Tree Swallows as a Sentinel Species in Hamilton Harbour Pamela - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Tree Swallows as a Sentinel Species in Hamilton Harbour

Pamela Martin, Glenn Barrett, Kim Hughes, Kyna Intini, Kimberly O’Hare

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What we do:

• Research and monitoring of effects of toxicological and

ecological stressors on wildlife

• Measurement of contaminants (PCBs, metals,

pesticides, etc) in body burdens

• Assessment of wildlife health

Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division

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Wildlife Species We Study

Northern Leopard Frog Double-crested Cormorant Snapping Turtle Herring Gull

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And…Tree Swallows

Photos: http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/

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Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Hamilton Harbour

• Hamilton Harbour is an embayment located in the western end of

Lake Ontario and is connected to the lake only by a ship canal.

• Historically, the economy of the region was based on the iron and

steel industries; today, Hamilton Harbour remains a major shipping centre supporting one the largest concentrations of heavy industry in Canada.

• In 1985, Hamilton Harbour was identified as a Great Lakes Area
• f Concern as a result of historical industrial and municipal activities

(among others) that degraded water and sediment quality.

• Currently, industrial and municipal point sources meet provincial

standards.

• However, due to the long retention time of water in the Harbour,

impacts on the aquatic ecosystem, fish and wildlife continue to

• ccur.

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Hamilton Harbour-Contaminants

• Historical sources of

contaminants from industries and municipal activities, urban and rural run-off, spills & leachate from landfills

• Water and sediment

contaminated by pesticides, metals, PCBs & PAHs

• There are “hotspot”

locations where these contaminants are notably high.

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One Hotspot = Randle Reef

• Randle Reef is located along the southern industrial

shore of Hamilton Harbour

• Known for coal-tar deposits and high levels of polycyclic

aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment

• Acutely toxic to fish and wildlife
• Contain carcinogens that lead to developmental and

reproductive deformities in fish and wildlife

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Planning for the Future-Randle Reef

• Remediation of Randle Reef sediments has been

planned for many years.

• After a few false starts, it seems set that remediation will

be initiated in 2016.

• One key action of the Remedial Action Plan process is

the ongoing monitoring of the Harbour after remediation has

• ccurred to ensure environmental challenges have been

addressed successfully.

• One component of this program is to monitor aquatic

invertebrates living in the sediments.

• In 2012, it was decided to incorporate monitoring at a

higher trophic level and tree swallows were chosen as the sentinel wildlife species.

• Close ties to sediment

contamination

• Can detect changes in sediment

contamination

• Linkage between sediment and

birds via aquatic insects is short, so more easily interpreted

• Nest boxes at areas of interest
• Achieve adequate sample size
• Localized feeding
• Data available for comparison

Why study tree swallows?

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Great Lakes Tree Swallow Studies

• In Canada, similar tree swallow studies are underway at

Thunder Bay and will be initiated on the Detroit River in 2016.

http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/wildlife_toxicology/glri_project80.html_

• In the U.S., over

40 nesting sites are currently being monitored as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Project 80

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Tree Swallow Breeding Biology

• Arrive on breeding grounds

in late-March to mid-April when courtship begins

• Cavity nesters
• Females lay 4-7 white eggs

which are incubated for 16 days

• Diet of insects caught on the

wing

• Birds fledge at 18-22 days
• Leave breeding grounds in

late July - August

Tree Swallows Study - Purpose

• Study wildlife to measure effectiveness of remediation
• f Randle Reef (data collected before and after

remediation activities)

• Assess reproductive and physiological endpoints.
• Measure exposure to legacy contaminants (eg, PCBs,

heavy metals and PAHs) and other newer compounds (eg, flame retardants).

• Provide assessment of wildlife reproduction and health

in the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern.

• Allows comparison to other studies
• f tree swallows on the Great Lakes

including other remediation sites.

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Study Design 2013-2015

• Install 25 nest boxes at each study location.
• Check them regularly to determine occupancy and

reproductive parameter of nesting pairs; this includes counting the number of eggs laid, number of eggs hatched and number of young fledged per nest.

• Collect eggs for analysis of
• rganochlorines (e.g., PCBs), flame

retardants & metals.

• Weigh & measure fledglings, collect

feathers for corticosterone analysis.

• Collect blood, liver & lung tissues from

chicks for PAH analysis & gene mutation analysis.

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Tree Swallow Sampling

Accessing the nestbox Day 14: Weighing and measuring the chicks Blood sampling Plucking wing feather

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General Study Locations

• Two Hamilton Harbour locations, Randle Reef & Bayfront

Park monitored since 2013.

• Study expanded to include three Cootes Paradise

locations in 2015.

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Hamilton Harbour Study Locations 2013-2015

• 25 nest boxes installed in 2013 in a grid on t-posts and

fences adjacent to Randle Reef.

• In 2014, boxes were moved a few hundred metres away

to accommodate future staging of remediation project. Pier 15 West US Steel

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Hamilton Harbour Study Locations 2013-2015

• 25 boxes were also installed at Bayfront Park at the west

end of Hamilton Harbour.

