Speaking of messed up raptors, I attended a show hosted by the Montana Wildlife Center (name?). The speaker was talking about this messed up bird that was perfectly healthy but mentally off. It had been found as a chick and raised in a shelter by a well meaning and kind hearted but ignorant couple. They released said eagle from captivity when it was full grown.
Said eagle was free for a couple of weeks and didn't have a clue how to hunt or feed itself. One day it swooped down and snatched a sandwich from some guy who was sitting on the tailgate of his station wagon having lunch.
Needless to say, the poor fellow was startled. What happened next stirred his curiousity. The eagle landed within 12 feet of him and began eating the sandwich in his presence. "Hey," he thought, "eagles don't grab sandwiches for food and don't eat in the presence of people." When the eagle finished the sandwich, he threw a potato chip down and the eagle came and ate that. He lured the eagle closer until he got it into the station wagon and closed the door on it. It was very docile. He turned the eagle over to an animal shelter and it was the very same shelter that it was raised at.
The lady pauses at this time, raises her arm, and down swoops this Bald Eagle from the end of the auditorium. Great entrnace. She continues the story of the eagle.
Well, the shelter called for help and that's when the Wildlife Center came and took it. You see, the eagle is use to people (mom & dad) and thinks it suppose to be around people. It doesn't know how to behave as a regular bird. So, it's a showbird used to talk about the center.
Funny thing (for us and not her) is that the eagle began walking up her arm and past the leather arm guard. It then happily perches itself on her shoulder and she grimaces and explains that it has never done that before. Those talons must have hurt.
Other birds includes an owl (don't remember what type) and a Golden Eagle that was disabled by some poacher.
