Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb;200(2):790-799.
doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-02689-z. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Pollution of Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) Depends on Their Age and Their Health Status

Gabriel Kozák  1 , Marián Janiga  1 , Jaroslav Solár  2
Affiliations

Pollution of Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) Depends on Their Age and Their Health Status

Gabriel Kozák et al. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Biomonitoring of synanthropic species provides evidence about effects of the pollution in human environment. In the present study, tibia and tarsometatarsal bones were extracted from feral pigeons (Columba livia), found either deceased, or experimentally captured in the lofts of houses in Bratislava, Slovakia. Concentrations of mercury (tarsometatarsus), lead, iron, and zinc (tibia) were analyzed, along with sex and plumage pattern, wing, and tarsometatarsal length. In order to estimate age, lines of arrested growth (LAGs) were used. Results show no significant differences in heavy metal accumulation depending on sex or plumage pattern. However, age-related tarsometatarsus length was correlated to Hg, Pb, and Fe bone level accumulation. Thus, bigger or older pigeons with longer tarsometatarsal bones had higher Hg, Pb, and Fe concentrations. Higher heavy metal concentrations (mainly Fe and Zn) were also present in bones of older deceased individuals with completed LAG. These findings point to chronic accumulation of heavy metals in feral pigeons during their life in polluted environments.

Keywords: Bone; Feral pigeons; Heavy metals; Line of arrested growth; Slovakia.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Montevecchi WA (1993) Birds as bio-indicators in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, in: Hall J, Wadleigh M (eds), The Scientific Challenge of Our Changing Environment: Proceedings of a Conference Addressing Environmental Change in Newfoundland and Labrador and Similar Regions, Held at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, 3-5 March 1993, The Royal Society of Canada, pp 60–62.
    1. Janiga M (2001) Birds as bio-indicators of long-transported lead in the alpine environment. In: Global change and protected areas. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-48051-4_24 - DOI
    1. Rabaça JE, Godinho C (2008) Birds as bio-indicators of riparian ecosystems. In: Arizpe D, Mendes A, Rabaça JE (eds) Sustainable Riparian Zones-a management guide. Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, pp 157–161
    1. Tansy MF, Roth RP (1970) Pigeons: a new role in air pollution. J Air Pollut Control Assoc 20(5):307–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1970.10469406 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jenkins C (1975) Use of the feral pigeon (Columba livia) to monitor atmospheric lead pollution. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des seances de l'Academie des sciences Serie D: Sciences naturelles 281(16):1187–1189

LinkOut - more resources