American Eagles Face Widespread Poisoning By Lead Pollution

Ammunition from hunters is driving the problem, as eagles eat shot and discarded carcasses that contain tiny lead balls from used bullets.   

Nearly half of American bald and golden eagles are suffering from chronic, toxic levels of lead poisoning, which scientists say is suppressing the eagle’s population growth. 

The huge study tracked over 1,200 American eagles across 38 US states, and found that almost half of the birds sampled showed evidence of repeated exposure to lead. 

Long-term exposure to lead can cause a variety of ailments including a weakened immune system and impaired movement, and higher doses can result in death. 

Hunters and their ammunition are said to be the cause of how eagles are being exposed to these dangerous levels of lead. 

The eagles themselves are not being shot - but rather they are scavengers who use dead animals as a food source. And so when animals are shot by hunters and left in the field, eagles then eat the remains and often ingest the lead ammunition fragments too.

Now this first-of-its-kind study has revealed that the effects of this widespread lead poisoning in American eagles is stunting their population growth rates by 3.8% for bald eagles and 0.8% for golden eagles. 

“This new study is the first to show population-level consequences from lead poisoning to these majestic species at such a wide scale,” explains Anne Kinsinger, associate director for ecosystems at the U.S. Geological Survey.

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