WASHINGTON -- It was an unusual sight for some D.C. residents on Monday: An eagle fledgling sitting in the street on 19th Street and Summit Street Northeast.
"I straight up just had to call animal control because there's an injured eagle," one resident, Ellis Lane, posted to Facebook, along with a picture of the eagle standing in the middle of the street.
And it wasn't just any eagle.
As it turns out, the eagle is named Valor and is one of the fledgling eagles nesting in the DC Arboretum. He lives alongside parents Mr. President and First Lady, and sibling Victory. The First Eagle Family is regularly seen on DC Eagle Cam.
But, despite celebrity status, Valor was just another fledgling experiencing some growing pains with flying.
He first fell out of his nest on Wednesday night and was discovered "waterlogged" on the ground Thursday morning, the DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) says.
DOEE wildlife biologist Dan Rauch said that Valor is at the age where he is just learning to fly. Big brother Victory has already taken his first flight, but Valor hasn't fully developed all of his muscles yet, Rauch said.
After his first spill, Valor was returned to a nearby tree, only to disappear again on Thursday night. This time, he was not found in the Arboretum.
Rauch said that's when they began to worry and search for him. He said a coyote or fox could easily get to the little eagle, especially with his wings too wet to fly, so they began searching for Valor along the perimeter of the Arboretum.
On Sunday, Rauch heard some calls near the border of the Arboretum that might have been Valor, but couldn't find anything when he searched the area.
On the Eagle Cam Twitter page, Mom and Dad eagles were pictured “waiting” for Valor to return.
“Parting is such sweet sorrow...MrP wondering if his fledglings will be back and realizing nesting season is nearly over,” a post on Monday morning read.
But, a few hours later, calls began coming into the Arboretum from concerned D.C residents just a few streets from the nest.
Rauch, who was nearby, went to the scene.
And there was Valor, sitting on the sidewalk.
Rauch said he approached Valor calmly and made "Osprey-noises," which Valor responded to. Once Valor was calm, Rauch was able to sit up close to him.
"He seemed okay," Rauch said upon first examination of the fledgling. On contrary to reports by residents like Lane, Valor didn't appear injured.
With Animal Control on the way and curious nearby residents seeming to agitate Valor, Rauch eventually put a towel over the eagle to calm him until he could be taken by Animal Control.
Animal Control Officer Ted Deppner of the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) assisted in catching him. The HRA posted a video on Monday of their team transporting Valor to City Wildlife.
And thankfully, Clinic Director Kristy Jacobus, who examined Valor, found no obvious injuries. Valor, however, was thin, and his prognosis is "guarded," City Wildlife says. Rauch said Valor was around five-and-a-half pounds when found. His normal weight should be more like seven or eight pounds.
On Tuesday, Valor remained in rehab and has moved to a bigger enclosure. Rauch said he likely will get moved to a bigger rehab facility in Delaware before being returned to the nest.
His parents, Rauch said, will be excited about it. "They put a lot of energy into raising their offspring," he said.
So, what was Valor doing away from home between Friday and Monday?
On the Twitter page devoted to the First Eagle Family, they joked that Valor was simply waiting for the bus. "Isn’t that being eco-friendly?" the post said.
