Abstract
Industrial development and contaminant exposure may affect reproductive success and food quality for birds. Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) nesting near oil sands development in northern Alberta (Canada) potentially experience elevated environmental stressors that could influence reproduction. We measured reproductive and growth endpoints in Tree Swallows, predicting reduced reproductive success and nestling growth near oil sands operations compared with reference sites. We also identified the invertebrate prey in the stomach contents of nestlings to understand variability in the diet and its potential effect on growth and survival of nestlings. From 2012 to 2015, clutch initiation varied among years but was not influenced by proximity to oil sands operations. Hatching and fledging success decreased in response to increased precipitation, regardless of location. Measurements of nestling growth reflected the variation associated with nestling sex and possibly asynchronous hatching. The composition of the nestling diet was significantly different; birds near oil sands development consumed Odonata, whereas birds at reference sites consumed Ephemeroptera. Nestlings from all sites consumed relatively high quantities of terrestrial insects. Our results demonstrate that factors such as weather conditions, diet, hatching order, and nestling sex are important when interpreting the potential effects of oil sands development on nest success and nestling growth.
Highlights
The effects on birds of contaminants from industrial waste and emissions have been investigated widely and include reproductive (Fry 1995; Dods et al 2005) and physiological effects potentially indicating tissue or organ damage (Sanderfoot and Holloway 2017)
Passive air-monitoring sampling-devices placed at wetlands near surface mining activity accumulated greater amounts of polycyclic aromatic compounds compared to wetlands located south of Fort McMurray (Cruz-Martinez et al 2015; Mundy et al 2019)
A twoyear study of tree swallows in the oilsands found that nestlings on reclaimed sites weighed less compared to those on a reference site, effects were found in only one year (Gentes et al 2006)
Summary
The effects on birds of contaminants from industrial waste and emissions have been investigated widely and include reproductive (Fry 1995; Dods et al 2005) and physiological effects potentially indicating tissue or organ damage (Sanderfoot and Holloway 2017). Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) have been used as an indicator of environmental exposure to contaminants in many locations across North America (Bishop et al 1995; Wayland et al 1998; Jones 2003; Custer 2011), including in the oilsands region (Gentes et al 2006; Smits and Fernie 2013; Cruz-Martinez et al 2015).
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