Bald Eagle Exhibit - Detroit Zoo

July 2008. There are 2 eagles in the background.

Wow, they're not in an aviary.

It's a great, wide-open exhibit.

...which means that they are probably wing-clipped (or otherwise impacted in their flight). And that means the 'great, wide-open' exhibit is pretty much wasted on them, as they can't use it.

All Bald Eagles in captivity within the United States must be non-releaseable. The majority of this birds suffer wing injuries and the birds themselves cannot fly...there are actually many open enclosures for Bald Ealges because of this. There are very few in captivity (US) that can actually fly.

@okapikpr: Interesting, as I know at least two American zoo with Bald eagles that can fly...However, the parameter you mention doesn't actually change what I wrote before. One could question whether this kind of life is appropriate for a raptor or whether euthanasia would have been the better choice. This tricky moral question occurs more than often in avian clinics dealing with birds of prey...

Let me elaborate on my last post. These non-releaseable eagles are often paired up in zoos. The chicks produced from these birds, and there have been many, are not kept in captivity but relocated to a hacking center to be prepped for eventual release into the wild.

@okapikpr: Success rate?

Blackduiker

Seattle... Now that's a great Bald Eagle exhibit! They not only fly, but you can actually walk right into the enclosure, stand on a deck and watch them in the trees in front of you, or eating fish on the ground next to a flowing stream.

Toronto has 2 or 3 fully flying bald eagles but they are kept within aviaries (which are actually of pretty good size)