PCB Congener Profiles in Nestling Tree Swallows and Their Insect Prey

摘要: Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) are widely used as indicators of local polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in North America. Although determining total PCB residues tissues is useful environmental monitoring, analysis congener profiles may reveal sources and thus prove to be a more refined tool track contaminants through the food web. To show how differences patterns birds can linked their prey, we evaluated congeners tree swallow nestlings insect prey using principal component Euclidean similarities. The PC1 scores for fell between those Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera, mayflies) Chironomidae (Diptera, midges), two major groups nestlings. pattern was not related location nest boxes within study area. However, insects that consumed them were richer less chlorinated had higher than insect. In concordance, hatched earlier mayflies similar other nestling nestings texagenia calculated by We point importance understanding seasonal availability specific types before these data applied models trophic transfer individual