Birds of prey numbers across Europe are far lower than they should be because of lead poisoning from ammunition, according to a new study.
Scientists from the University of Cambridge, England have found toxic lead from guns left in the animals that birds of prey eat, which ends up killing the birds.
When birds such as eagles and Red Kites, eat fragments of the toxic lead in large doses they become poisoned and suffer slow and painful deaths.
Lower doses of the toxin can change the birds’ behavior and physiology.
The researchers estimate lead poisoning alone has led to an absence of around 55,000 birds from Europe’s skies.
Species such as eagles that have a high life expectancy have few young per year, and breed later in life are particularly badly affected.
However, species loved by bird-watchers across Britain, such as Red Kites and Common Buzzards, would also be more numerous if it were not for lead ammunition poisoning.
It is believed Europe’s white-tailed eagle population is 14 percent smaller than it would have been without more than a century of exposure to lethal levels of lead in some of its food.
Golden Eagles and Griffon Vultures are also fewer in number than they would have otherwise been- with populations being 13 and 12 percent smaller than they would have been.
Northern Goshawk numbers are six percent smaller, and both Red Kite and Western Marsh Harrier populations are three percent smaller than they should be.
While Common Buzzard populations are just one and a half percent smaller, this equates to almost 22,000 fewer adults of this widespread species, the researchers say.
Hard to believe so many hunters are that bad at taking game. I’d look elsewhere for the reason