Bald Eagle With Amputated Wing Lands New Home At Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - Mr. America has landed in his new home at the Detroit Zoo.

A male bald eagle from southern Indiana is now in his permanent habitat at the Detroit Zoo after recovering from an injury that prevented him from being released back into the wild. One of the bird's wings was severely damaged, presumably after he flew into a power line, and had to be amputated.

Named Mr. America by the rehabber who cared for him, the eagle arrived at the Detroit Zoo in mid-November and spent several weeks in quarantine. He joins another rescued male bald eagle, Flash, in their American Grasslands habitat overlooking Pierson Lake. Flash arrived from Alaska's Kodiak Island in 2009 after suffering a wing injury that prevented his release back into the wild.

Mr. America is estimated to be between 5 and 6 years old and, at just 6 pounds, is considered small for his species. Mature eagles typically weigh 10 to 15 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) earns its name from the Old English word "balde," meaning white, referencing the distinctive white feathers covering its head and tail.