Craig County – A New River Valley bald eagle nest was abandoned after the mother died of lead poisoning just days before her eggs were set to hatch. 10 News first reported the death and the loss of the clutch in early March.
Dicey Howell, a Giles County photographer who has followed local eagles for nearly a decade, found the adult — known as Maggie — grounded below the nest in Craig County and called for help. A conservation officer took Maggie to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke, where tests showed lethal lead exposure.
“She tried to go back to the nest and was unable to do that. And she landed across the stream on the bank. And then I knew something was obviously wrong,” Howell said.
Howell has followed and photographed Maggie and her mate for the past 9 years. She has photos of all 12 of her young.
Executive Director Chester Leonard said the center initially feared avian flu, but blood tests showed lead so high the lab equipment could not register it.
“Once we did the blood test to get the lead results back, we knew right away that she was in trouble from lead poisoning. In fact, the lead was so high, our machine couldn’t even register,” Leonard said.
Despite treatment aimed at flushing lead from her system, Maggie died at the wildlife center. It was a heartbreaking outcome for center staff who worked desperately to save her.
“She unfortunately passed from the lead toxicosis, which she got from ingesting the lead shot, likely from a deer carcass.” Leonard said.
Postmortem x-rays showed two lead fragments in Maggie’s gastrointestinal tract, each larger than a grain of rice. Wildlife specialists say eagles are commonly exposed when they scavenge carcasses or pick up discarded fishing tackle that contains lead. Most ammo used to hunt deer contains lead. When the shot explodes inside the deer, lead fragments scatter all throughout the body. When the carcass is left behind, scavengers often feed on it. The lead is then ingested. It only takes a tiny amount of lead to kill a Bald Eagle. Leonard often educates the public by saying it only takes an amount of the lead the size of the tip of Lincon’s nose on the penny to kill an eagle.
“It’s crushing, honestly, it’s really difficult. Almost every eagle that comes in here, has lead poisoning. And as I mentioned before, it is entirely preventable,” Leonard said.
“There are other options like stainless steel, for example,” Leonard said. “Stainless steel is another cost-effective solution to lead. There is zinc alloy, it’s a bit more expensive, but the performance is just the same. It’s not going to change anything. You’re not going notice any difference with how the way your firearm handles, but we’re going to notice a difference with the lead intake and the environment from these awesome Raptors like Bald Eagles.”
It’s a common problem the wildlife center sees in a variety of scavenger animals, not just bald eagles.
“We see it vultures. We also see in waterfowl that have ingested lead sinkers from fishing. So anytime you have lead in your outdoor equipment, we ask you to reconsider that. Even with lead sinker, there are alternatives, again, like stainless steel and even ceramic, that don’t cause any problems with the animals.”
Howell said Maggie’s mate was upset after she was found and taken away for treatment.
“He flew around the nest, he was making calls, trying to get her to come back,” said Howell. Maggie never returned.
When 10 News went the site a week after Maggie’s death, her mate was seen in the area with a new female. He was no longer on the nest.
10 News flew a drone more than two-football field lengths away from the nest as not to disturb it, and a high-powered zoom lens to view the nest. We were able to see two unhatched eggs.
“We didn’t lose just one, we lost pretty much the entire family,” Howell said.
Wildlife Center staff and the photographer urge hunters and anglers to switch to nonlead ammunition and lead-free fishing tackle to prevent future deaths.
“It’s something that can be prevented. Using lead-free ammunition, lead-free tack. Those are all ways that we can make a difference. And even if just one person or a few people change, we can a difference,” Howell said.
Although it is illegal to kill a Bald Eagle, Virginia has no protections preventing the leading cause of eagle death: lead poisoning.
At the state level, lawmakers recently passed a bill that would require the Department of Wildlife Resources to develop and maintain an educational webpage about the dangers of lead and proper disposal. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
10 News is working on follow-up reports about lead-free options for hunting and fishing and how those alternatives can reduce wildlife deaths.
To donate support the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center donate here: https://swvawildlifecenter.org/make-a-donation/
For more on the dangers of lead poisoning in Bald Eagles, watch a 10 News Special Vanishing Voices: Saving Virginia’s Wildlife.