Contaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota

Pamela J. Pietz; Marsha A. Sovada; Christine M. Custer; Thomas W. Custer; Kevin M. Johnson

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70039107

Contaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota

Pamela J. Pietz·Marsha A. Sovada·Christine M. Custer·Thomas W. Custer·Kevin M. Johnson

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are colonial nesters, making them susceptible to site-specific mortality factors. One of the largest known breeding colonies is at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. In 2004, this colony suffered total reproductive failure. In 2005, we collected abandoned eggs from this colony to test for environmental contaminants. Nine eggs were analyzed for 28 organochlorine pesticides, total polychlorinated biphenyls, and 26 inorganic elements. Based on concentrations in this sample of eggs and levels linked to reproductive problems in birds, adult pelicans in the Chase Lake breeding colony are not at known risk from any of the environmental contaminants we measured.

Explore related subjects

Canadian Field-Naturalist Article

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Pamela J. Pietz, Marsha A. Sovada, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Kevin M. Johnson. 2008. Contaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70039107

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2024

An observation of incest avoidance in Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

Free-ranging Gray Wolf ( Canis lupus ) tends to avoid inbreeding, but there is no information about how they manage this avoidance. Our observation of a female wolf in Yellowstone National Park actively rebuffing her father’s sexual advances but then copulating with a distantly related male is the first and only report of one means by which wolf pack members avoid inbreeding.

Wyoming↗

USGS2019

Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) recolonization failure: A Minnesota case study

During the past few decades, Gray Wolves ( Canis lupus ) have recolonized many areas in the United States and Europe. In many other cases, however, although dispersing wolves reached areas with adequate prey, a population failed to recolonize. Herein, we provide a case study detailing how a wolf pack attempted for three years to recolonize an area 55 km from a long-established population and within 25 km of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, but failed. The pack produced three litters of pups and at one time included 11–19 members, but it preyed on livestock and dogs and, consequently, was lethally removed. The history of this pack’s attempt to recolonize an area long devoid of wolves exemplifies the issues that have prevented earlier recolonizations in non-wild lands in Minnesota and elsewhere and that promise to do so well into the future.

Minnesota↗

USGS2017

Extinguishing a learned response in a free-ranging gray wolf (Canis lupus)

A free-ranging Gray Wolf (Canis lupus), habituated to human presence (the author) on Ellesmere Island, Canada, learned to anticipate experimental feeding by a human, became impatient, persistent, and bold and exhibited stalking behaviour toward the food source. Only after the author offered the wolf about 90 clumps of dry soil over a period of 45 minutes in three bouts, did the wolf give up this behaviour. To my knowledge, this is the first example of extinguishing a learned response in a free-ranging wolf and provides new insight into the learning behaviour of such animals.

Ellesmere Island↗