"Coyote", Bald Eagle Trapped in Marathon County in January, Goes to Outdoor Flight

Our weather has been absolutely balmy, at least for Northern WI. It was 43 degrees F. today. It's time to move birds that have been inside all winter to their outdoor quarters.



( Photo: This Bald Eagle is "Coyote". He can hardly believe that he is about to go outdoors and start the next phase of his rehabiliation.)

Today was a good day for "Coyote", the adult male Bald Eagle admitted in late January after having been trapped in heavy steel jaw traps meant for coyotes. He has been inside, first in intensive care and then in transitional care enclosures since being that time. Circulation is compromised in jaw trap injuries. It is the nature of the injury. Birds suffering this type of injury must stay in a warm environment to facilitate the healing.

We will watch Coyote very carefully now that he is outside. If he suffers a set back with his leg, he could lose it. That fact puts our staff on high alert.



( Photo: Alberta holds the eagle while I draw blood from him. His blood was checked for a lead level as well as the usual battery of tests to make sure he is in good condition and will do well outdoors.)



( Photo: Alberta and Katie demonstrate how to read a hematocrit for Amber . The results were encouraging. When admitted the eagle was very anemic. He lost a great deal of blood at the trap site. Now, he has an excellent packed cell volume.)



( Photo: Katie uses a refractometer to do a serum Total Protein. This test is one we can do in minutes at our clinic. It gives us a good indication of the eagles nutriional status as well as if the inflammation in his leg has resolved as well as it appears.)

Everything checked out. Coyote was put into the huge eagle flight building. Not only will be be with other eagles now, but this is where he will be until he is released to the wild. He has already started working on rebuilding his flight muscles. It will be awhile before "Coyote" can be released, but at least his future looks brighter now. We are very excited and so is he!



( Photo: This is a photo of "Coyotes" leg when he was admitted in late January.)



(Photo: Amber has her first close up look and personal expereince of a Bald Eagle patient while Alberta holds him.)

The release of this Bald Eagle will be monitored . We want to make sure his mate has not found a new male in his absense. She should be waiting, but it does not always work out that way. Humans don't have a corner on the market to drama in relationships. Birds have plenty as well.

Tomorrow we will do the final packing for the International Festival of Owls in Houston, MN. If you attend come on up and say hi.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Marge Gibson © 2010

Bald Eagle Updates, New Treatment Options

( Photo: The Bald Eagle we call "Trapper," was caught in leg-hold trap in October. His story was on the blog in October and on the back page of our recent newsletter.)

We have updates on our Bald Eagle patients. The photo above is "Trapper," the adult Bald Eagle that was caught up in a trap in October. He continues to improve. He does not yet have full movement of his toes on the left foot due to the swelling. He is using the foot, however, and we remain hopeful he will regain full use of his foot. It is a long process for the tissue and the nerves to repair in a compression or crushing injury.

News reports from the recent earthquake in Haiti brought to light the horror of crushing injuries suffered by victims of the quake. We read about shocking field amputations of limbs. It is the same kind of injury a leg-hold trap causes on the foot/leg of a trapped animal. Before anyone gets upset thinking I am comparing the horror of the earthquake to our patients, I am not. It is just a reference, since the serious type of injury to tissue and nerves is involved. When nerves and tissue have been too long without circulation or the injury to too severe, the only option is amputation.


(Photo: The treatments for injuries suffered by leg-hold traps are varied. They are all labor intensive for both the patient and the REGI staff. Here the adult Bald Eagle admitted last week has his leg soaked in very warm water to stimulate circulation to the affected leg and foot.

Just as each of our patients is different, so too are their injuries. While all leg- hold trap injuries have similar problems, some require more intensive or creative approaches to give the best possible result. We are constantly trying to improve our techniques and in some cases try new approaches to the medical problems. Recently, we started using leeches on the feet of patients with crushing injuries. The jury is still out as to the success of the new treatment. We hope the leech therapy will increase circulation and shorten the time the birds spend in rehabilitation.



