Shellie Nelson, WQAD, Reporting
DECORAH, Iowa (WQAD) – One of the eaglets hatched at the nest in Decorah, Iowa was found electrocuted Sunday, July 1, 2012.
D12 was found at the base of a power pole. Officials from the Raptor Resource
Project said the top of that pole and several other poles in the area were modified after the discovery, to make the poles raptor-safe.
D12 was the first eaglet to hatch at the Decorah nest in 2012. The egg was laid February 17 and the hatch happened March 27. D13 hatched the next day.
The Raptor Resource Project offers a live stream of the nest each year. The Decorah Eagle Cam shut down for the summer at 8 p.m. June 30, 2012.
“Unshielded poles can be dangerous,” said a statement on the RRP Facebook page. “Older poles may have been installed either before people were aware of electrocution hazards to wildlife, or during the decline of raptor populations in America.”
If you find an electrocuted raptor or other bird near a pole, RRP recommends taking the bird to the nearest wildlife center if it is still alive. Contact your state DNR or local game warden and the utility company that owns the pole. Utility poles are marked with an identification number.
“We continue to remember how blessed we are with all the successes from the Decorah nest so far, and we will be thankful for all the future successes as well. This is the first known tragedy from the Decorah nest, and we thank all of you for your heartfelt thoughts on this loss,” said the RRP Facebook page.
