Now available online: Proceedings from conference, "Ingestion of Lead from Spent Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans"

Research on the effects and risks of lead exposure from spent bullet fragments and shot is now available online. The documents are proceedings from the conference, "Ingestion of Lead from Spent Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans," convened May 12-15, 2008, by The Peregrine Fund, Boise State University, Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine, and the US Geological Survey. The conference for the first time brought together professionals in wildlife and human health to share information on the toxic effects of this source of lead contamination.

Conference attendees offered a relatively easy solution: switch to non-lead bullets and shot. Such ammunition is available in most popular calibers and is considered by many hunters to be as good as or better than traditional lead ammunition. Experts said manufacturers will respond to demand, thus solving the problem.

Individual papers may be downloaded here.

Efforts by the Arizona Game and Fish Department to encourage hunters to voluntarily reduce lead exposure of condors influenced 90% of hunters in the 2008 hunting season to use solid copper bullets as an alternative to lead-based ammunition or remove all remains of their harvest from the landscape. As a result, no condors died from lead poisoning this season.

"If this result can be achieved throughout the condor's range, our data shows that condors could survive in the wild without the intensive and expensive management needed now to combat lead poisoning," said Dr. Grainger Hunt, a scientist for The Peregrine Fund and contributor to the conference proceedings.

The California Condor © Chris Parish, Peregrine Fund

California Condor Releases in Arizona--Notes from the Field

07 Aug 09 Eddie Feltes

The summer months in the high desert of northern Arizona and southern Utah have instilled the usual behavioral changes that we witness each year around the same time- the shift in foraging range into the higher elevations of southern Utah. There are two current and active nesting pairs, Condors 126F/114M in the Vermilion Cliffs, and the new pairing of Condors 210F/122M in the Tapeats area of the Grand Canyon. Since the May observation of the Vermilion Cliffs chick, now given the number 515, we have been able to observe the nestling daily as it becomes more active and confident in exploration of the immediate area of the nest cave porch. Everything is going great with the rearing of the now 111-day-old bird by both parent condors.

The other active nesting of Condors 210F and 122M that we suspect to be tending a developing chick, has had a positive chain of events resulting from Peregrine Fund monitoring in the remote location. On 31 May 2009 condor project biologists Tim Hauck and Evan Buechley made the observational backpacking trip into the canyon, and observed both parent birds in the immediate vicinity both visually and with means of radio telemetry, but were unable to pin-point the actual nest cave location. Then, three weeks later, biologist Neil Paprocki planned a similar backpacking trip, with a slightly different route in hopes of getting observations of nest cave entry, and succeeded. Neil was able to observe both condors entering and exiting an immense cave formation in the canyon wall. Due to the size of the nest cave, the location of observation, and the young age of the suspected nestling with limited mobility- no visual was granted of the chick, but major progress was achieved in locating the exact cave.

Then a month later, biologist Evan Buechley made another trip down to the remote location, this time pooling together maps with routes and points of observation that may produce the best chance of getting a glimpse inside the now known nest cave of this reclusive pair. On 20 July 2009, after hiking in the night before and setting up camp, enduring a sleepless night from all of the anticipation, and setting up a scope at first light to observe--Evan was able to catch a first ever viewing of the long suspected condor chick, now numbered 527. During Evan’s observation, he was able to witness a feeding from parent Condor 210F, resulting in an extended crop or “splitter” as we call it on the young condor chick. Condor 527 is the first chick produced from this pair, and the second produced by each parent bird that had produced one apiece during past pairings with previous mates; and the 11th condor chick produced in the wild by this released population since the first fledging here in 2003. This now confirmed young bird brings the total free-flying population of condors to 75 in Arizona/Utah, with another six being held for future release it makes a grand total of 81 birds!

.

Scientists Agree Lead Ammunition Major Problem for Condor

Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, and Ventana Wildlife Society issued a joint press release on July 11th highlighting a Statement of Scientific Agreement (read the agreement). A large group of prominent scientists and condor biologists all agreed that science links lead ammunition to lead poisoning in California Condors. The press release highlighted the importance of a broad coalition of scientists back the science supporting the conclusion that lead ammunition should be banned in condor country.

