Incidence of ingested lead shot in sora rails

Gizzards of 934 sora rails (Porzana carolina) collected in Maryland (767) and Missouri (167) were examined for ingested shot. Ingested shot were found in 12.3 percent of the Maryland sample and 1.8 percent of the Missouri birds. Individual Maryland birds had ingested up to 28 pellets. None of the lead pellets examined was larger than a No. 71/ shot. Maryland ingestion rates did not differ by age or sex, but significant differences between collection areas, groups of years, and collection periods within years were indicated. This exploratory work points out a potential lead poisoning prob- lem among sora rails. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 39(3):514-519 Although the incidence of ingested lead shot and knowledge of its adverse effects have been well documented for many Anat- idae, most non-waterfowl reports are based on small samples, and evidence of the effects of lead shot is largely circumstantial.