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It’s unclear how many birds are being poisoned and the source of the lead poisoning is hard to pin down, said John Elliott, a research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada in B.C.

Photo by Submitted / Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society

In addition to spent ammunition, the birds can also ingest lead through fishing tackle.

But the increase in lead-poisoned raptors at OWL generally coincides with the hunting season, said Hope, with ailing birds being delivered from across the province between October and March.

Hope said he would like to see hunters switch to non-lead ammunition, adding he’s not against hunting.

Myles Lamont, a wildlife biologist based in Surrey, said the soft metal of the bullets fragment upon impact, almost like a microplastic.

“They just disintegrate, and so you get this powderized lead all through the carcass, which is undetectable. You never actually see it unless you use an X-ray machine.”

Some affected birds don’t show symptoms, while others are lethargic, starving or have trouble breathing.

Elliott said it takes a small amount of lead to poison the birds.

“An eagle only has to get a few of those fragments,” he said.

“If it gets into their system, into the digestive tract and starts to be absorbed, it will slowly kill them.”

The Canadian government estimates that 40 to 80 tonnes of lead are used every year for hunting in Canada.

Lamont, who is a hunter, said he hopes that urging change within the hunting community could prompt a provincewide ban on lead ammunition.