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Police in Solebury Township found the bird in the evening hours on Sunday, May 21. At the time, he was unable to stand up or lift his head, say rescuers at the Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Chalfont.
When Aark sent the eagle to Radnor Veterinary Hospital early on Monday, May 22, "his condition was grave." He tested positive for lead poisoning and was made to undergo radiography tests, rescuers said.
But by Tuesday, May 23, the bird appeared to be in high spirits, according to his temporary handlers.
"He is responding well to the treatment and is now standing and acting a bit more like an eagle should," Leah Stallings, Aark's Executive Director, told Daily Voice.
The bald eagle will begin a multi-week regimen of EDTA calcium as soon as team members return from New Jersey with his medicine, she said.
"Once he is finished with his medications, he will be moved to our eagle enclosure for flight training," Stallings explained.
Back home at his nest in Solebury, rescuers say the eagle left behind a mate and an eaglet. The Aark team plans to release him back at the nest site when he's feeling better so he can reunite with his family.
"So far, mom and baby appear to be healthy and thriving," Stallings noted.
Rescuers believe the bird's bout with lead poisoning may have been caused by exposure to "shotgun pellets, bullet fragments, and fishing sinkers" made with the metal.
"Lead poisoning is a common problem with birds of prey all over the United States," Stallings says, but by switching to copper or steel alternatives, outdoorsmen "could make a huge difference to the wildlife of Pennsylvania."
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