Abstract:
It is essential to determine the basal pattern of different biomarkers for future evaluation of animal health and
biomonitoring studies. Due to their great displacement capacity and to being at the top of their food chains, birds of
prey are suitable for monitoring purposes. Furthermore, some birds of prey are adapted to using resources in urban
places, providing information about this environment. Thus, this study determined the basal frequency of micronuclei
and other nuclear alterations in peripheral blood erythrocytes of Falco peregrinus. Hematological and inorganic
elements analysis were also performed. For this purpose, 13 individuals (7 females and 6 males) were sampled in
private breeding grounds. Micronucleus, nuclear buds, nucleoplasmic bridges, notched nuclei, binucleated cells and
nuclear tails were quantified. Inorganic elements detected included the macro-elements Ca, P, Mg, Na, Cl, S and K as
well as the micro-elements Fe, Al and Zn. Our study found similar values compared to previous studies determining
the reference ranges of hematologic parameters in falcons. The only different value was observed in the relative
number of monocytes. Thus, this study is the first approach to obtaining reference values of cytogenetic damage in
this species and could be useful for future comparisons in biomonitoring studies.
