Acres rescues baby changeable hawk-eagle found on the ground, scales tree to return it to nest

On Apr. 21, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) found itself with a changeable hawk eagle at its doorstep.

A member of the public had found the young raptor on the ground in a forested area, and worried for its safety, had brought it to the Acres Wildlife Centre.

Speaking to Mothership, Acres co-CEO Kalai Vanan shared that the bird was identified as a nestling about to fledge.

The Acres veterinary team took it in and gave it some tender loving care.

Locating the nest

Meanwhile, the rescue team, led by senior wildlife rescue officer Safari Masnor, developed a plan to return the bird back to its nest.

This was tricky as eagles tend to nest high up in the canopy, and the nest could have been on any tall tree in the area where the bird was found.

Masnor shared that the team used information shared by the eagle's rescuer and navigational applications to locate the exact site it was found.

As the area is occupied by dense vegetation that blocked any view of the ground, the team used a 360-degree camera mounted on a 10m telescopic pole to get a higher and wider point of view through and above the canopy to spot for the eagle’s nest.

The nest was eventually found to be about 10m away from where the baby bird was originally found.

After a day of recuperation, it was time to return the nestling.

The Acres team had also spent the day scouting the area, finding the nest and planning the operation.

Three-hour operation

In order to place the eaglet back in its nest, Acres got the help of a trained arborist volunteer who was able to scale the tree.

The entire operation on Apr. 23 took around three hours.

Safe and sound.

Masnor noted that its parents weren't sighted anywhere near the nest.

However, the birds are typically wary of humans, and would likely have kept their distance.

Nevertheless, the team did hear calls from adult changeable hawk-eagles right after the eaglet was placed back in its nest.

What to do if you spot a fledgling bird?

Most birds at the late fledgling stage, unlike younger nestlings, do not stay in the nest anymore.

They are mobile and should be able to take short flights even though they still require care and guidance from their parents.

If you find a fledgling, it’s usually best to give it space and time to see if it can continue on its own.

If the bird appears grounded or helpless, it might need some assistance to be placed back onto a higher spot like a tree branch.

However, if you find a young bird on the ground and are unsure what to do, you can call the Acres Wildlife Rescue Hotline at 97837782 for assistance.

If you would like to support Acres' work and their wildlife rescue efforts, you can donate to their 2025 Charity Gala happening in August.

Top photo from Acres