About This Project

Researchers have established that elevated mercury levels in songbirds can result in adverse effects on behavior, growth, and reproductive success.

Birds reduce their mercury burden by depositing it in their feathers as they molt, therefore we can assess a bird's mercury exposure by measuring contaminant levels in their feathers. Through feather collection from captured birds, we aim to examine exposure levels to better understand the impacts of contamination and best guide conservation efforts.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The Minimata Convention on Mercury addresses issues related to the use and release of mercury through trade, industrial uses, and atmospheric emissions, as well as the long-term storage and disposal of mercury and mercury compounds. Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) is now conducting Minamata Initial Assessments (MIAs) in various countries. MIAs are designed to assist in the development of strategies to ratify and ultimately implement the Minamata Convention, which includes a ban on new mercury mines, the phasing out of existing mines, controls on air emissions, and regulations on artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Data on songbird mercury, which reflects environmental mercury, would be used to assist Latin American countries in meeting the obligations of the Convention.

What is the significance of this project?

It is known that breeding survival and recruitment of bird populations depends highly on conditions on both the breeding and wintering grounds, due to carry-over effects. Little is known, however, about ecotoxicological threats that birds encounter, mainly due to a lack of standardized monitoring programs in the new world tropics. Our larger collaborative effort (with local and regional bird monitoring entities) aims to ensure the availability of robust information on vital rates, mercury burdens, and population dynamics. This information will be used for research, planning, and decision making at varying geographic scales which will ultimately benefit the conservation efforts of migrant and resident bird species in Latin America.

What are the goals of the project?

The goal for the money raised by this campaign is to facilitate the collection, and subsequent analysis of, feather samples from songbirds from three monitoring locations in Latin America (Belize, Mexico, and Guatemala). Specifically, we will work with our collaborators associated with Monitoring Winter Survival of Migratory Birds (MoSI) to facilitate the collection of feather samples from species of interest (ensuring that proper permits are in place). We will provide biologists with envelopes to store the feathers and to mail the samples to our lab. Once received, we will analyze the feathers for mercury and will use these initial contaminant values as a first step in generating a map of regional hotspots of mercury across the landscape.