Young loon found near Marquette had “off the charts” lead poisoning; a Hancock rescue removed a dime-sized fishing sinker from its stomach

HANCOCK — A young common loon found near Marquette is recovering at a Copper Country wildlife rescue after veterinarians removed a lead fishing sinker that had poisoned it, the rescue said this week.

Staff with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources brought the juvenile loon to Keweenaw Wild Bird REC in Hancock on Thursday, Oct. 29, MLive reported. Rehab staff suspected lead right away.

“We knew immediately the likely culprit, and radiographs and blood tests have confirmed, the bird is suffering from lead poisoning with levels off the charts,” the rescue said on Facebook.

Two procedures in four days

X-rays showed a dime-sized sinker in the bird’s stomach along with pebbles, which loons swallow to help with digestion. The rescue said that is part of the danger: a loon can pick up a lost sinker along with pebbles, or swallow one when it grabs a fish off an angler’s line.

After the bird got warmth and fluids, a team from Copper Country Veterinary Clinic sedated it on Friday and tried to flush the sinker out, without success. On Monday, Nov. 2, the team sedated it again and removed the lead with an endoscope.

“Two anesthesia procedures within a few days are challenging for any patient, but for a loon also suffering with lead poisoning, it’s extra tough on their bodies,” the rescue said. “It’s a risk-versus-benefit scenario, and removing the lead had to be done to move forward.”

Still a long road

On Tuesday morning the loon went for a short swim and ate fish delivered by staff, but it is still being tube-fed and cannot yet catch live fish, the rescue said. A blood test was planned to check its lead level.

The common loon has been listed as threatened in Michigan since 1987, and the state has an estimated 500 to 700 nesting pairs, according to MLive. Lead poisoning is one of several threats to the birds, along with habitat loss, disease and disturbance from people.

What the rescue is asking

Keweenaw Wild Bird REC is urging anglers and hunters to switch to lead-free tackle and ammunition. The nonprofit takes donations through Venmo (@KWBREC) and PayPal, or by check mailed to Keweenaw Wild Bird REC, 21176 Boston Crosscut, Hancock, MI 49930.

Sources:
MLive, “Juvenile loon with ‘off the charts’ lead poisoning recovering at U.P. bird rescue” (Nov. 3, 2026; rescue timeline, procedures, quotes from Keweenaw Wild Bird REC posts, loon status and population, donations), https://www.mlive.com/environment/2026/11/juvenile-loon-with-off-the-charts-lead-poisoning-recovering-at-up-bird-rescue.html
Photo: Courtney Celley / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Common loon juvenile (53150554874).jpg,” Wikimedia Commons (public domain), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_loon_juvenile_(53150554874).jpg

Upper Peninsula

Tags: Common loon · Lead poisoning · Keweenaw Wild Bird REC · Fishing tackle · Wildlife rescue · Hancock