Identification of Natal Locales of Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) by Trace-Element Analysis of Feathers

Abstract

Abstract Samples of secondary remiges collected from nestling Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in Alaska and western Greenland were analyzed for trace-element content using instrumental neutron-activation analysis. Concentrations of 14 trace elements were subjected to a series of multivariate discriminant function analyses to ascertain whether or not these concentrations could be used to identify the geographic origins of the birds sampled. Individual falcons from the three areas studied can be placed in their proper natal locale with 100% predictability. Mercury (Hg) was the best individual discriminator for separating sample groupings. Aluminum (A1) and Vanadium (V), in conjunction with Hg, provided the most discriminant trio of elements when various groupings of element concentrations were considered as predictors.