Assessment of lead exposure in Spanish imperial eagle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aquila adalberti</Emphasis>) from spent ammunition in central Spain |
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| Authors: | Julia Rodriguez-Ramos Fernandez Ursula Höfle Rafael Mateo Olga Nicolas de Francisco Rachel Abbott Pelayo Acevedo Juan Manuel Blanco |
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| Institution: | 1.National Institute of Game Research—Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (UCLM-CSIC-JCCM),Ciudad Real,Spain;2.Centro de Recuperación de Vallcalent,Lleida,Spain;3.U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center,Madison,USA;4.Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Research Team, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences,University of Malaga,Malaga,Spain;5.Center for Studies on Iberian Raptors—Centro de Estudios de Rapaces Ibéricas,Sevilleja de la Jara,Spain;6.Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine,University of Wisconsin,Madison,USA |
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| Abstract: | The Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) is found only in the Iberian Peninsula and is considered one of the most threatened birds of prey in Europe. Here we analyze
lead concentrations in bones (n = 84), livers (n = 15), primary feathers (n = 69), secondary feathers (n = 71) and blood feathers
(n = 14) of 85 individuals collected between 1997 and 2008 in central Spain. Three birds (3.6%) had bone lead concentration > 20 μg/g
and all livers were within background lead concentration. Bone lead concentrations increased with the age of the birds and
were correlated with lead concentration in rachis of secondary feathers. Spatial aggregation of elevated bone lead concentration
was found in some areas of Montes de Toledo. Lead concentrations in feathers were positively associated with the density of
large game animals in the area where birds were found dead or injured. Discontinuous lead exposure in eagles was evidenced
by differences in lead concentration in longitudinal portions of the rachis of feathers. |
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