Abstract
Abstract Using a commercially available corticosterone I125 double-antibody radioimmunoassay, we developed and validated an assay procedure for determining corticosterone levels in small-volume (≤30 μL) avian plasma samples. We evaluated this procedure's utility by measuring plasma corticosterone levels in Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea), American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis), Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus), and Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura). Standard biochemical validations (e.g., parallelism, recovery of exogenous corticosterone) demonstrated that the assay accurately and precisely measured corticosterone in avian plasma. We used a stress capture protocol to physiologically validate the assay's ability to determine biologically important changes in corticosterone levels. Males and females from four bird species exhibited a significant increase in plasma corticosterone in response to capture, handling, and restraint. Baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels in our study were similar...
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