LORAIN — A bald eagle family with a home in the middle of Lakeview Park South in Lorain has brought together neighbors, bird watchers and outsiders who've enjoyed getting a glimpse at our national bird.
But on July 14, one member of the family was spotted looking weak. She was in trouble and is now getting much-needed care thanks to an eagle-eyed couple.
It all started while Nikki Pieciak and her husband were having a relaxing night at home.
"We were actually sitting up in our bed and we saw her come across the street hobbling," Pieciak said. "She could not fly. She could only flap her wings up a little bit."
The eagle managed to get onto her neighbor's porch.
"We were bound to determine that we weren't going to leave her until somebody came and helped her," Pieciak said.
Park rangers with Lorain County Metroparks ended up coming to the location and were able to capture the bird safely.
"I had tears in my eyes when they when they took her away," Pieciak said.
The eagle is now with Back to The Wild, a rescue and rehabilitation center in Castalia, Ohio.
"She's missing a huge number of these secondary feathers. So, there's a gap in her wing of a very big gap where there's just no feathers," said Mona Rutger, founder and executive director of Back to The Wild.
The feathers help the bird lift in flight and allow them to fly and hunt properly.
Rutger said molting, the shedding of old feathers to make way for new feathers, is something birds like eagles experience. Why this eagle isn't regrowing its feathers is still being investigated.
"It could be from something like having had West Nile virus or some other," Rutger said. "There's some underlying reason that the follicles may have been damaged to the point that she cannot replace these feathers."
For now, the eagle is living in a flight case at the rescue and rehabilitation center, where operations director Brittany Jordan said there are minor signs of improvement.
"She's starting to grow back some of those feathers, but she is in a bigger flight space right now, which is great," Jordan said. "She is going up to the high perch but it takes her time… she does not have the coordination to make turns."
Tuesday, the eagle is scheduled to have an exam at an animal clinic in North Ridgeville.
Rutger said a complex process called imping could be an option for the eagle.
"We can actually glue the feathers from a deceased eagle under the existing piece or shaft that's still there on her, and she could end up flying away wearing another bird's feathers until she molts. Then those feathers will you know serve the purpose."
If it's determined the eagle is permanently disabled and can't be released back into the wild, it would likely become an ambassador who helps educate the public.
"This is probably one of the most loved eagles out there," Rutger said.
It turns out the momma eagle is part of a well-known and beloved pair in Lorain County.
"We spotted the nest and people with camera lenses as tall as me and it's like what's going on here," said resident Caleen Hanko, who first discovered the eagle family while visiting the park with her grandchildren.
The eagle and her mate had two eaglets in the nest above the playground at Lakeview Park South. Their existence has drawn in spectators from near and far. A Facebook page has documented everything.
"I know Lorain kind of gets a bad rap, but this is the beautiful side for sure," Pieciak said. "Just watching them - it's just very fascinating to me."
Monday, I didn't see anyone home. I was told the eaglets have reached a point of independence, but dad still watches over them.
Nearby, another bald eagle the locals nicknamed "The Intruder" was hanging out on a tree branch.
"Maybe he's just lonely… trying to find a friend," Pieciak said.
Pieciak has high hopes the eagle will get well. If she is released back into the wild, she plans to attend the celebration.
"If it's cold, hot,…. whatever. I will be here," Pieciak said. "I definitely want to see her fly again."
