A bald eagle found on the side of the road near the border of Black Hawk County and Grundy died from lead poisoning. The eagle, named Reinbeck, weighed less than 8 pounds and was having trouble holding its head up when it was found. It also was having trouble breathing and had green stains on its tailfeathers, indications that it was suffering from lead poisoning. An Ohio lab confirmed that was cause of death, according to the Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project. Reinbeck was in rehab for less than a day before it passed away. Its major organs were damaged by the lead and shut down. The Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project also took the opportunity on its Facebook page to thank all of the hunters and fishermen who hunt lead free, as a grain of rice sized amount of lead is lethal to many animals, including eagles.
