Metal Contents in Feathers from Birds (Rhynchopsitta terrisi, and Columba livia) with Different Ecological Niches

The metal contaminants can be utilized as an ecological tool to analyze niche partition in birds. As environmental contamination biological indicators, essential (Zn, Cu, and Cr) and non-essential (Pb and Cd) metals in the flight feathers of the Maroon-fronted Parrot and Pigeon with different ecological niches were assessed. The feathers of the parrot were gathered at a national park (Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey) and the feathers of pigeons were collected at an urban site, that is, the city of Monterrey, Mexico. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to establish the concentration of metals in the feathers. Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd were detected in the two studied samples. The results obtained in this study exhibited an increase in metal concentrations in pigeon feathers with respect to parrot feathers. In conclusion, employing parrot and pigeon feathers comprises an important tool to track trace-metal occurrence in the environment and metal accumulation in birds. This information is crucial to possess in order to minimize exposure to essential metals in species of wild birds with different ecological niches.