Mercury (Hg) is a globally distributed environmental
contaminant with a variety of deleterious effects
in fish, wildlife, and humans. Breeding songbirds may be
useful sentinels for Hg across diverse habitats because they
can be effectively sampled, have well-defined and small
territories, and can integrate pollutant exposure over time
and space....
Lead (Pb) is a metabolic poison that can negatively influence biological processes, leading to illness and mortality
across a large spectrum of North American avifauna (>120 species) and other organisms. Pb poisoning can result from
numerous sources, including ingestion of bullet fragments and shot pellets left in animal carcasses, spent...