INVESTIGADORES
LAMBERTUCCI Sergio Agustin
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Survey of lead toxicosis in free-ranging raptors from Central Argentina.
Autor/es:
SAGGESE, M. D.; QUAGLIA, A.; LAMBERTUCCI, S.A.; BO, M.S.; SARASOLA, J. H.; PEREYRA, R.; MACEDA, J. J.
Lugar:
Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, USA.
Reunión:
Congreso; Ingestion of spent lead ammunition: Implications for wildlife and humans.; 2008
Institución organizadora:
The Peregrine Found Conference
Resumen:
Lead toxicosis is a worldwide recognized problem in raptors and has seriously impacted the recovery efforts of several endangered species. Vultures, eagles and kites are commonly affected due to their particular scavenging feeding habits, ingesting spent lead ammunition fragments when feeding on abandoned carcasses or remains of small and large game shot. In South America, lead toxicosis in birds has been scarcely investigated. Raptors have been occasionally reported with presumptive diagnosis of lead poisoning in hunting areas of central Argentina, although no systematic surveys have been conducted. Given the current understanding and knowledge we have on lead toxicosis in raptors in other parts of the world, the intense year-round wildlife hunting activities detected in central Argentina, and the clinical diagnosis of lead poisoning in some birds presented to rehabilitation centers, we hypothesize that scavenging birds of prey in central Argentina could be systematically exposed to this heavy metal. Recently, we investigated the exposure to lead in Argentine solitary crowned eagles (Harpyhaliaetus coronatus), a severely endangered species from central and northern Argentina. Low, but still detectable levels of lead were found in blood and bones of this species. Together with recent findings of lead in Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) and in waterfowl, these studies are a first step to understand the real extent of this problem in argentine birds. More documentation of lead toxicity in wild birds in Argentina is needed in order to institute education of hunters, banning of lead ammunition and its replacement with non-lead bullets substitutes.  Further studies are aimed to evaluate this problem in a large number of species in three different areas of central Argentina.