Three ATVers came across a Golden Eagle that was distressed and had collapsed by a trail on Independence Mountain in northcentral Colorado.
The riders aided the bird as best they could by rehydrating it and then completed the rescue by taking the eagle off the mountain and to a rehab facility in Walden, CO.
Here is a note that one of the rescuers, our very own freelancer Mark Bourbeau, received from Deb McLachlan of North Park Wildlife Rehabilitation.
“Bourbeau is a juvenile. I didn’t realize this at first. Sometimes the shear size of a bird makes you think adult but in her case the white tail feathers and white areas on the underneath of her wings as well as the many new feathers coming in told me she was young.
“Probably the most aggressive eagle I have had. She charges me now and hits her wings against the ground at me and this morning came pretty close to nailing me with her talons.
“Anyway, upon examining her I found nothing obviously wrong. Her keel bone is protruding so she is under weight. Sometimes these youngsters just don’t thrive. She is eating like a pig and sitting on a perch pretty high in the flight where she can see out.
“There is nothing so sad as to hear a young eagle cry. She is scared but associating now my coming in as food time. I am feeding her by hand right now but as she gains strength I will put her food down instead.
“Thank you so much for rescuing her. The longer a bird stays on the ground the better the chance something would have gotten to her. She needs just a little TLC and I think she will be fine.”
