Wildlife Centre on Astoria’s North Coast has recognized three bald eagles in recent weeks. This is an unusual spike that highlights lead poisoning, an ongoing but often overlooked threat to Oregon’s Raptor.
The centre handles bald eagles every year, but staff say it’s not uncommon for them to receive three people in such a short time. Two of the three birds tested positive lead exposure upon arrival.
And last March, Prinville fish and wildlife troopers responded to reports. I’m injured at Powell Butte properties in Oregon. The assessment shows that the boy, bald eagle, also suffers from lead poisoning.
The bald eagle may be an American mascot, but it is not a majestic predator that people like to imagine. They are opportunistic scavengers who prefer carrion over fresh killings.
And the pile of intestines left by the hunters? It’s the perfect meal: warm, easy to find, already open.
However, if that intestinal pile contains fragments of bullets made of lead, the outcome can be fatal. Even the microscopic part is sufficient to poison the eagle, causing neurological damage or death.
Spring bear season The remaining hunting and intestinal piles are likely to be the cause of poisoning, as Astoria Wildlife Center was operating in northwest Oregon when it reported a bald eagle hospitalization.
A 2022 study published in Science and supported by the US Geological Survey It was found that almost half of all bald and Golden Eagles in North America exhibit signs of chronic lead poisoning. About a third of birds experienced acute lead exposure, especially during the hunting season.
Researchers analyzed 1,210 eagles (dead alive) samples in 38 states over eight years, revealing that the main cause was to use lead ammunition to clean up dead bodies and intestinal piles left by hunters.
The population model estimates that lead poisoning reduces the population growth of bald eagles by nearly 4% per year, while golden eagles’ growth is almost 1%.
In addition to intestinal piles, Eagles may ingest lead from used shotgun pellets and may ingest lead from fishing tackles like sinkers and jigs, lead-contaminated fish, net-like waterfowl, or, in rare cases, exposures at mining sites and landfills.
Intestinal mountains – full of soft tissue and easy to find – provides Wasil with an attractive and extremely dangerous source of lead exposure during hunting season.
Wildlife Center is seeking public assistance to cover Eagles’ treatment and care costs, including chelation therapy, a medical process used to remove lead from bird systems.
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