Study points to threat faced by Europe’s birds of prey from gun ammunition lead
Lead could turn out to be the cause of extinction of birds of prey across the European region. Wonder how? When birds of prey feed on animals shot and left in the wild by hunters using lead ammunition, they are being poisoned even without them realising it.
A study undertaken to gauge the impact of lead poisoning of birds of prey has found that the worrying phenomenon would lead to the reduction population of these birds. It has been found that eagles and Red Kites, when they feed on the carcasses animals that retain toxic lead from gun ammunition in their bodies, tend to consume the poison. This later on push them to extremely painful deaths. Not just that even if the lead poison intake is very small, that could alter their physiology and behaviour.
A report on the study by scientists at the University of Cambridge said that the calculation on lead levels in the livers of over 3,000 birds that were found dead in more than a dozen countries would reveal how poisoning by lead ammunition has affected Europe’s birds of prey.
Birds of prey being preyed upon by lead poisoning
It has also been estimated that poisoning from lead ammunition has resulted in the disappearance of close to 55,000 adult birds from among ten species, in Europe.
It has also been found that in countries such as the UK, birds such as Common Buzzard and Red Kite are slowly being absent from the skies. Bird watchers in the region have blamed it all on toxic lead poisoning.
Scientists have also listed down the magnitude of the damage lead poisoning has brought about in a short period. Europe’s White-tailed Eagle population has been calculated as 14 per cent less than what it could have been if lead poisoning had not happened. Similar is the case with Golden Eagle and Griffon Vulture, whose population got 13 percent and 12 percent smaller respectively.
A serious approach against hunting needed
Besides the Northern Goshawk population became 6 percent smaller, while the Red Kite and Western Marsh Harrier numbers shrunk 3 percent. In all, the population numbers of the birds of prey have reduced at least 6 percent in Europe, and that indeed calls for a more serious approach towards hunting and the ensuing lead poisoning scenario.
The situation is grim as hunters resort to lead ammunition even a time when non-lead alternatives are available. However, a blanket ban on hunting is what needs to be brought in towards sustainability.
Birds of Prey, lead ammunition, lead poisoning, toxic lead, Eagles, Red Kites, Common Buzzard, Study, Golden Eagle, Griffon vulture, scavenge, hunters