Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

Last year, Roger Giles - who spends a lot of his time on the Missouri River - rescued a struggling bald eagle right out of the river on the banks of Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. The bird was first suspected of suffering from lead poisoning. Testing showed that was not the case, but the event did reveal to many of us the fact that lead poisoning is a very common cause of sick and injured eagles. Raptor Rehabilitation Project officer Christa Moore said at the time, "They get it through the food they eat, lead shot," she said. "They will pick up a lot of lead in their system which is toxic to them in high quantities." Here's the article (with great video on Roger's boat) from KOMU-TV.

Recent research is revealing surprising levels of contamination in people and wildlife, especially birds, due to exposure or ingestion of lead shot or bullet fragments used in hunting and lead sinkers used for fishing. But there are alternatives out there that work and new regulations are working to reduce lead contamination from recreational activities.

John Weber, a environmental contaminants specialist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Columbia Ecological Services lab, will describe the fate of lead (Pb) based ammunition in the environment and its potentially toxic impacts to wildlife and humans following ingestion. John will address the scope and history of the problem as well as progress that has been made limiting Pb in the environment.  Additionally, John will discuss effective alternatives to Pb-containing ammunition readily available in the local marketplace.

This rescued swan was contaminated by lead bullet fragments. Clinical signs of Pb poisoning in wild birds include weight loss, stained feces, wing droop, weakness, and seeking cover (Photo Credit USGS)