Bald eagle populations have slowly recovered from near devastation after the government banned DDT in 1972, but another ongoing issue has weakened that rebound – lead poisoning from gunshot ammunition.
Bald eagle populations have slowly recovered from near devastation after the government banned DDT in 1972, but another ongoing issue has weakened that rebound – lead poisoning from gunshot ammunition.
A new study, published January 13 in the Journal of Wildlife Management, finds that despite increasing numbers of bald eagles, poisoning from eating dead carcasses or parts contaminated by lead shot has reduced population growth by 4% to 6% annually in the Northeast.
The results could help educate and inform policy on ammunition choices for hunters, as copper-based ammunition exists though supplies of all ammunitions have been low lately.
“Hopefully, this report will add information that compels hunters, as conservationists, to think about their ammunition choices,” said Krysten Schuler, assistant research professor in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine and senior author on the study, “Environmental Lead Reduces the Resilience of Bald Eagle Populations.” Brenda Hanley, a research associate in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, is first author.
Read more at Cornell University
Photo Credit: Seaq68 via Pixabay
