The large bird was spotted by Jerry Williams of Mora in a field behind his house. Williams claimed that his initial response was to bring his small dog inside and away from the bird, but as soon as he discovered the bird was hurt and unable to fly, Williams started making calls to arrange for the bird’s rescue. 

 In response, the University of Minnesota Raptor Center dispatched transport volunteer Terry Headley to the Williams’ residence to capture the bird. 

 Headley set out with the intention of approaching the bird from the side and guiding it away from a denser grove of trees and thorny vegetation. The eagle noticed her as she drew near and flew off into the distance. 

 Headley called after the bird, which was sluggishly hopping through the dense undergrowth between the cornfields, “He’s a runner.” 

 Headley was armed only with a pair of thick gloves and had just had her hip replaced, but she managed to immediately grab and restrain the bird. 

 Headley cradled this enormous raptor like a baby in her arms in a matter of seconds. She told the eagle, “You are lovely. 

 After giving the eagle a cursory examination, Headley concluded that it was probably a female and that the foot wounds she had were the result of territorial battles with other females. Also, according to Headley, the bird’s wing was either damaged or dislocated, which may have resulted from a collision with another eagle or being hit by a car. 

Williams and his wife Lynne assisted Headley in loading the bird into a tiny crate after they had returned through muddy fields.

Williams stated that the eagle was brought to the raptor clinic at the U of M and examined by medical professionals today evening. They discovered that in addition to the broken wing, the eagle also had lead poisoning and a heart murmur. Doctors predicted that with therapy, she should recover and resume flying within a month.