Data from: Feather trace element profiles in urban mountain chickadees differ from adjacent rural chickadees

Worldwide, urbanization has transformed natural habitats and introduced a
range of threats to the species living therein, including exposure to
trace elements, including heavy metals. In interior British Columbia,
Mountain Chickadees (Poecile gambeli) live and breed in both rural and
urban habitats. We asked whether trace element concentrations (Be, Mg, Al,
V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Hg, Tl, Pb, and U) in
the feathers of urban-dwelling chickadees differed from their rural
counterparts and, if so, whether the concentrations of trace elements
differed by sex or were associated with body size/condition or
reproduction. Zn, Mg, Al, Ba, and Sb were all found in higher
concentrations in the feathers of urban birds. In contrast, Be, V, Cu, and
Se were found in lower concentrations in urban birds. Unlike other
studies, we did not find differences in Pb, U, or Cd between rural and
urban birds. We found no differences between sexes; however, birds with
longer tarsi had higher levels of Sb, while birds in better condition
(mass/tarsus) had lower concentrations of Be, Zn, and Se and higher
concentrations of Ba and U. In addition, females with earlier first egg
dates had higher concentrations of Sb and lower concentrations of Zn. Pb
was marginally negatively associated with the number of eggs and
fledglings. Despite being separated by short distances (<5km), our
results indicate distinct differences in feather trace element profiles
between urban and rural nesting mountain chickadees and indicate that
future work on the role of Pb and Zn on the physiology and reproduction of
urban mountain chickadees may be warranted.