Journal
CHEMOSPHERE
Volume 89, Issue 9, Pages 1077-1083Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.05.073
Keywords
Hexabromocyclododecane; HBCD; Kestrel; Reproduction; Behavior
Categories
Funding
- Chemicals Management Plan
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Division of Environment Canada
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Fonds quebecois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies
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Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a high production volume brominated flame retardant that has been detected in the environment and wildlife at increasing concentrations. This study was designed to determine potential effects of dietary exposure to environmentally relevant levels of HBCD on behavior during reproduction in captive American kestrels. Twenty kestrel pairs were exposed to 0.51 mu g technical HBCD g(-1) kestrel d(-1) from 4 weeks prior to pairing until chicks hatched (similar to 75 d). Ten pairs of controls received the safflower oil vehicle only and were used for comparison. During the courtship period the chitter-calls were reduced in both sexes (p = 0.038) and females performed fewer bonding displays (p = 0.053). Both sexes showed a propensity to be less active than controls during courtship. The reduction in male courtship behavior was correlated with reduced courtship behaviors of females (p <= 0.008) as well as reduced egg mass (p = 0.019). During incubation, nest temperatures of treatment pairs were lower at mid-incubation (p = 0.038). HBCD-exposed males performed fewer key parental behaviors when rearing nestlings, including entering the nest-box, pair-bonding displays and food-retrievals. HBCD-exposed females appeared to compensate for the reduced parental behavior of their mates by performing these same behaviors more frequently than controls (p = 0.004, p = 0.027, p = 0.025, respectively). This study demonstrates that HBCD affects breeding behavior in American kestrels throughout the reproductive season and behavioral alterations were linked to reproductive changes (egg size). This is the first study to report HBCD effects on reproductive behavior in any animal model. Crown Copyright (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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