Rehabilitation

 Victory! A red tail hawk is released into the wild after rehabilitation!

A bald eagle is released March 2011:

 

Adult Golden Eagle Hit By Car, Abused

North American Bald Eagle Release Ferruginous Hawk Release  Turkey Vulture Release Swainson's Hawk Release
Golden Eagle Release Cedar Breaks Eagle Release Farmington Bay Pelican Release  
For those that did not get to see the bald eagle release on Saturday March 5th here are two videos that are now on U tube of that release for you and your friends to watch and for those that did get to see it now you can watch it again. Hope you enjoy them and share them.

Shorter version         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kRCDu3CGxM  Bald Eagle Release Video by Clamraker    Time 1:36

Longer version     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vl4wn70oE0  Bald Eagle Release Video by 1711 Studio       Time 7:44

CLICK ON a photo to enlarge:
Adult Golden Eagle Hit by Car, Abused by Man

This adult golden eagle migrated south from Montana to Southern Utah where it was hit by a car in late February 2010. Unfortunately this is far too common an occurrence. Eagles frequently feed on road kill and will consume so much food that they cannot fly which puts them in harm’s way by uneducated motorists, who think these large predatory birds will be able to get out of their way.  Unfortunately, frequently they can’t.

After being hit by a car, this eagle had to suffer a cruel and inhumane fate at the hands of a human. Someone walked up to the injured eagle held him to the ground and with a pair of pliers ripped out every one of his tail feathers. This is not only an act of animal cruelty it is also a federal offence. Such a barbaric act is akin to holding someone to the ground, taking a pair of pliers and ripping out their fingernails.

The injury to the eagle from the car accident was serious but looked repairable. He suffered a concussion, bumps and bruising. The act of ripping out his tail feathers could permanently disable the eagle for the rest of his life. The eagle was brought to Martin Tyner of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Mr. Tyner specializes in eagle rehabilitation.

UPDATE! After two weeks our new patient, the tail-less golden eagle, is recovering nicely from his injuries that occurred when he collided with a semi-truck. He has recovered from his concussion, his road rash, bumps and bruises. He is feeding on his own and just this morning we found him up on a perch in front of the window enjoying the morning sunshine. If he had not had his tail ripped out he would be ready for release in the next week or so.

Check back for updates on this eagle and if anyone would like to help care for the injured wild creatures please donate buy contributing any amount below: 



 

 

And now to answer your questions.

Q:  Was it a golden eagle or bald eagle?

A:  He is a golden eagle.

Q:  How old is the Eagle?

A:  At best guess he is approximately 4 years old. The best way to identify the age of a golden eagle is the amount of white in his tail feathers and unfortunately those were ripped out.

Q:   Is it a male or female?

A:   It appears to be a large male. The way you can tell a male eagle from a female is from its size. The females are a third larger than the males.

Q:  What is the average weight of a golden eagle?

A:  The golden eagles that have come through our rescue center range in weight from 6 to 13 pounds. The males range from 6 to 9 pounds and females 9 to 13 pounds.

Q:  Will the tail feathers grow back?

A:  Hopefully. It depends on how much damage was done to the quill socket as the feathers were ripped out. It’s very much like having your fingernail ripped out. If the cuticle is damaged the fingernail may or may not grow back. If it grows back it may be permanently deformed.

Q:  What happens to the eagle if the tail feathers do not grow back?

A:  This is the question I hate to answer. By state and federal law, as a wildlife rehabilitator, there are three things that we can do. The first is to return every animal back to the wild possible, and of course that’s always our goal. If an animal is permanently disabled and cannot be returned to the wild, they may be placed in a federally licensed wildlife educational facility and if that cannot be done, again by federal law, the wild creature must be put to sleep.

Q:  Can the eagle survive in the wild without its tail feathers?

A:  No. The tail is a combination of two different flight controls, the rudder and elevator.  Without his tail feathers he may be able to fly but he will not be able to steer well enough to catch his food (jackrabbits and prairie dogs).

Q:  If the eagle can’t be released, can’t the Southwest Wildlife Foundation keep the eagle for the rest of his life?

A:  Not without everyone’s help. Ten years ago Rocky Mountain Power, our local electric company, donated to our volunteer organization 23 acres of beautiful canyon property in Cedar City for the construction of a permanent wildlife rescue facility and a nature park for the children of Utah. The purpose for the park is to create habitats for non-releasable wildlife to be on display for the education of the children of Utah and our guests that visit us from all over the world.

UPDATE!  Sadly a few days after our last update, our tail-less eagle suddenly died from his injuries.  Any injury combined with the stress of captivity can be more than some critters can handle.  Would he have survived had his tail not been pulled out? We will never know.  We are extremely saddened by his loss.


A North American Bald Eagle found weak and disorientated on December 15th, 3 ½ miles northwest of Cedar City.

