Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An evaluation of the effects of persistent environmental contaminants on the reproductive success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in Indiana

  • Published:
Ecotoxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Contaminants in Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) from Indiana were quantified to determine if levels were high enough to impair reproduction. During 2005 and 2006, 35 eggs were collected from 6 colonies and analyzed for contaminants. Between 30 and 101 nests were monitored in 7 colonies weekly over a 3-month period to determine reproductive and fledging success. Average levels (±SD) of polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and organochlorine pesticides in egg yolks were 3,101 (±4,737), 7.20 (±2.96), and 2,869 (±2,291) ppb, respectively. Reproductive success (average number of chicks fledged per active nest) and fledging success (number of chicks fledged per successful nest) averaged 1.52 and 1.92 chicks, respectively. Contaminant levels measured in eggs from this region are comparable to those observed not having affects on reproductive success elsewhere; therefore, factors other than environmental contamination may be affecting reproductive success of Great Blue Herons in study colonies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ashley P, Stoval S (2004) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). Southeast Washington Subbasin planning ecoregion wildlife assessment northwest power and conservation council. Portland, Oregon, pp F119–F130

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker SD (2007) An evaluation of the impacts of persistent environmental contaminants on the reproductive success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in Indiana. Masters of science thesis presented to the Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, 108pp

  • Bayer RD (1981) Regional variation of Great Blue Heron longevity. J Field Ornithol 52:210–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Berny P, Sadoul N, Dol S, Videman B, Kayser Y, Hafner H (2002) Impact of local agricultural and industrial practices on organic contamination of Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) eggs in the Rhone Delta, southern France. Environ Toxicol Chem 21:520–526

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butler R, Whitehead PE, Breault AM, Moul IE (1995) Colony effects on fledging success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in British Columbia. J Field Ornithol 18:159–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson B, McClean EB (1996) Buffer zones and disturbance types as predictors of fledging success in Great Blue Herons, Ardea herodias. Colon Waterbirds 19:124–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Custer TW, Hines RK, Melancon MJ, Hoffman DJ, Wickliffe JK, Bickham JW, Martin JW, Henshel DS (1997) Contaminant concentrations and biomarker response in Great Blue Heron eggs from 10 colonies on the upper Mississippi river, USA. Environ Toxicol Chem 16:260–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Custer TW, Hines RK, Stewart PM, Melancon MJ, Henshel DS, Sparks DW (1998) Organochlorines, mercury, and selenium in Great Blue Heron eggs from Indiana Dunes national lakeshore, Indiana. J Gt Lakes Res 24:3–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Drouillard KG, Norstrom RJ, Fox GA, Gilman A, Peakall DB (2003) Development and validation of a herring gull embryo toxicokinetic model for PCBs. Ecotoxicol 12:55–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faber RA, Hickey JJ (1973) Eggshell thinning, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and mercury in inland aquatic bird eggs, 1969 and 1970. Pestic Monit J 7:27–36

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gross TS, Arnold BS, Sepúlveda MS, McDonald K (2003) Endocrine disrupting chemicals and endocrine active agents. In: Hoffman DJ, Rattner BA, Burton GA Jr, Cairns J Jr (eds) Handbook of ecotoxicology. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, pp 1033–1098

    Google Scholar 

  • Halbrook RS, Brewer RL Jr, Buehler DA (1999) Ecological risk assessment in a large river-reservoir: 7 environmental contaminant accumulation and effects in Great Blue Heron. Environ Toxicol Chem 18:641–648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harris ML, Elliott JE, Butler RW, Wilson LK (2003) Reproductive success and chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination of resident Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) from coastal British Columbia, Canada, 1977 to 2000. Environ Pollut 121:207–227

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henny CJ (1972) An analysis of the population dynamics of selected avian species with special reference to changes during the modern pesticide era. Wildlife research report 1. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC

  • Henshel DS, Cheng KM, Norstrom R, Whitehead P, Steeves JD (1993) Morphometric and histologic changes in brains of Great Blue Heron hatchlings exposed to PCDDs: preliminary analyses. In: Landis WG, Hughes JS, Lewis MA (eds) Environmental toxicology and risk assessment, ASTM STP 1179. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, pp 262–277

    Google Scholar 

  • Henshel DS, Martin JW, Norstrom R, Whitehead P, Steeves JD, Cheng KM (1995) Morphometric abnormalities in brains of Great Blue Heron hatchlings exposed in the wild to PCDDs. Environ Health Perspect 103:61–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holstege DM, Scharberg DL, Tor ER, Hart LC, Galey FD (1994) A rapid multiresidue screen for organophosphorus, organochlorine, and N-methyl carbamate insecticides in plant and animal tissues. J AOAC Int 77:1263–1274

