MORNING SENTINEL • January 15, 2021
Five bald eagles have died at a rescue organization in Freedom since the beginning of 2020, all with elevated levels of lead in their blood. The deaths have refreshed longstanding concerns about the use of lead ammunition, which is believed to be a root cause of the raptors’ sickness. Diane Winn, a co-founder of Avian Haven, said elevated blood lead levels are a common occurrence in the eagles they receive. Since 2015, Avian Haven has logged 57 cases involving eagles with significantly elevated blood lead levels, averaging between 11 and 12 affected raptors a year. Several contained such high levels of lead in their system that it was beyond the maximum value on the lead test kit.