This is just a really quick update. The sun is quickly setting over the NEFL Eagle Cam. Little N24 is growing and growing and eating and eating. We are now in the official stage of accelerated growth. Which also means less but bigger meals and very large crops. You can see that N24 went to bed with quite a large one today.
As we had all hoped, it ‘appears’ (I am using that word cautiously) that the lesions on the left side of its face, on the lower part of the beak/mouth are drying. If this is the case, this is very good news. This is day 12 after the then suspected Avian Pox was noticed, later confirmed. Specialists say that the lesions can persist from 1-4 weeks.
Knock on wood. It would appear that N24 had a very mild case of AP. It will be immune for the rest of its life. That is the good news, too. The lesions will continue to dry and will fall off. There appears to be no damage to the beak at all.
Everyone is relieved and just very, very happy. If this beautiful eagle family could, I am certain that they would thank you for your outpourings and your positive thoughts.
Gabby was doing some nestorations while N24 slept with its huge crop. @NEFL Eagle Cam and AEF4 March 2021. N24 sitting on his friend, Eggbert, with a full crop @NEFL Eagle Cam and AEFPin feathers and drying lesions. N24 sleeps by Eggbert. 4 March 2021. @NEFL Eagle Cam and AEFN24’s AP lesions ‘appear’ to be drying. @NEFL Eagle Cam and AEF
Tonight Gabby and Samson have both been on the nest looking at their little one.
Samson and Gabby looking adoringly at N24. @NEFL and AEF
Observers over the last few days have mentioned how attentive the two parents have been since it was discovered that N24 has Avian Pox. Lesions were first noticed by AEF monitors on 20 February. The lesions became more noticeable and by 27 February many citizen-birders were reporting them in FaceBook posts and videos.
I wanna be pretty like you. @NEFL and AEF
Gabby and Samson look at their baby who was born on 8 February. It is 23 days old. Little N24 is full and sleeping with ‘its egg’.
Thinking about their baby. @NEFL and AEF
Little N24 has a very good appetite. And that is such a positive thing. Yesterday, despite a late delivery of food, he ate really, really well. And today, he has another fantastic crop. The crop stores food. The eagle can do a crop drop when its stomach is empty. The crop is like a holding area for additional food.
Oh, yum. I like it when my dad feeds me. @NEFL and AEFMy mom is going to send an order for more fish! @NEFL and AEFFish dreamin’. @NEFL and AEF
The lesion that was on the left side of the mouth appears smaller today than it was yesterday.
Avian Pox lesions. 2 March 2021 @NEFL and AEF
I tried and tried to get a proper close up and just kept missing the opportunities. The nest has several cameras and the best one to get the left side of N24’s face has had some condensation on it. So, it is not easy to compare because of the angle, the distance, and the lighting but it does seem like the right side of N24’s mouth has made some improvement in healing. It takes 1-4 weeks for the lesions to dissipate.
Why is my head still fuzzy? @NEFL and AEF
You can still see N24’s crop at 6:48pm when he is watching some interior decorating happening in the nest. N24 is alert, moving around the nest, eating well, and growing. Let us all continue to send warm wishes to the little cutie pie with ‘its egg’ for a complete recovery.
My parents think the rails need to be a little higher on my crib. @NEFL and AEFOh, that fish was good! @NEFL and AEF
Flight feathers are starting to grow on N24’s wing tips. The itchy stage is coming.
Gonna get itchy soon! @NEFL and AEF
In the image below, the little cutie pie is sleeping, sitting up like Gabby, its mom, with its head tucked under its wing. They are both incubating ‘the egg’.
I Wanna Be like my beautiful mom, Gabby! @NEFL and AEF
It is impossible to keep track of everything going on in all of the nests. As Bald Eagles around North America lay eggs or eggs start to hatch, there is a lot of activity. The hawks and falcons are renovating nests and the Ospreys are migrating home. One thing for sure – there are going to be a lot of bobble heads within the next 4 to 6 weeks.
At the Duke Farms nest in Hillsborough, New Jersey, chick 2 hatched at 1:03 am on 2 March. Both of the little ones are doing fantastic. Aren’t they cute? Eaglet #1 got a chance to have eel for dinner the other day. Looks like it is fish in the pantry today. All of these fathers are great providers.
Two perfect little bobbleheads. @Duke Farms.
If you would like to keep up with these two (and maybe a future three), here is the link to the Duke Farm’s streaming cam:
The Great Horned Owl that borrowed the Bald Eagle nest near Newton, Kansas is still incubating eggs. Some are expecting there to be a pip watch in the coming days.
