by Colleen Grzan, werc@werc-ca.org
Orion is the Golden Eagle that was found two years ago on the Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Gilroy. His twisted leg was permanently straightened by orthopedic surgery. The full story of his rescue and surgery can be read at www.werc-ca.org. In March 2009, Orion was flown to the Center for Birds of Prey in South Carolina as an educational animal.
Note from Kristin Gordon McCauley, Curator in SC [May 28]: “About a month ago we moved Orion from quarantine to a display enclosure that already housed our female Golden Eagle. She is a non-flighted bird that has been with us since 1992, she was injured before she was 1-year-old in the wild. She had hit a high tension wire and was found near the coast of SC, I guess she wanted to take a “shortcut” on her first migration and it didn’t go so well. She has never had a “roommate” before so we were watching them both very carefully. Orion went right over to her and landed on the same perch that she was on as if to “introduce” himself. She put her head down, opened her wings a little and opened her mouth. He got the hint and left for the other side of the enclosure. They pretty much stayed on separate sides of the enclosure for the next couple weeks.
Then 2 weeks ago when I was feeding and noticed that our female was not acting quite right, so we caught her up to check her out. Apparently she had laid an egg! But it was not a good process, it had broken partially in her. She if fine now. So after one month in the presence of Orion, it caused her hormones to start up and for the first time in her life she produced an egg!
Maybe in a few years when Orion is old enough they will produce fertile eggs. We aren’t sure what he will be able to do with his injured leg, but stranger things have happened already! So I just wanted to let you know that Orion now has a new girlfriend and has been doing very well.”