Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15
Poisoned Birds.

THE wild duck seems to have really tough
time of it in the coastal region of Louisi-
ana. If it escapes the shot from the gun of
the hunter, it lives only to fan victim to the
shot later, taken internally by the duck itself
during tie course Of feeding.
Incredible as it may seem. the favorite feed
ing grounds of the ducks In this region and
therefore the favorite hunting grounds, have
become so Uttered with the leaden pellets from
the shells of the hunters that the ducks eat
them and death follows The birds, pudding
in the mud bottom for seeds and tubers of
water plants, come in contact with the leaden
pellets and take them along with the gravel
to help digest their food. The lead, like the
<ood, is slowly ground up and assimilated. The
slow toxic action may not reveal itself immedi-
ately but when Cnce bird takes lethal dose
Of lead there is no chance that it may escape
the effects.
The af1iction usually fingers and the bird
gradually becomes weaker first losing the power
of fight and then the ability to walk. In this
helpless condition, even should it be able to
survive the ravages of the poison, the bird often
becomes the victim of the elements of
predatory creatures.
With regard to the recent lead poisoning out
break in Vermilion Parish La. Biological Sur
Vey report says there is little doubt that water
levels have distinct significance in the preva-
lence of lead poisoning in this coastal area.
Practically all the ducks succumbing there were
shallow-water feeders (pintails and mallardS)
and in their feeding are able to reach the bot
tom only when the water is of moderate depth.
Commenting on the condition in which the lead
is found in the stomach, the report says:
The pellets Of lead at times were worn down
to mere disks Of small size that easily might
be overlooked in superficial examination BY
syphoning with an excess of water in a shallow
dish, these small particles can be separated from
other material of lower specific gravity This
condition, in which the lead shot are almost If
not entirely, digested has raised doubts in the
minds of some field observers as to the cause
of the mortality.
IF the bird has eaten only few (three to
s1x), it would be necessary that these be ground
down almost to the vanishing point before the
bird could assimilate a lethal dose. On the
oCner hand, cases may arise in which as many
as 20 or more may be found in a single stomach
In such instances it often will be noted that none
OF the shot has been worn down to a mere
disk. Death is caused by the assimilation of the
comparatively thin outer surface Since the
toxic action of lead is slow and bird NAV re-
tain its power of fight for two or three davs
after having consumed a lethal dose of shot
cases in which an apparently healthy bird is
found carrying a considerable number of shot
in its stomach are explained"
Continuing. the report discusses field condi-
tonS:
ITO visualize the conditions under which
ducks may obtain lethal dose of lead even
though the shot be widely scattered, one needs
only to recall how thoroughly these birds work
over an attractive food area. flock of 200 to
300 ducks may find sufficient food in the stubble
of one rice field to hold their attention for
successive nights over period of several weeks
They go over practically every square foot OF
this area, and any shot overlooked by one bird
is likely to be picked up by another"