Bonnie in the warm late afternoon sun. @Derek the Farmer
Bonnie’s mate, Clyde, often stays on the branch above the nest to protect her and is busy at night furnishing her with ‘Mouse Take Away’. Bonnie and Clyde are fierce predators especially during nesting season. Remember that they stood their ground with the Bald Eagle and did not relinquish the nest once Bonnie had laid her egg. We still do not know how many eggs Bonnie is incubating. There could be any where from 1-5. Bonnie has not given any secrets up! Her owlets will be born with whitish-grey down with a little bit of brown. As they mature, they will become more brown.
Did you know that the tufts (they are not really horns) of hair on the Great Horned Owls are thought to break up the profile of the head to improve their camouflage abilities? Their short curved feathers mean that they are silent night fliers. Indeed, these large owls are notorious, as of late, for knocking Bald Eagles off their branches in the night. Just the other evening, a GHOW knocked Harriet off her branch at the SWFL Eagle Nest and into the nest bowl! GHOWs will hunt large raptors such as Ospreys, other owls, and Peregrine falcons for food. They are equally happy to have reptiles for dinner as well as mice, fish, insects, worms, and rats.
And so happy to report that the mother and eaglet at the Kisatchie National Forest Bald Eagle nest are also doing fantastic. It has been raining alot and this mother is a really good ‘mumbrella’. Both of them have figured out the feeding and the little eaglet is growing.
Oh, I love my fish dinners! @KNF Bald Eagle Nest, Central Louisiana.
And another really good news story. The ‘Old Warrior Eagle’ that had broken its leg and had its beak injured early last fall was down, emaciated, and full of lead toxins. If you are any raptor and have that many problems, the best place to be found is near A Place for Hope in Connecticut. The Old Warrior has been on Clemation Therapy to get the lead out of his system. When he came in, the levels were over 48. Look at the levels today:
This is a huge drop in the lead. This eagle is lucky. Most die. A Place Called Hope FB Page.Old Warrior and his injuries. A Place Called Hope FB Page.
He is going to be so excited to be outside in the aviary!
Look at that face. And those beautiful big eyes of this Peregrine Falcon. He was attacked by a cat. And, lucky for him, he is there in the same clinic with the Old Warrior. Get well soon! You are adorable. I could just scoop you up and take you home. Would you like to live in Canada?
Please keep your cats inside! A Place Called Hope
Take care everyone. Thanks for dropping by and for caring about all of the wildlife.
Thank you to A Place Called Hope for the images on their FB Page. Thank you to the KNF Eagle Nest, Duke Farms, NEFL and the AEF and Derek the Farmer for their streaming Cam. Those streams provided the screen captures.
Just some background before breaking into the good news.
Avian Pox (AP) is a slow-developing bird disease caused by a virus belonging to a subgroup of poxviruses, the Avipoxvirus. There is no cure. AP is an international problem for every species of bird. One of the first ways of noticing that a bird has AP is the appearance of lesions on the non-feathered areas such as the face, feet, mouth and beak area, as well as the upper respiratory tract. Sometimes these lesions resemble warts and other times they look like blisters. Birds catch AP from mosquitoes, by eating infected prey, or being in contact with other birds or surfaces contaminated by AP. Researchers believe that the disease ranges from mild to severe but that it is rarely fatal (Wrobel et al. 2016). Birds are more likely to die if the virus impacts its respiratory tract. Additionally, secondary infections can be fatal. The USFWS found that the number of cases occurs less frequently in dry climates while the highest number are in hot and humid climates such as Florida and Louisiana. Those climatic conditions are perfect environments for mosquitoes.
Lesion on N24’s mouth/left beak area. 27 February 2021. @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle cam2 March 2021. @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle cam
One of the biggest issues is that there has not been a large study of Avian Pox in the Bald Eagle population. The study conducted by Wrobel et al found that the frequency of raptors having Avian Pox is far greater than the outward signs such as lesions would suggest. Of the 142 raptor specimens in their research project, ten were Bald Eagles. Of those, 30% had antibodies related to Avian Pox. The researchers admit that their study, which focused on urban and suburban raptors admitted to a Central Illinois clinic, had more small raptors such as Kestrels and Barred Owls. What they did learn is that 50% of all of the raptors had antibodies indicating that they had, at one time, Avian Pox or Conjunctivitis (effects the eyes such as we have seen on SWFL E17 and E18). That is a far higher amount than the scientists expected and their results indicate that the number of raptors exposed to either or both AP and Conjunctivitis is far more prevalent than anticipated. The researchers said that the free living or wild birds in the study indicate that most raptors are able to ‘mount a full adaptive immune response against these pathogens’ (291). This, of course, is excellent news for our raptors if it is correct.
