High PBDE concentrations have been detected in the eggs of the sexually dimorphic Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) but little is known about contamination levels in adult birds and how this may vary with age and sex. We characterised liver PBDE concentrations in 59 sparrowhawks that had died in central Britain between 1998 and 2009 and determined how concentrations varied with sex, age, body condition and breeding status. Five BDE congeners (99 > 153 > 47 > 100 > 154) predominated and ΣPBDE concentrations were 10–15 fold and 2–3 fold higher in starved than non-starved adult and juvenile sparrowhawks, respectively. This was likely due to a combination of remobilisation of residues from other tissues and liver wastage. Liver ΣPBDE concentrations did not vary with sex but were greater in adults than juveniles, suggestive of accumulation with age. Overall, liver ΣPBDE concentrations ranged from 43.4 to 68,040 ng/g lipid weight, amongst the highest concentrations reported in birds anywhere.

Eggs from aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) nesting in Chihuahua and Veracruz, Mexico, were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs. p,p′-DDE was the only organochlorine found in all eggs at concentrations ranging from 0.13 to 7.85 μg/g wet weight. PCBs ranged from 0.04 to 2.80 μg/g wet weight and PBDEs from 62 to 798 ng/g lipid weight. DDE concentrations in eggs were not significantly different among regions; however, PCBs were significantly greater (P = 0.015) in Tinaja Verde, Chihuahua than in the other three regions. Also, PBDEs were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in eggs from Veracruz than in those from Chihuahua. DDE concentrations in eggs were much lower than those associated with eggshell thinning. PBDEs and PCBs were lower than those reported in raptors from industrialized countries. Overall, contaminant concentrations observed suggest no likely impact on hatching success. The PBDE concentrations are among the first to be reported in raptor species in Mexico.

Compared to organochlorines, little is known about polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) contamination of birds of prey breeding in the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S. This study examined and compared PBDE contamination in eggs of osprey, double-crested cormorant, brown pelican and peregrine falcon from this area. Several legacy persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs and DDE were also investigated. The level of urbanization of the landscape appeared to influence the level of PBDE exposure. PBDE congener distribution patterns varied between piscivorous and terrestrial-feeding birds. This suggests individual congeners may be subject to differences in bioaccumulation, biomagnification or metabolism in the aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Biomagnification of PBDEs was studied in the Bay aquatic food chains for the first time. A biomagnification factor of 25.1 was estimated for ΣPBDEs for the fish - osprey egg food chain. Hazard quotients, applied as a preliminary evaluation, indicated that PBDEs may pose a moderate hazard to ospreys and peregrine falcons through impairment of reproductive performance.