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Eagle Takes Flight But Mystery Remains

Wildlife Center of Virginia

Bird lovers celebrated Monday as the Wildlife Center of Virginia released a golden eagle.  It’s unusual to find them in this part of the world, but as Sandy Hausman reports, experts have a theory about how this one came to be in the Commonwealth.

About forty people were on hand at Big Walker Lookout – west of Wytheville – when the Wildlife Center’s vet, Dr. David McRuhr, released an eagle  admitted in August for treatment of an infection.

“One, two, three!”

The bird soared east into the wind, then turned back to land in a tree where McRuhr says it could see five states.  It had come from southwestern Virginia.

“The interesting thing is this bird was actually a young bird," he said. " It was born in early 2016, and normally golden eagles on the east coast are born in Northern Labrador or Northern Quebec, so this was either a very early migrant or he was born in the area."

Golden eagles are not known to live here, but in the 80’s the Wildlife Center’s Director Ed Clark says scientists tried to introduce them.

“There were a number of introduction programs that took place down in western North Carolina and East Tennessee in the Smoky Mountain National Park," Clark explained, "but it was really considered marginally successful, and lo and behold we end up with an immature golden eagle, and we’re not quite sure from whence he’s come.”

The bird has now taken flight, but a small blood sample remains for testing.  Scientists hope a genetic analysis will reveal whether, in fact, the Southeast now has at least one breeding pair of golden eagles. 

You can find a video of the take-off here.