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mineau P (2005) A review and analysis of study endpoints relevant to the assessment of “long term” pesticide toxicity in avian and mammalian wildlife. Ecotoxicology 14:775–799

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mora MA (1996) Congener-specific polychlorinated biphenyl patterns in eggs of aquatic birds from the lower Laguna Madre, Texas. Environ Toxicol Chem 15:1003–1010

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • National Geographic (2002) Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 4th edn. Washington, p 62

  • Nosek JA, Faber RA (1984) Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine insecticides in Great Blue Heron and Great Egret eggs from the upper Mississippi river. In: Wiener JG, Anderson RV, McConville DR (eds) Contaminants in the upper Mississippi River. Butterworth, Stoneham, pp 241–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Osborne DR, Winters R (1977) Pre-1941 eggshell characteristics of some birds. Ohio J Sci 77:10–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt HM, Winkler DW (1985) Clutch size, timing of laying, and reproductive success in a colony of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. The Auk 102:49–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Quinney TE (1982) Growth, diet, and mortality of nestling Great Blue Herons. Wilson Bull 94:571–577

    Google Scholar 

  • Sample BE, Suter GWII (1999) Ecological risk assessment in a large river reservoir: 4 piscivorous wildlife. Environ Toxicol Chem 18:610–620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson JT, Janz DM, Bellward GD, Giesy JP (1997) Effects of embryonic and adult exposure to 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on hepatic microsomal testosterone hydroxylase activities in Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias). Environ Toxicol Chem 16:1304–1310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute, Inc. (2003) SAS Version 9.1. SAS Institute Inc. Cary, NC

    Google Scholar 

  • Schenck FJ, Wagner R, Hennessy MK, Okrasinski JL Jr (1994) Screening procedure for organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticide residues in eggs using a solid-phase extraction cleanup and gas chromatographic detection. J AOAC Int 77:1036–1040

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (2006). Updated April 14, 2006. www.epa.gov. Accessed 5 January 2007

  • Vennesland RG (2004) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias. Accounts and measures for managing identified wildlife. British Columbia ministry of water land and air protection accounts V. Prince George. British Columbia, Canada, pp 126–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Vos DK, Ryder RA, Graul WD (1985) Response of breeding Great Blue Herons to human disturbance in northcentral Colorado. Colonial Waterbirds 8:13–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weimeyer SN, Lamont TG, Bunck CM, Sindelar CR, Gramlich FJ, Fraser JD, Byrd MA (1984) Organochlorine pesticide, polychlorobiphenyl, and mercury residues in Bald Eagle eggs (1969–1979) and their relationships to shell thinning and reproduction. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 13:529–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witt JW (2006) Great Blue Heron productivity at Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in northern Virginia, and the potential impacts of weather during a 13 year interval. Waterbirds 29:345–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe MF, Schwarzbach S, Sulaiman RA (1998) Effects of mercury on wildlife: a comprehensive review. Environ Toxicol Chem 17:146–160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funding from EPA, Region V, IDEM, and Purdue University. The authors would like to thank Walter Bialkowski, Joe Uhler, Josh Sloan, Josh Douglas, Zachary Bagley, and Cory Schnick for assistance with egg collection and nest monitoring. Joy Marburger (Indiana Dunes, National Park Service) granted us permission for the collection of eggs from Indiana Dunes National Park during 2005. The authors would also like to thank John Castrale (Indiana Department of Natural Resources) and Dr. Barny Dunning (Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University) for their help with colony selections and locations, Dr. Nancy Szabo (University of Florida, Analytical Toxicology Core Laboratory) for assistance with contaminant analysis, and Dr. Hugo Ochoa-Acuña (Purdue University, Department of Comparative Pathobiology) for assistance with statistical analyses.

Author information

Author notes

  1. S. D. Baker

    Present address: GEI Consultants, Inc., Littleton, CO, 80120, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University, 195 Marsteller St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    S. D. Baker & M. S. Sepúlveda

Authors
  1. S. D. Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. S. Sepúlveda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. S. Sepúlveda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baker, S.D., Sepúlveda, M.S. An evaluation of the effects of persistent environmental contaminants on the reproductive success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in Indiana. Ecotoxicology 18, 271–280 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-008-0281-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-008-0281-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation