One of the great success stories of the 21st century is the resurgence of the bald eagle.
Almost half of the 1,200 bald eagles and golden eagles that were tested had been exposed to lead, which can lead to death and slow population growth.
According to a study published in the journal Science, the primary source of lead is spent by hunters who shoot animals that eagles then eat.
The study was led by scientists from the United States Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The effects of lead poisoning are devastating, according to the lead author of the study.
He said that lead poisoning can lead to starving eagles. It can cause an eagle to lose its ability to fly and move at the same time.
Lead can affect every part of an eagle's body.
The study looked at the effects of lead poisoning on the bird populations in 38 states.
About 35,000 bald eagles and golden eagles are affected by poisoning. According to researchers, the population of bald eagles is over 300,000.
Over time, thousands and thousands of individual birds are being removed from the population because of lead poisoning.
The widespread use of a synthetic pesticide killed off bald eagles decades ago. The bald eagle was removed from the list of protected animals in 2007, after a ban on the pesticide DDT in 1972 helped the population rebound.
Dr. Slabe hoped the report would help educate hunters and encourage them to use lead-free bullets.
Laura Hale, president of the Badger Run Wildlife Rehab in Klamath Falls, Ore., said that this is 100 percent human caused and preventable.
The group tried to save an eagle that a hunter had found in the woods and was unable to fly. Ms. Hale told the hunter that the eagle most likely became sick from feeding on contaminated gut piles and that he was stricken.
He wanted to stop hunting.
Ms. Hale said she told him to stop using lead and hunting.
Many hunters are concerned about the effects of lead on wildlife and have begun using copper bullets.
A group in Wyoming called Sporting Lead-Free is trying to raise awareness about the adverse effects of lead bullets on hunters.
Bryan Bedrosian is a co-founder of Sporting Lead-Free and a raptor biologist.
Tradition, a mistaken belief that copper bullets are less effective, and a lack of lead bullets are some of the reasons hunters hesitate to switch.
Mr. Bedrosian, who uses lead bullets at the range, said there are still people who don't know.
Hannah Leonard said she hunted with lead bullets until four years ago, when she came upon an injured golden eagle in Montana.
Ms. Leonard said she could tell she was in danger.
The animal rescue group that Ms. Leonard called to try and save the eagle told her that it was lead poisoning.
She said it was a no-brainer for her to switch to different types of bullets.
One of the last acts of the Obama administration was to phase out the use of lead on national wildlife refuges. The decision was reversed less than two months later.
The service wouldn't say if that policy would be restored as a result of the new study.
There has been a nationwide ban on the use of lead shot for hunting since 1991, according to the service.
California prohibits the use of lead on federal land in order to prevent the harms of lead on the California condor.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses the best available scientific data to conserve wildlife populations and evaluate compatible uses on the lands that we manage, as well as under applicable local, state and federal laws.
Dr. Slabe said that hunters would stop using lead if they were educated.
He said that hunters are receptive to the issue.
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