We are hoping for recovery for this turkey vulture, who was clipped by a car, and is not flying. She seems to have a tiny bit of weakness in the tip of her right wing, but xrays revealed no broken bones. We are also awaiting the results of a lead level blood test on this bird. Lead poisoning is absolutely epidemic in large birds, with bald eagles, vultures and geese being the most usual victims. The cause of this is lead ammunition, which both gets in the water, and is also left in fragments of deer carcass “gut piles” by hunters, which is eaten by eagles and other birds of prey. Lead toxicity causes weakness and disorientation in these birds, and if the lead doesn’t kill them, the lack of coordination caused by lead poisoning can lead to them being hit by cars. We are hoping that our turkey vulture here does not have a high lead level. If caught early, sometimes treatment can work. But so many raptors and waterfowl are never found, and perish from this poisoning. You can help! If you are a hunter, consider switching to non-lead ammunition. Information can be found here. If there is a hunter in your life, please pass on this life saving info that, if enough people complied, could save thousands of Pennsylvania birds. If you’re a hunter, can it start with you?