NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • January 14, 2022
The bald eagle population has slowly recovered from the impact of a pesticide that nearly drove them to extinction decades ago. But now researchers at Cornell University have found that lead ammunition continues to hamper the resilience of these American icons. The use of lead ammunition in bald eagle habitats has reduced population growth by 4% to 6% annually in the Northeast, even as their populations soared in the lower 48 states from 2009 to 2021, according to a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management. The eagles feed on the carcasses left behind by hunters, and the dead animals can be contaminated by lead ammunition. And while this study focuses on bald eagles, it could have implications for the well-being of other animals that are also known to feed on carcasses.