title: Comparison of trace element concentrations in grey heron and black-crowned night heron chicks.
abstract: Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) concentrations were measured in the prey and liver of grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) chicks (24-26 days after hatching) at the Pyeongtaek colony, Korea in 2001 (n = 10, respectively) and 2008 (n = 11 and n = 10). Cadmium and Pb concentrations in livers of grey heron (Cd geomean 0.06, Pb 3.90 μg/g dw) and black-crowned night heron (Cd 0.20, Pb 4.24 μg/g dw) chicks were increased with diet concentrations of grey heron (Cd 0.18, Pb 1.76 μg/g dw) and black-crowned night heron (Cd 0.20, Pb 3.96 μg/g dw) chicks. Cadmium and Pb concentrations in prey items of grey heron and black-crowned night heron chicks were a good predictor of chick liver concentrations. Cadmium concentrations in livers of both heron species collected at the Pyeongtaek heronry were relatively low and within the background level (<3 μg/g dw) for birds. Five of 20 (25.0%) grey heron and 4 of 18 (22.2%) black-crowned night heron chicks were higher than the background level for lead (>6 μg/g dw). Prey Cd and Pb concentrations were within the range of other heron and egret studies. Manganese, Zn, and Fe concentrations in grey heron and black-crowned night heron chicks were within the background or normal physiological levels reported earlier in other birds including herons and egrets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1 Seocheon-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 446-701, Republic of Korea, herons@khu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jungsoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements; D002104:Cadmium; D015032:Zinc