Determining Whether Lead Affects Health and Behavior of Mockingbirds

The northern mockingbird is the only mockingbird in the United States, and it increasingly lives in urban environments, where it may be exposed to environmental contaminants. Researchers will assess how exposure to lead may affect the health and behavior of this songbird. The team will examine how blood lead levels, physiological condition, aggressive behaviors, and song performance relate to lead concentrations in the soil in New Orleans. This project is expected to advance understanding of how environmental contaminants might affect the well-being of wild songbirds, including specific behavioral and developmental mechanisms affecting learning and cognition. This pilot work is also expected to result in follow-up studies further exploring these environmental relationships and potential interventions.