Bald eagle found with damaged wing after tornado near Smithville Lake dies

A bald eagle found with a damaged wing from the recent tornado at Smithville Lake died Sunday because of the injuries.

Missouri of Department of Conservation officials said the bird was turned over to wildlife rehabilitation experts at Excelsior Springs, and it was later taken to the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center in Columbia, where it died.

A passer-by found the eagle Thursday on the roadside near Route F and Southwest King Road after an EF2 tornado that passed through the Smithville Lake area March 6 knocked down a bald eagle nest on private land.

The injured eagle suffered a badly fractured wing during the storm.

Smithville Lake usually has three or four active eagle nests, so eagles will still be in the area this spring, officials said.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 9:02 PM with the headline "Bald eagle found with damaged wing after tornado near Smithville Lake dies."