“…The range-high number of nestlings fledged per successful target nest (mean ϭ 3.2, SE ϭ 0.03, n ϭ 18 nests) was greater than the number fledged per successful reference nest (mean ϭ 2.5, SE ϭ 0.25, n ϭ 11 nests), a difference that was significant (t ϭ 2.8, df ϭ 27, p ϭ 0.0098) but opposite that which would be predicted if PCBs were assumed to impair nestling survival. Fledging success of target nestlings (mean ϭ 98%, SE ϭ 1.83%, n ϭ 18 nests) and 35,36] reference nestlings (mean ϭ 91%, SE ϭ 6.51%, n ϭ 11 nests) was not significantly different (t ϭ Ϫ1.3, df ϭ 27, p ϭ 0.20). Bioequivalence testing [27] was employed to determine whether any potentially biologically relevant differences existed in numbers of nestlings hatched and fledged, hatching success, and fledging success between the target and the reference populations ( Table 1).…”