Long-term monitoring of mercury in adult saltmarsh sparrows breeding in Maine, Massachusetts and New York, USA 2000-2017.

Abstract

Here we report on the results of a long-term study of mercury exposure in a songbird species, the saltmarsh sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus). We measured total mercury concentrations in blood (n = 840) and feathers (n = 560) of adult saltmarsh sparrows at six locations between 2000 and 2017: Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (RCNWR) in Wells, Maine; Scarborough Marsh State Wildlife Management Area in Scarborough, Maine; Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, Massachusetts; Pine Neck Preserve in Southampton, Long Island, New York; and North Cinder and North Green Sedge Islands off the coast of Long Island, New York. During the 12-17 year sampling periods, we found that mercury exposure differed by site and year but there was no consistent temporal trend across sites. Blood mercury concentrations declined only at RCNWR in Maine. We also found seasonal variation in blood mercury concentrations and a positive relationship between mercury concentrations of blood and innermost primary feather, but not between blood and tail feather.