By Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register
Frustrated. That’s the word to describe how bird conservationists are feeling as more bald eagles are dying from lead poisoning. Deaths that they say are completely preventable.
On Sunday, Feb. 15, Iowa Bird Rehabilitation staff and volunteers rescued three bald eagles — all suffering from lead poisoning — within hours of each other. The amount of lead in each eagle’s blood exceeded what the facility’s machine could measure.
So far, 2026 has been an anomaly for Iowa Bird Rehabilitation. It has treated 18 eagles — 12 with lead poisoning — so far this year. Normally, it only treats five or six eagles at this point in the year. The eagles with lead poisoning usually don’t survive.
Of the three eagles brought in on Feb. 15, one died overnight before they could be transferred to Saving Our Avian Resources for advanced treatment.
How do eagles get lead poisoning?
“Lead poisoning in eagles is not an accident of nature. It is a consequence of human choices,” IBR Executive Director Jenni Boonjakuakul wrote in a Facebook post.
It doesn’t take much lead to poison a bird. A grain-sized amount — like shrapnel flakes — is enough for a lethal dose. When eagles are scavenging for food, they can ingest lead from carcasses hunters leave behind, like deer gut piles from field dressing.
What are the lead poisoning symptoms in bald eagles?
The effects of lead poisoning are severe, said Kay Neumann, executive director at Saving Our Avian Resources. It causes brain swelling, which then puts pressure on the optic nerve and leads to blindness. Red blood cells are prevented from carrying oxygen, which causes labored breathing. Eagles’ stomachs no longer function. It destroys the liver and kidneys.
“There’s really no reason why this should still be happening,” Neumann said. “Bald eagles are supposed to live a long life.”
How can Iowans prevent lead poisoning in bald eagles?
Neumann has been trying to educate people about using lead ammunition for the past 20 years. Here are some of the conversations she’s had and her responses to common arguments she hears:
- “But lead ammunition alternatives are more expensive”: Neumann said ammunition like copper and steel are better quality and far more accurate than lead. Just like lead, there is a range of prices depending on the quality you get.
- “But there are a lot of eagles. What’s the harm in losing a couple?”: Lead poisoning adds to mortality rates from other environmental factors. Allowing poison to enter the food web is also not in the spirit of good conservationism, Neumann said.
- “I can’t find lead alternatives”: She’s offered to buy alternatives for hunters, and has a website where people can learn more about different kinds of ammunition.
- “But I don’t like following more rules”: Neumann is most frustrated by this one. She said that adding one more rule to prevent needless bird deaths is a fair cost to pay.
Neumann has been advocating for a statewide ban on lead ammunition, but she hasn’t had luck so far. In lieu of a ban coming from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, she encourages people to reach out to their local county conservation board, which can set local bans.
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