• Located 4 km west and upwind of Randle Reef

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Cootes Paradise Study Locations 2015

• 25 nest boxes installed in

2015 at three Cootes Paradise locations: Boathouse, Princess Point & Spencer Creek in collaboration with RBG

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Reference Site Location 2013-2015

• Established population of tree swallows at the tip of Long

Point on Lake Erie where nest boxes had been previously installed.

• Naturally preserved site with no industry or development.

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Air Monitoring in 2013-2015

• Polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-disk) were

set up at each study location to obtain measurements of PAHs in air (Air S&T, Environment Canada).

• Samplers were deployed for 6-7 weeks in May & June
• Reflects what swallows are exposed to in breeding season.

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RESULTS

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Nest Site Occupancy 2013-2015

• First year we

broadcast recordings

• f swallow calls to

attract birds to nest boxes in Randle Reef.

• Swallows initiated

egg laying in early May at Randle Reef, Bayfront Park & Long Point with completion

• f clutches in early-

mid June.

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Hamilton Harbour Nest Site Occupancy 2013-2015

Location Year # Nest- boxes # Nest Boxes Occupied Percent Occupancy Randle Reef 2013 25 8 32% 2014 25 11 44% 2015 25 19 76% Bayfront P. 2013 23* 13 57% 2014 21* 7 33% 2015 24* 17 71%

* Some boxes were lost due to theft and vandalism

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Cootes Paradise Nest Site Occupancy 2015

Location Year # Nest- boxes # Nest Boxes Occupied Percent Occupancy Princess Point 2015 25 11 44% Boathouse 2015 21 8 38% Spencer Creek 2015 24 5 21%

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Hamilton Harbour Reproductive Success 2013-2015

Location Year No. Nests

• No. Eggs /

Nest Number Fledged / Nest Fledging Success (%) Randle 2013 8 5.4 3.1 88% Reef 2014 11 4.7 2.6 65% 2015 19 5.5 4.4 84% Bayfront 2013 13 5.4 2.7 72% Park 2014 7 5.7 2.7 83% 2015 17 5.8 3.7 60% Long Pt 2013 5 5.6 2.6 90% 2014 6 6.5 2.5 75% 2015 5 6.0 5.4 100%

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Cootes Paradise Reproductive Success

Location Year No. Nests*

• No. Eggs /

Nest Number Fledged / Nest Fledging Success (%) Princess Point 2015 11 5.6 4.1 89% Boathouse 2015 8 5.8 4.3 100% Spencer Creek 2015 5 5.0 3.0 100%

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PCBs in Eggs – 2013 & 2014

• Higher concentrations in eggs

from two Hamilton locations compared to Long Point.

• Concentrations also high

compared to many other Great Lakes sites.

• But concentrations are below

levels for impacts on hatching success for many bird species.

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Relative to PCBs in Eggs from other Great Lakes Sites

Randle Reef 2013 & 2014 http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/wildlife_toxicology/glri_project80_results_organic_contaminants.html

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PBDEs in Eggs – 2013 & 2014

• Also higher concentrations in eggs from Hamilton locations

compared to Long Point.

• Concentrations also high relative to many other Great Lakes sites.
• Effect concentrations not known for PBDEs in birds.

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Relative to PBDEs in Eggs from other Great Lakes Sites

Randle Reef 2013 & 2014 http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/wildlife_toxicology/glri_project80_results_organic_contaminants.html

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PAHs in Air- 2013 & 2014

• 19 parental PAHs & 24 alkylated

PAHs found in air at Randle Reef sites.

• Higher levels of PAHs

found at Randle Reef locations compared to other study locations.

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PAHs in Chicks - 2013 & 2014

• Six PAHs found in liver of

chicks including: naphthalene, acenaphthene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and

• thers.
• Similar concentrations of PAHs

found among study locations .

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Tree Swallows Hg in Eggs – 2013 & 2014

• Mercury in eggs higher at Long Point compared to two AOC

locations in 2013 and no difference in eggs among locations in 2014.

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Tree Swallows Other Metals in Eggs - 2013

• 24 metals screened for of which 17 were found in at least one

sample; not found were Be, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ti, Bi & U.

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Biomarkers of Exposure Results Pending

• Pesticide concentrations in plasma of fledglings
• Corticosterone in feathers as a measure of stress
• EROD analysis in liver of chicks, gives indication of

exposure to PAHs and dioxins

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Future Work

• Work to continue at Hamilton Harbour and Cootes

Paradise locations in 2016.

• Other endpoints to align with American studies –

thyroid hormones, anti-oxidants, immune function, genomics

• Return to sites to sample AFTER remediation is

complete.

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Our Thanks to:

• US Steel and Hamilton Port Authority for

collaboration and access to property

• Tom Harner and Anita Eng of Atmospheric

Science and Technology Directorate, EC, for PUF sampling and PAH analyses.

• Stuart Mackenzie and Bird Studies Canada for

providing data on Tree swallows at Long Point.

• Tys Theysmeyer and staff of Royal Botanical

Gardens for collaboration and access to property.

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QUESTIONS?