Young eagle takes flight in Massapequa after early stumble
A young eagle, grounded after his first flight attempt, was back soaring in the air above Massapequa on Thursday.
The eagle had been found about a week ago in the Massapequa Preserve by a man walking his dog, according to Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
“First flights can be very dangerous,” said Horvath, a volunteer who runs the nonprofit Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation based in Massapequa. “He landed and got caught up in bramble. He might have been there for three days without food.”
While eagles are a common sight in upstate New York, their population has been growing on Long Island, Horvath said.
The rescued eagle is estimated to be about three and a half months old. At that age, young eagles still depend on their parents for food, Horvath said. Local nature lovers have been following the eagle’s parents, a nesting pair that made a home on an island in Croon’s Lake earlier this year.
The man contacted Horvath, who was able to get the eagle to safety with the help of his wife, Cathy, and some other volunteers.
They made sure he was fed and checked out at Animal General in East Norwich with X-rays and blood tests. After it was determined he didn’t have any obvious injuries, Horvath brought him to Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown.
“They have a flight cage where we could assess his flight ability,” said Horvath. “Luckily, he made a quick recovery. Time is against us and we wanted to get him back to mom and dad as quickly as possible.”
On Thursday, Horvath released the young eagle near his home nest. He was seen flying back to the island. While his parents weren’t immediately spotted, Horvath said he is certain they are in the area and will resume care of their young one.
“He’s back at home base, it’s the perfect ending,” said Horvath. “He’s back where he belongs.”
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
