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. 2018 Feb;74(2):318-329.
doi: 10.1007/s00244-017-0481-y. Epub 2017 Nov 23.

Factors Affecting Element Concentrations in Eggshells of Three Sympatrically Nesting Waterbirds in Northern Poland

Ignacy Kitowski  1 , Dariusz Jakubas  2 , Piotr Indykiewicz  3 , Dariusz Wiącek  4
Affiliations

Factors Affecting Element Concentrations in Eggshells of Three Sympatrically Nesting Waterbirds in Northern Poland

Ignacy Kitowski et al. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Avian eggshells are convenient samples in biomonitoring studies, because they are easily accessible, especially from colonially or semicolonially breeding birds. In the present study, concentrations of 17 elements, including heavy metals and essential elements in post-hatch eggshells, were compared among three species of waterbirds of differing strategies for gaining reserves for egg production and diet: mallard, Anas platyrhynchos (ML, a capital breeder, mainly herbivorous), common tern, Sterna hirundo (CT, an income breeder, piscivorous) and black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus (BHG, mixed strategy, omnivorous) and breeding sympatrically in three sites in North Poland. Analyses revealed that Fe, Zn, and Cu levels differed the most in the studied species, which may be explained by various contributions of fish, aquatic plants, and soil invertebrates in their diets. Generally, the studied species' eggshells accumulated amounts of elements comparable to those reported for other waterbirds without putting the growth and development of the embryo at risk. The only exception was very high levels of Cr in ML and CT, which may be explained by their foraging on aquatic organisms in waterbodies polluted by this element. Intersite differences in eggshell concentrations of Ni, Sr, Hg and Cr in CT (an income breeder) may be explained by the influence of local pollution sources (small factories, polluted river).

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study area with the location of all studied sites (crosses) with 10-km buffers (dashed line), selected land cover types [according to the Corine Land Cover (CLC2006) model (http://www.eea.europa.eu/, EEA Copenhagen, 2012)], and the nearest factories (pollution emission sources)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
PCA plot showing elemental concentrations in the eggshells of black-headed gulls (BHG), mallards (ML), and common tern (CT) breeding in Koronowo (KOR), Pakość (PAK), and Skoki Duże (SKO). Convex hulls contain all samples from one species and breeding site
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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