Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) The SPCA Serving Erie County is caring for a female bald eagle who was recently discovered in distress in Great Valley. The bird was brought to the SPCA's Wildlife Department by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The bird was weak, showed signs of an eye infection and appeared to have a broken toe.
"She's an adult bald eagle," said SPCA Communications Manager Bethany Kloc. "We tested her for bird flu right away and it came back positive."
The SPCA had to take meticulous security measures. The eagle was in her own outdoor enclosure. The wildlife team followed strict biosecurity protocols, including anyone near her wearing gloves and PPE to prevent any exposure.
Many people are under the impression that birds that contract bird flu are culled. That is not the case here.
"A lot of birds that are put down are chickens who live close together on farms," explained Kloc. "Eagles do not live in herds like that." It does not have to do with the fact that they are a protected species.
There is no specific treatment for bird flu, so veterinarians treated her symptoms with pain relief, eye medication, and antifungal medication to protect against potential infections. This week she was tested for a second time, and the bald eagle is negative, meaning she is no longer shedding the virus.
The eagle, who the SPCA has not named because they don't want to think of them as pets, is still recovering and not ready to be released.
"Her eye infection is still there. She can't see out of one eye. Unless she recovers, we can't release her into the wild. It wouldn't be fair because she would be at a disadvantage."
The SPCA also had to amputate one of her toes. But Kloc said that would not hinder her from being released.
Just since January, the SPCA has rescued six bald eagles. The same number that they rescued in all of 2024.