This study, conducted in western France from 2018 to 2021, aimed to examine the environmental disruption risks faced by the European Kingfisher, a species of conservation concern in Europe. We focused on examining the risks associated with habitat reduction, as well as the potential exposure of the species to trace elements and organic pollutants, and the effects of these pollutions on the health of individuals. Through a GPS tracking program, our results highlight the potential importance of wetlands with reduced surface areas and shallow water for the species. Furthermore, by analysing mercury and pesticide concentrations respectively in feathers and in blood samples, we also observed significant contamination of these pollutants in birds' tissues, leading to various negative health effects. Our study highlights: i) the necessity for conservation and ecological restoration policies dedicated to small wetlands to mitigate the potential detrimental effects of global changes on the conservation status of the species, and ii) the significance of apex predators, like the European Kingfisher, as keystone species, in assessing the risks of wetland contamination by trace elements or organic pollutants.

1. Sensitivity of the European Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) to global change: evidence from home range
features and contaminations by trace elements and organic pollutants,
a case study in the marshes of Western Europe
4th international kingfisher conference. Biology, ecology & conservation
28 – 29 September 2023, Wdecki Landscape Park, Tleń, Poland
Raphaël Musseau1*, Fréderic Angelier2, Coraline Bichet2, Maurice Millet3,
Céline Rousselle1, Jérôme Moreau2,4 & Paco Bustamante5
1 BioSphère Environnement, 52 quai de l’Estuaire, 17120 Mortagne-sur-Gironde, France.
2 Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372, CNRS – La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en- Bois, 79360, France.
3 Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Energie, l'Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), UMR 7515, CNRS – Université de Strasbourg,
Equipe de Physico-Chimie de l'Atmosphère, 67087 Strasbourg, France.
4 Biogéosciences, UMR 6282, CNRS – Université de Bourgogne, 6 Boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.
5 Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS – La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
*Corresponding author, e-mail: r.musseau@biosphere-environnement.com

2. The European Kingfisher is a species today of
conservation concern given a rapid population
decline in Europe / Zimorodek jest gatunkiem o
trendzie spadkowym w Europie
Species classified as Vulnerable under Criterion “A”
in Europe (BirdLife International, 2023)
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Report under the Article 12 of the Birds Directive. Period 2008-2012
European Environment Agency
European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity
Top predator species particularly relevant
for assessing wetland disturbances

3. PROJECT CONDUCTED FROM 2018 TO 2021
Focus on:
1 – Spatial occupancy strategies of breeding birds
and risks of habitat losses / Wybiórczość siedlisk w
sezonie lęgowym i ryzyka ich zmian
2 – 2.1 Contamination levels of birds by trace elements
& pesticides / Poziom pierwiastków śladowych i
pestycydów w organiźmie
2.2 Impacts of contaminants on the health status
of birds and populations / Wpływ zanieczyszczeń na
organizm i populacje
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
organizm i populacje

4. Study site: watersheds adjacent to the right bank of the Gironde estuary (western France) / Mokradła nad Garonną w zach. Francji
Sites characterised by significant land agricultural coverage: vineyards and cereals / Intensywna gospodarka rolna, winnice
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Part of the watershed sampled / Teren badań
Vineyards / Winnice

5. Birds of the population sampled mainly breeds within alluvial woodlands
traversed by various small streams / Populacja zasiedlająca lasy zalewowe
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion

6. Birds’ nests distributed on various types of supports / Typy stanowisk lęgowych
fallen trees wykroty (70%), banks burty brzegowe (15%) and limestone cliffs wapienne skarpy (15%)
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion

7. TWO RESEARCH AXES / DWA KIERUNKI BADAŃ
AXIS 1: SPATIAL OCCUPANCY STRATEGY / AREAŁY LĘGOWE
GPS tracking scheme of breeding birds / NADAJNIKI GPS U DOROSŁYCH PTAKÓW
Waterproofed GPS archival tags
Total equipment mass = 1.4 g
≈ 3% of bird’s average mass / Ciężar ok 3% masy ptaka
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
AXIS 2: CONTAMINATION OF JUVENILES BY TRACE ELEMENTS
AXIS 2: CONTAMINATION OF JUVENILES BY TRACE ELEMENTS
AND ORGANIC POLLUTANTS / POZIOM PIERWIASTKÓW ŚLADOWYCH I
PESTYCYDÓW W ORGANIŹMIE PISKLĄT
Measures of total mercury (THg, years 2018 – 2020) / Rtęć
Concentration measured in body feathers / Stężenie poziomu w piórach
Research of pesticides (year 2021) / pestycydy
Concentration measured in blood samples / Stężenie poziomu w krwi
Study of the effects of the contaminants on birds’ health status / Analiza
stanu zdrowia ptaków