(Photo: This adult Bald Eagle has a medical leech on his foot. Notice the dark area on the toes.)

We have several patients we are using leeches on, including the Great Horned Owls with trap injuries. Leeches, and age old therapy, are being used more frequently in human medical practice...so we may find success. We hope so.




( Photo: This adult Bald Eagle is taking a bath/shower. The fuzzy photo is a result of his vigorous bathing not a moving camera. )

I will leave you this mornng with a fun photo. This is the Bald Eagle admitted under the title "Double Whammy from Marathon County." Birds love to bathe. When they are indoors in intensive care or winter quarters, it is hard to have tubs or pools large enough for them to bathe on their own. Instead, we put them in a shower and they have learned to use it for their bathing needs. They enjoy the time in the shower, as you can see in the photo above.

We have had several new admits this weekend, including another lead-poisoned Bald Eagle. My camera had an accident the other day, and we were not able to get any photos for you. I will soon.

Have a good day everyone.
Marge Gibson ©2010

Loon Heads South, Bald Eagle Update

( Photo: REGI staff says goodbye to the Duck Lake Common loon as he heads south. Good bye Duckie. We hope you are able to come back to Duck Lake next year. Your friends at Duck Lake will be waiting for you. )

What a fine morning it is. The weather looks good and our Duck Lake loon will be on his way south in a few minutes. We are now packing up his food, and other essentials for the trip and he will be on his way. Hilger Baits is bagging some large sucker minnows for him that will stay alive for 24 hrs. He will have them for supper this evening in the tub of some motel:) and then in the morning again before his trip continues to the Gulf of Mexico.


( Photo: "Duckie" in his travel container, leaving town.)

( Video: The Duck Lake Common Loon "Duckie" gets breakfast before he leaves headed south.)


The Bald Eagle from the Town of Hewitt has a rough day yesterday, but as of last night is beginning to show improvement. We have learned he may have had another toxin in the mix of things as well. He may have eaten mice or squirrels that were poisoned with antifreeze and then thrown outside. People often do not realize that whatever eats those cast off dead critters also gets poisoned by the same thing that killed the mouse or rat. It is a complicated domino effect and secondary poisoning. The eagle is still under treatment for Lead poisoning as well as the fractured leg and toes from the leg hold trap. He has had the dictionary description of a " REALLY bad week."

( Photo: Hewitt Bald Eagle is improving after a rough day yesterday.)
The week continues to be busy with colder weather coming in. It was -25 degrees F. wind chill last night. B urr..

We will update you when we hear about Duckie and his odyssey south.
Marge Gibson 2009

Double Whammy Bald Eagle Admitted with Leg Hold Trapped Injury and Lead Poisoning, Northern Oriole, Snow Bunting and Canada Goose Admitted

( Photo: The Bald Eagle when he was rescued just before dark last night in the Town of Hewitt, Marathon County. He is shown with myself and Don Wolfe. Don found the bird and notified us of his situation.)

What a busy day it was yesterday. We admitted four patients.

Early in the day a Northern Oriole,and a Snow Bunting were admitted from Central Wisconsin. The beautiful male Northern Oriole, a male was suppose to have migrated long ago to a warmer climate. He has a wing injury and was not able to leave when the time was right. He will be with us through the winter enjoying lots of waxworms ( Thanks, Jada Baits) and mealworms ( thanks, John Jacobs) as well as frozen berries from the market. He dove into the live worms when he arrived. This morning he had strawberry juice running down his mouth when I checked him. He adjusted to captivity as in a warm aviary in about 2 minutes.

The Snow Bunting has a recent wing fracture. His prognosis is good for a full recovery. Snow Buntings are charming "snow flakes" of the bird world. They nest on the Arctic tundra and migrate to Wisconsin for the winter. They are in their element in the cold. They nestle in snow drifts to keep warm. It is amusing to me that this lovely little bird finds Wisconsin and below zero F. temperatures comfortable.


