Mercury in Migrating Shorebirds in the Illinois River Valley

Jeffrey M. Levengood; Randolph V. Smith; David A. Gay; Mark A. Davis; Joshua D. Stafford

doi:10.1675/063.037.0212

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1 June 2014 Mercury in Migrating Shorebirds in the Illinois River Valley

Jeffrey M. Levengood, Randolph V. Smith, David A. Gay, Mark A. Davis, Joshua D. Stafford

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Waterbirds, 37(2):225-229 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1675/063.037.0212

Abstract

Hepatic mercury concentrations of Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidns melanotos) and Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) collected from the central Illinois River Valley, Illinois, during early fall migration in 2007 were examined. Mean and median mercury concentrations were significantly greater in the livers of Pectoral Sandpipers (0.30 and 0.28 µg/g wet weight, respectively) than in Killdeer (0.07 and 0.06 µg/g wet weight, respectively). Differences in foraging ecology between these species likely account for the observed differences in tissue mercury concentrations. In general, mercury concentrations were low in these species relative to other shorebirds and can serve as baseline for future monitoring.

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Jeffrey M. Levengood, Randolph V. Smith, David A. Gay, Mark A. Davis, and Joshua D. Stafford "Mercury in Migrating Shorebirds in the Illinois River Valley," Waterbirds 37(2), 225-229, (1 June 2014). https://doi.org/10.1675/063.037.0212

Received: 7 January 2014; Accepted: 11 March 2014; Published: 1 June 2014

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