Feather mineral content of Redheads (Aythya americana) wintering along the Gulf of Mexico

Murden, Steven B. and Woodin, Marc C. and Michot, Thomas C. and Weller, Milton W. and Moore, Joseph L. and Adair, Stephen E. and Risenhoover, Kenneth L. (1997) Feather mineral content of Redheads (Aythya americana) wintering along the Gulf of Mexico. MAGYAR VÍZIVAD KÖZLEMÉNYEK, 3. pp. 65-79. ISSN 1416-1389 (nyomtatott); 1419-6107 (elektronikus)

Preview

Text magyar-vizivad-kozlemenyek-1997-03-065-079.pdf - Published Version Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

To evaluate the potential use of mineral content as a marker for identifying origins of wintering Redhead ducks along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, we determined concentrations (ppm) of calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), potassium (K), sodium (Na), and zinc (Zn) in wing feathers by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Samples available for study included pairs of whole wings from Texas saltwater habitat (n = 653 birds), Florida saltwater habitat (n = 287 birds), and South Dakota pond habitat (n = 34 birds), and pairs or single secondary feathers from Louisiana saltwater habitat (n = 287 birds) and Texas pond habitat (n = 2257 birds). We found no differences between secondary feathers from the left and right wings from the same individual, but secondary feathers did differ from primaries from the same individual in Mg and Zn Concentrations of Ca were higher (P < 0.05) in flight feathers of juveniles (< 1 yr of age) than in those of adults Feathers from females had higher (P < 0.05) Zn than those from males among both adults and juveniles. Concentrations of Ca and Zn in feathers of Texas pond birds were higher (P < 0.05) than concentrations in feathers from Redheads from other geographic areas sampled. Magnesium from feathers of birds taken in Texas ponds and Louisiana saltwater habitat was higher (P < 0.05) than in feathers of Redheads from the other three areas Zinc concentrations in feathers of birds from Texas ponds were higher (P < 0.05) than those in feathers from Louisiana birds, and Zn in feathers from birds from both of those sites was higher (P < 0.05) than in feathers from Redheads from the other three areas. Because of the extremely high variability in mineral concentrations of Redhead feathers as determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, use of this technique to identify geographic origins, if based on the elements used in this study, is too uncertain to be reliable.

Actions (login required)

View Item