Eagle: Beak defect or food? (can't tell)

Saw this guy as I was taking a tour thru the park...saw something fly UP into this tree and from a distance I actually thought it was a Hawk...was very surprised to see it was an Eagle (usually they are on the other side of the park). He was really "buried" behind a ton of branches so getting a clear shot wasn't very easy...I was actually only able to get 3 shots but the other two weren't very good (OOF)...

Shot is handheld with my 100-400L on 40D...was a cloudy/overcast day (think that helped with the exposure, note I said,, THINK)...

Well once I got home and uploaded the picture I noticed that something was either wrong with his/her beak or it had lunch in its beak.

This is the link to the original uncropped image (to big to post) http://farm3.static.fl​ickr.com …25846863_f113f5​590a_o.jpg

If anyone has any idea if it is a beak defect or food I would be very appreciative of your feedback and as always C&C is much appreciated too.

This looks like a very bad injury to his beak. He may have hit a wire or something in a tree. You should report this to a local rehab center.

I agree with Mitch. Definately a lower beak injury...I don't see how it could be eating in this condition. I would definately be reporting it to someone......

canonloader wrote in post #9527853
This looks like a very bad injury to his beak. He may have hit a wire or something in a tree. You should report this to a local rehab center.

Duane N wrote in post #9528023
I agree with Mitch. Definately a lower beak injury...I don't see how it could be eating in this condition. I would definately be reporting it to someone......

Mitch and Duane,

Thanks for the feedback....I am going to call The Wildlife Center of Virginia tomorrow morning as soon as they open at 9am.

clearly an injury. I hope you can get some help for this guy.

definitely an injury, it looks like it might not have much of its lower beak left.

Eagle i wrote in post #9528042
Mitch and Duane,

Thanks for the feedback....I am going to call The Wildlife Center of Virginia tomorrow morning as soon as they open at 9am.

They are very good and very caring at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. If they can't help they can certainly give you someone to get ahold of.

Yep, looks like half it's bottom mandible is missing, death sentence, He should be captured for sure. You can see it's tongue from below, not good.

And, he already looks like crap, bet he is week!

Well, I sure do hope that I can get this Eagle some help...not sure if this means anything or not but there was a mockingbird that I watched fly from limb to limb until it was near the Eagle and then it started to "attack" the Eagle by flying/pecking it's rear...none looked very hard but after a few times the MB landed about 3' away from the Eagle on the same branch. The Eagle then gave the MB this "look" and the MB took off and didn't return (that was all prior to me going back to get my camera to get the shots that I did.)

I am guessing it will not be going far, with an injury like that, it can't eat, and it actually looks weak.

UPDATE:

The Wildlife Center of Virginia told me to contact the Division of Game and Inland Fisheries.
I spoke to an officer there and he said that there really isn't anything they can do at this time.
I forwarded him pictures and he agreed that it was a severe beak/mandible injury. He said that
if and when we see the Eagle on the ground that I can call him and at that point they may be able to help (or they may have to let nature take its course). Luckily, I work at this park as a Supervisor and will be able to tell staff about it so that if he is seen on the ground (to weak to fly) that they will know who to call and what to do.

I have a very bad feeling about this Eagle.

Eagle i wrote in post #9531922
UPDATE:

The Wildlife Center of Virginia told me to contact the Division of Game and Inland Fisheries.
I spoke to an officer there and he said that there really isn't anything they can do at this time.
I forwarded him pictures and he agreed that it was a severe beak/mandible injury. He said that
if and when we see the Eagle on the ground that I can call him and at that point they may be able to help (or they may have to let nature take its course). Luckily, I work at this park as a Supervisor and will be able to tell staff about it so that if he is seen on the ground (to weak to fly) that they will know who to call and what to do.

I have a very bad feeling about this Eagle.

You have done what you can. Unless they were to go and try to trap it there is nothing they can do until it is someplace catch-able. Even then, I am not sure there is much that can be done. Other than living in captivity where someone can cut up all his food for the rest of his life.

He is not going to be going far, he does not look to be in that great of shape right now.

Nature is hard.

Greg

I presume beaks don't grow like fingernails, or at least at a rate to redress the damage.

Beaks do grow, just like fingernails, but this looks like it is broken off in the quick. I have also seen repairs to Great Blue beaks where they used fiberglass and resin, and that worked. I think this poor guy is beyond help though.