Good Samaritans Help Bald Eagle After It Hits Power Line And Falls From Sky

A bald eagle that hit a power line appears to be on the mend after falling from the sky onto a snowy sidewalk in Burnaby, British Columbia. Graham Adderley witnessed the eagle strike the line and plummet to the ground, capturing a video of the injured bird.

The eagle is initially dazed and then tries to get up and fly but was too stunned. Thankfully, Carol, a volunteer with OWL Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, came out to help rescue the eagle. OWL wrote on Facebook, “This eagle struck a power line, he may have received an electric shock or may have just hit hard and stunned himself. We will know more after an in depth exam tomorrow. We can already see the left wing is dropping at a different angle.”

They went on to explain that electrical injuries don’t immediately appear: “Electrical injuries such as vascular damage can take a few days to make themselves known. The following morning, the male eagle was examined. “At this time we are treating for a sore shoulder and trauma,” they wrote. the bird will also be getting pain medication and a wing wrap to support the injured wing.

OWL shared a video of the examination and added, “You may notice in the video, our rehabber taking a sniff of the wing. Sometimes if a bird did suffer electrocution, there will be singed feathers and a burn smell.”

The group advised that if people in the area see a bird injured on a transformer or power line they should note down or take a photo of the metal tag with numbers found on the nearest electrical pole where the bird was shocked. By reporting it to your local hydro company, they can make wildlife friendly improvements to the hydro lines.

After a few days of monitoring, OWL provided an update on the bald eagle, writing, “He is stable and eating well, the wing is feeling a bit better already and luckily, there is currently no sign of electrocution injury.”

They continued, “We are now more confident the bird just struck the line (not grounded, so did not get electrical damage) and the impact of the strike caused his wing injury.”

This is wonderful news and means that the bald eagle is likely to make a full recovery and then be released back into the wild.

To support OWL and their amazing rehabilitation work please visit their website.