Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle

In a remarkable wildlife rescue story with echoes of 2009’s Winter’s Tale, an eagle injured by a hunter comes under the care of biologist and coauthor Veltkamp. At her Idaho raptor center, she concocts a plan to repair Beauty’s beak, which has been reduced to a stump, using a 3-D–printed prosthetic. The tense narrative recounts how Veltkamp enlisted the help of a dentist and engineer to design and attach the new beak: “Just when they were ready to glue the beak on, Beauty started to struggle. Her wings were so strong, she burst open the wrap around them.” Readers will be fascinated by the photographs of Beauty before, during, and after the beak attachment, and although the story concludes abruptly, following the successful surgery, substantial end notes explore Beauty’s progress, bald eagles in general, and the threats they face. Ages 5–12. (Aug.)