Keep watch
Text: Agu Leivits
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis, from Forum
Translation: Liis, from Forum
In addition to the two young white-tailed eagles found at Nõva and in Hiiumaa around Christmas with signs of poisoning, three more white-tailed eagles have been discovered dead. Besides the eagle found dead at Nõva, Läänemaa, the LKK Nigula Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre received information about dead eagles from Pärnumaa (Lindi) and Viljandimaa (Suislepa). Both dead eagles have been sent to Nigula, and will be sent on to Tartu for dissection and analyses. On visual inspection the dead eagles from Lindi and Suislepa were well nourished adult birds. The juvenile freshly dead white-tailed eagle that was dissected by the veterinarian of the Nigula research centre at the end of last year was also very well nourished, and had ample stored fat reserves. There were no traces of naphtha products on feathers or in the digestive organs. However, the digestive organs and liver showed pathological changes, and the bird suffered from pneumonia. Samples were taken from several tissues and are preserved for further analysis.
All who find an eagle or any other bird of prey (disabled or dead) should contact the Nigula Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, telephone 5045891 or the Environmental Inspection, Keskkonnainspektsioon, telephone 1313. Each find may provide additional information that helps to determine the cause of death of the white-tailed eagles.
At Lindi the body of the bird was found under the eagle’s usual perching tree, in its nesting territory.
Some days ago a white-tailed eagle was observed feeding from a raccoon dog carcass on the roadside in South Pärnumaa.