( Photo: Lance holds the Canada Goose for his exam. )

Later in the afternoon some kind folks caught up a Canada Goose that was standing near a road. Lakes are frozen in our area. There was no place for the goose to go. He has a wing fracture and lead poisoning so flying was not an option. We began treatment for lead poisoning this morning. While the Canada Goose is not a rare species, being injured, lead poisoned and cold is never a good thing.


( Photo: REGI staffer, Lance Holm holds the Bald Eagle back at the REGI clinic as he was admitted.)
Late afternoon we got a call from Don Wolfe and his wife Gail from the Town of Hewitt. They found an adult Bald Eagle in the field near their home that was weak and unable to fly or move well. It was nearly 4 P.M. when the call came in and the site was about 30 minutes away from REGI. Lance and I jumped in the van and were on our way in a matter of minutes hoping to get to the site before dark. We arrived and in the last minutes before dark with the help of Don Wolfe were able to capture the injured Bald Eagle. The poor eagle was so weak, capture didn't require much effort. (Although Lance did a terrific face first flop in the snow when he was running to corral the eagle.)

We did blood work as soon as the eagle was admitted. We have our own blood analyser at REGI. We are able to get results of most the blood work within minutes and begin treatment very quickly. Immediate treatment particularly in the case of lead poisoning is very important and has been a lifesaver to many patients.

It turns out the Bald Eagle has lead poisoning as well as a broken leg and injuries to both feet from the leg hold trap. The eagle likely picked up lead poisoning after he was injured in the trap, as he fed on deer "gut piles" left in the woods after hunting season. The leavings from a deer look like good food to a bird particularly since with a broken leg was unable to hunt for himself. He could not have known they are filled with lead from the use of lead ammunition. Most hunters are unaware of the danger awaiting bald eagles and other wildlife in "gut piles" left in the woods.



( Photo: Bald Eagle with leg fracture and lead poisoning after his first shot of Ca EDTA to chelate the lead from his blood. )

We continue to prepare the Common Loon, Duckie for his trip to the Gulf of Mexico. He is eating voraciously ( thanks Hilger Baits) and is getting stronger by the minute.

Have a good day everyone.
Marge Gibson © 2009

Leg Hold Trapped Eagle Update, New Leg Hold Trapped Great-horned Owl Admitted

( Photo: Don holds the Bald Eagle caught in a leg hold trap in late October.)

Our patient, the Bald Eagle caught in a leg hold trap in late October has become an emotional favorite not only with REGI staff but with our facebook and blog public too. Our weather has been unseasonably warm this week so yesterday he was transferred to an outdoor flight. This is in anticipation of his eventual release. He has come a long way since he was admitted.

Honestly, I never thought I would see the day when he was flying again as he is today. You might recall his wings were badly battered as he struggled to stay afloat during the three days he spend in the Wisconsin River. He is still not "out of the woods" and will come back indoors when the weather turns frigid later this week. For now however he is outdoors for the first time since he was admitted.

While all of our patients are special, this Bald Eagle is even more so than most. His is incredibly patient with us and his predicament. I wish I could share with everyone just how amazing he is. For the few folks that have seen this eagle in person, you know exactly what I mean.



( Photo: The Bald Eagle is finally outdoors after his harrowing ordeal. Notice he is looking at his feet. I cannot help but wonder what he is thinking.)

Physically, "Trapper" has not gained the weight I hoped he would. He weighs 7lbs. 11ozs.and is significantly underweight for a male northern Bald Eagle . The good news is that is still 2 lbs more than he weighed when admitted. His foot is still swollen and tender. He still suffers from physiologic stress, but is making progress. I will continue to update you on his progress.

If he makes it through the many hurdles left before he regains full health, we will have to have a huge celebration. We keep our fingers crossed for the day his release to the wild becomes reality.


