Using fecal DNA metabarcoding to test if diet of migratory birds is correlated with Pb exposure level at a contaminated site in north Idaho
Fecal samples from migratory birds were collected from Pb contaminated wetlands in the Bunker Hill Lower Basin Coeur d Alene River Watershed and from a Hepton Lake reference area St. Joe River Watershed during 2022-2024. Chloroplast rbcL metabarcoding was used to identify plant taxa recently consumed by the birds. Also, mitochondrial CO1 metabarcoding was used to confirm bird taxa from which samples were collected.