Audubon Arizona Policy and Science Committee Resolution

Audubon Arizona is a partner organization in the efforts to restore California Condor in Arizona. Audubon Arizona will cooperate with partners, primarily the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Peregrine Fund, Audubon California, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to disseminate information about Condor lead ingestion and the need to remove lead ammunition from the environment.

In northern Arizona, condors are located primarily near the Vermilion cliffs and Grand Canyon. The Marble Canyon Important Bird Area is being considered for global designation based upon the importance of the canyon to condors. California condors are one of the most endangered birds in the world. They were placed on the federal endangered species list in 1967. In Arizona, reintroduction was conducted under a special provision of the Endangered Species Act that allows for the designation of a nonessential experimental population. Under this designation (referred to as the 10(j) rule) the protections for an endangered species are relaxed, providing greater flexibility for management of a reintroduction program.

Condor Numbers (updated 08/15/09)

Total population

356

Captive population

176

Wild population

180

Arizona population

75

California population

89 (including seven wild-hatched chicks)

Baja population

16 (including one wild hatched chick)

Data from a variety of field and laboratory studies have identified lead poisoning from gun-killed animals as the primary impediment to the establishment of a self-sustaining condor population. The Arizona Game and Fish Department responded in the spirit of its long-recognized excellence in conservation by instituting a voluntary non-lead bullet program for hunters in the condors’ range in Arizona. Exposure to lead is one factor affecting the success of the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) reintroduction program in Arizona. There have been 176 documented cases of lead exposure and 66 chelation treatments administered since 1999 and 29 condors have died since 1996. The leading cause of death is lead toxicity, with six confirmed cases. (Sullivan, Sieg and Parish. 2006. in Press.) The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) and its partners are working to reduce lead exposure due to spent lead ammunition found in animal carcasses and gut piles through the tools of public education, scientific research, and voluntary use of non-lead ammunition.

Based on a consensus among project cooperators Arizona has focused on voluntary measures to reduce the amount of lead available to condors in the wild. Unlike releases in California, condors in Arizona are released under the 10(j) rule of the Endangered Species Act, which limits laws altering current land management practices (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1996).

The AGFD encouraged the formation of a Condor Coalition composed of sportsmen’s groups and government agencies supporting voluntary efforts to reduce the amount of lead available to condors. As of 31 December 2005, Condor Coalition members included the Arizona Antelope Foundation, Arizona Deer Association, Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Boone & Crockett Club, California Chapter of the Foundation of North American Wild Sheep, California Deer Hunters Association, California Department of Fish and Game, International Hunter Education Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, North American Grouse Partnership, Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Management Institute. The Coalition is currently funding an educational web page.

Arizona non-lead ammunition program- The AGFD, using money from the Heritage Fund, administered a free non-lead ammunition program for the fall 2005 and 2006 hunting seasons. AGFD partnered with Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and Federal Ammunition to offer two free boxes of non-lead ammunition to 2,393 deer and bighorn sheep rifle hunters drawn for hunts in Game Management Units 12A and 12B (areas located within the core condor foraging range). The program is going to continue in 2007 and hunters will be given an informational DVD that will include current information about lead fragmentation.

SULLIVAN, K., R. SIEG, and C. PARISH. In Press. Arizona’s Efforts to Reduce Lead Exposure in California Condors. (Accepted pre-publication draft (2006), In: California Condors in the 21st Century (A. Mee, L.S. Hall, and J. Grantham, Eds.) Special Publication of the American Ornithologists’ Union and Nuttall Ornithological Club.

Photo Credit: USFWS

California Condor Information

Arizona Game and Fish Department Condor Web Site

VIDEO California Condors in Arizona

Peregrine Fund

Fish & Wildlife Service Condor Web Links

Talking Points

• Carcasses and gut piles from hunters provide an invaluable food resource to condors throughout their range.
• Lead ammunition is highly toxic to California Condors and at least 48 other species, including Bald and Golden eagles.
• Lead fragments are difficult to completely remove from game, posing health risks to hunters and their families eating game. Several studies have found elevated levels of lead in the blood of groups eating game.
• Lead alternatives, such as copper, have similar performance qualities.

Lead Ammunition alternatives and performance qualities:

Ventana Wildlife Society

Barnes

Arizona Game & Fish

Some scientific references for lead:

Lead ammunition as principal source in condors

Human lead blood levels in Quebec

Lead sources in human diet in Greenland

More human lead blood

Lead in game birds