DIFFERENCES IN BIOACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS AND METALLOIDS BETWEEN BARBS AND CALAMUS OF TAIL FEATHERS OF WHITE BACKED VULTURES (GYPS AFRICANUS)

Current study was designed to validate the use of tail feathers as non-invasivebiomonitoring tool and compare its barb calamus parts for bioaccumulation heavy metals viz.Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Hg As in white backed vulture (Gyps africanus). A total 8 samplescollected from eight birds were analyzed. All studied except detectedin G. Africanus. We corroborated non-invasive biomonitoringtool all As. In general, followed trend asPb>Cd>Cr>Cu. Concentrations trace higher barbs than reflecting possibleexternal deposition. Comparison revealed non-significant (P> 0.05) differencesbetween parts. concluded that are promising contamination.