Cedar City Police dispatch called volunteer wildlife rehabilitator, Martin Tyner, of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation to pick up the sick bird.

The eagle was suffering from a mild case of poisoning. After 2 ½ weeks of care and good food the beautiful bald eagle, our national symbol, was released as a crowd of approximately 200 southern Utah residents cheered the eagle on as he soared to the sky.

Stephanie Furnival, director of the Iron County Children’s Justice Center was chosen to release the eagle on behalf of all the children the Children’s Justice Center cares for.

It is a common belief that if you say your prayers with an eagle feather the eagle feather will carry your prayers to God.

The bald eagle released today has over 7000 feathers and is capable of carrying over 7000 prayers to the heavens, 7000 prayers for the children of Utah.

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This young Ferruginous Hawk was found emaciated out on the desert 20 miles northwest of Cedar City.

 K.C. Deutschlander of Brian Head Utah releases Ferruginous hawk from Brian Head Peak on Saturday, August 22, 2009.

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To most people, the turkey vulture has a face only a mother vulture could love, but this is not the case with wildlife rehabilitator, Martin Tyner, of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation.  Mr. Tyner sees the turkey vulture as pure perfection, because it is so perfectly designed to do what it does. It helps to keep the deserts and mountains clean by feeding on carrion.

This two year old turkey vulture was found three miles west of Cedar City, Utah, emaciated and dieing.  Mr. Tyner was called in to rescue the bird.  After a week of tube feeding, the turkey vulture began to gain strength.  After a couple of months of care and feeding the vulture was returned to the wild on Friday August 21st, 2009

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This young Swainson's hawk was rescued and rehabilitated by the Southwest Wildlife Foundation and was released by PAWS volunteers, Sara, Carol & Karen from St. George UT on September 3, 2009. PAWS website is www.dixiepaws.org

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A 1 ½ year old golden eagle was found wandering an apple orchard just east of Beaver Utah in early November showing possible signs of poisoning.

Martin Tyner of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation was called in to rescue the sick eagle. After three weeks of care and feeding the sub-adult golden eagle was returned to the skies over Beaver Utah.

Mike Neilsen, of Beaver Utah was chosen to release this eagle in honor of families who had recently had children pass away. He and his wife Jill lost their one year old baby daughter, Kaidra, in 2002. Kaidra’s birthday was just last week and she would have been 8 years old.

On November 29, 2009 Mr. Tyner passed the golden eagle into the arms of Mike Neilsen. A large crowd of Beaver residents gathered to cheer as the beautiful eagle was returned to the sky.

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On June 15, 2007   the headline read, “REWARD OFFERED FOR EAGLET SHOOTERS.”  Two of three eaglets were shot in their nest and killed from above by unknown shooters.  The third tumbled from the nest to the bottom of a mine pit surviving the shooting.

The SWF was called to rescue the lone survivor and care for him until he could be released.

Lone Survivor was released at Cedar Breaks National Monument on August 18, 2007 by retired Marine Master Sergeant, Steve Cantonwine.

For more information about this eagle's story please visit

"The Lone Survivor" a story by Noella Ballenger published in the Apogee Photo on line magazine  http://www.apogeephoto.com/aug2007/nballenger82007.shtml

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The Southwest Wildlife Foundation released a North American White Pelican on Sunday, March 22 at the Farmington Bay. 

The Pelican was found in the fields west of Parowan in Southern Utah, unable to fly. Martin Tyner of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation was contacted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to rescue the bird.

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The pelican was in such a weakened state that it just laid down as Mr. Tyner approached and had apparently been down in the fields for several days unable to complete its migration from the Gulf of Mexico to the rookery at the Great Salt Lake. 

The Southwest Wildlife Foundation provided a place for the Pelican to recover while Martin asked the citizens of Cedar City for donations of fish. The community quickly responded providing fish to the foundation which Martin blended up into a liquid (fish shake) which could then be tube fed to the weakened pelican.  

The pelican rapidly gained strength and weight and was transported the last three hundred miles of its migration to Farmington Bay on Sunday morning where it was released.

 

Steve Dee receiving last minute instructions before he released this rehabilitated golden eagle on June 17, 2008.

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation

We are federally and state licensed to care for native Utah wildlife including threatened and endangered species, specializing in raptors.

        A variety of wildlife comes to us for many different reasons. Sometimes starving or orphaned, other times injured.  Many different kinds of babies, from hawks, falcons, eagles and owls to cottontail rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and deer, come to us each spring needing foster care.  Frequently raptors are hit by cars. 

Many birds are injured flying into windows, fences or caught by domestic pets. 

      After evaluating their condition and getting the medical help they need, these wonderful creatures are fed and cared for until they are healthy enough  to be released back to the wild.