Lead-poisoned Trumpeter Swan found

PABLO - The Tribal Wildlife Management Program staff received an injured Trumpeter Swan that came from east of Charlo last week. The swan was a cygnet that hatched this year in the Charlo area. The bird's parents were likely swans released as part of the Tribes' Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Project.

Tribal Game Wardens were called about the Swan that had a couple of small puncture wounds on its torso. A local veterinarian x-rayed the bird and discovered several pieces of shotgun shot in its gizzard.

The swan also exhibited some symptoms of lead poisoning. A bird with lead poisoning can have physical and behavioral changes, including loss of balance, gasping, tremors, and an impaired ability to fly. The weakened bird is then more vulnerable to predators, or it may have trouble feeding, mating, nesting, and caring for its young. It becomes emaciated and nearly always dies within two or three weeks after ingesting the lead.

Lead is a toxic metal that, in sufficient quantities, has adverse affects on the nervous system and reproductive systems of mammals and birds. This metal, found in most fishing sinkers and some shot is often involved in poisoning wildlife such as trumpeter swans, loons, ducks, geese and eagles.

"Only federally approved non-toxic shot is legal to hunt migratory waterfowl and upland game birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation. This regulatory change has been in effect for nearly twenty years." said Dale Becker, Tribal Wildlife Program Manager.

When lead sinkers are lost through broken line or carelessly discarded into the water or when lead shot sinks into ponds, waterfowl such as swans, loons, ducks and geese inadvertently ingest them. Birds can then swallow lead when they scoop up small pebbles from the bottom of wetlands. Others birds, such as eagles, ingest lead by eating waterfowl or fish which have swallowed lead sinkers or lead shot.

Wildlife Biologists say that lead poisoning does not have to happen. Sinkers and shot don't have to be made of lead. Ecologically sound and inexpensive alternatives are locally available.

Becker stated, "Waterfowl and pheasant hunters have switched to non-toxic shot types to help wildlife managers address the lead poisoning issue, but old lead shot is still present in the subsurface soils of most wetland basins, and most fishing lures and weights are still made of lead."

For more information on how lead effects wildlife contact Dale Becker or Germaine White at 883-2888.