Rehabilitation

This bird is in a sorry state after gorging itself on offal in a fish dump from the Aquaculture industry in Southern Tasmania. Extensive contamination is evident, particularly close to the body. A bloated crop and damage to several important feathers, cause for concern.

More worrying was the discovery of large numbers of new feathers in the wings and tail, still partly sheathed, indicating a moult under way. Extra care would be needed to protect these feathers so that the bird would not require extended time in rehabilitation.

Photo (right) Juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle, Haliaeetus leucogasta

Plumage rapidly becomes matted and contaminated in this environment leaving the birds incapable of flight. Once captured, the birds are cleaned by members of the ARA. The most typical characteristics of a bird entering rehabilitation include :

Washing an eagle is not a pleasant task at the best of times and both the bird and it's handlers should be in good condition, if possible. The person handling the bird must be physically strong and capable of maintaining a firm, controlled grip for extended periods. They should also have a high tolerance for pain, foul stenches, Ether vapour, getting soaked to the bone, freezing cold, stiff, and protracted periods of verbal abuse by all others participating this foolish process!

The bird should be checked by a Veterinarian capable of assessing a birds general condition, and preferably someone with raptor experience. Birds are often attracted to the offal pits because they are struggling in the wild for a number of reasons, including inexperience, injuries or ill health. Skin infections in particular will be aggravated by the Ether wash and should be dealt with appropriately. The birds general condition can be determined by observation :

	Weight : (low condition indicated by a pronounced keel).
	Condition of plumage : (i.e. Feather loss, moulting etc).
	Existing injuries : (broken bones, wounds etc.)
	Age : (Adult/Juvenile.)

The birds plumage exhibits a considerable degree of matting and extensive contamination from sand and other debris in the offal pit.

Damage to the tail feathers is evident but the wing plumage is still in reasonably good condition despite the oil.

Preparation
In the case of a particularly weakened bird, washing should not be attempted at all. The process is both time consuming and stressful and will tax even a strong animal. The bird should instead, be placed in a box in a warm, dark place and fed until fit enough to clean. Apply Lanolin to sensitive skin areas and ointment to the eye's.

If the birds condition is low it should be given raw egg yolk at room temperature via a catheter down the esophageus or sub-cut fluids under the skin (this procedure can only be done by a Veterinarian), to boost it's energy levels before washing is attempted.

Equipment
	Solvent Ether BP. Several litres of ether is typically used in this process.
	Eye ointment should also be obtained.
	Water based degreaser. We used one called, "Blue heaven".
	Water based detergent such as, "Morning Fresh"
	Rubber Gloves.
	Several hundred cotton balls.
	Several buckets or a large trough.
	Micropore or Vet-wrap.
	Old towels.
	Old clothes or water proof gear.
	Sense of humour.
	Buckets of coffee.
	Several really gullible assistants.

Don't wait for warm days for washing as the bird will lose condition between the oiling and washing. Wash the bird in the morning if at all possible, so it has the day to recover and dry.

Ensure that the cleaning is done in a well ventilated area, preferably outside, and away from naked flame. The process is dangerous, messy and time consuming, often taking several hours for a heavily oiled bird. The birds beak should be taped securely, but carefully, with a piece of wood between the upper and lower mandibles to aid breathing. Care should be taken to ensure the nostrils remain clear.

The handler must maintain a secure grip on the birds legs at all times. It is also necessary to monitor the person holding the bird as Ether tends to funnel upwards against the handlers body and can cause the handler to become nauseous or even black-out if care is not taken.

Ether evaporates rapidly so containers need to be kept closed to avoid loss. Saturate cotton wool balls with the Ether and apply to the effected areas ensuring that the feathers are stroked along the shafts towards the tips only. Multi directional "scrubbing" will aggravate plumage damage.

The high evaporation rate of Ether results in rapid chilling of the birds skin so care should be taken to reduce contact where possible. The eagle will experience a loss of thermo-regulatory ability during the process so the washing should be completed as soon as possible.

Once a significant amount of the oil is broken down the bird should be rinsed with large quantities of tepid water, prior to degreasing.

