The protected bird narrowly escaped death, with a bullet missing vital flight bones in its wing by just millimetres.

It is being nursed back to health at Hopkins Point Wildlife Shelter in Warrnambool.

The act ``sickened'' shelter operator Lorraine O'Brien.

``I don't know how anyone could have done this,'' she told The Standard.

``Someone has obviously had nothing better to do on their Friday night or Saturday morning and gone out and shot this magnificent bird.''

Cobden farmer Max Savage found the wounded eagle on his Devils Gully property last week.

Mr Savage and his wife, Vivian, rushed the eagle, which has been affectionately named `Wedginald', to Ms O'Brien's shelter. The wildlife worker wasted no time treating the bird.

She took it to the Lava Street Vet Clinic. It was in a poor condition, saturated from heavy rain and covered in mud and blood. X-rays revealed no bone damage.

Although no bullet was found in the bird, Ms O'Brien said the injury suggested it was shot.

``It is a nice round hole through the wing. It's pretty clean. I don't know how else it could have happened.''

Wedge-tail eagles were once considered vermin and shot but are now protected. It is illegal to kill, trap or poison them.

Those caught shooting the eagles face fines of up to $12,000 fine and/or 12 months' jail.

The Cobden shooting is the second reported case of a protected bird being gunned down in the south-west this year.

In May, a white goshawk died after it was shot near Garvoc.

The Cobden eagle still has a long road to recovery, having to pass a flight test before it is released.

If he fails he will be taken to The Raptor Centre in Melbourne where he will relearn to fly. If he fails another test he will be euthanased. ``It's no use releasing the bird for it to starve to death,'' Ms O'Brien said.

Mr Savage said wedge-tail eagles, Australia's largest raptor, were a regular sight on his farm, with three birds calling it home.

``But since the bird was shot, I haven't seen the other two,'' he said.

``I don't know if they have been shot too or if they have flown away because they saw what happened.''