It was a picture-perfect day for a homecoming. Bright blue skies and perfect temperatures accompanied a crowd of Dallas County residents who were eager to welcome home a rarely seen, but cherished resident.

Cheers erupted when an Auburn University van pulled into Paul M. Grist park to release a bald eagle that had overcome serious injuries and a year in rehabilitation at the school’s Raptor Center before finally making his way back to the Black Belt.

The eagle’s recovery probably meant the most to those who helped make it possible.

Liz Crandall, a raptor rehabilitation specialist for Auburn University, said it is very gratifying to know the process has been a success.

“It’s very exciting to actually get to release it,” she said. “We’re very happy to put one back in the wild.”

When the eagle arrived, he was unable to fly, Crandall said.

After a minor procedure, and lots of close observation and care, the raptor was finally able to function on his own.

“The injury was a broken wing and the break wasn’t that bad, but we still had to do surgery,” she said.

“He was in rebab for a month and then basically we placed him in the avian area for a period of time and he started exercising himself.”

The eagle did not recover overnight, Crandall said. But the wound did heal correctly, which was the most important factor.

“It did take a while,” she said. “We evaluate them every couple of weeks depending on if we are able to. It took him a while to pass the test that we had, but he is ready to go.”

The center does not get many eagles, maybe six a year, Crandall said. Most of the birds they treat are red-tailed hawks.

Birmingham native, Ben Clemmett, who earned the opportunity to release the eagle, said he was very excited.

Once the eagle was released, he took a moment to explore the grounds before disappearing into the trees to officially complete his recovery.