Acute Lead Toxicosis in Mourning Doves

Birds are exposed to Pb by oral ingestion of spent Pb shot as grit. A paucity of data exists for retention and clearance of these particles in the bird gastrointestinal tract. In the current study, northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) were orally gavaged with 1, 5, or 10 Pb shot pellets, of 2-mm diameter, and radiographically followed over time. Blood Pb levels and other measures of toxicity were collected, to correlate with pellet retention. Quail dosed with either 5 or 10 pellets exhibited morbidity between weeks 1 and 2 and were removed from further study. Most of the Pb pellets were absorbed or excreted within 14 d of gavage, independent of dose. Pellet size in the ventriculus decreased over time in radiographs, suggesting dissolution caused by the acidic pH. Birds dosed with one pellet showed mean blood Pb levels that exceeded 1,300 µg/dl at week 1, further supporting dissolution in the gastrointestinal tract. Limited signs of toxicity were seen in the one-pellet birds; however, plasma δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (d-ALAD) activity was persistently depressed, suggesting possible impaired hematological function.

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“…9 Pb shot pellets in bobwhite quail within the same study. These pellets are markedly heavier than mineral grit of comparable size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Lead pellet retention time and associated toxicity in northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)

Kerr

Holladay

Jarrett

et al. 2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…Immediately after collecting a blood sample, we made 2 smears, air dried them, and fixed them in methanol within 24 hr. We stained smears with Wright‐Giemsa, examined them under a light microscope, and counted heterophils and lymphocytes until we reached a total of 100 heterophils and lymphocytes combined (Campbell, 1995, Schulz et al 2006a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lead shot ingestion by mourning doves on a disked field

2011

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Previous field studies of hunter‐harvested mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) have reported the percentage of birds with ingested lead shot as 0.2–6.5%. To reduce the uncertainty concerning the number of doves that ingest shot, we conducted an experiment to test the proportion of mourning doves that ingested lead shot on the bare soil of a disked field (typical of a managed dove field) to simulate more natural feeding conditions. In each of 3 treatment groups of 80 birds, we exposed 35 birds to low‐density lead shot (1.5 million shot/ha), and35 birds to high‐density lead shot (29.5 million shot/ha), and 10 birds served as controls (no shot). We dosed 5 positive control birds with 2 lead shot each in trials 2 and 3. We scattered lead shot and mixed seed on the loosely packed soil of treatment cages and after 4 days of exposure, 2.9% of doves voluntarily ingested ≥1 lead shot. The proportion of birds that ingested shot when exposed to the high‐density shot treatment (4.9%) was not different (P = 0.098) from that of the low‐density shot treatment (1.0%). Lead concentrations in liver, kidneys, and blood reached maxima of 94.402 ppm, 346.033 ppm, and 13.883 ppm wet mass, respectively. Differences in delta‐aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, packed cell volume, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (H:L) were greater posttreatment in doves that had ingested shot than in those that did not. The risk posed to mourning doves from lead shot ingestion can be reduced by banning lead shot on management areas or dove fields or disking fields after hunting season to reduce shot availability. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

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“…Several authors have reviewed the exposure and effect of exposure of environmental lead poisoning in the mourning dove, and reported effects ranging from ill health to mortalities in the wild (Castrale, 1991;Schulz et al, 2006) and experimentally (Schulz et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge of conservationists on the effect of lead toxicity on the conservation status of African mourning dove (Streptopelia decipiens) in Ibadan, Nigeria

Jubril¹,

Omonona²,

Adetuga³

et al. 2017

Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv.

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The role of humans in any conservation action is vital and plays a key role in the success of biodiversity and wildlife conservation. The awareness and related activities of people to the risk of lead contamination as a threat to the conservation status is evaluated, particularly with respect to the status of the mourning dove. Lead pollution and toxicity has been reported in mourning dove with associated health and mortality patterns, and is therefore a recognised threat to the conservation of the species. This study therefore aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and perception of conservationists, who are the custodian of knowledge, on the conservation status of African mourning dove (Streptopelia decipiens) as a species model, and lead toxicity as an associated threat. The result shows that all the correspondents had varying degree of knowledge about the conservation of African mourning dove (S. decipiens) and the associated threat of lead toxicity. 16.3% of the respondents showed very high level of attitude, while 27.6 and 46.9% showed an average and high level of attitude to the conservation of African mourning dove (S. decipiens) and the associated threat of lead toxicity. Based on perception scores, 41.8% showed average level, while 28.6 and 5.1% showed high and very high level of perception, respectively; but 13.3% of the respondents showed low level of perception. Higher educational status corresponds to a higher knowledge, but less significant relationship to attitude and perception. It is concluded that, knowledge about conservation would affect the attitude and perception, though there are no significant gender and age differences regarding the topic.

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Acute Lead Toxicosis in Mourning Doves

Cited by 41 publications

References 17 publications

Lead pellet retention time and associated toxicity in northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)

Lead pellet retention time and associated toxicity in northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)

Lead shot ingestion by mourning doves on a disked field

Knowledge of conservationists on the effect of lead toxicity on the conservation status of African mourning dove (Streptopelia decipiens) in Ibadan, Nigeria

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