That lead poisoning is a killer is no longer subject to  debate. The science is conclusive, and we've banned it everything from toys to paint to gasoline. But we haven't banned it from ammunition, and that continues to pose a threat to birds. It works like this: a hunter shoots an animal and field dresses it, or simply leaves the carcass. Scavenger birds then eat the meat and a good portion of the lead, and they die. California in 2007 banned the use of lead ammunition in the range of the California Condor, an endangered species that was almost wiped to extinction in part because of lead poisoning. Audubon California more recently has been trying to convince legislators to restrict the use of lead ammunition because of its harmful impacts on other birds. We've been unsuccessful so far, but the scientific evidence continues to pour in that this is a real problem. This latest study shows that ban on lead ammunition in the Condor range has greatly reduced lead toxicity in other birds as well. Now, if only those birds would be smart enough to stay in the Condor range.