GOLDEN EAGLE RELEASE
Golden eagle with handler from Bird of Prey Health Group
This summer, Wind Wolves Preserve partnered with the Sacramento-based Bird of Prey Health Group (formerly known as the California Foundation for Birds of Prey) to release a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) on the Preserve. The team at the Bird of Prey Health Group had been rehabilitating this raptor for about 3.5 years, treating her for West Nile Virus, which she had contracted as a juvenile, and then teaching her how to hunt. The young eagle practiced her survival skills in several California locations, including the Bakersfield area, prior to her release in June.
Release point, overlooking Reflection Pond
While hunting, golden eagles typically soar high above the ground, relying on their excellent vision to detect rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, or other mammals from over a mile away. In pursuit of prey, a golden eagle will dive at speeds up to 150 miles per hour and then reach forward with its feet, grabbing and crushing its target with powerful talons. It eats the entire animal, later regurgitating indigestible bits like fur and bones in the form of a small pellet. Golden eagles are most common in the western half of North America. They favor open country with mountains, hills, and cliffs, where they build their nests, but they also inhabit deserts, scrublands, grasslands, and forests. These raptors are the second largest bird at Wind Wolves Preserve, with a wingspan of about six to seven feet. Look for them riding air currents above the canyon with feathers outstretched like fingertips.