8. SPATIAL OCCUPANCY STRATEGY
HOME RANGE SIZE / WIELKOŚĆ AREAŁU LĘGOWEGO
Multi-nuclear outlier-exclusive range core method
(Kenward et al., 2001)
FRAGMENTATION INDEX / INDEX IZOLACJI
Cpart = Σ areas of all clusters / area of the single convex polygon
encompassing all clusters / Suma wszystkich obszarów w
odniesieniu do części wspólnej
DIVERSITY INDICES OF THE HOME RANGES / WSKAŹNIK
RÓŹNORODNOŚCI AREAŁÓW LĘGOWYCH
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Diversity of clusters’ utilisation (DivLocs) / Zróżnicowanie
DivLocs = 1/Σpi
2 (pi = % of locations in cluster i)
Herogeneity of clusters’ surface area (DivArea) / Jednorodność
DivArea = 1/Σpi
2 (pi = % surface of cluster i / Σ of all clusters)

9. CAPTURE METHODS / METODY ODŁOWU
Adults (home range): nets stretched as close as possible
to the nests previously located / Dorosłe łapane w sieci
umieszczane jak najbliżej nor
Juveniles (pollutants): mist nets stretched across
watercourses within the breeding sites / Młodociane łapane
w sieci rozciągnięte nad akwenami
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion

10. SPATIAL OCCUPANCY STRATEGY /
STRATEGIA WYBORU SIEDLISK
Clusters correspond to small wetlands /
Udział typów badanych siedlisk
40% waterholes and forest ponds / naturalne oczka wodne/ leśne
28% small channels and wet ditches / małe kanały
16 % small artificial ponds & small basins (fountains) / sztuczne zbiorniki
12% small rivers / potoki
4% water treatment plant basins / baseny
Habitats with shallow water were the capture of prey
could be most efficient for birds / Płytkie zbiorniki stwarzają
najlepsze warunki dla zdobywania pokarmu
Sensitive habitats to drying risks (drought periods, climate
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Sensitive habitats to drying risks (drought periods, climate
change…) / Obszary podatne na wysychanie

11. SPATIAL OCCUPANCY STRATEGY
STRATEGIA WYBORU SIEDLISK
Small surface areas exploited by birds /
Niewielkie terytoria
Surface areas / Wielkość areałów
Average = 2.50 ± 0.55 ha
95% CI = 1.56 – 3.80 ha
Average : 2.78 ± 0.40 clusters / bird
Fragmentation index / Indeks izolacji
Mean Cpart = 0.36 ± 0.08
95% CI = 0.24 – 0.61
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Diversity indices / Indeks różnorodności
Fairly uniform utilisation of clusters /
Jednorodne wykorzystanie areałów
Mean DivLocs = 2.03 ± 0.30
95% CI = 1.57 – 2.91
Limited heterogenity of the clusters’ surface area /
Ograniczona jednorodność areałów
Mean DivArea = 1.81 ± 0.27
95% CI = 1.40 ‒ 2.62
n = 9 birds (5 males & 4 female)
on 16 individuals sampled in 2018 & 2019

12. MERCURY CONTAMINATION AND RELATION WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS
ZANIECZYSZCZENIE RTĘCIĄ
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Average [Hg] in body feathers = 2.60 ± 0.10 µg.g-1; 95% CI = 2.43 – 2.81; min = 1.05 µg.g-1; max = 6.00 µg.g-1
Body condition index:
residuals of GLM mass ~
wing length
Indeks kondycji ciała,
korelacja masy ciała i
długości skrzydła
GLM body condition index~ [THg]
p < 0.01; F1,109 = 7.15
Negative relation between [Hg] and body condition index
Negative relation between [Hg] and tails’ feather density
GLM feather density ~ [THg]
p = 0.02; F1,109 = 5.73
Feather density: ratio mass /
total length of tail feathers
(one feather collected / bird)
Gęstość upierzenia:
stosunek masy do długości
piór
Evidence of a physiological stress
n = 111 juveniles sampled from 2018 to 2020

13. STUDY OF LECUCOCYTE PROFILS
WITH BLOOD SMEARS / ANALIZA LEUKOCYTÓW
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
MERCURY CONTAMINATION AND RELATION WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS
ZANIECZYSZCZENIE RTĘCIĄ
↗ of hetorophils with [Hg]
↗
Possible inflammatory response
Evidence of health disorders
Positive correlation between [THg]
and the number of heterophils / 100 leucocytes
p = 0.01; χ2 = 6.51; df = 1
n = 64 juveniles sampled in 2018 & 2019

