Share and Follow
In Des Moines, Iowa, wildlife specialists are urging hunters to transition to using lead-free ammunition following a tragic incident involving three bald eagles. Last weekend, one of these majestic birds succumbed to lead poisoning, while two others are currently in critical condition after being rescued.
The Iowa Bird Rehabilitation center reported that they took in the three affected eagles on Sunday. All of them showed symptoms consistent with lead poisoning. The birds were found in different locations: one along the banks of the Des Moines River and the other two near Lake Red Rock in Marion County.
Upon arrival at the rehabilitation center, the eagles underwent testing for lead poisoning. The results were alarming, with lead levels exceeding the machine’s maximum measurable capacity, as reported by Des Moines’ local affiliate, WHO-TV.
Unfortunately, one of the eagles did not survive the night. The remaining two were transferred to Saving Our Avian Resources for more intensive care, as experts work tirelessly to save them.
The eagles were tested for lead poisoning at the rehabilitation center, with all three having levels greater than the machine is capable of reading, according to local affiliate WHO-TV in Des Moines.
One of the eagles died that night. The two remaining eagles were taken to Saving Our Avian Resources for advanced treatment.
Lead poisoning is one of the leading causes of death for eagles, according to Iowa Bird Rehabilitation. Birds typically get poisoned from ingesting fragments of lead bullets. A fragment as small as a grain of rice can be lethal to bald eagles, which, according to the American Eagle Foundation, means a standard 150-grain lead bullet can poison around 10 eagles.
Once ingested, lead attacks the nervous and digestive systems as well as their immune function, causing weakness, paralysis, blindness, seizures, and an inability to fly. Even with early treatment, the survival rate for bald eagles is low.
Lead poisoning from spent bullets is also known to affect swans, hawks, owls, vultures and foxes.
The number of American bald eagles in 2021 had quadrupled since 2009, with more than 300,000 birds soaring over the lower 48 states, according to federal government scientists.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said bald eagles, which once teetered on the brink of extinction, have flourished in recent years, growing to more than 71,400 nesting pairs and an estimated 316,700 individual birds.
affiliate WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report.