FLIGHT AGAIN: Bald Eagle injured, after some treatment, back in the wild | News, Sports, Jobs

Submitted photo This bald eagle has been treated by the Messinger Woods Wildlife Care & Education Center.

A wildlife center has released a bald eagle into the wild near Westfield after helping to save the bird from injury.

Messinger Woods Wildlife Care & Education Center, based in Orchard Park with a center in Holland, announced the release last week. This is their third successful eagle outing this year.

The bird was first admitted to specialist bird and exotic care on May 20 after being rescued along the shores of Lake Erie. Messinger Woods was contacted about the bird by the State Department of Environmental Conservation that afternoon.

X-rays indicated the bird had a fractured humerus, which would require spit surgery. Volunteers from Messinger Woods were transported to the bird at the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Center at Cornell University in Ithaca for surgery the next morning, May 21.

On June 25, Messinger Woods learned that the pins had been removed and that she was ready for the next phase of care in hopes of possible release. The volunteers drove back to Ithaca and retrieved the eagle, along with another.

“This bird needed a good nutritional diet, supportive care, weekly visits from our vets and extensive flight therapy in our 165 ′ flight cage”, Messinger Woods said in his press release on the bird. “They had been in our custody since June 30!

Messinger Woods would like to thank his volunteers, donors, Specialized Care for Avian & Exotic Pets and Cornell University for their help in the rescue.

The Messinger Woods Wildlife Care & Education Center is a 501 (c) 3 organization run 100% by volunteers. It receives no state or federal funding and is supported by donations from concerned citizens and local businesses.