This summer’s heat dome in the Pacific Northwest made quite an impact on Portland residents. In one of Southeast Portland’s treasured gems, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, this twist of nature (stemming from climate change) created a harrowing story of success for one bald eagle family, but not without a bit of heartbreak as well.

Established in 1950, the 9.5-acre Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden boasts a collection of unique plants and trees and is home to myriad birds and wildlife. Similar incidents as described below have been reported throughout the western United States this summer.

Seasonal inhabitants to the garden include a nesting pair of bald eagles. In each of the last four years, these eagles have successfully raised eaglets in a nest perched high up in a mature Douglas fir tree at the north end of the garden. In the winter and spring, visitors frequently can see the adults bringing in nest material or perched in or near the nest. In summer, the eaglets become visible, and the doting parents bring fish and other food to the rapidly growing juveniles.

Portland’s record high temperature was set on Monday, June 28, 2021, at a lethal 116 degrees Fahrenheit. The eagles’ nest does not get any protection from the relentless afternoon sun, and temperatures climbed well beyond 116 F. As a result, the two nearly full-grown eaglets, presumably overheated and dehydrated, abandoned the 100-foot-high nest several weeks prematurely, ahead of their ability to fly. It must have been a terrifying journey to the ground, wings flapping and negotiating the many branches on the way down.

The day after the heat event, Portland Parks and Recreation staff discovered one of the eaglets caught in the slats of the park bench directly below the nest, clearly in distress, with an injured leg. After working to free the eaglet, it was taken to the Audubon Society’s wildlife rehabilitation center in Northwest Portland to be assessed.

The second eaglet was found the next day in the pond by Crystal Springs volunteers. Without any intervention, that eaglet was deemed to have made it to the ground intact. It was hydrating and able to get out of the water on its own. For the next 18 days, staff and volunteers kept people away from the grounded eaglet as it explored the garden on foot.

For the first week, no one saw the eaglet being fed by the parents. However, it was getting stronger, preening out its downy feathers, and there were signs that it had been eating. Eventually, volunteers witnessed early morning feeding from the parent eagles, a relief to all of those now ardently invested in this eaglet’s journey.

Naturally, there was concern about potential predators like coyotes or raccoons. But as the eaglet grew bigger and stronger, it is likely those predators found less fierce prey. The eaglet continued to explore the garden, including a foray to the garden entry area on the Fourth of July, much to visitors’ delight.

On Friday, July 16, volunteers looked for the eaglet, but it was nowhere to be found in the garden. Sitting and listening, the tell-tale call of the eaglet was eventually heard. The eaglet had finally flown (known as fledging) and was perched about 15 feet up in a tree on the Eastmoreland Golf Course just across Crystal Springs Lake. Day by day, the fledgling gained confidence in its newfound ability to fly and made its way back up to the nest. The parents continued to bring food to the fledgling for nearly a month while the fledgling filled out, growing its primary flight feathers.

Now six weeks later, the eagles have left the area, but it is likely the eaglet will continue to learn from the parents until sometime in September. Thereafter it will make its own way in the world.

The success story of this eaglet is heartwarming. However, the sibling injured eaglet was not so fortunate. After surgery at the Oregon Zoo, it succumbed to capture myopathy, a common condition among captive birds and animals. A 50 percent survival rate among bald eaglets matches the average in the wild and so represents a successful outcome for this eagle family in Southeast Portland.

The staff, volunteers, members and visitors of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden wish the surviving fledgling well and look forward to another brood next season. Come join us at Crystal Springs to enjoy all the flora and fauna this amazing garden has to offer right here in Southeast Portland.

Resident Eaglet Takes Wing