2 bald eagles that died at Nova Scotia rehab centre had been exposed to lead

The Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre near Hilden, N.S., says the recent deaths of two bald eagles is an important reminder to use lead-free alternatives when hunting.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the centre says the birds were brought in on Jan. 20.

"The bird that was a little bit older was actively suffering from lead toxicity and this very likely contributed to the injury," said Jessica Rock, a volunteer veterinarian at the rehab centre. "And the younger bird had been exposed to lead along with some other complications like being very, very cold."

Rock said lead exposure is a common issue in wildlife globally.

Bald eagles that fish for food in warmer temperatures rely more on scavenging in the winter. Rock said that means the birds could be feasting on animals that were shot with lead ammunition.

Lead in ammunition

In a post to social media about the deaths, the centre noted a piece of lead smaller than a grain of rice is big enough to kill an adult bald eagle.

Rock said the centre tests every bald eagle that comes to the centre, even if it's not showing overt signs of lead poisoning.

She said the centre tested about 70 bald eagles over a four-year stretch ending in late 2019. She said 46 had lead levels in their blood greater than would be considered acceptable in children, and 22 had levels exceeding what would be acceptable in a human adult.

Rock said some of the signs of lead poisoning in bald eagles can include staggering, an inability to fly, a lack of depth perception, being unable to grab items off the ground, paralysis of the voice box and wheezing sounds.

There is no ban on lead ammunition in Nova Scotia. Rock said the approach to tackling lead poisoning in wildlife has been through education. 

Spreading awareness

"A lot of folks even assume that because lead has been banned from things like paint and toys and all that kind of thing, that maybe it's already banned in ammunition and fishing gear and other uses," she said.

"But it is still very much present and hunters are very much on the forefront of the education process in a lot of ways."

The centre recommends people choose lead-free alternatives like copper instead of lead ammunition. If there is no access to a lead-free option, the centre said burying the remains of anything left behind can help reduce the risk to scavenging birds like eagles.

In addition to the two eagles that died, the centre is also treating three other birds recovering from lead poisoning. Those birds — two bald eagles and a turkey vulture — arrived in November.