Mercury is a widely available pollutant associated with negative effects on wildlife, especially top predators. Here, we characterized the mercury concentrations in feathers of Striated Caracara Phalcoboenus australis on Isla de los Estados (Argentina). With feather mercury levels averaging 26.3 mg/kg, this population has the highest mean feather mercury ever reported for a bird population in South America. We propose that the high mercury concentrations are related to the feeding habits of the species: during feather moult, they are strongly associated with a Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) colony known to be highly exposed to mercury contamination. Our results suggest that this Striated Caracara population should be monitored for acute effects and potential impacts of mercury toxicity.

汞是一种广泛使用的污染物，对野生动物，尤其是顶级捕食者有负面影响。在这里，我们表征了Isla de los Estados（阿根廷）的Striated Caracara Phalcoboenus australis羽毛中的汞浓度。羽毛汞含量平均为 26.3 毫克/千克，是南美洲鸟类有史以来报告的最高平均羽毛汞含量。我们认为高汞浓度与该物种的摄食习惯有关：在羽毛换羽期间，它们与南跳岩企鹅（Eudyptes chrysocome）密切相关。) 已知高度暴露于汞污染的菌落。我们的结果表明，应监测这种条纹长尾鳄种群的急性影响和汞毒性的潜在影响。