Norfolk Eagles in their new nest

[MAK]

 

[Annette]

That video is amazing!

[Donna]

NBGE Training Updates

Buddy in training

A Helpful Guide to Raptor Training Terminology
November 29 Update – Darcie Huntress

Rather than jump right in with talking about Buddy’s training in the specific, I think this is a good time to give some background on the training approach we are using. Ray Norton, a master falconer here in Virginia, is mentoring me and some of the other WCV staff in how to train Buddy using operant conditioning – also known as clicker training. The principles of clicker training were established by behavioral researcher B.F. Skinner; Karen Pryor brought it to the masses when she learned to apply it to training dolphins and a variety of other animals. Ray says if it has a brain and it eats, it can be trained this way.

Operant conditioning reinforces desired behavior with a reward. The clicker (or whistle, in this case) is a way to mark the desired behavior; it becomes a communication tool between trainer and animal. When the principles are applied cleanly and consistently, the click signals it is reward time. Buddy’s prior training laid a good foundation for our future work. For example, Buddy would sit on his perch and have his evening meal thrown in to him – a fun game of catch, but one which reinforced him for sitting in one place and returning there after each item was eaten. Now we are changing the game. His meal – cut up into bite-size pieces – becomes his reward for working.  It is already clear that Buddy is bright and entirely capable of learning all the things we want to teach him.

So the question for many people will be, how will we shape his behavior? We start by reinforcing behaviors that he already offers, and in fact this is already occurring. One behavior he already offers is sitting on his A-frame perch. This behavior has already been reinforced as described above. He also already knows to fly to a handler’s gloved hand when it is raised, and we are working with him to sit there calmly without clenching with his talons.

The point where his training will really take off will come once he makes the connection that a blow of the whistle means he has done something for which he will be rewarded. Once this recognition occurs, we will start reinforcing new behaviors. As he begins to offer these behaviors consistently we can begin to put some of them on cue and then use them to build chains of behavior. We have many training goals for Buddy, including having him go into and out of his travel crate of his own volition and stepping onto the scales so he can be weighed.

It is already very rewarding to see the wheels turning and his comprehension of how the game changes. In the wild, eagles constantly change their tactics to get the sustenance they need, so we are engaging that part of Buddy’s natural history in this process and making life here at the Wildlife Center that much more interesting and engaging for him.
November 22 update

After a break in training for a couple of months and moving into his new enclosure, Buddy is ready to get back to work!  The Wildlife Center staff will be working with an experienced falconer to train Buddy.  The goal is not only to train Buddy to sit calmly on a handler’s gloved hand – but also to get Buddy to enjoy sitting on the glove.  This way, he can travel to programs and presentations off-site.

Falconer Ray came to the Wildlife Center on the afternoon of November 18 to get to know Buddy, to meet with Center staff, and get a sense of where Buddy is with his training. Buddy did quite well and hopped up on Ray’s glove several times.  Ray repeated a Buddy session on November 19, and then on the afternoon of November 20, Ray worked with both Buddy and outreach coordinator Darcie.  Since Ray won’t be able to travel to the Wildlife Center every day to train Buddy, he will be “training the trainersâ€� too — and getting various staff members involved.

From May

[Donna]

Eagles at Norfolk Botanical Garden

Happy Dec. 1! Update from Reese Lukei this morning -- "The female spent all night on the front branch. She stretched her wings and as soon as the male arrived she took off. The male stayed a few minutes then he left too."

[Donna]

Injured NX Being Transported to Wildlife Center

NX, a juvenile Bald Eagle rescued from her nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden earlier this year and treated and released by the Wildlife Center, was admitted to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator in the Northern Neck last night [December 1] .  The injured eagle was found at 10:45 p.m. in the middle of the road near the Ophelia post office and was picked up by a deputy from the local sheriff’s office.

The preliminary report from the permitted rehabilitator is that NX has a wing droop and blood in her mouth, but is feisty and is in good weight and physical condition.

The eagle is now being transported to the Wildlife Center and is expected to arrive late this afternoon.  We’ll post additional information here as we learn it.   

[Annette]

That poor NX!   

[Kris G.]

Darn-NX has been through so much and now this.   

[MAK]

Darn-NX has been through so much and now this.   

Just like us humans what doesn't kill you just makes you stronger! 

[Donna]

2:12 p.m.

NX arrived at the Center.  Special thanks to two wonderful transporters who very quickly made room in their schedules to get her here!

NX has been placed into the Center’s “waiting roomâ€� — a small, dark, quiet room.  She will be allowed to de-stress there before her physical examination.  Dr. Dave reported that NX was standing and made some “eagle gruntsâ€� when he peeked in at her.
3:49 p.m.

Dr. Dave McRuer and Dr. Adam Naylor have started NX’s physical exam.  They will do a complete exam — feeling for any broken bones, soft tissue injuries, or other abnormalities.  They will also take a blood sample to run in the Center’s in-house lead testing machine.  Dr. Dave will be removing the transmitter so that it doesn’t get in the way of any examinations or diagnostics.

All physical exams start with an eye check:

NX exam on December 2

4:05 p.m.

