Accumulation of heavy metals by birds in the southwest of Russia

Accumulation of heavy metals (chromium, lead, arsenic, nickel, copper, and manganese) in the bones, food, and feces of 24 bird species in the southwest of Russia, the Rostovskaya oblast and Kalmykia, was studied. Differences in the lead accumulation in the bones of terrestrial and aquatic birds, as well as in the arsenic accumulation in the bones of birds belonging to different trophic levels, were demonstrated. An inverse linear relation between the lead concentration in bird bones and the body mass was found. Heavy metal content in the food (earthworms) and excrement of rooks from suburban and urban colonies are discussed. Worms and rook excrement from urban habitats are more polluted with heavy metals.