As you are aware, if you have been reading my column or following the NEFL Eagle Nest, the eaglet N24 was observed by individuals of the American Eagle Federation to have Avian Pox on 20 February. On 27 February, the lesions were noticed by many people. Some posted videos expressing concern on YouTube such as Lady Hawk. I mounted a campaign in support of N24 in case an intervention became absolutely necessary. Neither Avian Pox or Conjunctivitis are caused directly by humans. The eaglets at the SWFL Nest, E17 and E18, had Conjunctivitis and were treated by CROW. Their eyes fully healed and they were returned to the nest. It was hoped that little N24 could receive similar help should it respiratory system become compromised.
The good news today, 2 March 2021, is that N24 has a very good appetite. N24 cast a pellet at 6:32 am. It is now 6:40 pm on the nest. There have been at least two feedings. (Pantry was bare til first feeding) The first was around 10:36. Samson brought a fish and started feeding N24. Gabby took over at 10:50 with Samson leaving and returning with another fish. The parents have been very attentive to the little one over the past few days. And, yes, of course. They knew he was sick! All parents know when their kids are not feeling well.
I want some more fish! @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle cam
The second feeding began around 4:21pm.
N24 devouring the fish. @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle camMore, faster! @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle cam
A third feeding began around 5:46. A few minutes earlier Gabby offered fish but N24 did not appear interested in getting out of the egg cup to eat. He is leaning on ‘the egg’. Around 5:47 Gabby begins feeding the eaglet stretching to reach it in the nest. N24 has a large crop.
I can see no further lesions on N24’s face or mouth area. In fact, it appears that the lesion on the left of the face is reduced. Can you see me jumping up and down?
Mom, Can I incubate the egg while I eat? @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle camThanks, Mom! My tummy is full! @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle camIt isn’t a close up image but any lesion on the left side of the mouth appears to be much smaller or gone altogether. @AEF and Audubon NEFL Eagle cam
I am not a vet or a wildlife rehabber. Every research paper that I can find on AP indicates that the lesions can persist for 1-4 weeks. It has been ten days since the first lesions were noticed. I am hopeful that N24’s immune system is really working to heal this lovely ‘cutie pie’ whose permanent name will be Uno, Scout, Kendi, Storm, Journey, or Legacy. Voting for AEF members ends on March 5.
Just to give you a laugh and to thank you for joining me today, ‘the egg’ became quite an amusement today. N24 leaned on it for a feeding, brooded it in the nest while eating, and even Gabby wasn’t sure what to do with it all the time.
References:
E. Wrobel et al, ‘Seroprevalence of Avian Pox and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum in Raptors in Central Illinois’, The Journal of Raptor Research 50 (3): 289-294.
Field Guide to Wildlife Diseases: General Field Procedure and Disease of Migratory Birds, US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Resource Publication 167 (1987): 135-141.
The concern over the lesions that appeared on N24’s beak and now the appearance of the Avian Pox blisters on the little one’s feet has prompted an outpouring of concern.
Eight days after first noticing the lesions, the American Eagle Federation (AEF) issued a statement. That statement followed letters written by ‘concerned members of the public’ to both the Audubon Society and the AEF, the partners in the NE Florida Eagle Cam. At the same time, Lady Hawk edited a video showing the lesions. It was clear from the growing number of public comments to that video and to postings on FaceBook that there is a clear perception that certain Bald Eagle nests in Florida receive preferential treatment over others. People are asking for an intervention at the NEFL nest or, at the least, to get the permissions in place should the wildlife rehabbers have to act quickly.
Many have said that there can be no intervention because Avian Pox is not human caused. However, that is not the case. A Bald Eagle named Buddy, born in 2008, was removed from its nest because it had Avian Pox. Permission was granted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Here is the report from the Wild Life Center on Buddy’s intervention:
Both the Audubon Society and the American Eagle Federation have an obligation to protect and care for the birds. Both organizations state this on their websites. I live in Canada and I would like not to think that one nest takes precedent over all the other nests. And I would not like to think that an opportunity was missed to help a little eaglet heal. There is no cure for Avian Pox. But there are treatments for the secondary infections that often occur. If you are reading this and feel so inclined, please send an e-mail to Shawnlei Breeding. Her e-mail is: eaglewatch@audubon.org Request that she insist that the USFWS permit an urgent intervention – should it become necessary at the NE Florida nest – to save N24s life. Thank you.
