I was invited by the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland to help release a rehabilitated bald eagle on Dec. 5. And it was an amazing experience.
The female eagle, who was about 5 years old, was brought to the center after being injured in a dispute with another eagle in north Florida. Its wounds were treated, and the staff monitored the eagle’s recovery to determine when it was ready to be returned to the wild. I arrived for the big day.
Before the release, a hood was placed on the bird’s head to keep it calm. It was then given a final checkup and measurements were taken of its beak and talons. A small metal band was placed on the eagle’s right leg so it could be identified in the future.
The eagle was then handed off to an Audubon volunteer, who would hold the bird in her lap for the van ride to the release site in Lake County.
When we arrived, the bird was handed over to me. I carefully held its legs with the sharp talons with my right hand while my left kept the bird’s head secure. Another volunteer removed the hood from the bird.
I was told to gently toss the bird in the air and release it. But instead of flying away majestically, the bird landed on the ground. Thud.
After taking a few seconds to get her bearings, the bird then darted up into the sky and back into the wild. This was the 801st bald eagle to be rehabilitated and released by the Birds of Prey Center since it opened in 1979.
Behind the scenes at the birds of prey center in Maitland, Audubon’s Cameron Couvillon holds the soon-to-be-released bald eagle while Cheryl Mertz enters information about the bird. (Courtesy Tim Barker)
Before the bald eagle makes its exit from the birds of prey center, Cameron Couvillon conducts an exam on the bird and takes measurements of its toes and the sharp talons it uses for hunting. (Courtesy Tim Barker)
Gayle Hamilton gets the job as “eagle cuddler” for the van ride to the release site. She will keep the majestic bird secure in her lap for the whole trip, making sure to hold its legs and head for safety. (Roger Simmons/Orlando Sentinel)
At the release site on private property in Lake County, members of the Audubon team and volunteers go over details about the plan for the bald eagle’s release. This area was considered safe for a release because there were no active bald eagle nests nearby. (Courtesy Tim Barker)
Orlando Sentinel Executive Editor Roger Simmons holds the bald eagle while a volunteer removes the hood from the head of the bird. Simmons was invited to be the person to release the eagle, the 801st to be returned to the wild by the Birds of Prey Center. (Courtesy Tim Barker)
The formerly injured bald eagle is about to be tossed into the air for its release by Sentinel executive editor Roger Simmons. Instead of taking off to enjoy its freedom, it lands on the ground. Audubon officials said this sometimes happens with newly released eagles. (Courtesy Tim Barker)
After checking out the landscape and sensing its new found freedom, the bald eagle takes off and returns to the wild. Thanks to its work, the center has returned more than 30 bald eagles to the wild this year. (Courtesy Tim Barker)
The female bald eagle, about 5 years old, takes flight and heads north, perhaps back to Clay County where it might find a mate. Florida has about 2,500 nesting pairs of bald eagles, according to Audubon. (Courtesy Tim Barker)