SOAR
saving our avian resources
SOAR
25494 320th Street
Dedham, IA 51440
Phone: (712) 683-5555
Fax: (712) 683-5535
www.soarraptors.org
diversityfarms@iowatelecom.net
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SOAR saving our avian resources |
SOAR 25494 320th Street Dedham, IA 51440 Phone: (712) 683-5555 Fax: (712) 683-5535 www.soarraptors.org |
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Bald
Eagles and Lead Poisoning in Iowa Update January 2008 SOAR's Executive Director Kay Neumann has gathered data on the admissions of Bald Eagles to wildlife rehabilitators in Iowa over the last four years. Lead poisoning still continues to be the major cause of illness. Neumann reported that "SOAR has admitted 27 eagles since January 1, 2004 - 17 of these were due to lead -- with one's result's still pending (highly suspect lead) - only nine admissions in four years were not lead related. If not for lead poisoning/exposure - I'd only get to see a couple eagles each year."
Update April 14, 2007 another Bald Eagle died and the liver biopsy showed 55ppm of lead in it's liver. 6ppm is lethal. BALD EAGLES ARE BEING POISONED! SOAR began noticing lead poisoning symptoms in admitted Bald Eagles. In February 2004 SOAR began gathering as much data as possible. Of the thirty-two bald eagles that SOAR has attempted to gather data on (beginning in February, 2004 to December, 2006), twenty-four were tested for lead poisoning with either a blood test or a liver biopsy. Seventeen of these twenty-four (70 %) showed poisoning levels with either above .2 ppm lead in their blood or above 6 ppm lead in their livers. Two more birds showed exposure levels. Of the eight birds that were not tested: four exhibited no lead poisoning symptoms, had normal recoveries, and were released; two were exhibiting lead poisoning symptoms, but were transferred to out-of-state facilities and lost from the data set; and two were euthanized on admission due to significant, non-repairable trauma. Iowa is a winter haven for Bald Eagles. They catch fish in open water areas on our rivers and reservoirs. They are also scavengers, feeding on carcasses of animals that hunters are unable to retrieve. While waterfowl hunters are required to use non-toxic shot; deer and upland game hunters are still allowed to use lead ammunition in most areas. Some counties and wildlife areas require that only non-toxic ammunition be used. Even a small fragment of lead is enough to poison an Eagle. Hunters can show that they really care about our natural resources by using non-toxic ammunition. (Sadly 2 eagles have come into rehab after having been shot. Shooting an eagle is illegal and can lead to jail and fines in the 10's of thousands of dollars). We are not blaming hunters or saying that hunting is bad, we are simply asking hunters to make the switch to non-toxic ammunition. Systemic lead poisoning comes from lead being eaten or ingested. An eagle that has been illegally shot will usually not develop lead poisoning from ammunition fragments lodged in their muscle. It is very difficult to find the lead still in their digestive tracts, usually by the time poisoning symptoms begin to appear, the lead has been processed through their digestive systems. The fact that the eagles need to eat the lead means that it must be contained in something worthy of being eaten by an eagle. Yes, that's a wide range of items. The first thing that comes to mind is their preferred meal; fish. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has been conducting fish tissue sampling work for more than ten years across the state. They have found the fish in Iowa to be safe for human consumption with no elevated lead levels. Fishing tackle was examined as another possible source. The time-of-year data of the poisonings did not fit with the major fishing months, nor did the x-ray evidence suggest tackle. Total number of eagles admitted with positive tests for
lead poisoning each month Cases of eagles with lead poisoning peak in December (shotgun deer season) and March (as eagles head back north to nest they seem to scavenge more as they make this cross country migration). Lead poisoning cases have not been seen during the summer and early fall months (May - September). The main food item available during the winter months that may contain lead seems to be deer carcasses and possibly gut piles.
Click here for data summary from 2004-2005
As Eagles seem to seek out deer carcasses the use of solid copper deer slugs would insure the safety of Iowa's wintering Bald Eagles.
Above: X-ray of a deer carcass that was shot with lead deer slugs, reveals that the main body of the slug traveled completely through the deer, but lead schrapnel fragments were left in the carcass at the points where the slugs passed through and shattered bone. This schrapnel looks quite similar to the irregular schrapnel pieces found in eagle digestive systems. In this x-ray of a deer's mid-section, you can see the lead fragments where the slug went through the ribs below the spine and grazed the top of the spine.
A note from Kay Please remember that most wildlife rehabilitators operate as volunteers with very narrow budget margins. I understand that the information we have gathered so far is incomplete; an x-ray/blood test/liver biopsy was not done on every single animal. These tests are not free, and we have done the best we could with the resources available to us. I feel that this is enough evidence to point to a problem with lead and eagles, that the most likely source in Iowa during the winter is deer, and that urging hunters to switch to non-toxic copper deer slugs is warranted immediately. I also feel that more scientific research is needed. What are the lead levels in free ranging eagles in Iowa? Lead poisoning and exposure are insidious. Eagles, just like children, can function with lead in their systems, but not at their best level. It may effect their reproduction, longevity, and overall health. What are the long term effects of this? What level of lead are we willing to tolerate in our environment and in our wildlife? Hunters
can show that really care about our natural resources by using non-lead
ammunition. More information:
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