title: The use of passerine feathers to evaluate heavy metal pollution in Central Portugal.
abstract: In 2003, two sampling strategies were applied in order to evaluate metal contamination in passerine bird feathers. One strategy included the use of nest boxes and nestling great tits in a forest habitat (MU). The other strategy focused on the use of mist nets to capture adult blackbirds, robins and blackcaps in a fragmented non-forested habitat (EST). There was a significantly higher concentration of mercury in great tits (1.09 ± 0.40) sampled in MU and also in robins (3.44 ± 0.91) and blackcaps (1.62 ± 1.99) sampled in EST, in comparison to the reference site (0.66 ± 0.68; 2.04 ± 1.12; 0.32 ± 0.43; respectively). Concerning interspecific differences, robins accumulated significantly more metals than blackbirds or blackcaps.
authors.affiliation: CBMA/SPVS, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. rutealexandra@gmail.com
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: J M S
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Petronilho
authors.forename: A M V M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Vingada
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005241:Feathers / Q000378:metabolism*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011174:Portugal
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy