An eaglet rescued by the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines, nicknamed Fern, is being prepared by staff for transfer to Sitka for rehabilitation and eventual release. (Courtesy/Maia Edwards)
A bald eagle injured over the weekend had to be euthanized after being rescued by staff at the American Bald Eagle Foundation (ABEF) in Haines.
It all began around 5 a.m. on Saturday when a resident of Sawmill Road was awakened by the cries of eagles. It’s unclear what exactly happened, but the foundation’s scientific director, Maia Edwards, said she awoke to text messages about an injured eagle and quickly mobilized with three interns.
“The eagle appeared seriously injured. It had a severe wound on its left wing and was lying on the ground,” Edwards said.
Because ABEF is not licensed for rehabilitation, Edwards explained that their role is limited to rescuing birds, stabilizing them on-site, and then sending them elsewhere for treatment.
“We picked up the bird, brought it back to our small clinic at the foundation, administered painkillers, stabilized it, and flew it to Sitka that same afternoon,” she recounted.
Edwards suspected the eagle was male based on its size—female eagles are typically larger. Since all other eagles at the foundation are female, the difference stood out. However, she noted that a blood test is necessary for confirmation.
She also wasn’t sure of the eagle’s age.
“I think it was young, because it still had a few mottled feathers—whitish-brown rather than fully black or white, which would indicate full adulthood,” she explained. “So I’d say it was a young eagle, but not a juvenile.”
The eagle was sent to the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka, where specialists attempted to save it. But by Sunday morning—less than 24 hours after it left Haines—Edwards received a message from the Sitka center confirming the eagle’s death.
Gabriel Hallmark is shown securing the injured eagle at the ABEF. The eagle was transported to Sitka for rehabilitation but was ultimately euthanized due to the severity of its injuries. (Courtesy/American Bald Eagle Foundation)
The bird had a broken humerus, which is usually a straightforward fix, Edwards said.
“The real problem was a torn ligament in the elbow. The skin in the area also had a hole. It was too damaged. They would have tried to fix and splint the wing if it weren’t for the ligament,” she explained.
Birds are incredibly fragile, she noted.
“It’s very hard to treat wing injuries, especially because their bones are hollow. With a torn ligament, its chances of survival were minimal from the start. So it was humanely euthanized.”
Hearing this kind of news never gets easier for Edwards, who has worked with injured raptors for seven years.
“It’s common in this line of work, unfortunately. Still, seeing the injury in person always hits hard—especially when it’s that severe,” she said.
The foundation team was also shaken. “We were pretty quiet afterward. It’s never easy dealing with this part of wildlife rehab.”
Losing an animal can feel like losing a pet.
“It’s always hard,” Edwards said. “I think the hardest part is realizing that, over time, you start to get used to it. The more often it happens, the more it just becomes a part of life. I have mixed feelings about that—it’s normal in wildlife rehab, but at the same time, becoming desensitized doesn’t feel right.”
Still, Edwards said she wouldn’t have done anything differently. She only wishes the foundation had a rehabilitation license. When the Juneau Raptor Center was operational, it was just a 30-minute flight away, making transfers easier. Now that it’s closed, they’re working toward obtaining their own license.
“We truly hope to get our rehab permit as soon as possible. That could’ve shortened the eagle’s suffering. If we had the resources and training to care for it here, it wouldn’t have had to take that long flight to Sitka. And if we’d had the proper equipment to humanely euthanize it here, the pain wouldn’t have been prolonged,” Edwards said.
Later that Sunday afternoon, the foundation received a more hopeful call—this time about an eaglet that had fallen from its nest on Beach Road.
The same eaglet nicknamed Fern was found clutching some ferns in one of its talons. That’s how it got its name.
“It looks like a pair of eagles nests there every year. Something must’ve happened—maybe the parents pushed it out, thinking it was too weak. Sometimes that happens if they have too many chicks,” Edwards explained. “But it looked dazed and had fallen about 25 to 30 feet to the ground.”
Edwards and her team assessed the eaglet and found it too young to have developed enough to fly. They couldn’t determine its sex without testing.
“It still heavily depends on being fed. We think it’s around five weeks old. Most of the wing feathers haven’t grown in yet. It still has all its soft down feathers. Its beak is still fully black, and it has brown eyes and brown plumage—like all juvenile bald eagles.”
Edwards took the eaglet in for a full check-up. Since it had a good chance of survival, they decided to name it.
“It was grasping some ferns with its talon, so we nicknamed it Fern,” she said.
Fern had no visible injuries.
“[Fern] needs to be properly cared for, as it can’t hunt yet. And it seems the parents have abandoned it. So Fern will be sent to Sitka today—on the same flight we used yesterday for the other eagle,” Edwards added.
Fern is expected to make a full recovery and be released back into the wild. The news lifted the team’s spirits.
“I think yesterday we were heartbroken by what happened with the other eagle—especially seeing how much pain it was in. But today brings more hope. Seeing that new life, that little eaglet… it helps. And apparently, there’s another chick at the raptor center in Alaska they recently took in,” she said. “So Fern will have a nestmate to grow up with—and when ready, both will be released at the end of summer once they’re able to fly.”