( Photo: This Great-horned Owl that was caught in a leg hold trap that was apparently set for squirrels in Grand Rapids, WI late last week.)

The theme of leg hold trapped birds continued this week as a Great-horned Owl was admitted from the Grand Rapids area. The trapping injuries are usually accidental with the birds being a "non-target species" when it is trapped. Sadly, even with an accidental trapping, the result is still devastating for the birds and REGI's budget.

Our thanks to friend and fellow wildlife rehabilitator Nicki Christianson and Officer Roe of the Grand Rapids, WI Police Department for rescuing this owl and to Nicki for doing emergency care before the owl was transferred to REGI. The owl suffered substantial blood loss. He is beginning to eat his own however and we hope he will regain his strength soon. His foot has serious injuries, including a fractured toe and foot. We hope for a quick rehab on this bird as it is an adult male.

Winter is am important time in the life of a Great-horned Owl. It is now that they begin to cement their "pair bonding" in anticipation of nesting which occurs in January of February even in our region. We will update you on his progress. We will know better in a few days how quickly the foot will recover. Not only will the bones have to heal but he will need to regain full movement of the toes as well to be a successful hunter.

Raptors hunt and live by their powerful talons. Releasing a bird without his full griping power compromises their hunting ability. Often raptors with injures such as these, die of starvation in the wild. They are not able to hunt and therefore unable to feed themselves or their family if they are injured during nesting season.


( Photo: Great-horned Owl suffered a injury to his leg and talons when caught in a leg hold trap.)

Many thanks to my staff and volunteers that took charge at REGI last week while I enjoyed family time in the form of an early Thanksgiving with our family in the southern part of the U.S. Our great staff allows us to truly relax and enjoy the time away while knowing the patients and resident birds at home are getting the best of care.

Have a great day everyone.
Marge Gibson © 2009

Patient UPDATES! Our Bald Eagle Cage Underway!

( Photo: Guess WHO? It is "Trapper John" the Bald Eagle admitted having been caught in a muskrat trap twelve days ago near Tomahawk.)

My goodness time has flown and gotten away on me. I have so many cases to update and things to tell. Let me get right to it!

So many people have written about "Trapper John". ( thanks Gracellyn for his "name".)
I am delighted to say that he is still with us. He continues to make slow progress. The key word here is progress.

He has been a stellar patient and has the hearts of so many. Today for the first time, he was dismayed with me and showed it when I caught him up to bring him inside. He spend most of the day out in a flight with another Bald Eagle in recovery. It was too cold tonight to leave him out.

He is still in fragile condition, but he is less convinced of that that I am. His appetite is not been great. That is an additional concern. He has some heart problems, I think from the exhaustion of the three day trip down the Wisconsin River while wearing a muskrat trap on his foot. We will see if that resolves when he is completely recovered from his other medical problems. I am soaking his affected foot in hot water in the evening to quell the inflammation of the soft tissue. Soaking the foot of a Bald Eagle in a hot water bath is not an easy task. I am thrilled his condition is improving each day.

I hate to get too optimistic, but so far so good. The best part is he seems at peace with his situation and is taking this captivity thing in stride. He is fascinated with us and what we are doing. He is an exceptional eagle, that seems to be keeping a mental log on humans. Some members of the Medford Bird Club were able to observe his enormous sense of self and calm during their tour on Saturday. It seems a contradiction at times that we are not able to share some of these cases in person with the public. Our federal permits do not allow the general public to come into contact with the birds that will be released, unless it is incidental to care. The birds themself teach so much better than any human ever could.


( Photo: Hanging out in the clinic.)




