Study looks at decades of bald eagle deaths in Michigan

Public Radio 90, WNMU | By Associated Press

Published August 10, 2020 at 9:35 AM EDT

DETROIT, MI (AP)-- A comprehensive study of bald eagles in Michigan shows the leading causes of death are being hit by cars and lead poisoning.

The study was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan State University and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. It reviews the cause of death for almost 1,500 eagles from 1986 to 2017. T

he Detroit Free Press reports the leading cause was vehicular trauma. After that was lead poisoning, which is related to eagles ingesting ammunition fragments from animals shot by hunters or sinkers from fish.

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