My research team from College of William & Mary has been studying mercury
contamination in kingfishers in the South Fork Shenandoah Watershed for two
years. The kingfishers on the South River and upper South Fork Shenandoah
that we have sampled (about 25 adults) have levels of contamination (from their
fish prey) that are high enough to potentially cause behavioral abnormalities.
While it is very common for male birds to attack their reflections in windows
during the early Spring, when their testosterone levels are at their height and
aggression against real rivals is paramount, female kingfishers in autumn
attacking a window, or a person in a window as the post described, really begs
for an explanation. There is one report in the literature of a kingfisher
attacking
people before it died from contamination at the Oak Ridge Lab. If this
kingfisher ever drops a feather I'd very much like to have it analyzed for
mercury. A single feather is sufficient, and the mercury does not degrade.
Please keep the list updated on this unusual behavioral occurrence.
Dan Cristol
Daniel A. Cristol
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
College of William & Mary,
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg VA 23187-8795, USA
PHONE: 757 221-2405
FAX: 757 221-6483
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