Mercury was determined in the tissues (feather, lung, liver, and kidney) of homing pigeons (Columbia livia domestica) from both the USA (Glendora, California and Midland, Texas) and China (Beijing and Chengdu).  Among these cities, mercury concentrations were greatest in samples from Beijing, which is known to have relatively high levels of airborne mercury.  Among the tissues, levels were highest in the feather, followed by kidney, liver, and lung.  There was no significant trend for mercury with pigeon age, weight, or sex, except for mercury with bird weight in the lung of the Beijing samples.  Overall, the data adds to the growing body of evidence that homing pigeons can serve as a useful biomonitor in urban areas.

Evaluating homing pigeons as biomonitors of airborne mercury in urban areas of USA and China

245th National Meeting (2013)

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