This data release contains three files. The first (Table S1 Bibliography Dataset) contains the entire bibliography for the 435 publications examined for potential inclusion into at least one of the meta-analyses for the effects of environmental mercury (Hg) on birds. For those 168 publications that were included in at least one meta-analysis, the worksheet titled Bibliography contains data describing each sub-dataset, including the type of study, data extraction methods, biological endpoints measured, age class, tissue-residue Hg concentrations, dosing Hg concentrations, the measured effect of Hg, bird taxonomy, life history, and the study’s citation. The worksheet titled Header Explanation describes each column within the Bibliography. The worksheet titled Flowchart describes the process of how the different columns within the Bibliography worksheet can be filtered to produce the studies and sub-datasets that were included within a specific meta-analysis (e.g., combinations of endpoint categories and age classes). The second file (Table S2 Detailed Endpoints) contains the entire list of detailed biological endpoints measured by studies examining the effect of Hg on birds and how they were categorized into the six main endpoint categories (i.e., survival, offspring output, behavior, biochemical, histology, and body morphology) and the three combined endpoints categories (i.e., combined reproduction endpoints, combined survival and reproduction endpoints, and all endpoints during the breeding season). The number of publications and sub-datasets (both for all time periods and those conducted during the breeding season) that quantified each endpoint are listed. The third (Table S3 Data Tables) contains the data used in all 87 meta analyses and shows how each row of data (datapoint used in at least one meta analysis) was categorized into the six main endpoint categories and the three combined endpoint categories. Each of the seven worksheets in the Table S3 Data Tables represents a different type of Hg on the x axis (adult blood-equivalent Hg, egg-equivalent Hg, Hg injected into eggs, maternal dietary Hg for effects on eggs, maternal dietary Hg for effects on juveniles, adult dietary Hg for effects on adults, and juvenile dietary Hg for effects on juveniles).

This dataset includes bird species, invertebrate order and family, sample identification codes, capture date, latitude, longitude, habitat, site name, bird age, total mercury concentrations in bird blood, and methylmercury concentrations in whole body aquatic invertebrates.

This dataset includes bird species, invertebrate order and family, sample identification codes, capture date, latitude, longitude, habitat, site name, bird age, total mercury concentrations in bird blood, and methylmercury concentrations in whole body aquatic invertebrates.

Mercury (Hg) is a persistent environmental contaminant and can accumulate and concentrate in food webs as methylmercury (MeHg), presenting a health risk to humans and wildlife. Multiyear monitoring and modeling studies have shown that atmospheric Hg in litterfall is an important form of Hg deposition to forests. Litterfall consists primarily of leaves with some amounts of twigs, bark, flowers, seeds, fruits, and nuts. Atmospheric Hg accumulates in the forest canopy material and transfers to the forest floor in litterfall. This data set is derived from monthly litterfall collected at the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) site at El Verde, Puerto Rico, identification number PR20, during 2014-2016. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provided passive litterfall collectors to the PR20 MDN site operator who systematically deployed them in a forest plot near the MDN equipment. Each collector was a 0.25 square meter box made of plastic lattice with a 20-micrometer mesh, polyester, netting liner. The operator retrieved the litterfall in the collectors on a monthly schedule and shipped the subsamples to the USGS Mercury Research Laboratory where concentrations of Hg and MeHg and litterfall dry mass and sample moisture were determined using published methods. More information about the litterfall Hg monitoring field and laboratory methods and quality assurance is available from the NADP at http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/newissues/litterfall/

Mercury (Hg) is a persistent environmental contaminant and can accumulate and concentrate in food webs as methylmercury (MeHg), presenting a health risk to humans and wildlife. Multiyear monitoring and modeling studies have shown that atmospheric Hg in litterfall is an important form of Hg deposition to forests. Litterfall consists primarily of leaves with some amounts of twigs, bark, flowers, seeds, fruits, and nuts. Atmospheric Hg accumulates in the forest canopy material and transfers to the forest floor in litterfall. This data set is derived from monthly litterfall collected at the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) site at El Verde, Puerto Rico, identification number PR20, during 2014-2016. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provided passive litterfall collectors to the PR20 MDN site operator who systematically deployed them in a forest plot near the MDN equipment. Each collector was a 0.25 square meter box made of plastic lattice with a 20-micrometer mesh, polyester, netting liner. The operator retrieved the litterfall in the collectors on a monthly schedule and shipped the subsamples to the USGS Mercury Research Laboratory where concentrations of Hg and MeHg and litterfall dry mass and sample moisture were determined using published methods. More information about the litterfall Hg monitoring field and laboratory methods and quality assurance is available from the NADP at http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/newissues/litterfall/

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally pervasive contaminant that biomagnifies in food webs and can reach toxic concentrations in consumers at higher trophic levels, including wildlife and humans. The production of MeHg, and its subsequent entry and biomagnification in food webs, is governed by a complex suite of biogeochemical, physical, and ecological processes, resulting in spatial variation in the distribution of MeHg. To better understand the link between MeHg production in sediments and MeHg bioaccumulation in biota, we evaluated the effects of habitat biogeochemistry, food web structure, and diet composition on bioaccumulation in the wetland-obligate California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus) at three wetlands along the Petaluma River in northern San Francisco Bay, California, USA. We also characterized meso-scale spatial variation by assessing differences among marsh subhabitats in sediment biogeochemistry and MeHg concentrations of sediments, surface waters, and tissues of biota.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally pervasive contaminant that biomagnifies in food webs and can reach toxic concentrations in consumers at higher trophic levels, including wildlife and humans. The production of MeHg, and its subsequent entry and biomagnification in food webs, is governed by a complex suite of biogeochemical, physical, and ecological processes, resulting in spatial variation in the distribution of MeHg. To better understand the link between MeHg production in sediments and MeHg bioaccumulation in biota, we evaluated the effects of habitat biogeochemistry, food web structure, and diet composition on bioaccumulation in the wetland-obligate California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus) at three wetlands along the Petaluma River in northern San Francisco Bay, California, USA. We also characterized meso-scale spatial variation by assessing differences among marsh subhabitats in sediment biogeochemistry and MeHg concentrations of sediments, surface waters, and tissues of biota.

These data are the raw total mercury (THg) concentrations in whole feathers, feather homogenates, and feather components (i.e., rachis, vane, calamus) that are presented in the Journal Article "Mercury concentrations vary within and among individual bird feathers: A critical evaluation and guidelines for feather use in mercury monitoring programs" in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry by Peterson et al.

These data are the raw total mercury (THg) concentrations in whole feathers, feather homogenates, and feather components (i.e., rachis, vane, calamus) that are presented in the Journal Article "Mercury concentrations vary within and among individual bird feathers: A critical evaluation and guidelines for feather use in mercury monitoring programs" in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry by Peterson et al.