I want to add that while the lesions continue to grow on the unfeathered parts of N24, the little eaglet is eating well and has good ps. I want very much for cutie pie’s immune system to work overtime and for the little eaglet’s system to help it heal itself. It is better for all concerned if this happens. That said, a qualified veterinarian along with the gifted wildlife rehabbers in the region will know when it is time for an intervention or, if we are lucky, that one is not necessary. The point is getting the permissions in place to act swiftly, if necessary.
It is about breakfast time in The Hamlet and little N24, who is three weeks old today, is waiting not so patiently for Samson to finish de-furring a squirrel for breakfast. Yum!
N24 loves to play with things in the nest and, in particular, his ‘friend Pinecone’.
Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate your interest and your concern for the welfare of all of the world’s wildlife. As someone said to me earlier today, ‘we used to check for gas in the coal mines by sending in a canary.’ That dear eighty-three year old woman affirmed her belief that humans are only healthy when the rest of the non-human world is taken care of, respected, and well. She pondered what kind of a world would humans have if all of the birds started getting sick and dying.
Scaps taken from the live streaming cam at the NEFL Eagle nest provided by the Audubon Society and the AEF.
Avian Pox is a virus that effects any number of birds. It is actually widespread throughout North America. Where do the birds get the Avian Pox? There are various ways. One is through mosquitoes or other biting insects. Anyone watching the nest will have noticed mosquitoes. Other ways of catching the disease is being fed an infected bird or animal or even in nesting material. Sadly it is highly contagious and does not degrade for several years. The virus is often found in hot and humid areas such as N24’s natal nest in St Augustine, Florida.
There are various strains and each will impact a specific species of birds differently. Lesions (white, pink, or yellow) develop slowly on various parts of the body but most often are on areas without feathers such as the eagle’s face, its feet, and its talons. The dry pox (Cutaneous type) is the most common in North American raptors and has been seen in Bald Eagles. The other form is the wet pox (Diphtheritic) and this impacts the mouth and the ability of the bird to breathe. The mortality level in Bald Eagles is, according to the University of Michigan Department of Natural Resources, ‘high’.
The cutaneous form of AP is characterized by proliferative wart-like lesions on the unfeathered parts of the bird, such as the beak, eyelids, nostrils and the legs and feet. Clinical signs start as a red swelling that eventually cracks to become raised lesions. These lesions are usually self limiting and may persist from 1 week up to 4. Many birds recover with few or no permanent defects; however, young birds are usually more severely affected than adults. In some instances the lesions can cause permanent damage to the affected areas including blindness, beak malformations and loss of toes and feet. Following infection, lifelong immunity is thought to occur to that strain of virus. Excerpt taken from Avian Pox, Virginia Wildlife Centre, https://www.wildlifecenter.org/avian-poxvirus
N24 had lesions on its beak area yesterday. This morning those lesions are beginning to show up on its talons.
27 February 2021
In a review of the literature, cases appear to range from mild to severe in intensity rarely causing death unless the virus impacts the mucous membranes in the mouth or the respiratory tract. There is, however, no treatment and the American Eagle Association cannot ask for an intervention because it is not directly caused by humans.
The camera screen is foggy today but you can clearly see the lesion. It has changed some from last night in my earlier posting.
N24 has a crop and was playing when I captured this image.
28 February 2021
I am, at this time, trying to ascertain whether or not N24 has the dry or wet form of the Avian Pox. He is young and this virus will substantially impact the little eaglet who is just three weeks old today. It might well impact both Samson and Gabrielle as well as the overall condition of the nest. I will provide updates as they are available twice daily. Please send positive thoughts to this little one, our little ‘cutie pie’.
This is the statement put out by the AEF: AEF cam staff diligently monitors and inspects the adults and eaglets through the season. On February 20th, our volunteer staff noticed the appearance of two lesions on NE24, after consultation with our veterinary staff, we believe the eaglet is showing symptoms of a potential Avipoxvirus (also known as Avian pox) infection. Avian Pox is common in warm, humid areas, and can be traced to seasonal mosquito increases. Avian Pox can range from mild to severe. In mild to moderate cases, it can cause permanent scarring, with more severe cases, fatalities can occur. The Northeast Florida (NEFL) Nest is a wild nest and infections such as Avian Pox can naturally take place. American Eagle Foundation policy, crafted in conjunction with USFWS guidelines, prohibits interference in a wild nest unless the situation can be directly linked to a man-made threat. As always, viewer discretion is advised. To learn more about avian pox, visit the links provided below. https://www.northeastwildlife.org/disease/avian-pox https://www.michigan.gov/…/0,4570,7-350-79136_79608… http://wildlifedisease.unbc.ca/avian_pox.htm
Thank you to the AEF for the streaming cam at the NEFL Eagle Nest where I took my scaps.
