AR-News: Biologists investigate trumpeter swan deaths

[jim robertson]

Biologists investigate trumpeter swan deaths

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF

Federal and state biologists will perform necropsies on hundreds of 
trumpeter swans in Bellingham next week in an ongoing investigation of the 
deaths of 1,400 of the giant birds in the region over the past five years.

The deaths have occurred in northern Whatcom County and in British 
Columbia's Sumas Valley. Researchers are looking for signs of lead 
poisoning, which has been found to be the cause of the most of the deaths 
since December 2000.

The source of the poisoning is thought to be the birds' ingestion of old 
lead shotgun pellets even though the use of lead shot to hunt waterfowl was 
outlawed in Washington in 1991.

According to Martha Jordan, volunteer coordinator for the Trumpeter Swan 
Society, an estimated 400 of the graceful birds died in Whatcom County this 
winter as a result of ingesting lead pellets, which the birds consume during 
feeding in areas where hunting occurred.

"This is the largest die-off from lead poisoning for swans anywhere in North 
America," Jordan said. "There is concern that this mortality will affect the 
overall population by reduction of breeding-age birds."

However, the swans, which migrate from Alaska to winter nesting grounds in 
the Northwest, appear to be growing in numbers, said Cindy Schexnider, an 
environmental contaminants specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service in Olympia. She said it is difficult to know whether the mortality 
rate from lead poisoning is rising or falling "because we do see more 
birds."

Jordan said it's unclear why, 13 years after lead shot was outlawed, 
trumpeter swans are still picking up the pellets as they feed.

However, it still is legal to use lead shot for shooting game birds other 
than waterfowl, and experts have said hundreds of tons of old lead pellets 
have settled into lakes, marshes, wetlands, fields and other hunting areas 
over the decades.

Schexnider and Mike Smith, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of 
Fish and Wildlife, will perform the necropsies on the swans May 2-7 at 
Western Washington University's Hannegan Environmental Center laboratory.



The Trumpeter Swan Society, a continentwide organization, is looking for 
volunteers to help set up a laboratory, record results of the necropsies 
and, on May 2, to transport the dead swans from the Kendall Creek Hatchery 
to the laboratory. Volunteers are also needed May 3-7 for general assistance 
and record-keeping.


HOW TO HELP

People interested in volunteering may call the Trumpeter Swan Society's 
Martha Jordan at 425-787-0258 or e-mail swanlady at drizzle.com


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/170611_swans26.html


Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to 
embrace all living creatures.            Albert Einstein

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