Watch: Bald Eagle Released In Time For Earth Day 2016

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — Just one day before Earth Day’s 2016 arrival, the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey reached a milestone in its efforts to protect and conserve bald eagles by officially releasing its 540th rehabilitated bald eagle back into Florida’s skies.

The bird was released Thursday morning at J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park, 10500 Wilderness Park Blvd., in New Port Richey.

“Eagles remind us to protect Florida’s special places so that these magnificent birds and all the other wildlife have places to call homes,” Eric Draper, Audubon Florida’s executive director, said in a statement. “We are proud of our role in rescuing bald eagles and returning them to the wild.”

The bald eagle released Thursday was rescued on Jan. 25. According to the society, volunteers with its Audubon EagleWatch citizen science program spotted the bird on the ground below an active nest with chicks in the Hudson area. Volunteers reported the sighting to Kris Porter of Owl’s Nest Sanctuary, who collected the bird, and took it to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for medical evaluation.

At Busch Gardens, veterinary staff diagnosed the bird with a broken ulna (a bone in the wing), a media release from the Tampa-based theme park stated. Once the bone was healed, the eagle was taken to the Maitland home of the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey to undergo further rehabilitation and flight reconditioning. That leg of the eagle’s journey back into the wild took about a month.

“The recovery of the bald eagle is perhaps the most successful conservation achievement in our country,” said Brad Andrews, executive director of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens’ Conservation Fund. “Organizations like the Audubon Birds of Prey Center continue to have a major role in the recovery of bald eagles and other birds of prey. The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is proud to be a long-time supporter of the center and to have a part in protecting our national bird and symbol of freedom.”

As for the nest the Eagle was found under back in January, rescuers later learned the bird did not belong to it. It is believed the injury probably occurred during a territory fight.

To find out more about the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, visit the center’s website. The Maitland facility serves as rescue, rehabilitation and medical treatment center for a number of Florida raptors. It cares not only for bald eagles, but also owls, falcons, ospreys and kites, among others.

Pasco County’s J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park is open from dawn to dusk seven days a week. To learn more about visiting the park, check out the Pasco County website.

Sign up for the New Port Richey Patch newsletter and alerts!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, too!