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submitted 4 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] NoDignity@lemmy.world 13 points 4 months ago

Eagles will eat just about anything they physically can so probably lots of squirrels, rabbits, smaller possums and raccoons but also eagles will sometimes eat carrion so I could certainly imagine they sometimes get this off something like a deer carcass.

[-] SillyDude@lemmy.zip 4 points 4 months ago

I was trying to think of what is getting shot with lead but still getting away. I just spent however long reading about wound rates for deer. Which is low, but yeah. One thing I wonder is if it has anything to do with the amount of fish they would be eating. No other north American raptor eats fish like bald eagles do that I can think of.

[-] Formfiller@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

It’s lead shot California condors went extinct in the wild because of lead poisoning from birdshot but they bred some in captivity and reintroduced them.

[-] Taleya@aussie.zone 1 points 4 months ago

I thought that was due to johnny cash

[-] rayyy@piefed.social 1 points 4 months ago

I mentioned above that varmints are often shot with lead bullets and left in the field, however fishermen use lead sinkers that fish and ducks ingest then eagles eat them. Eagles are extremely sensitive to lead poisoning and other poisons like DDT. There is a push to change that with alternative less toxic materials.

[-] percent@infosec.pub 2 points 4 months ago

IIRC, some bald eagles were found with neurological issues caused by nicotine from cigarette butts too.

this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2026

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