A bald eagle that was apparently hit by a vehicle in Montgomery County, Maryland, is on the road to recovery but may not be able to fly anymore.
A Facebook post from the Owl Moon Raptor Center said Trust the eagle has a fracture in her left shoulder, specifically the coracoid bone, which is used to support the shoulder during the pull for the downstroke in flight. The Bennett Creek Animal Hospital is treating Trust by wrapping the wing to her body for at least three weeks.
The center said the prognosis for returning to full flight is guarded.
“We are not certain that our efforts will be successful, but we will give her the best possible chance of recovery of flight,” the center said in their social media post.
The veterinarians said Trust’s impact with the vehicle also damaged air sacs that are part of a bird’s respiratory system. The injury is affecting her breathing, but officials think she can recover.
Trust went off food for much of Saturday but did resume eating Saturday night, dining on quail. Officials at the center said she is alert and on her feet.
Just before 9 a.m. Thursday, Montgomery County police were alerted to the injured eagle after someone saw the bird walk into the woods.
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Animals Services Division Officer Jennifer Gill met the concerned resident near the intersection of River Road and Riverwood Drive, and that person directed Gill to the bird's location. Once she found the eagle, Gill noticed that she may have sustained an injury keeping her from flying.
Gill wrapped the eagle in towels, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Officer Danny Thomas helped Gill place the eagle in a carrier for safe transport to the Owl Moon Raptor Center in Boyds.
