On September 30, the Loon Ranger, Rich Gedert, received a phone call he never wanted.  On the line was Karen Spezia telling him that there was an injured loon along the beach. When Rich arrived, the loon could barely hold up its head against the waves coming onshore. The loon soon passed. Rich consulted with Jeff Lang of LoonCorps.org, and they contacted Dale Covy, veterinarian and Douglas Lake property owner, to do a necropsy. After Dr. Covy completed his work, he said the loon was muscular, all organs looked healthy, its weight seemed normal, there were no broken wings, and the legs looked fine. He said the loon regurgitated a minnow and a crawfish, and also in the gizzard, he found about 20 pebbles and a lead ball of similar size. The cause of death was lead poisoning.
 
We don't know if this adult loon was one of ours or if it was a transient; loons would have to be banded to be sure. According to the Michigan Loon Preservation Association, the birds commonly eat small pebbles to grind food for digestion. Small sinkers and jigs may be mistaken for pebbles. A bird that eats lead will become ill and die. Ingested lead enters the gizzard, where a combination of stomach acids and abrasion breaks down the metal. It then is absorbed into the bloodstream.

A bird with lead poisoning will exhibit physical and behavioral changes including loss of balance, gasping, tremors and an impaired ability to fly. It often dies within two or three weeks after eating the lead.

We don't know if the lead came from our lake, but this tells us if you haven't already done so, it is a good time to switch to lead free jigs and sinkers.
LoonCorps.org  â€¢  Michigan Loon Preservation Association

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