(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A group of bird watchers spotted something somewhat unusual on Waukegan Harbor: a bald eagle, standing perfectly still on a chunk of ice.
That’s when Chicago Bird Collision Monitors (CBCM) were called in to help.
“One of their volunteers is a kayaker and kayaked right up to this bird. They Basically moved the piece of ice that the bird was standing on with his kayak and basically just pushed it over to the shore,” said Dr. Sarah Reich with the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, which is now caring for the bird.
Although it’s not abnormal to find eagles standing on chunks of ice — as they are fish-eating birds — Reich said this bird seemed “quite dull.”
“Catching a bird on open water without dunking them in the freezing cold water can be challenging … once [ashore], the bird was netted and immediately transferred to a warm car,” Willowbrook Wildlife Center officials wrote in a Facebook post.
Officials wrote that they believe the eagle is around 3 years old, based on the amount of white feathers present on its head
“Thankfully, this bird, once it was nice and warmed up, started eating almost immediately,” Reich said. “That’s always a good sign.”
According to the center’s Facebook post, the first animal rescued in 2022 was, coincidentally, a bald eagle, as well. That bird was eventually released into the wild.
The eagle rescued this week will now undergo testing and other assessments over the next 30 – 45 days before it can be returned to the wild. Reich said the bird tested positive for lead, but not at a level that warranted treatment.
“It’s fascinating that we are taking in more and more eagles every single year, [but] we would rather not,” Reich said.
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