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Lead Exposure of Red-Shouldered Hawks During the Breeding Season in the Central Appalachians, USA

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Abstract

Lead is toxic to humans and wildlife. Most studies of lead exposure of raptors focus on the winter, non-breeding season when they scavenge heavily. We evaluated blood lead concentrations (BLCs) of red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) during the non-scavenging season in the eastern United States. BLCs of 53 of 70 hawks were above the limit of detection (\(\bar{x}\) = 9.25 µg/dL ± 19.81; ± SD). Adult hawks had higher BLCs (\(\bar{x}\) = 12.86 µg/dL ± 24.72) than did nestlings (\(\bar{x}\) = 3.25 µg/dL ± 2.62; p ≤ 0.001, χ2 = 13.2). There was no difference in BLCs of adult hawks among physiographic provinces but there were differences between urban and non-urban settings (p = 0.04, χ2 = 4.2). Soils and invertebrate hawk prey also had quantifiable lead concentrations. Our work shows that red-shouldered hawks are exposed to lead when not scavenging, and suggests pathways by which these birds may be exposed.

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Acknowledgements

L. Rhea, D. Schmidt and B. Brown assisted data collection. The Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia and Wildlife Center of Virginia provided blood samples. TK and JC raised funds. VS, AW, and MJ collected blood samples. PO and VS prepared blood samples. PO and TK obtained permits for field work. VS led writing and data analysis and all authors assisted with revisions. All field work was covered under WVU’s IACUC protocol #1603001797 and federal banding permit #23715. This publication was completed with funds provided by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries through a Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration grant from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, contract #2013-14308. V. Slabe was supported by the West Virginia University Outstanding Merit Fellowship for Continuing Doctoral Students. JA was supported by the NSF (OIA-1458952) and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis project WVA00117. Any use of trade, product or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Vincent A. Slabe, James T. Anderson, Anna Wrona & Meghan K. Jensen

  2. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, VA, USA

    Jeff Cooper

  3. US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID, USA

    Patricia Ortiz & Todd Katzner

  4. Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    John Buchweitz

Authors
  1. Vincent A. Slabe
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  2. James T. Anderson
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  3. Jeff Cooper
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  4. Patricia Ortiz
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  5. Anna Wrona
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  6. Meghan K. Jensen
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  8. Todd Katzner
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Correspondence to Vincent A. Slabe.

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Slabe, V.A., Anderson, J.T., Cooper, J. et al. Lead Exposure of Red-Shouldered Hawks During the Breeding Season in the Central Appalachians, USA. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 103, 783–788 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-019-02732-9

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