Toxins in the environment, and especially lead, he suspected, were hurting bald eagles in Virginia more than ecologists realized. The findings went beyond Cooper’s fears: Nearly half of bald and golden eagles in the United States, and in the D.C. region, have chronic lead poisoning. AdvertisementNearly half the eagles had what researchers called “unexpectedly high frequencies of lead,” experts wrote in the study, published earlier this year in the journal Science. But the study’s findings raised concerns, wildlife experts said, that repeated lead poisoning could curtail the growth of eagle populations. But eagle populations are not “growing as fast as they could be if they weren’t experiencing lead poisoning,” said Slabe, the study’s lead author.

Source: Washington Post May 13, 2022 08:52 UTC