From sinking to soaring: The journey home for two Missouri bald eagles

The eaglets await their transport to Wild Bird Sanctuary in Saint Louis.

In the 1960s, bald eagles — long sacred to Indigenous Peoples and later a symbol of the U.S. — were on the brink of extinction. Mating pairs were down to fewer than 500.

Then, in the early 1970s, two monumental pieces of legislation helped to reverse the course of their decline. In 1972, the pesticide DDT was banned.

DDT had been found to increase the fragility of bald eagle eggs.

They were breaking down during the critical incubation stage, which lasts for about 35 days, before the eaglets were ready to hatch.

Next, when the Endangered Species Act became law in 1973, bald eagles were on it.

The measures worked. In the following decades, the bald eagle population began to grow.

Today, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are more than 316,000 bald eagles in the U.S. That includes more than 70,000 mating pairs.

And, now, thanks to the heroic efforts of a Missouri farmer and the World Bird Sanctuary in Saint Louis, two more bald eagles have a chance to add to the species’ success story.

Bald eagle rescue in Missouri

The eaglets were stranded in the middle of the river after their nest tree fell in the water.

That farmer just so happens to be my dad, Ray.

In late April this spring, he was out in the fields doing some routine checks. A great time to stop, grab the binoculars and observe the bald eagle pair that’s been nesting along the river for several years.

Except, he was having trouble locating the nest he had looked upon so many times.

That’s when he realized, it wasn’t just the nest he couldn’t find. It was the entire tree where the nest had been built all those years before.

As he approached the river, he saw them. Two eaglets sitting in the soggy nest, which had fallen into the river along with the entire tree that supported it.

The parents? Nowhere in sight.

Ray sits on the back of his pickup truck with the hooded eaglets.

Once a safe haven, the nest was now close to becoming their doom.

It was slowly sinking into the river, and they were far too young to fly away. Which meant they were trapped, with no access to food and no means of escape.

And, they would’ve been lost to the river if it weren’t for my dad connecting with the sanctuary in time.

Two members of the sanctuary team arrived and quickly assessed the situation. But, they couldn’t get to the eagles without a boat.

So, my dad went back to the house, fetched a canoe and returned to launch the sanctuary team into the river.

They quickly hooded the first eaglet. But, the second gave them a bit of a chase. In the end, he too was hooded and brought into the safety of the canoe.

Then, my dad picked them all up down river.

The hoods kept the eagles calm and still by blocking their vision. Thus, making them easier to handle and transport to the sanctuary, about 1.5 hours away.

But, the hard work was far from over.

A second chance at life at Wild Bird Sanctuary

World Bird Sanctuary posted regular updates about the eaglets (right) on their Facebook page.

Back at their headquarters, the sanctuary examined the eaglets, finding them both healthy but hungry and a little dehydrated.

Next, they had to construct a new nest platform. Their existing one was big enough only for a single eaglet.

On the third day, the eaglets moved into their new nest, along with a foster mom and foster brother.

The sanctuary estimated their age at about 7 weeks, meaning soon they’d be ready to start testing out their legs by perching on the edge of the nest.

In the enclosure, they’d have room to eventually test out their wings, as well.

Less than six weeks later, they were ariborn.

At this point, the sanctuary had to make a choice. Try to reunite the eaglets with their parents to continue their development in the wild. Or, keep them at the sanctuary until they could fend for themselves.

On June 7, they wrote in a Facebook post:

“Attempts by other rehabilitators to reunite eaglets with their parents have been met with mixed success. Chances of parents feeding a reunited eaglet are highest if there is still a nest present and if they have continued to care for at least one sibling during the time the eaglet was gone.”

Neither of those conditions were true for these eaglets. So, they stayed put, getting more flight practice and growing stronger over the next seven weeks.

Then, on July 21, the eaglets — now bona fide bald eagle juveniles — came back to the farm.

Welcome home, friends

The World Bird Sanctuary team heads into the field in preparation for the bald eagles’ release in July.

The eagles arrived with two members of World Bird Sanctuary and professional photographer and documentarian J.C. Renzo.

This time, I got to be part of the action.

All in all, eight humans and two eagles, each in their own crate, caravanned out to the field where the eagles’ nest tree had once stood.

Under a bright blue sky, the sanctuary team carried the eagles’ crates one by one out into the green field.

Soon, the eagles would spread their wings and take flight in the wild, under an open sky, for the very first time.

The first bald eagle prepares to take flight after being released from his crate.

Up first, the feisty eagle.

