Changes in White Blood Cell Parameters of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) Exposed to Low Levels of Oil

Little is known about sublethal effects on birds of low level exposure to oil. White blood cell parameters (total leukocyte counts and/or differentials) were measured in blood samples from Common Terns (Sterna hirundo; n = 71) exposed to low levels of oil from an oil spill in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, in 2003. Data from Common Terns (n = 16) sampled at the same site in a non-spill year were used for reference. Total leukocytes and lymphocytes...