Adult tree swallow survival on the polychlorinated biphenyl–contaminated Hudson River, New York, USA, between 2006 and 2010

Abstract

The upper Hudson River basin in east central New York, USA, is highly contaminated, primarily with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Reduced adult survival has been documented in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at a similarly PCB-contaminated river system in western Massachusetts. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether adult survival of tree swallows was likewise affected in the Hudson River basin. Between 2006 and 2010, a total of 521 female tree swallows were banded, of which 148 were retrapped at least once. The authors used Program MARK and an information theoretic approach to test the hypothesis that PCB contamination reduced annual survival of female tree swallows. The model that best described the processes that generated the capture history data included covariate effects of year and female plumage coloration on survival but not PCB/river. Annual survival rates of brown-plumaged females (mostly one year old) were generally lower (mean phi=0.39) than those of blue-plumaged females (mean phi=0.50, one year or older). Poor early spring weather in 2007 was associated with reduced survival in both plumage-color groups compared to later years. Models with the effects of PCB exposure on survival (all ΔAICc values >5.0) received little support.

Geographic variation and environmental correlates of apparent survival rates in adult tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor

“…Survival rates of swallows are related to spring weather conditions, as suggested from reports of high mortality of adults during periods of inclement weather (Dence 1946, Weatherhead et al 1985, Custer et al 2012) and our precipitation results for Saskatchewan ( Fig. 5).…”

“…5). Custer et al (2012) estimated survival of adult female tree swallows, and suggested that poor spring weather caused low female survival (0.29) in one of four years (range = 0.29-0.54). Low apparent survival observed at Mud Creek, Ontario, in 2002 and2007 (Fig.…”

“…We did not distinguish apparent survival of female swallows marked as yearlings (i.e. in their second year of life) from those of older (after-second year) birds, but recognize that survival could be age-specific (Custer et al 2012). Unlike females, yearling and older male tree swallows have similar plumage characteristics, so it was not possible to reliably partition survival estimates by age group in a consistent manner for both sexes.…”

PCBs and DDTs in light-vented bulbuls from Guangdong Province, South China: Levels, geographical pattern and risk assessment

“…The induction of hepatic cytochrome P450A (CYP1A) in avian species by dioxin-like PCBs with comparable structural and biochemical properties to dioxins may lead to embryo lethality and toxic side effects (Kennedy et al, 1996;Manning et al, 2013). Reduced nest provisioning behavior and decreased chick survival were observed in European starlings and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from PCB-contaminated sites in southern Illinois (Arenal et al, 2004) and the Hudson River, New York, USA (Custer et al, 2012). Population declines in several bird species have been reported in Europe and North America due to bioaccumulation of DDTs, especially DDE (Douthwaite and Tingle, 1992;Ludwig, 1996).…”

“…Birds have been successfully used as sentinel species to monitor the levels and effects of POPs in the environment because they are widespread, sensitive to environmental changes, and often high on the food chain (Dauwe et al, 2006;Van den Steen et al, 2010a,2010bCuster et al, 2012;Sun et al, 2012;Eng et al, 2014). Predatory birds have been widely used as biomonitoring species for POPs (Chen et al, 2009b;Chen and Hale, 2010;Eulaers et al, 2011;Gómez-Ramírez et al, 2014), but most of these birds are less suitable to reflect the local contamination status because they are migratory and live in an extended area with low population densities (Dauwe et al, 2006(Dauwe et al, , 2009.…”