in a padded cage to help heal the pelvis fracture.

The final Swainson’s hawk of this story was number 84-04 from the Jordan, Montana area. This fledgling male was found unable to fly next to a highway, and x-rays revealed a fractured left wing. Dr. Karyn Cook, DVM performed surgery and placed a long pin down the shaft of the bone to stabilize the fracture site. After 3 weeks of recovery, the pin was removed, however the wing showed some stiffness and it was uncertain as to if full extension of the wing would ever be achieved. Thanks to the efforts of the staff and volunteers, the daily stretching and exercising of the wing gave the young bird the chance he needed. However number 84-04’s story was not over yet.

Swanison’s hawks migrate to Argentina each year during the winter in large groups that are know as “kettles”. As many as 200 Swainson’s have been seen in a kettle at one time! It is a theory that it is necessary for a fledgling bird, whom has not made the trip before, to join other birds that have in order to “learn” the migration route. The Swainson’s leave Montana in late September, early October; this did not give little number 84-04, which arrived at MRCC in August, much time to heal and make the trip. This young bird had to be released with older birds who had made the long migration to Argentina before. The older birds were kept in MRCC’s big flight barn for a couple of extra weeks until the fledgling 84-04 was able to prove his ability to fly. These four birds were finally released all together in the Manhattan area where they will hopefully joined up with other kettles of Swainson’s and made the journey to Argentina.

Thanks to the efforts of the MRCC team, these four birds received a second chance at life. It is stories like these that prove the value of the raptor center and point out the need for expansion of the secondary and intensive care rooms at MRCC. There is hope that money can be raised to expand the building and accommodate the ever rising number of birds suffering from human caused afflictions.

Rehabilitation coordinator, Radell Key, and volunteer Deb Luttmann, release the four Swainson's Hawks in Manhattan, Montana.