The majority of adult bald and golden eagles carry high levels of lead, which derives from hunters’ ammunition, a large study found.
Most bald and golden eagles in the United States have been repeatedly exposed to lead throughout their lives, new research shows. The primary source of exposure is ammunition—as eagles scavenge on the carcasses of animals shot by hunters, they can ingest lead fragments from rifle rounds and shotgun pellets.
Nearly half of US bald eagles suffer lead poisoning
America’s national bird is more beleaguered than previously believed, with nearly half of bald eagles tested across the U.S. showing signs of chronic lead exposure, according to a study published Thursday.
While the bald eagle population has rebounded from the brink of extinction since the U.S. banned the pesticide DDT in 1972, harmful levels of toxic lead were found in the bones of 46% of bald eagles sampled in 38 states from California to Florida, researchers reported in the journal Science.
Bald Eagles Are Being Poisoned to Death by Lead From Hunting Ammo
Bald eagles in Canada and the U.S. are being poisoned to death by the lead found in hunting ammunition and fishing weights.
Both the BC Wildlife Park in British Columbia, Canada, and the Alaska Raptor Center said bald eagles had recently died in their care as a result of lead poisoning.