Dr. Dave found injuries to NX’s right carpus [wrist], wing, and eye.   She tested “lowâ€� for lead, meaning that lead toxicity is not an issue.

NX weighed in at 4.035 kg.  When she was released in August 2011, she was 4.18 kg — which means she was doing just fine finding her food out in the wild!

We’ll post more information here as we know it.



UPDATE:

Injured NX Arrives at the Wildlife Center

PATIENT: Bald Eagle, #11-0475, NX

LOCATION OF RESCUE:  Northumberland County, Virginia

CAUSE OF ADMISSION:  Suspect hit by car

ADMISSION DATE: December 2, 2011

PROGNOSIS:  Fair

NX, a juvenile Bald Eagle rescued from her nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden earlier this year and treated and released by the Wildlife Center, was admitted to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator in the Northern Neck on December 1.  The injured eagle was found at 10:45 p.m. in the middle of the road near the Ophelia post office and was picked up by a local animal control officer.

The preliminary report from the permitted rehabilitator was that NX had a wing droop and blood in her mouth, but was feisty and in good condition.

Two transporters made room in their schedules to immediately transport NX to the Wildlife Center.  The bird arrived on December 2 at about 2:10 p.m. and was standing in her transport crate.

Dr. Dave McRuer examined NX and found injuries to her right wing and eye.  There were abrasions on her right carpus [wrist], which were sutured together using a skin stapler.  Dr. Dave also found a one-square-centimeter laceration on her right wing and the vitreous of NX’s right eye also showed some damage.  NX also had subcutaneous emphysema  [air under the skin] on the left side of her chest.  All of these injuries suggest that perhaps NX was hit by a car, though we may know more once radiographs are performed.  Blood work revealed that lead levels are “lowâ€�, meaning that lead toxicity is not an issue.

Dr. Dave removed NX’s transmitter so that it does not become damaged or get in the way of any diagnostics.  Everything about the transmitter and fitting looked great!

[Donna]

Dr. Dave reported that NX was standing this morning when he checked on her.  She was fasted last night, so that the veterinary team can anesthetize her later today to perform a series of radiographs.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Dr. Dave reported that NX was standing this morning when he checked on her.  She was fasted last night, so that the veterinary team can anesthetize her later today to perform a series of radiographs.

I had to laugh at Ed Clark's version of this news on the chat this morning:

Ed Clark, WCV:
Good morning all---before you get excited, I'm only here to post a single update on NX, for those of you who are not following the WCV website or Facebook pages. NX was ALIVE this morning--always a good way to start any day. She had defecated profusely, due to the fluids she was given last evening. This is also a good thing because it shows that her "systems" are working properly, and she is digesting her food. Later today, Dr. Dave and team will anesthetize her and take the x-rays we were unable to take yesterday, when she arrived (due to her having had a full crop). That will give us a very good idea of the extend of the injuries to her right wrist, and will let us know if there are other skeletal issues. After that, we'll have a better idea of her prognosis. Stay tuned. We'll update things as news is available. (Read this to suggest that calling, emailing, or otherwise asking for new news will not hasten the process.)

[Dumpsterkitty]

And the latest:

December 3 examination

On the morning of Saturday, December 3, NX was anesthetized for radiographs and a physical examination. Dr. Dave found an open wound on the left wing [flushed and sutured]; a ruptured airsac; a left-eye injury; and soft-tissue swelling over the right wrist [although the bones and tendons seem fine].

Two additional areas of concern:

GI tract. NX regurgitated overnight; her crop was empty this morning. NX will be given some mice/small chunks of rat this evening to see if she will eat. Dr. Dave would like to take a look at NX’s GI tract within the next week, using the Center’s new endoscope.

Left shoulder. NX’s left shoulder looks slightly drooped, and there may be a slight decreased range of motion. Dr. Dave spotted what might be a small fracture on the head of the coracoid; additional radiographs [after shoulder swelling has subsided] may provide more insights. To be on the safe side, the Center vet team wrapped NX’s left wing in a body wrap.

Dr. Dave thinks these injuries are consistent with NX having been struck by a vehicle.

So, there you go. Nothing too shocking, actually. All of these injuries are relatively "normal" for a bird that has been hit by a car. She had been in the area where she was injured for about 24 hours, but we cannot know when during that period she actually sustained the injury...or even if there was more than one incident. We can only deal with what we do know, and that is as we have stated. It is far too soon to make a prognosis, but we remain optimistic.

Don't let the long list of issues alarm you. The big thing at this point is the possible fracture of the coracoid (sort of like a collarbone, but in birds) and the injure to the right wrist. The good news is that the wrist looks normal, but swollen from the apparent impact. We are listing all the details, because we keep complete records in our medical files, and we want to be sure that no problem, even if slight, is overlooked in follow-up care.

[Donna]

5:00 p.m. update:

When the veterinary team checked on NX at the end of the day, they found that she ate all of meal — a small meal of chopped rat/mice.  The team hopes that she will keep the meal down overnight.

[Donna]

Wildlife Center of Virginia
Dr. Adam reports that NX kept all her food down last night! She is bright and alert ... and very feisty this morning!   

[Dumpsterkitty]

And pictures!