TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. -- A rehabilitated bald eagle is ready to fly free once again — and the public is invited to watch her return to the wild.
Skegemog Raptor Center, a Traverse City-based nonprofit raptor rehabilitation facility, is publicly releasing a juvenile bald eagle back into her natural habitat this Saturday, Oct. 23 at Samels Farm education center in Williamsburg.
At the free event, visitors will get the rare opportunity to view a bald eagle at eye level, while learning about some of Michigan’s birds of prey.
“This is a good way to educate the public about some of the hazards these birds face,” said James Manley, Skegemog Raptor Center’s executive director. “It’s a great chance for people to see these birds up close.”
This particular juvenile bald eagle had been discovered injured and dehydrated along the side of M-119 near Harbor Springs, where she likely had been struck by a vehicle, Manley said.
Kevin Haynes, a wildlife technician for the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, had brought the bird to the raptor center, where X-rays showed no fractures or dislocations. The bird was rehydrated and started on a diet of rats, fish and quail, and when she began to show signs of feeling back to normal, she was put on the center’s flight conditioning program. In all, her rehabilitation took about a month.
Vehicle strikes account for the majority of the raptor center’s patients, Manley said. Still in its first year of operation, Skegemog Raptor Center has taken in more than 60 birds so far — and most of them have stories similar to this young bald eagle’s.
“If you see a large bird on the side of the road like an eagle or a vulture, you need to slow down and give a wide berth,” he said. “Often they’re feeding on roadkill. Birds hit by vehicles — it’s our biggest admission.”
The raptor center currently is not open to the public, though Manley said he plans on launching educational programming next year. In the meantime, these wild bird releases are one way to learn about the center’s work, Manley said.
The release will take place promptly at 1 p.m. at Samels Farm, located at 8298 Skegemog Point Road in Williamsburg, Mich. Visitors are asked to arrive early, allow plenty of time for parking, bring their cameras, and not bring along dogs.
More information on the Skegemog Raptor Center can be found at skegemograptorcenter.org and on its Facebook page. Information on Samels Farm is at samelsfarm.org.
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