Video link: Audubon EagleWatch Program

PHOTO CREDIT: CARY JOBE A 21-year-old bald eagle, Trouble, is one of 20 ambassador birds that star in the Audubon Center’s educational programs.

PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD BANKS Along with her parents, volunteer Makayla Wheeler monitors eagles near Cape Canaveral.

PHOTO CREDIT: RL CARON, NAPLES, FL After the mother died, the father eagle, pictured here, had difficulty fending off other eagles who frequently attacked this nest. One of the eaglets was eventually relocated to another nest, where other adult eagles acted as foster parents.

They trek through swampy wilderness and across the parking lots of office parks and strip malls. Fighting off hordes of mosquitoes; dodging traffic; and avoiding the likes of snakes, wild boars, and the occasional errant shopping cart, these dedicated souls monitor the actions of one of this country's most cherished national symbols. They are the volunteers and lifeblood of the Audubon EagleWatch program—Florida residents who watch and record the movements of many of the state's bald eagles.

Started in 1992 with 22 monitors, EagleWatch now utilizes about 275 volunteers who dutifully watch upwards of 300 nests and their resident eagles—about 25% of Florida's total of 1,200. While that's not yet enough to relieve concerns about the eagle's long-term viability, it has allowed the birds to spread their wings throughout the state and in places that might surprise the casual observer.

Edward Slaney of Melbourne watches two nests. One sits some 400 yards behind a fire station and office park. "You can see the nest from the parking lot," he says. "But you can't get much closer because of the woods and swamp that surround it." The other nest is in someone's backyard. "It sits in a tall pine in the middle of what use to be horse pasture but close enough to the house and road that it's easy to get to."

In contrast to that accessibility, the Wheeler family monitors a nest near Cape Canaveral in the middle of a wildlife refuge. Kim Wheeler, who shares eagle-watching duties with daughter Makayla and husband Mike, describes one attempt at monitoring their eagles. "We're always on the lookout for boars near the nest," she says. "We see their tracks and places where they've been rooting around. The other day, we were riding our bikes back to the spot where we could see the nest, and we heard what we thought were boars in the brush not far from us. We thought it best to turn ourselves around and get out of there."

In addition to evading the occasional surly creature, volunteers spend numerous hours monitoring and recording information about their eagles. They file reports detailing the condition of the nests, the amount of noise and human activity in the area, and their eagles' behavior—for instance, are they building a nest or fighting with other eagles? Volunteers have had to rescue wounded eagles or eaglets that fell from the nest and then drive them to the raptor clinic at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland.

Volunteers also spend an average of 10 hours in training, learning how to identify nests and whether eggs or eaglets are present—even how to spot and report illegal development near a nest. Once they're actually monitoring—which is usually between October and May, when the eagles have migrated to the state—volunteers also learn more about patience. "Most of the time when you go out, you see nothing, especially early or late in the season," says Ed. Kim and Makayla estimate they spent nearly three months last year trying to find their nesting pair after they abandoned their previous nest. "When we did finally find the eagles, it was so exciting," says Makayla.

Lynda White, who's been EagleWatch coordinator since the program began, believes that without the volunteers Florida's bald eagle population might not be as healthy as it is today. "The data they're collecting is so important," she says. "The state's fish and wildlife commission did a six-year study on the eagles' survival and also where they go. The commission did its own research, but it also used data that we gave them. This was an important scientific body of work, and the EagleWatch Volunteers were credited with helping. That just validated it for us."

"Without the volunteers," continues Lynda, "there wouldn't be an EagleWatch. I am the only staff person, and I couldn't do it without them."

PHOTO CREDIT: CARY JOBE These barred owls are nearing the end of their rehabilitation and await their reintroduction into the wild.

PHOTO CREDIT: CARY JOBE The 3-acre facility permanently houses 54 birds that help educate visitors who learn, among other things, that Florida has the second largest bald eagle population of the lower 48 states.

PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD BANKS

A Safe Sanctuary
A rehabilitation center in Maitland, Florida, provides medical help and TLC to injured and orphaned raptors.

It’s not your typical emergency room. There are medicines, exam rooms, medical equipment, and dedicated staff, but the patients here have feathers, beaks, and powerful talons. Opened in 1979, the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey treats eagles, hawks, owls, and a variety of other raptors, as many as 600 each year. In fact, it’s the largest facility of its kind east of the Mississippi.

The 3-acre facility also permanently houses 54 birds that help educate some 5000 people who visit the center each year. One of the most surprising facts they learn while at the center is that Florida has the second largest bald eagle population of any of the lower 48 states.

We, too, learned a lot while there. In a recent conversation, Katie Gill Warner, the center’s administrator, filled us in on even more about the facility and its programs.

How many birds do you treat in a typical year?
We're the largest raptor rehabilitation facility in the Southeast. We have between 600 and 700 that come through the clinic each year, and 55 to 65 of those are eagles. This past year was very busy with both adults and younger birds being brought to the clinic.

Why so many this year?
We're not entirely sure. There were no major hurricanes, which typically lead to injuries, but we did have a few tornadoes that came through. Sometimes we just don't know why we have more some years as opposed to others. It could also be increased development in certain areas that leads to injuries.

How many of the injured birds are reintroduced in the wild?
We have a 42% release rate, an excellent rehabilitation rate for a facility of our size. Of those birds that aren't released, some are euthanized because their injuries are too serious. Others are placed in zoos or other nature centers, not only in Florida but also around the country.

What types of rehab services do you provide for the birds?
When a bird arrives, it is first taken to the clinic and treated for trauma, and we create a protocol for that specific bird. We can do most procedures on-site except surgery, which is done at a nearby facility. We assess what type of diet they will require to get them back to the weight and strength they'll need in rehab and in the wild. Once stabilized, they move down to the rehab facilities. Rehabilitation is based on the injuries but may involve activities such as helping them fly again or (for the younger birds) teaching them how to hunt.

Do some of these birds become permanent residents at the center?
Not that often, because we don't have the room to house additional birds and our first priority is to get them healthy enough to return to the wild. But if one can't return and we have an open slot, the bird still has to meet certain criteria before we train it to be a part of our education program. About 20 of our 54 birds are what we call "ambassadors" and are the stars of our educational programs.

Other birds are on display, and some are used as foster parents. Too much human exposure will interfere with the reintroduction, so we have some of our permanent residents raise the babies to a point they can be released. This past spring two of our owls fostered three baby owls that were brought to us. Our only native pair of bald eagles fostered a baby eagle too.

Who does all this work with the birds?
We have one part-time and three full-time clinic workers on our staff, one full-time rehab staff member, and 55 volunteers at the center. We have other volunteers who are part of our statewide EagleWatch program, which helps monitor wild eagles and rescue injured birds. And we have two volunteer climbers who put baby eagles into active eagle nests in the wild.

By active, you mean the nests have adult eagles in them? Isn't that dangerous?
It's very dangerous. They wear helmets and face shields, as well as gloves and other protective clothing. But we've been very successful with the foster program. Adult eagles are actually very welcoming to these fostered eagles. It's something to see for sure.

"Safe Sanctuary" is from the January 2008 issue of Southern Living.