Lead Poisoning in Wild Birds

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Lead Poisoning in Wild Birds
Prepared by the USGS National Wildlife Health Center

http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/publications/fact_sheets/pdfs/lead_poisoning_wild_birds_2009.pdf
excerpts from above:

Introduction

Lead in its various forms has been used for thousands of years, originally in cooking utensils and glazes and more recently in many industrial and commercial applications. However, lead is a potent, potentially deadly toxin that damages many organs in the body and can affect all animals, including humans. By the mid 1990s, lead had been removed from many products in the United States, such as paint and fuel, but it is still commonly used in ammunition for hunting upland game birds, small mammals, and large game animals, as well as in fishing tackle. Wild birds, such as mourning doves, bald eagles, California condors, and loons, can die from the ingestion of one lead shot, bullet fragment, or sinker.

According to a recent study on loon mortality, nearly half of adult loons found sick or dead during the breeding season in New England were diagnosed with confirmed or suspected lead poisoning from ingestion of lead fishing weights. Recent regulations in some states have restricted the use of lead ammunition on certain upland game hunting areas, as well as lead fishing tackle in areas frequented by common loons and trumpeter swans. A variety of alternatives to lead are available for use in hunting, shooting sports, and fishing activities.

Lead Ammunition Poisoning of Avian Predators and Scavengers

Lead ingestion and poisoning from ammunition sources has been documented in many avian predators and scavengers, such as bald and golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and the California condor. These birds can be exposed to lead when they consume game birds or mammals that have been shot with lead ammunition. Lead pellets may remain intact in tissues and lead core rifle bullets may fragment into hundreds of pieces upon impact and can be found several inches from the site of the wound in large game mammals. When avian predators and scavengers consume the remains of big game in the field or animals that were shot with a lead bullet and not retrieved, the bullet or its fragments may be ingested and can result in lead poisoning.

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To learn more about how lead bullets fragment, see the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources lead fragmentation study at Lead Information for Hunters: Minnesota DNR

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Learn about “Ingestion of Spent Lead Ammunition: Implications
for Wildlife and Humans,” (The Peregrine Fund, 2008) at
Home - 2008 Lead Ammunition Conference - The Peregrine Fund

[Staff]

Find a list of nonlead fishing tackle by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/publications/sinkers.pdf