Alicia Anderson
Sep 1, 2026
A local expert believes a potential virus, wildfire smoke, stress and heavy metals could explain a recent cluster of bald eagle illnesses and deaths.
THUNDER BAY — Bald eagles in the region are suffering.
That’s what Jenn Salo, a rehabilitator with Thunderbird Raptor Rescue, said while releasing Miracle, one of nine bald eagles recently in the region over the past weeks.
Miracle had been very ill with lead poisoning, Salo said.
“I've never experienced lead coma before," she said, "and I really didn't think that he would come out of it.”
“In that first hour of me getting it, the eagle went downhill. It was crazy; he couldn't move, he lay down, he couldn't stand back up, and then his eyes closed, and they didn't open again that day,” she said.
Salo was surprised with a call about an eagle in distress while working an event two weeks ago. The bird was spotted in Kakabeka, approximately 10 minutes away from where she was working. She named the eagle Miracle.
“He tried to get away but tripped and fell flat on his face, and when an eagle does that, there's definitely something wrong.”
Salo then took Miracle home to utilize intensive-care supplies, where she cleaned clay from his beak and cleared the mucus out of his airway.
“When they have a toxin overload, they actually know what will make them better and (what) will make them purge those toxins, and so they look for pure clay.”
Lead toxicity can be caused by fishing lures, weights and other accessories ending up in the water or in a fish, she said.
“The fish that gets away, that snagged your lure… you don't really think about anything other than, oh darn, I lost a lure,” Salo said.
“Those fish, once that lead starts leaching into them, get sluggish and get slower and come up to the surface and guess who gets to eat all those guys? The eagles.”
“Every eagle that we have tested for lead has come back positive for lead.”
The morning of Aug, 16, as Salo was preparing to leave for a trip, Miracle was responsive and well.
“I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked in that kennel, and he was looking back up at me. It was the craziest thing,” Salo said.
Miracle was released on Aug. 20, in the same area he first was spotted in, with the property owners and their children nearby.
With Miracle back in the wild, Salo is currently rehabilitating eight more eagles: Sue, a baby eagle from Sault Ste. Marie; Nipigon, a baby eagle from Loftquist Lake near Nipigon; Nakina, a baby eagle from the Geraldton community; Bijou, a baby from the Pass Lake area; Iggy, a baby from Ignace; an eagle from White River, a juvenile eagle from Fushimi Provincial Park near Hearst; and a juvenile eagle from the Vermilion Bay area.
She believes they are all sick with either lead poisoning or West Nile virus, but the testing to confirm a diagnosis is prohibitively expensive. Wildfire smoke and general stress could also be contributing to a recent cluster of sick or dying eagles, she said.
Many birds aren't as lucky as Miracle and the eagles still in Salo's care. She said she's received multiple phone calls about dead birds and found several deceased eagles herself since rescuing Sue.
Even if the birds aren't killed by seizures and fever, she said, their sight can be affected, "and that's enough to render a bird useless."
“It's taking out more birds than a lot of people are aware of… we all know about bird flu, but how come there are no never any discussions about West Nile and what it's doing to our wildlife?”
Last year, many birds in the city were dying similarly.
Salo is only licensed to care for birds of prey, such as eagles, falcons, hawks and owls. She encourages anyone who finds a sick or injured bird of prey to reach out to Thunderbird Raptor Rescue.
“Please stay with it if you don't feel comfortable with catching it and bringing it to safety,” she said.
In order to feed all eight eagles in her care, Salo requires 12 to 15 pounds of fresh meat daily, including smelts, wild game, waterfowl, goat and sheep.
Salo is also in need of another deep freezer or people willing to store frozen bird food.
The rescue is also caring for a variety of sick hawks and falcons from the region.
“It is truly what keeps me going is knowing that I have the support of Thunder Bay and the surrounding communities because it's a lot of work for one person,” she said.
Anyone looking to support the rescue can also purchase regular 50/50 tickets or contact the rescue to make a donation.
Check the original article here: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/something-is-killing-bald-eagles-in-northwestern-ontario-bird-rescuer-12662874