Warren C. Conway
David A. Haukos
Jena A. Moon
Christopher E. Comer
Thomas V. Riecke
2015
<p><span>There are no known biological requirements for lead (Pb), and elevated Pb levels in birds can cause a variety of sub-lethal effects and mortality. Historic and current levels of Pb in mottled ducks (</span><i class="EmphasisTypeItalic ">Anas fulvigula</i><span>) suggest that environmental sources of Pb remain available on the upper Texas coast. Because of potential risks of Pb exposure among coexisting marsh birds, black-necked stilt (</span><i class="EmphasisTypeItalic ">Himantopus mexicanus</i><span>) blood Pb concentrations were measured during the breeding season. Almost 80 % (n = 120) of 152 sampled stilts exceeded the background threshold (>20 μg/dL) for Pb exposure. However, blood Pb concentrations did not vary by age or gender, and toxic or potentially lethal concentrations were rare (<5 %). Consistent, low-level blood Pb concentrations of black-necked stilts in this study suggest the presence of readily bioavailable sources of Pb, although potential impacts on local stilt populations remain unclear.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1007/s00128-015-1616-3
en
Springer
Baseline blood Pb levels of black-necked stilts on the upper Texas coast
article