Lead shot ingestion and lead poisoning of magpie geese anseranas semipalmata foraging in a Northern Australian hunting reserve

Whitehead, Peter; Tschirner, Kurt

doi:10.1016/0006-3207(91)90047-d

Cited by 21 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Subsequent poisoning may cause death (Koh and Harper 1988;Harper and Hindmarsh 1990;Smith et al 1995;Whitehead and Tschirner 1991b). While widescale die-offs that occur elsewhere (e.g.…”

Section: Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australian waterbirds—products of the continent's ecology

Kingsford

Norman

2002

Emu - Austral Ornithology

109

107

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Abstract. Some aspects of the ecology of 93 waterbird species, found predominantly on freshwater ecosystems, are reviewed. These species, belonging to six major orders -Anseriformes (ducks, geese and Black Swan), Podicipediformes (grebes), Pelecaniformes (Australian Pelican and cormorants), Ciconiiformes (herons, ibis, spoonbills and bitterns), Gruiformes (cranes, rails, crakes and gallinules), and Charadriiformes (waders and terns) -use a wide range of habitats and about half occur throughout the continent. Knowledge of their ecology remains poor for many waterbirds, particularly cryptic and rare species, and is moderate to good for hunted species. Life histories of Australian waterbirds differ from their counterparts elsewhere. Australia's highly variable climate and river-flooding patterns create wetland habitats, the spatial and temporal variability of which strongly influence the ecology of local waterbirds. Many waterbirds respond to newly generated habitats to feed and/or breed and then disperse or die as wetlands dry. Regular movements are not common in most Australian species although some, particularly waders, migrate between Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds and non-breeding habitat in Australia. Breeding of Australian waterbirds coincides with food abundance in the southern spring, the wet season in the tropics and following floods inland. Habitat loss through draining of wetlands, regulation of rivers, diversion of water for irrigation and floodplain development are currently the major threats to waterbirds. Other potentially threatening processes include exotic plants and animals, pollution, climate change and over-harvesting but evidence for the impact of these factors remains poor. Understanding of waterbird, particularly waterfowl, ecology has contributed significantly to the conservation management of wetlands in Australia. Research on single species, studies of movements using satellite technology, further investigation of the effects of hunting, long-term monitoring and large-scale analyses of the availability of wetland habitat should be future research priorities.

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“…Subsequent poisoning may cause death (Koh and Harper 1988;Harper and Hindmarsh 1990;Smith et al 1995;Whitehead and Tschirner 1991b). While widescale die-offs that occur elsewhere (e.g.…”

Section: Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australian waterbirds—products of the continent's ecology

Kingsford

Norman

2002

Emu - Austral Ornithology

109

107

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“…Like waterfowl, upland birds probably ingest spent shot by mistaking it for food [35,36] or grit [37][38][39]. There are also limited observations of mourning doves feeding shot to nestlings [40].…”

Section: Direct Ingestion Of Spent Shotmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As with waterfowl, factors such as feeding habits [5] and grit type and size preferences, which vary with species [38,39], are likely to influence shot ingestion. Ingestion also might vary among locations because of differences in the availability of grit [36,38,39] or type of ground cover [42].…”

Section: Direct Ingestion Of Spent Shotmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Ecological Risk Assessment of Lead Shot Exposure in Non-Waterfowl Avian Species: Upland Game Birds and Raptors

Kendall¹,

Lacher²,

Bunck³

et al. 1996

Environ Toxicol Chem

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Abstract-There is increasing concern that birds in terrestrial ecosystems may be exposed to spent lead shot. Evidence exists that upland birds, particularly mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), ingest spent lead shot and that raptors ingest lead shot by consuming wounded game. Mortality, neurological dysfunction, immune suppression, and reproductive impairment are documented effects of exposure to lead in birds. An ecological risk assessment on the impact of lead shot exposure in upland birds was conducted and is presented in the context of the new United States Environmental Protection Agency's Ecological Risk Assessment Paradigm. A considerable amount of spent lead shot is released into the environment each year from shooting and hunting. Doves collected from fields that are cultivated to attract mourning doves for hunting activities show evidence of ingestion of spent lead shot. Because lead can cause both acute and chronic toxicity if ingested by birds, and because there is evidence of widespread deposition of lead shot in terrestrial ecosystems, concern for impacts on upland game birds and raptors seems warranted. Although this ecological risk assessment does not clearly define a significant risk of lead shot exposure to upland game birds, this issue merits continued scrutiny to protect our upland game bird and raptor resources.

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“…Wildlife shooting is common for invasive and native species in Australia and includes the use of shotguns and rifles. The environmental threat posed by Pb shot from shotguns has been recognised in Australian wetlands (Harper and Hindmarsh 1990;Whitehead and Tschirner 1991), but the risks posed by rifle bullets have been under-appreciated. This review will focus on the use of Pb-based bullets in Australia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heads in the sand: public health and ecological risks of lead-based bullets for wildlife shooting in Australia

et al. 2018

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Lead (Pb) is a toxic element banned from fuel, paint and many other products in most developed countries. Nonetheless, it is still widely used in ammunition, including rifle bullets, and Pb-based bullets are almost universally used in Australia. For decades, poisoning from Pb shot (shotguns) has been recognised as a cause of disease in waterfowl and Pb shot has been subsequently banned for waterfowl hunting in many jurisdictions. However, the risks posed by Pb-based bullets (rifles) have not been similarly recognised in Australia. Pb-based rifle bullets frequently fragment, contaminating the tissue of shot animals. Consuming this Pb-contaminated tissue risks harmful Pb exposure and, thus, the health of wildlife scavengers (carrion eaters) and humans and their companion animals who consume harvested meat (game eaters). In Europe, North America and elsewhere, the environmental and human health risks of Pb-based bullets are widely recognised, and non-toxic alternatives (e.g. copper-based bullets) are increasingly being used. However, Australia has no comparable research despite widespread use of shooting, common scavenging by potentially susceptible wildlife species, and people regularly consuming shot meat. We conclude that Australia has its collective 'head in the sand' on this pressing worldwide One Health issue. We present the need for urgent research into this field in Australia.

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Lead shot ingestion and lead poisoning of magpie geese anseranas semipalmata foraging in a Northern Australian hunting reserve

Cited by 21 publications

References 20 publications

Australian waterbirds—products of the continent's ecology

Australian waterbirds—products of the continent's ecology

An Ecological Risk Assessment of Lead Shot Exposure in Non-Waterfowl Avian Species: Upland Game Birds and Raptors

Heads in the sand: public health and ecological risks of lead-based bullets for wildlife shooting in Australia

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