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Thanks, Kit-- Here is another link to the issue of lead poisoning of eagles
Feb. 17, 2022, 2:03 PM EST / Updated Feb. 18, 2022, 12:51 PM EST
By Evan Bush
Bald eagles, the centuries-old symbol of the United States, show signs of widespread poisoning from one of the country’s most pernicious pollutants: lead.
Nationwide, bald and golden eagles are continually exposed to the toxic heavy metal, according to research that tested more than 1,200 eagles from Alaska to Florida.
The study, which was published Thursday in the journal Science, evaluated eagles in 38 states, testing their bones, feathers, livers and blood for lead. Researchers found that 46 percent of bald eagles and 47 percent of golden eagles had chronic lead poisoning.
“When you look at lead levels in bone, these birds are getting exposed repeatedly to lead over their lives,” said Todd Katzner, a supervisory research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and the study’s principal investigator. “It’s happening again and again.”
The effects of lead, which scientists believe eagles consume as they scavenge the remains of animals shot with lead ammunition that fragments within their bodies, can be deadly for all birds, including eagles. .. (READ MORE)
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/bald-eagles-show-signs-widespread-lead-poisoning-rcna16209
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