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(70-41) The effect of heavy metal pollution on the fertility of male and female Blue tits. Dauwe, Tom*,1, Janssens, Ellen1, Bervoets, Lieven2, Eens, Marcel1, 1 University of Antwerp UIA, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium2 University of Antwerp RUCA, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp, Belgium ABSTRACT- Recently the feasibility of passerines as biomonitors for terrestrial point-source heavy metal pollution has been investigated. Passerines such as the blue tit (Parus caeruleus) are very interesting biomonitors because they are ubiquitous, have been studied intensively and are high in the food chain. Moreover, blue tits are hole-nesting and readily use man-made nest boxes. Therefore, breeding populations can rapidly be established and easily studied. In this study we investigated the effect of heavy metal pollution on the fertility of male and female blue tits. We collected the first egg in all blue tit nests in three study sites located at different distances from the most important emission source of heavy metals in Flanders, Belgium. Metal levels in the feathers of male and female blue tits differed significantly among sites. Female fertility was determined by the number of eggs and the quality of the first egg produced. We determined the sperm quality of males by counting the number of sperm cells inbedded in the perivitelline layer of the egg. The sperm quality was significantly different among sites. The perivitelline layer of eggs from the most polluted site contained less sperm cells than the perivitelline layer of eggs from the reference site. Determining the sperm quality of birds with this technique has never been used previously in ecotoxicological studies but can be an interesting supplement to traditional population monitoring. Key words: biomonitoring, heavy metals, passerines, fertility |
