Four raptors were admitted to the Pendleton center this past week. First was Merlin 24-018 with a long laceration on the underside of her right wing. No fractures were apparent on a radiograph, but there was soft tissue damage. After cleaning the wound it was closed with a small amount of super glue. We are concerned about reduced range of motion in the wing. Hopefully tincture of time and physical therapy will be effective.  

Wednesday brought two birds. Great Horned Owl 24-019 was found on the Umatilla Indian Reservation tangled in a wild rose bush. A physical exam found a dislocated shoulder and a long laceration on its back. It was also extremely depressed. 

Great Horned Owls are a high risk avian influenza species. It is very unlikely a healthy owl would get tangled in a rose bush. The decision was made to euthanize the owl. Testing confirmed it had highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Red-tailed Hawk 24-020 had an old injury to its left wing that was not repairable. Euthanasia was the only humane option.  Although they are also a high risk HPAI species, the virus is usually fatal within a few days. The hawk’s injuries were more than a week old. It was not going to be releasable, so we did not test for HPAI. 

If money was no object, we would test all high risk species, but the cost of testing is $75 – $145 per bird. The initial cost includes shipping. If the virus is detected the lab is required to determine the subtype of the virus and there is an additional $70 fee.  

Western Screech Owl 24-021 was admitted on Thursday. It had been roosting in a tree cavity when the tree was blown down. It was able to fly out of the tree, but then crashed into the side of a nearby house. We haven’t taken radiographs yet, but the owl appears to be feeling much better with fluids and anti-inflammatories on board.

On Saturday, Tricia and I returned Sharp-shinned Hawk  23-369 to Pilot Rock for release. The hawk had flown into a window at City Hall last December. Its always great to end the week on a happy note!

In order to protect our Education Birds, Blue Mountain Wildlife has made the decision to test all rehabilitation candidates who are high risk for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. This requires sending samples to the OSU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Corvallis and takes from 3 to 7 days, depending on what day of the week the birds are admitted. Two such birds have been tested so far in February, Red-tailed Hawk 24-016 and Great Horned Owl 24-017.

Both birds appeared to be blind. The hawk showed no signs of trauma. The owl had signs of a head injury. The hawk tested positive for HPAI. The owl tested negative for HPAI. The two birds were admitted several days apart and their stays at BMW did not overlap. Both were quarantined in the Intake Center which currently consists of three 8′ X 10′ buildings: Admission, Examination and Quarantine. A fourth building has been purchased and will provide a second quarantine space.

HPAI may well be endemic in the United States, meaning we should screen all high risk birds who seem to be good rehabilitation candidates before bringing them into the clinic. The ability to quarantine two groups of birds separately will become more important during the upcoming busy spring and summer seasons, hence the acquisition of a second Quarantine building.

Another Bald Eagle Release!!!

I never thought I would be relieved to treat an eagle for lead toxicity, but if the alternative is HPAI, I will chose lead every time! After two courses of chelation, Bald Eagle 24-015 was released. Hunting with nonlead ammunition will help insure the eagle stays lead free!

There was just one new admission this past week, a Red-tailed Hawk from Umatilla that appears to be blind. We are not sure what caused the blindness. Because red-tails are a high risk species for avian influenza, it is being treated in the quarantine building. On Monday we will be able to test for influenza. Assuming the test is negative, we will move him into the clinic for a more thorough evaluation.

Winnie was able to return a Bald Eagle to Summerville and release him. The eagle had responded quickly to treatment for ingested lead toxicity. 

She was also able to release a Western Screech Owl in La Grande on the same trip. The owl had been hit by a car in November, fracturing its right scapula. The injury took a couple weeks to heal and then required physical therapy and exercise in increasingly larger flight pens to prepare for release. The owl flew quickly out of the box and landed in a clump of trees. You can see it is a very well camouflaged owl! 

A final eagle photo…

Bald Eagle 24-011 was struck by a vehicle, but she has also tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Water fowl can be asymptomatic carriers of HPAI, but the virus is almost always fatal in raptors. A second blood sample has been sent to the Washington Disease Diagnostic Lab to determine what variant of the virus the eagle has as she has shown no symptoms of the disease. She has been transferred to the Washington State University Veterinary School for continued care. 

There were two new admissions this week, a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl and another Bald Eagle.

It was obvious the owl didn’t feel well. A radiograph showed her right humerus was in four pieces. The arrows point to the fragments. Euthanasia was the only humane option.

The Eagle’s blood lead level was 27.5 micrograms/deciliter, a toxic level of lead. The first course of chelation has been completed and the eagle is responding well. Another blood sample will be taken on Tuesday to see if a second course of chelation is required.

Bald Eagle 24-010, admitted last week, has had one course of chelation. When we received the new lead test kits and tested his blood, the initial sample was only 6.7 micrograms/deciliter. Normally an eagle would not be showing signs of lead toxicity at that level, however the effects of lead can be quite variable between birds. Fortunately the eagle has responded well and is now out in a flight pen!