Animal rehabilitation experts say this female bald eagle is a good candidate for release in the future. Image: Raven Ridge Wildlife Center

A Pennsylvania resident recently arrived home to find what looked like an unassuming black trash bag in their yard. But the bag moved and lifted its head. Turns out, it was not a bag, but a bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ). And something was very wrong with her.

A state Game Warden brought the eagle to Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in southern Pennsylvania to be checked out. The bird couldn’t stand and her legs were limp, which is a typical symptom of spinal trauma. Nonetheless, the team also tested the eagle for lead poisoning , and found that she indeed had lead in her system. Even though the eagle wasn’t showing signs of such poisoning, they weren’t surprised by these results.

From afar, a homeowner initially believed that an injured bald eagle was a trash bag.…