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The first Golden Eagle of Yellowstone National Park equipped with a tracking device died of lead poisoning, probably after consuming bullet fragments while searching the remains of an animal killed by a hunter, announced Monday officials.
Wearing a GPS unit in the manner of a backpack, the adult female eagle had flown out of Yellowstone to travel to areas where hunters were hunting, such as elk and deer.
The death of the bird was a setback for research on the Golden Eagle in Yellowstone, but not the end. Several other royal eagles in the park have been equipped with tracking devices.
"It's a bit heartbreaking because it's extremely difficult to trap and tag an eagle, and it's frustrating for the graduate student who runs the project," said the scientist. Todd Katzner of the US Division of Geology in Boise, Idaho.
Defense groups have called on hunters to use copper bullets to help prevent such deaths. As of July 1, California will completely ban hunters from using lead bullets.
In Wyoming, Bryan Bedrosian of the Teton Raptor Center said that he had given hunters the opportunity to exchange lead bullets for copper bullets, which work just as well.
However, Bedrosian, a passionate hunter and research director of the raptor rehabilitation center, does not approve of the banning of lead bullets.
"It's largely a matter of awareness and willingness of people to switch providers," he said.
The Golden Eagle is one of the largest birds in North America, with a wingspan of up to 2 feet (7 feet).
Their number in the 48 contiguous United States is stable but not as high as they could be, partly because of collisions with vehicles and wind turbines.
The female eagle, at least five years old, was found dead in northern Yellowstone in December, but the cause of death was only recently determined. It was located 64 km from the center of its habitat.
Research over a four-month period has provided valuable information on the movement of Golden Eagles and the threats they face, Katzner added.
The golden eagles hunt their prey in the summer. Lead poisoning becomes a major threat when they eat carrion in fall and winter, Katzner said.
"This bird died just when we were expecting them to roam and look for food," Katzner said.
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Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver.
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