( Photo: Immature Bald Eagle from the Gilman, WI area)

We have sad news about the immature Bald Eagle that was at first thought to be suffering from electrical shock injury. It turns out she was shot. Not only once for twice. Sadly despite our best efforts she died of her injuries. Not only did she have the broken bones from being shot, but her body was riddled with lead fragments from the bullets. She was a heart tugging case. Cases that involve purposeful acts of aggression against innocent and protedcted wild birds are the hardest for staff to deal with. It is illegal of course. I always wonder what goes on in the mind of people that are cruel to animals. It is a question I am quite certain I will not answer to in this lifetime.



( Photo: Great-horned Owl from Stevens Point area suffered from rodent poisoning.)

We also lost the Great-horned Owl that came in from Portage County. A young owl, he was accidentally poisoning while eating rats and mice at a waste treatment plant.

I am always shocked by how many people actually believe the labels on some of these rodent poisons that proclaim not to harm other animals. Anytime you see the suffix "cide" after a word it means to kill. If another animal eats one that was poisoned they too will be poisoned in a sad cycle. Raptors are certainly not the "target species" in these cases. It is not done on purpose, but the result is the same.

Amid the sadness of lost patients, we have some good news.


( Photo: Our newest EAGLE Habitat is underway thanks to some terrific volunteers.)

We are beyond anxious to get our newest building project finished before the snow prevents construction. When Gary Witmann arrived a few weeks ago and volunteered to help with the project it was like a dream. I was pretty convinced I must have imagined the whole thing, when on Tuesday Gary along with two friends, Marvin Schmeiser and Steve Wagner arrived and set to work.

It is true to say if you want something done ask a busy person. This group of friends actually just completed volunteering their time to build a Habit for Humanity home in Antigo. We are so very grateful.

More soon.

Marge Gibson ©2009

Adult Bald Eagle Rescued from Leg Hold Trap, Great... Bald Eagle Leg Hold Trap Injury, Bald Eagle Rescue, Great-horned Owl

First posted October 26, 2006 ( We had a glitch with our program sorry.)



( Photo: Wet and nearly lifeless this adult male Bald Eagle was rescued by some caring individuals from a leg hold trap in the Wisconsin River. He hardly resembles the proud symbol of America in this condition.)

Our day started out fairly uneventful that is until this evening. We received a call from Andy Goretski saying he and a friend found an adult Bald Eagle in a leg hold trap on the Wisconsin River. They were able to get the trap off the eagles leg. The eagle was past the point of fighting for his life. They laid him on the shore and called REGI.

Don and I jumped in the truck and headed towards a half way point where we met up with the heroes of this story, the people that rescued the eagle from the Wisconsin River.



( Photo: The Bald Eagle was in very critical condition. He was so hypothermic I wrapped him in heated blankets and put warmed pads under his wings and chest for the remained of the trip to Antigo and REGI.)

Once back at REGI we used a blow dryer to dry the eagles feathers. We tube fed him warmed emaciation diet to begin warming him from the inside. He stood briefly when we put him into the critical care box, but sadly the foot that was in the trap remained balled up and is discolored. We are hoping the circulation returns to the foot and leg soon, but it is a very serious situation. We have no idea how long the poor eagle was trapped at the site. Trappers are suppose to check their traps every 24 hours, but the trap involved in this incident was an illegal trap and therefore may not have been checked for days or longer.



( Photo: Warming pads and warmed blankets started the process of returning the body temperature of the Bald Eagle while we were still in transit to REGI.)



( Photo: The Bald Eagle struggled so long and hard to break free from the leg hold trap that he injured both wings in the process. We will not know how seriously until we can examine him when he is in more stable condition.)



( Photo: The left foot of the Bald Eagle suffered lack of circulation from the leg hold trap. )



( Photo: Safe at last but this handsome Bald Eagle has a long way to go to recovery. )

We do have a bit of good news today. The Great-horned Owl that came in last night shot in the right wing is improving. She is still being tube fed and will be for at least another week, but her spirit is returning and her eyes are open. That is a good thing.



( Photo: The Great-horned Owl that came in last night has her eyes open and is aware of her surroundings.)

