In November 2006, more than 20 Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) were found dead in the Po Delta, NE Italy, because of a severe event of lead shot poisoning. 16 of them were collected and several lead pellets were present in their gizzard cavities. Chemical and histopathological analyses confirmed the suspect of lead shot poisoning. The average of lead concentration in hepatic tissue was 108,41 ppm, a value higher than 8 ppm, the threshold in aquatic birds(*). This case confirms the importance to forbid the lead pellets used in hunting shotgun shells in Italian wetlands. Nevertheless, local regional government never agreed to stop using lead pellets in the protected wetlands, so more cases of dead Flamingos (still more than 20) were registered in the same area exactly one year later. Flamingos start to visit the Po Delta area early the nineties of last century and start to breed early this century. Finally they "discover" a "new food resource" constituted by seeds and other food made available in the inner lagoos by the owners for duck-hunting purpose. The picture shows Flamingos feeding among ducks in the Po Delta. Birds are poisoned when they ingest lead shot found in the wetlands. Because birds teeth, they swallow their food whole. Along with their food, birds swallow small pebbles, called grit, which grind the food in the gizzard. Aquatic birds, particularly ducks, geese, and swans (and now, Flamingos), use the sensitive tissues in their bills to detect particles of food and grit in the soil or in mud at the bottoms of lakes and wetlands – but waterfowl are unable to distinguish lead shot from pebbles, and may also ingest the toxic lead pellets. More infos and pictures in this new blog: "The silent killing of Flamingos at the doors of Venice"
Go to don't kill flamingos