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Swallows as a Sentinel Species for Contaminant Exposure and Effect Studies

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Wildlife Ecotoxicology

Part of the book series: Emerging Topics in Ecotoxicology ((ETEP,volume 3))

Abstract

Tree swallows are an important model species to study the effects of contaminants in wild bird populations and have been used extensively in studies across North America. The advantages of swallows compared to other avian species are detailed. Three case histories are provided where swallows have been successfully used in Natural Resource Damage and Ecological Risk Assessments. The final two sections of this chapter are for individuals who want more in-depth information and include a summary of the chemical classes for which there are swallow data, including effect levels when known. Information provided in this section can be used to put exposure to most classes of contaminants into context with other sites across North America. Finally, commonly used endpoints, ranging from population-level down to cellular and genetic endpoints, are discussed including considerations and pitfalls, and when further work is needed to more fully understand the role of environmental and biological variation in interpreting these endpoints.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Numbers in brackets at the end of each citation below refer to numbers in tables and figures. Only papers on contaminants and swallows are numbered.

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Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Thomas W. Custer, Daniel A. Cristol, John E. Elliott, Kim J. Fernie, Megan L. Harris, and Kirk Lohman for review of earlier drafts of the document, and Paul M. Dummer for assistance with editorial aspects of this chapter. Use of trade, product, or firm names does not imply endorsement by the US Government.

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  1. US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd., La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA

    Christine M. Custer

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  1. Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, V4K 3N2, British Columbia, Canada

    John E. Elliott

  2. Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, V4K 3N2, British Columbia, Canada

    Christine A. Bishop

  3. Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, S7N 5E2, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Christy A. Morrissey

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Custer, C.M. (2011). Swallows as a Sentinel Species for Contaminant Exposure and Effect Studies. In: Elliott, J., Bishop, C., Morrissey, C. (eds) Wildlife Ecotoxicology. Emerging Topics in Ecotoxicology, vol 3. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-89432-4_3

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