14. MOLECULE OCCURRENCE MEAN (pg.mg-1) MAX (pg.mg-1) MIN (pg.mg-1)
Difenoconazole 95% 61,75 145,49 15,9
Sulcotrione 95% 1276,51 5967,21 497,38
Tebutam 95% 23,39 74,48 2,14
Metamitron 92,5% 39,11 103,45 3,39
Cyproconazole 90% 64,40 186,86 10,89
Prothioconazole 85% 41,84 284,87 8,73
Fluroxypyr 72,5% 1291,62 5812,28 453,85
Chloridazon 70% 213,51 842,94 7,36
Fenpropidin 67,5% 215,91 477,66 75,58
Cypermethrin 60% 142,31 353,77 26,21
PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS (PPPS) CONTAMINATION /
OBECNOŚĆ I POZIOM PESTYCYDÓW
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results - Conclusion
Cypermethrin 60% 142,31 353,77 26,21
Indoxacarb 52,5% 598,11 1242,69 18,67
Pyraclostrobin 52,5% 450,04 964,85 179,96
Diflufenican 50% 121,51 298,5 29,73
34 molecules of PPPs detected out of the 110 searched in the total blood of juveniles
Average = 12.18 ± 0.74 molecules / individual
95% CI = 10.65 – 13.62
Minimum = 2; maximum = 22
n = 111 juveniles sampled in 2021
13 molecules with an occurrence rate exceeding or equal to 50%,
i.e. 13 molecules detected in 50% or more of the sampled individuals

15. MOLECULE OCCURRENCE MEAN (pg.mg-1) MAX (pg.mg-1) MIN (pg.mg-1)
Difenoconazole 95% 61,75 145,49 15,9
Sulcotrione 95% 1276,51 5967,21 497,38
Tebutam 95% 23,39 74,48 2,14
Metamitron 92,5% 39,11 103,45 3,39
Cyproconazole 90% 64,40 186,86 10,89
Prothioconazole 85% 41,84 284,87 8,73
Fluroxypyr 72,5% 1291,62 5812,28 453,85
Chloridazon 70% 213,51 842,94 7,36
Fenpropidin 67,5% 215,91 477,66 75,58
Cypermethrin 60% 142,31 353,77 26,21
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS (PPPS) CONTAMINATION
OBECNOŚĆ I POZIOM PESTYCYDÓW
High concentration revealed for different molecules
Ex: difenoconazole: concentrations measured comparable to levels documented for the
Eurasian Blackbirds (Turdus merula) sampled in vineyards where azoles are intensely
used (Angelier et al., 2023).
Cypermethrin 60% 142,31 353,77 26,21
Indoxacarb 52,5% 598,11 1242,69 18,67
Pyraclostrobin 52,5% 450,04 964,85 179,96
Diflufenican 50% 121,51 298,5 29,73

16. PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS (PPPS) CONTAMINATION
OOBECNOŚĆ I POZIOM PESTYCYDÓW
No correlation between the body condition of birds / Brak zależności pomiędzy kondycją i całkowitym poziomem pestycydów
and the total concentration of molecules
GLM: body condition ~ Σ concentrations : p = 0.27; F1,38 = 1.28
The total concentration of molecules is not explained by the “volume” of birds
Trend for a positive correlation was observed between the body condition of birds / Pozytywna korelacja pomiędzy kondycją i
and the total concentration of molecules weighted by LD50-1 / Poziomem cząstek o masie LD50-1
GLM: body condition ~ Σ (concentrations i / LD50 i) : p = 0.08; F1,38 = 3.19
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
Probable toxic burden effect with metabolic disruptions
including obesogenic effects / Możliwy efekt zatrucia
toksycznego skutkującego otyłością

17. Our study highlights:
1 – The need for conservation and ecological restoration
policies to consider small wetlands sensitive to global
changes to preserve populations of European
Kingfishers / Konieczność ochrony niewielkich akwenów
będących ważnym siedliskiem dla zimorodka
2 – A high risk of contamination of European Kingfishers in
Europe by trace elements such as mercury, with evidence
of physiological stress. Vigilance towards the spreading of
sewage sludges and phosphatic mineral fertilisers / Wysokie
ryzyko zanieczyszczenia pierwiastkami śladowymi (np. Rtęć)
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
ryzyko zanieczyszczenia pierwiastkami śladowymi (np. Rtęć)
z nawozów mineralnych lub organicznych i powodowanych
negatywnych skutków ubocznych
© chemtrust.org

18. 3 – A high risk of contamination by pesticides, with
possible negative effects on the health status of individuals.
Interest of ecological barriers (hedgerows…) to limit the
circulation of pollutants through the soils /
Wysokie ryzyko zanieczyszczeń pestycydami i możliwy
negatywny wpływ na zdrowie
4 – The relevance of apex predators like the European
Kingfisher in assessing the risks of wetland
contamination by trace elements or organic pollutants /
Znaczenie drapieżników końcowych w śledzeniu ryzyk
wpływu zanieczyszczeń pierwiastkami śladowymi i
organicznymi
Introduction – Study site – Methods – Results – Conclusion
organicznymi
© Gary Bentrup, USDA National Agroforestry Center

19. Acknowledgments: Lotek Wireless Inc., José Abete, Mélina
Bastianelli, Clémentine Bely, Malaury Crépin, Olivier
Dehorter, Sarah Diamma, Carla Dréon, Bruno Michaud, and
Khadija Oumaskour.
Funding: Department of Charente-Maritime and Nouvelle-
Aquitaine Region.