The Ether causes a degradation of the oil in the plumage but does not remove large quantities by itself. The second stage of washing further degrades the oil that remains, and removes significant quantities of the residue and other contaminants such as sand and dirt. We use a water based degreasing agent, called "Blue Heaven", and this is applied liberally, particularly through the birds down and in, "difficult to reach areas", such as between the legs and under the shoulders. The degreaser should be worked carefully through the birds plumage and matted feathers separated where possible.

This is a particularly hazardous process as the eagle often lashes out with both talons and beak. The handler must maintain absolute control at all times. Threats from assistants often aid this process.....

Once the degreaser is thoroughly worked through the birds plumage, it should be washed out, again using large quantities of tepid water. The coagulated oil looks like wet, stringy glue and can be seen oozing from the feathers during this rinsing process. Occasionally, large globules of this matter can be stripped from the wings by hand.

The final wash uses a light weight water based detergent like dish washing liquid. We use a local brand called "Morning Fresh" and the lemon fragrance is a pleasant change from the stench of fish offal. This is applied using soft sponges and, again, the feathers should only be stroked along the shafts towards the tips to minimise damage. The bird is then rinsed again with large amounts of warm water. This is especially important in cool climates such as in Tasmania. A dose of shampoo conditioner is applied to remove soap traces from the plumage, and a final rinse completes the process. Plumage should look considerably better but often this is deceptive. Greasiness of the feathers usually remains.

After washing, the birds oil glad may not function for a period so care should be taken to ensure the bird remains dry. After the first washing, the bird should be kept in a warm, dry, quiet location, away from drafts.

Place lanolin on soft or sensitive areas such as the cloaca. Oil can burn the birds eyes and eye ointment should be applied at the same time as lanolin is applied to sensitive skin areas. The bird should be placed on a high fat diet to aid recovery.

It is difficult to avoid some damage of plumage, but extra care should be taken to avoid damage to flight feathers and the tail, particularly if there is evidence the bird is moulting, as was the case with this specimen. Bent feathers can be immersed briefly in hot water and then straightened taking care that the water does not come in contact with flesh. Avoid removal of plumage where ever possible.

The cleaning process is quite traumatic for the bird and all care should be taken to avoid excessive noise, sudden movements or rough handling. Watch for heavy or unnatural breathing. Oil can sometimes cause infections of the trachea and alimentary canal. Also, monitor the birds movements and alertness for signs of the onset of shock. Stressed birds will occasionally make sounds like crying and this should be taken as a signal to complete the process as soon as possible. Rinses with warm water tend to have a calming effect.

The main criteria for considering anaesthesia are extreme stress or aggression. Anaesthesia tends to further reduce the birds thermo-regulatory ability and, in conjunction with the Ether, can cause problems. If Anaesthesia is used, it should be done so in conjunction with a heat pad to aid the bird in this regard.

If the birds condition is low, avoid using Fluothane or halothane as these products have a long recovery time and possible risk of death. Isofluthane is highly recommended for all Raptor species as well as most native

Another two washings are usually required but Ether should not be used unless severe oil contamination remains.

Usually, only detergent is required to clean up small areas of matted feathers, usually around the legs, tail and under the wings because of the difficulty of dealing with these areas during the initial washing.

We have noticed a rapid increase in the level of aggression exhibited by birds after successive washes and, after the third, some become positively vicious with handlers often experiencing blood loss!

However, the birds plumage still exhibits considerable matting, particularly around the tail and head.

The washing process strips feathers of their natural oil content and this needs to be re-established before release can be contemplated. Test birds by soaking them with a hose for half an hour and noting the level of beading of water that occurs, and the recovery time after the event.

After a third wash, the eagles plumage was effectively restored to it's original state.

The condition of plumage should also be noted, paying particular attention to the flight feathers. Badly damaged plumage may indicate the need for a moult in captivity prior to release. Weight should also be checked to ensure the bird is feeding well.

Given the birds condition is satisfactory, it should be released in an appropriate location. Care should be taken in this regard as we have noted birds are, (naturally), somewhat aggressive toward humans by the end of the rehabilitation process.

This bird remained in captivity for several more weeks to build up weight and restore the plumage's natural oil content.

	Engorged crop
	Severely contaminated plumage
	Disgusting stench
	Bad attitude