[CINC] Press release--Bald Eagle Chicks Return to the Wild

[Clare Fritzsche]

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Yvonne Menard, National Park Service, 805-658-5725
Gabrielle Dorr, MSRP, 562-980-3236

July 14, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Bald Eagle Chicks Return to the Wild

Today brings the return to the wild of the second of the two bald eagle 
chicks that
were injured during an attack by a sub-adult bald eagle at Pelican 
Harbor on Santa
Cruz Island on May 19, 2008.

This attack was observed live by hundreds of enthusiasts via the Channel 
Islands Live
EagleCAM. The webcam captured the two eagle chicks as they were unexpectedly
taken from their nest and dropped over 30 feet to the ground below.

The EagleCAM watchers notified biologists, prompting the chicks’ rescue.
Thousands more followed this story as a video clip of the incident 
became a most
watched feature on YouTube in the following weeks. The sub-adult intruder
responsible for this attack has not been identified.

One of the eagle chicks suffered a cracked beak in the assault while the 
other had a
broken wing. Both eaglets were taken to a veterinary facility in Orange 
County for
treatment under the care of Dr. Scott Weldy.

In early June the eaglet with the cracked bill, known as A64 by 
biologists and named
Spirit by EagleCAM watchers, was released to a “hack tower” on Santa 
Cruz Island
and monitored by Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) biologists until 
it was ready to
fledge. On July 1, 2008, two days after the hack tower door was lowered, 
the eagle
took its first flight. His movements are tracked using a satellite 
transmitter.

Today, the eagle with the broken wing, known as A65 and called Skye by 
enthusiasts,
will be returned to Santa Cruz Island. Biologists hope it will fledge 
from the “hack
tower” within two to four weeks.

Dr. Peter Sharpe with IWS explained how pins and wire were uses to heal A65s
broken wing. “Now that the pins have been removed this eagle is ready to 
return to
501 W. Ocean Blvd. Suite 4470 
 Long Beach, CA 90802 
 562.980.3236
the wild,” said Sharpe. “We watch the bird’s wing movements to determine 
when it is
ready to fly.”

Regan Nelson and her third grade students from Lemonwood School in 
Oxnard will
be at the Channel Islands National Park visitor center to wish the eagle 
well prior to
its return to the island. These students were devastated by the attack 
on the two eagle
chicks, having observed and studied their behavior and recorded daily 
observations
on the EagleCAM discussion board since the chicks hatched in early 
April. The
children have been faithfully following the birds’ recovery and even 
sent get well
cards to the veterinary facility.

Today, nearly 40 bald eagles are in Channel Islands National Park as a 
result of the
Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP) that released 61 eagles 
between
2002 and 2006. This spring there were four nests established on the 
northern Channel
Islands, three on Santa Cruz Island, and one on Santa Rosa Island. Only 
two of the
nests produced chicks, including this nest at Pelican Harbor. On 
Catalina Island five
nests have produced seven young eaglets this spring

For More Information

The EagleCAM is one of a number of educational opportunities offered as 
part of
Channel Islands Live (CHIL), a cooperative partnership between Channel 
Islands
National Park and Ventura County Office of Education. The EagleCAM and
associated discussion board can be found at: 
http://chil.vcoe.org/eagle_cam.htm.
To see video of the nest incident go to: www.nps.gov/chis.

The bald eagle restoration efforts on the Channel Islands are funded by 
the Montrose
Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP), a multi-agency government program
dedicated to restoring natural resources harmed by DDTs and PCBs 
released into the
environment. Further information on MSRP can be found at:
www.montroserestoration.gov.

The Institute for Wildlife Studies, a non-profit organization dedicated 
to the
conservation of wildlife species, has conducted bald eagle restoration 
on Catalina
Island for over 25 years, as well as efforts on the northern islands 
within Channel
Islands National Park. For links to webcams on Catalina and Santa Cruz 
Islands go
to: www.iws.org.

This publication is available online at: 
www.nps.gov/chis/parknews/newsreleases.htm