Bald eagle blasted with birdshot has lead poisoning, Wisconsin group says
A “beautiful” bald eagle — the emblem of America — was found wounded in a ditch after getting illegally peppered with birdshot, a wildlife nonprofit organization says.
The adult bird was hit with more than 20 pellets and is in critical condition and suffering from lead poisoning, wildlife nonprofit organization Raptor Education Group Inc., based in Antigo, Wisconsin, wrote April 3 on Facebook. Lead poisoning has been killing bald eagles and birds of prey for years, McClatchy News previously reported.
The eagle was likely shot while flying due to the pattern of its injuries, and was found in Colfax by a resident who called the wildlife group, the center wrote. The organization is offering a $7,000 reward for any information that leads to whoever hurt the bird.
“The eagle remains weak and is fighting hard to survive,” the group wrote in another Facebook post on April 6.
“She was shot with bird shot” the group’s initial post detailed and added that the creature also has a fractured wing.
Birdshot — small, round pellets made out of lead or steal and fired from a shotgun — is typically used by hunters to shoot game birds.
X-ray images shared by the wildlife center showed several pellets scattered in the eagle’s wing and body.
McClatchy News has reached out to the wildlife center for an update and further information.
“Last year we had an enormous increase in shootings of protected native avian species with thirty-two (32) shootings, twelve (12) of those were bald eagles,” Raptor Education Group Inc. said.
“These aren’t ‘kids’ shooting sparrows in a yard with a BB gun. It is time for some reasonable action by the public.”
Bald eagles protected under federal law
Bald and golden eagles are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibits shooting, wounding and killing the birds among other actions taken against them, according to the American Eagle Foundation.
“Lead toxicity, or poisoning, is a leading concern for a number of bird species, including Bald Eagles” and millions of birds are affected each year, the foundation reports.
“Poisoning can occur from the ingestion of lead slug or bullet fragments found in the systems and carcasses of deceased and live prey.”
Raptor Education Group Inc. also mentioned the recent shooting of another bird of prey — a peregrine falcon that was found shot in New London and ultimately died, according to the organization.
Peregrine falcons were once an endangered species up until 1999, according to Defenders of Wildlife.
“Please if you know something say something,” the group’s post said.
“Ethical hunters need to take a stand and help control illegal shooting or they too will be included in the mix of what we call ‘Idiots with Guns.’”
The monetary reward is being offered for information on the shootings of both the bald eagle and falcon, according to the wildlife group.
Lead poisoning
Untreated lead poisoning causes a slow death that could span weeks, McClatchy News reported.
If a bird appears “weak, emaciated, and uncoordinated” and is having trouble walking, flying or moving at all, those are likely signs of lead poisoning, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Most bald and golden eagles in America have been impacted by lead toxicity, according to a study published in Science in February, National Geographic reported.
“The question is not whether or not lead is causing the deaths of eagles and other wild animals; the real question is, what are we going to do about it?,” said Ed Clark, the president and co-founder of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, in 2014.
Colfax, where the bald eagle was found in a ditch, is located roughly 200 miles northwest of Madison.
Raptor Education Group Inc.’s entire Facebook post is below:
This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Bald eagle blasted with birdshot has lead poisoning, Wisconsin group says."
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