“After spending 60 days in care, this eagle flew off eagerly, back at home in the wild once more!” the Wildlife Center of the North Coast posted recently on Instagram. 

“Bald eagle patient No. 25-36 was admitted in early March after it was found on its back in a driveway in Astoria. Staff found that the bird had both an elevated lead level and a coracoid fracture. The coracoid is a bone in the shoulder girdle that extends from the sternum to the shoulder joint, and serves as a wing strut. 

“The rehab team administered fluids and chelation agents (drugs that bind heavy metals in the body and flush them out) to treat the lead level, and the eagle got plenty of cage rest to treat the fracture. 

“Once the lead had been reduced significantly, the eagle was moved to a large outdoor flight enclosure, so it could start using its wings again. After a few weeks, the patient was flying strongly from end to end. 

“Because lead can leach out of a bird’s bones even after chelation therapy, staff retested the eagle’s blood for lead after several weeks, and found that it was still low, so this patient was cleared for release!” 

Want to help with the good work this nonprofit wildlife center does? To find out more about how to donate or volunteer, go to coastwildlife.org.