Bald eagle was electrocuted in Milpitas

The eagle might be from the nest where an eaglet had fallen twice before earlier this year.

A young bald eagle, found dead earlier this month in Milpitas, had been electrocuted, probably from flying into nearby high voltage power lines.

It’s believed the eagle was one of two that had hatched in a nest near Curtner Elementary in Milpitas, the site of an accident earlier this year when one of the eaglets fell from the nest, was returned and fell again. A pair of bald eagles have nested in that area for several years, and the two that hatched this year were just beginning to fly.

After the second fall, the eagle, nicknamed Lucky, was taken to Lindsay Wildlife Hospital in Walnut Creek. The bird suffered a small bruise on its left wing, but had no major injuries. It was given fluids and mice, and kept two days for observation before being returned to the Milpitas nest.

The body of the eagle was found in the 700-block of North Abbott Avenue, beneath the overhead power lines. The Milpitas Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife investigated the death, and a necropsy — an animal autopsy — ruled the cause of death as electrocution.

Investigators said the dead eagle had been in good health and was well-fed before the accident took its life.

Milpitas police issued its thanks to Fish and Wildlife “for its response and diligent investigation into this unfortunate incident.”