Samples collected!

Sep 21, 2023

661

Samples collected!Thank you all for your support and patience. I'm pleased to report we have (finally) reached our sampling goal! It has been a difficult few years in wildlife rehabilitation, with COVID 19, supply backorders, and the global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. This all led to unforeseen delays in this project.
We have collected a total of 479 samples of 43 different species! Analysis on this data has begun. Keep an eye out for updates over the next few months as we complete this analysis.

JAG, Shirlee, and 2 others like this.

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About This Project

Is lead toxicity a contributing factor to large scale songbird population decline?

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

Significant declines in North American songbird populations over the past 50 years highlight the need for research on new and varied threats to these species. Current known contributing factors include habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change, however little is known about the effects of heavy metal toxicity. This project aims to screen blood lead levels in songbirds admitted to a wildlife hospital to determine the risk of lead exposure and correlate with cause of admission and outcomes.