Previous research has also shown that a large proportion of the dead eagles found dead in forests and land have died from lead poisoning after eating the remains of dead animals shot with lead ammunition.
Now a new research report from SLU in Umeå shows that the situation is worse than feared.
Behavior is affected if they do not die
The eagles can die from significantly smaller amounts of lead than scientists previously thought.
If the birds ingest the lead residues from the bullets, the risk of them dying increases more than three times.
- And if they do not die, lead affects their behavior in other ways.
They find it difficult to hunt, they cannot fly well and they can be hit by a train or fly into a wind turbine, says Navinder Sing, associate professor and professor at SLU in Umeå.
When SVT Nyheter Västerbotten investigated wildlife collisions in traffic this spring, it turned out that the eagles in particular were very vulnerable.
During an eight-year period, at least 618 eagles have been driven on only along the railway tracks.
- The statistics are minimum figures, that is the least it can be.
I do not think that everything will be reported, said Anders Sjölund, national coordinator for natural and cultural environment issues at the Swedish Transport Administration.
The eagles move to the slaughterhouses
The new study from SLU also shows that the eagles have now learned where the slaughter remains are and move there during the hunting season.
They have simply changed their behavior, which according to the researchers exposes more birds of prey to lead.
The presence or absence of lead ammunition has been debated for a long time, but now a ban seems to be underway.
- The process is already underway in Sweden and now the EU has also started a ban process and I think there will now be a decision to ban all types of lead ammunition, says Navinder Sing.