Wenatchee Bald Eagle Chicks Rehabilitated After Nest Rescue

A pair of Wenatchee bald eagle chicks are being rehabilitated after an emergency nest removal near active power lines.

Nest Built on Active Power Structure

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Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine said the chicks made it to WSU after their parents built a nest on a power structure near Bonneville Power Administration's Valhalla substation near Wenatchee. Transmission Line Maintenance crews retrieved the chicks from the nest before transferring them to WSU for care.

Emergency Removal and Veterinary Response

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One of the chicks required intensive treatment because the bird was in the middle of hatching when crews removed the nest.

Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine

To prevent the birds from imprinting on humans, staff wore face coverings during feedings, used eagle-themed puppets, played recordings from bald eagle nest cameras, and avoided talking around the chicks.

After weeks of intensive treatment at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the eaglets have been successfully placed into a wild foster nest and are being raised alongside a third eaglet by adult bald eagles.

Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine

“It really took a village,” said Dr. Marcie Logsdon, an avian specialist and certified wildlife rehabilitator with WSU’s Exotics and Wildlife Service. “We had experts from across the country helping us figure out how to give these birds the best possible chance to grow up as wild bald eagles.”

Collaboration Across Wildlife Agencies

WSU worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify a suitable foster family before the team settled on a Wenatchee-area nest with a single eaglet of nearly the same age as the WSU chicks.

“It’s really not as simple as finding an eagle nest and placing the chicks inside,” said Alysha Evans, wildlife rehabilitation and falconry program manager for the WDFW. “You need experienced parents, chicks of a similar age, and a nest that can be safely monitored afterward to make sure all of the eaglets are thriving.”

WSU’s Long History of Raptor Care

The eaglets are just the latest chapter in WSU's long history of caring for raptors and wildlife.

The university's wildlife rehabilitation efforts date back decades to treat countless birds of prey. Each year, the hospital treats around 10 bald eagles, many suffering from lead poisoning caused by ingesting ammunition fragments while scavenging deer and elk remains left behind by hunters.