The sanctuary assumed he was male based on his sometimes-aggressive behavior in the enclosure and his size. Bald eagle males are typically smaller than females.

He’s also the one who tried to avoid capture nearly three months ago.

There, in the field, he thrashed against the walls of his crate in the moments before his release.

And, then, freedom.

When his crate door opened, he didn’t hesitate for even a second.  

He bounded out and took a quick hop in the grass before launching into the sky. Then, he banked right and disappeared into the tree line behind us.

No time for goodbyes. No pause to give thanks.

Though, no doubt, his strong show of flight and instinct was thanks enough for the sanctuary team.

Stay feisty, friend.

Now, it was the second eagle’s turn. The sanctuary assumed this one was female. She’s the bigger of the two siblings and more docile.

Her crate door opened, and then … nothing.

There was no dramatic exit like her brother’s. Instead, she stayed safely tucked in the back of her crate. Unsure of the people hovering nearby and of the place.

The second bald eagle lifts off the ground for her first-ever flight in the wild. As the juvenile eagles mature, their heads will turn white.

However, with a little encouragement, she poked her head out the crate, pausing slightly before taking a few tentative steps in the grass.

Then, she took to the sky.

Giving us an awe-inspiring show, she circled above the field several times, testing out her wings in the open air. Flapping, soaring into the sky, gliding over the grass, banking this way and that.

Then, she too disappeared into the tree line, heading in the opposite direction her brother had gone and settling down by the river where it had all began.

Enjoy your freedom, friend.

The sight of those two bald eagles reclaiming the sky was more than just beautiful. It was a moment of pure triumph — of resilience, of healing, of second chances. And, of people coming together to give our animal friends a fighting chance.

Visit the World Bird Sanctuary in Saint Louis

While the family farm isn’t open to the public, the World Bird Sanctuary is.

Founded in 1977, the sanctuary is home to more than 200 animals from at least 60 different species.

Their 305-acre site, across the Meramec River from Castlewood State Park, is homebase for their rehabilitation, education and conservation efforts. They treat more than 750 raptors every year at their hospital.

And, with an entry price of $12 per car or $20 per bus, they offer an incredibly affordable day of fun. They’re open daily, 8 am to 5 pm, save for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Here’s some of what you can do at World Bird Sanctuary, depending on when you visit:

• Take in an educational program, show or guided tour.

• Handle an exotic raptor for $50.

• Host a birthday party for any age.

• Enjoy seasonal events, such as summer camp, International Vulture Awareness Day or Owl-o-Ween .

• Browse the gift shop.

• Explore the hiking trails that wind through hardwood forests.

• Have a picnic on the beautiful grounds.

Not visiting the Saint Louis area anytime soon?

You can support World Bird Sanctuary from anywhere in the world by making a donation, becoming a member or shopping their Amazon wish list.

Bald eagle update

One of the adult bald eagles that’s been nesting on the family farm for the past several years.

While the fate of the juvenile bald eagles remains unknown, we can only hope they’ve mastered their new habitat.

The parents have been seen around the farm again. Perhaps they’ll build a new nest and hatch more eaglets next year.

If they do, the siblings will have to leave and find their own territory — if they stuck around at all. And, their own mates.

Bald eagles typically nest at least 1 mile apart in areas with a plentiful food supply. And, farther apart in less plentiful areas.

And, despite the remarkable comeback of bald eagles — they were removed from the endangered species list in 2007 — they still face risks. Some of those risks include habitat destruction and climate change.

They also face risk from humans who wish to harm them.

Case in point, World Bird Sanctuary has been caring for one bald eagle for more than a year after his beak was shattered and his wing injured by gunshot. He’s undergone seven surgeries and countless other treatments on his healing journey.

It’s still unknown whether he’ll ever heal enough to return to the wild.

Bald eagle protection

Harming a bald eagle can have serious consequences, and it’s just a dick move in general to harm any animal. So, please don’t.

Under the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, those who harm a protected bird face a $100,000 fine and / or a year in prison. That’s for the first offense. The second offense is a felony.

The act defines harm pretty broadly. It can include capturing, selling or buying an eagle (alive or dead), along with its feathers, nest or egg. It also covers shooting, poisoning, wounding, killing, capturing, trapping, collecting, molesting or disturbing them.

Golden eagles were later afforded this same protection in a 1962 amendment.

Not every wildlife rescue and rehabiliation story has a happy ending. But, I’m oh so glad this one did.

How lucky are we to have people like my dad and organizations like World Bird Sanctuary? They make this world a better place, and I’m grateful for their caring hearts and helping hands.