It will be a long night so I will sign off and hope for good news in the morning. We are so grateful to the wonderful folks that rescued the Bald Eagle tonight and the Great-horned Owl last night. I always say that we can help injured wildlife but it is often the public that find them and rescue them. You are our heroes. Thank you so much.

( Update 6:00 A.M. Monday 10-26-09 The eagle made it through the night. Tubed him 50ccs of ematiation diet at 5:30 AM which he kept down. Of concern the left wing was "under" him as he lay when I checked on him. Not using the left foot at all yet. Starvation is also an issue. He was so wet last night we were not able to weigh him. He is more comfortable and resting. I am off to bed.)

Marge Gibson © 2009

Trapped Bald Eagle Update, New Bald Eagle Admitted

( Photo: This is the male Bald Eagle that was rescued last night by some great folks. This photo was taken about a little over an hour ago.)

It is beginning to feel like we should be called "Eagles are US" here at REGI. Last night we had the dramatic rescue of a beautiful adult male Bald Eagle and this afternoon we picked up another Bald Eagle, although this time a 3-4 year old female bird.

The male eagle from last night looks a lot better. You can see that from the photo. Don't let the photo fool you however, he is still in critical condition. We have tube fed him small amounts through the day. He is still very weak. I gave him a few small bits of meat, but he was unable to digest it. We are back to tube feeding him liquid diet until his body can process real food. This eagle was not only stressed, injured and suffering from hypothermia when admitted, but he is starving as well. What a quadruple whammy for him to have to overcome. Tomorrow we will get xrays of his wings and his left foot if he is stable enough. So much rides on if his foot is going to recover. A Bald Eagle with one foot is not releasable to the wild. Keep your fingers crossed and positive energy coming for this eagle. He has been through so much. It is time for him to catch a break.



( Photo: for those of you that did not see the blog yesterday, this is what the male Bald Eagle in the first photo looked like about 24 hours ago. He has made some headway.)

Tonight we drove again this time to Wausau to pick up the female Bald Eagle. She was rescued and transported from Mead Wildlife Area.
She is a big young lady bird between three and four years old. Bald Eagles do not get that distinctive white head and tail until they are over four years old, but it usually it is between five and seven years of age. The white head and tail tells the world they are ready for breeding and all the responsibilities adulthood brings.




( Photo: This immature Bald Eagle is a big female. She has a broken left wing. We do not know how she fractured the wing yet. She is twice as big as the male that was admitted last night. )

This little lady is a survivor with a capital S. From the time she was captured she made it known that she was in charge and wasn't having any pity party from humans.



( Photo: The immature plumage of this Bald Eagle has a beautiful mottled appearance. Each birds plumage is slightly different. This bird is a stunning young lady. Kind of an "Angelina Jolie" of the Bald Eagle world. )



( Photo: That is no smile on this young lady eagles beak. She is all business and if she has anything to say about it, she will recover and be out of here in six weeks or so. Birds bones are hollow so they heal more quickly that bones of mammals.)

I know our blogging public pretty well by now and I can "hear" you all wondering what the difference is between the male and the female Bald Eagle. Size matters in the eagle world and actually for most raptors. The female is about 1/3 LARGER than the male. In the case of the two eagles in our clinic tonight, the female is slightly over twice his size.
Here is the photo to prove it. That is no trick photography. The male is an older bird, I would say over 15 or more. The female still a kid at age 3 or 4.



( Photo: The adult male Bald Eagle is half the size of the immature female Bald Eagle in the box next to him. Male eagles are VERY nice to their mates, if they are wise that is. :)

It was a long night and a longer day. I am off to bed without even proof reading this blog. Forgive me for typos I will fix them tomorrow. Lets hope tomorrow brings no more Bald Eagle Drama.
Thanks again to everyone that helped get help for both of these beautiful birds.

Marge Gibson © 2009