The reproductive success of wild birds has been affected by exposure to multiple contaminants. Reproduction of captive @entity41376 ( @entity41376 ) was suppressed when adult birds were exposed to dietary @entity3215 ( @entity3215 ). In this study, the reproductive effects of in ovo exposure to @entity3215 is explored, along with determining effects on reproduction in second-generation birds indirectly exposed to @entity3215 . Reproductive changes in this subsequent generation are examined separately in male and female birds. Captive @entity41376 (F. sparerius) were hatched from clutches with eggs containing environmentally relevant levels of total @entity3215 (34.0 microg/g whole egg WW versus 0 microg/g controls); parent birds had been fed @entity5241 -spiked (Aroclor 1248:1254:1260) food (7 mg/kg BW day(-1)) for 100 days until their eggs hatched. In 1999, the second-generation @entity5241 birds were paired with unexposed kestrels having reproductive experience. In ovo @entity5241 exposure suppressed egg laying completely in 25% of @entity5241 females and resulted in delays in clutch initiation and smaller clutch sizes for @entity5241 male and female pairs. There was no evidence in this study of in ovo @entity5241 treatment effects on fertility or hatching success. The decline in reproductive success was also reflected in the reduced fledging success and higher incidence of complete brood mortality of @entity5241 nestlings. Differences between in ovo-exposed @entity5241 males and females but not between controls were evident in reproductive success. In ovo @entity5241 exposure appears to have had greater effects on female kestrels until clutch completion, with a greater time lag between pairing and egg laying, reduced numbers of pairs laying eggs, and smaller clutches being laid. In ovo @entity5241 exposure has greater effects later in the breeding season on male kestrels, which had poorer hatching and fledging success relative to the @entity5241 females. Possible behavioral and physiological mechanisms involved in these reproductive changes are discussed.

In ovo exposure to @entity3215 : reproductive effects on second-generation XXXX .

@entity41376 :: ('56350', 'Species') :: ['Falco sparverius', 'American kestrels'] @entity3215 :: ('MESH:D011078', 'Chemical') :: ['polychlorinated biphenyls', 'PCBs'] @entity5241 :: ('CHEBI:47136', 'Chemical') :: ['PCB']
@entity41376 :: (56350,Species) :: ['American kestrels']
