Arlington's Eagles: FAE's Cause of Death Diagnosed

[PAUL ROBERTS]

According to a statement prepared April 16 by Dr. Maureen Murray, director of the Tufts Wildlife Clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, quoted on the Save Arlington Wildlife Facebook page, FAE's cause of death was diagnosed as rodenticides.

 

"Analysis of liver tissue was positive for three second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides. These results, along with the presence of significant hemorrhage in the absence of traumatic injury on post-mortem examination, support a diagnosis of anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis as the causes of death in this eagle."

 

The three rodenticides were not identified. Both of KZ's mates, MK in 2023 and FAE in 2026, suffered from rodenticide poisoning. At least two of MK & KZ's offspring suffered from rodenticide poisoning.

 

In 2024 two of FAE's offspring with KZ died mysteriously within 100 yards of the nest within days of fledging. The remains were recovered far too late after death to be tested for rodenticides, but circumstances strongly suggested them as the likely cause. Last month FAE exhibited some unusual behavior shortly before her death, and according to local resident, possibly spent her last day largely in one tree near the lakeshore close to where her body was found.

 

Intriguingly, MK and FAE both died late winter/early spring. Eagles tend to focus on eating largely fish and waterfowl, but access to both of those can be significantly reduced in the depths of winter, causing them to seek other sources of food. Locally squirrels and rabbits are good alternatives, and rats. Very few rats have been seen delivered to the nest during breeding season, and rat tails have not been found in the nest when banding was done, but rats seem the obvious primary source of the rodenticides. 

 

Look at the Save Arlington Wildlife Facebook site for what you can do to help secure effective legislation against SGARs ).

 

As someone who followed and studied Red-tailed Hawk Nests for years, they are even more vulnerable to Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticide (SGAR) poisoning than eagles. One of my favorite clutches was in the top of an old, large, tall pine very close to where the Tufts Green Line extension was being developed. The parents raised four nestlings on the abundant number of rats "exposed" by all the construction. Multiple times I had Mom capturing rats in the small yards of nearby homes. As the chicks were about to fledge, they died of rodenticide poisoning. One was still alive when it fell 60 ft to the paved parking lot. That was the lucky one. Its sibling fell from its perch and bounced through the boughs until one branch caught the bird that died hanging upside down, We are closer to effective state/local control of rodenticides than we have ever been, but it will not be achieved without public demand.

     To get the latest news and learn what you can do to help save raptors (and more), visit https://www.massaudubon.org/take-action/advocate/rescue-raptors

 to learn more about the Rescue Raptors Campaign.          

 

Best,

Paul   

 

Paul M. Roberts
Medford, MA 
phaw...@comcast.net

[Toshia McCabe]

I and many of us share your pain and frustration Paul. How heartbreaking it must have been to witness the tragedies of those juvenile Red-tailed hawks. Last year, I found a dead juvenile Cooper's Hawk and took it for necropsy and learned that it died of rodenticide poisoning. 

I heard that a House bill is coming up next week (H.5500, amendment 322), which is our second shot at banning anticoagulants state-wide. The first shot (the senate bill) became a limited amendment which did not ban anticoagualnts state wide. Instead, they gave power to the towns to ban them on public and private property. I'm going to call my rep this week about H.5500. I hope others will join me. 

Here is House bill H.5500 (look at the Ammendments tab and find Ammendment 322).

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5500/Amendments/House?pageNumber=13&direction=&sortColumn=&keyword=

You can find your representative here:

https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

-Toshia