The joints and surrounding soft tissues also needed to regain normal mobility.
The external support was reduced gradually according to the medical plan.
The eagle began moving the wing more on its own.
At first, the motion was limited.
The bird occasionally shifted the wing while balancing on the perch but did not extend it fully.
Then staff noticed the first attempt at preening around the injured side.
The eagle turned its head, reached toward the healing wing, and worked through several feathers.
The movement lasted only a few seconds.
Larson considered it important.
Preening required controlled rotation and flexion that the bird had previously avoided because of pain.
Several days later, the eagle performed a larger stretch.
The healthy wing opened almost completely.
The repaired wing followed more slowly and stopped before reaching the same angle.
That asymmetry was expected.
The bone was healing.
The muscles were weak.
The shoulder and elbow had spent weeks moving less than normal.
The center did not attempt to force the wing into full extension simply to make both sides look identical.
The team wanted gradual, pain-free improvement.
The eagle continued to stretch voluntarily.
Each week, the repaired side opened slightly farther.
Follow-up imaging showed progressively stronger bone formation.
By roughly six weeks after surgery, Larson was satisfied that the fracture had enough stability to begin the next phase.
The eagle was moved into an intermediate rehabilitation enclosure.
This space was larger than the hospital room but smaller than the center’s full flight aviary.
It allowed the bird to make short controlled movements between perches without encouraging long, high-speed flight.
The eagle spent the first few hours observing its surroundings.
It selected the perch farthest from the door.
That pleased the staff.
Avoidance of humans remained strong.
Later that day, the bird climbed to another perch using a combination of stepping and a short wing-assisted hop.
Both wings opened.
The repaired side functioned.
The following morning, the eagle made its first true short flight since the injury.
It pushed from one perch, crossed several yards, and landed safely on another.
Everyone observing understood the importance of the moment.
The eagle was flying again.
They also understood what the flight showed.
The repaired wing was weak.
The bird lost some height before reaching the perch, and the right and left downstrokes were not perfectly symmetrical.
The flight lasted only seconds.
The eagle rested for a long time afterward.
There was still considerable work ahead.
A healed fracture does not automatically produce a releasable eagle.
Weeks of restricted movement cause muscle loss.
Coordination must return.
Endurance must be rebuilt.
Landing accuracy must be evaluated.
A bird can sometimes complete a single short flight even when it is nowhere near strong enough for life outside rehabilitation.
The team therefore did not treat the first flight as the end of the case.
It was the beginning of another stage.
During the following week, the eagle began flying voluntarily between perches more often.
Staff did not chase it simply to make it exercise.
Instead, enclosure design and routine food placement encouraged natural movement.
The bird gradually began choosing flight rather than climbing.
Each movement allowed the rehabilitation team to evaluate mechanics.
Takeoff power improved.
The repaired wing opened farther.
The eagle began maintaining altitude for longer.
Landings became cleaner.
At first, the bird approached a perch with several corrective wingbeats and occasionally landed lower than intended.
Later, the feet extended at the appropriate time, the grip became immediate, and the wings folded normally.
The greatest remaining problem was endurance.
After several flights, the repaired side tired more quickly than the healthy side.
The wingbeat became shallower.
The eagle sometimes chose to remain on a perch rather than fly again.
That was enough to delay progression.
Outside captivity, an adult Bald Eagle cannot depend on a single short flight.
It may need to travel miles.
It may have to cross open water.
It may need to climb into a headwind.
It may need to escape another eagle.
It may need to recover after a missed landing or feeding attempt.
Survival requires reserve capacity.
The bird needed to demonstrate that reserve before release would be considered.
After additional conditioning, the eagle was transferred to the center’s large outdoor flight aviary.
The aviary provided the first opportunity for sustained flight.
Longer distances allowed the eagle to accelerate.
High perches required climbing.
Turning areas allowed the staff to observe banking and control.
The first flight in the new enclosure was informative.
The eagle launched from a mid-level perch and crossed approximately half the aviary.
The beginning looked strong.
Both wings opened.
The bird gained a small amount of height.