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.

We investigated whether foraging habitat, sex, or fidelity to a foraging area effected blood mercury concentrations in western gulls (Larus occidentalis) from three colonies on the west coast of the United States. Dataset includes total mercury concentrations in western gulls from three colony locations and associated foraging habitat of individual gulls.

We investigated whether foraging habitat, sex, or fidelity to a foraging area effected blood mercury concentrations in western gulls (Larus occidentalis) from three colonies on the west coast of the United States. Dataset includes total mercury concentrations in western gulls from three colony locations and associated foraging habitat of individual gulls.

This dataset includes the bird species, sex, age, and total mercury concentrations in feathers, muscle, liver, and nail tissues.

This dataset includes the bird species, sex, age, and total mercury concentrations in feathers, muscle, liver, and nail tissues.

The dataset includes the bird species, region where sampled, sampling site, capture location, mercury concentration in whole blood, lead concentration in whole blood, sulfur stable isotope concentration in blood plasma, carbon isotope concentration in blood plasma, whole blood ALAD activity, and fecal corticosterone concentrations.

The dataset includes the bird species, region where sampled, sampling site, capture location, mercury concentration in whole blood, lead concentration in whole blood, sulfur stable isotope concentration in blood plasma, carbon isotope concentration in blood plasma, whole blood ALAD activity, and fecal corticosterone concentrations.

Heavy metal contamination (n=17 metals) of feather and tissue samples from live and deceased Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) was evaluated. Feathers taken from live birds are low in sample weight, therefore a novel method was used in feather sample preparation. Feather samples were then analyzed utilizing an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) assay. In addition, ICP-MS was used to measure heavy metal concentrations in feather and tissue samples from salvaged hummingbird carcasses. Iron, zinc, selenium and mercury concentrations were most commonly elevated in body feathers from live birds with mercury being the metal most likely to be found in elevated concentrations. Because of this, we conducted additional analysis for mercury using atomic absorption spectometry, and this is the mercury data available in this dataset. A strong correlation between total mercury concentrations in feathers and in pectoral muscle was found suggesting that sampling feathers from live hummingbirds may prove a validated, useful, non-lethal sampling method for this species in the wild. These data support the following publication: Nicole A. Mikoni, Robert Poppenga, Joshua T. Ackerman, Janet Foley, Jenny Hazlehurst, Güthrum Purdin, Linda Aston, Sabine Hargrave, Karen Jelks, Lisa A. Tell, Trace element contamination in feather and tissue samples from Anna’s hummingbirds, Ecological Indicators, Volume 80, September 2017, Pages 96-105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.04.053.

Heavy metal contamination (n=17 metals) of feather and tissue samples from live and deceased Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) was evaluated. Feathers taken from live birds are low in sample weight, therefore a novel method was used in feather sample preparation. Feather samples were then analyzed utilizing an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) assay. In addition, ICP-MS was used to measure heavy metal concentrations in feather and tissue samples from salvaged hummingbird carcasses. Iron, zinc, selenium and mercury concentrations were most commonly elevated in body feathers from live birds with mercury being the metal most likely to be found in elevated concentrations. Because of this, we conducted additional analysis for mercury using atomic absorption spectometry, and this is the mercury data available in this dataset. A strong correlation between total mercury concentrations in feathers and in pectoral muscle was found suggesting that sampling feathers from live hummingbirds may prove a validated, useful, non-lethal sampling method for this species in the wild. These data support the following publication: Nicole A. Mikoni, Robert Poppenga, Joshua T. Ackerman, Janet Foley, Jenny Hazlehurst, Güthrum Purdin, Linda Aston, Sabine Hargrave, Karen Jelks, Lisa A. Tell, Trace element contamination in feather and tissue samples from Anna’s hummingbirds, Ecological Indicators, Volume 80, September 2017, Pages 96-105, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.04.053.

The persistence and degree of mercury contamination of the lower Carson River system (LCRS) have led to placement of a portion of the Carson River Basin (including Lahontan Reservoir) on the US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Priorities List ("Superfund") for research and cleanup. The potential toxicity of mercury concentrations within the LCRS to piscivorous birds (snowy egrets, black-crowned night-herons, and double-crested cormorants) was examined from 1997-2006.