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At least 1,531 records · Page 85Linked to original sources
USGS2017

High altitude flights by ruddy shelduck Tadorna ferruginea during trans-Himalayan migrations

Birds that migrate across high altitude mountain ranges are faced with the challenge of maintaining vigorous exercise in environments with limited oxygen. Ruddy shelducks are known to use wintering grounds south of the Tibetan Plateau at sea level and breeding grounds north of Himalayan mountain range. Therefore, it is likely these shelducks are preforming high altitude migrations. In this study we analyse satellite telemetry data collected from 15 ruddy shelduck from two populations wintering south of the Tibetan Plateau from 2007 to 2011. During north and south migrations ruddy shelduck travelled 1481 km (range 548–2671 km) and 1238 km (range 548–2689 km) respectively. We find mean maximum altitudes of birds in flight reached 5590 m (range of means 4755–6800 m) and mean maximum climb rates of 0.45 m s –1 (range 0.23–0.74 m s –1 ). The ruddy shelduck is therefore an extreme high altitude migrant that has likely evolved a range of physiological adaptations in order to complete their migrations.

Journal of Avian Biology↗
USGS2010

Islands at bay: Rising seas, eroding islands, and waterbird habitat loss in Chesapeake Bay (USA)

Like many resources in the Chesapeake Bay region of the U.S., many waterbird nesting populations have suffered over the past three to four decades. In this study, historic information for the entire Bay and recent results from the Tangier Sound region were evaluated to illustrate patterns of island erosion and habitat loss for 19 breeding species of waterbirds. Aerial imagery and field data collected in the nesting season were the primary sources of data. From 1993/1994 to 2007/2008, a group of 15 islands in Tangier Sound, Virginia were reduced by 21% in area, as most of their small dunes and associated vegetation and forest cover were lost to increased washovers. Concurrently, nesting American black ducks ( Anas rubripes) declined by 66% , wading birds (herons-egrets) by 51%, gulls by 72%, common terns (Sterna hirundo) by 96% and black skimmers ( Rynchops niger ) by about 70% in this complex. The declines noted at the larger Bay-wide scale suggest that this study area maybe symptomatic of a systemic limitation of nesting habitat for these species. The island losses noted in the Chesapeake have also been noted in other Atlantic U.S. coastal states. Stabilization and/or restoration of at least some of the rapidly eroding islands at key coastal areas are critical to help sustain waterbird communities.

Virginia↗
USGS2020

Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration

Lake water levels are often managed in shallow lakes in order to improve water quality and promote aquatic vegetation that presumably benefits water birds. We aimed to understand whether waterbird abundance and species richness during fall migrations were positively influenced by managed lake water levels at 32 shallow lakes over 10 years. We conducted annual waterbird surveys that totaled 6 million birds counted and we repeatedly measured several in-lake habitat variables. Lakes with water level management had lower water depths, greater water quality and clarity, more submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and more wild rice (Zizania palustris) compared to unmanaged lakes. Redundancy analysis and regressions revealed that the waterbird community and several waterbird species were positively correlated to water level management and SAV; however, waterbirds were apparently responding principally to abundant SAV regardless of water depth or management. Two presented case studies of turbid-state lakes also highlighted that water level management rehabilitated lake habitat and waterbird use for a few years. We concluded that water level management can be an effective tool for increasing SAV and migrating waterbirds but noted large bird communities can also occur on unmanaged, deeper wetlands with existing SAV coverage of >80%.

Minnesota↗
USGS2011

A multi-species framework for landscape conservation planning

 Rapidly changing landscapes have spurred the need for quantitative methods for conservation assessment and planning that encompass large spatial extents. We devised and tested a multispecies framework for conservation planning to complement single-species assessments and ecosystem-level approaches. Our framework consisted of 4 elements: sampling to effectively estimate population parameters, measuring how human activity affects landscapes at multiple scales, analyzing the relation between landscape characteristics and individual species occurrences, and evaluating and comparing the responses of multiple species to landscape modification. We applied the approach to a community of terrestrial birds across 25,000 km 2 with a range of intensities of human development. Human modification of land cover, road density, and other elements of the landscape, measured at multiple spatial extents, had large effects on occupancy of the 67 species studied. Forest composition within 1 km of points had a strong effect on occupancy of many species and a range of negative, intermediate, and positive associations. Road density within 1 km of points, percent evergreen forest within 300 m, and distance from patch edge were also strongly associated with occupancy for many species. We used the occupancy results to group species into 11 guilds that shared patterns of association with landscape characteristics. Our multispecies approach to conservation planning allowed us to quantify the trade-offs of different scenarios of land-cover change in terms of species occupancy.

Conservation Biology↗
USGS2003

Plasma cholinesterase levels of mountain plovers (Charadrius montanus) wintering in central California, USA

Declines of over 60% in mountain plover ( Charadrius montanus ) populations over the past 30 years have made it a species of concern throughout its current range and a proposed species for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Wintering mountain plovers spend considerable time on freshly plowed agricultural fields where they may potentially be exposed to anticholinesterase pesticides. Because of the population status and wintering ecology of plovers, the objectives of our study were to use nondestructive methods to report baseline plasma cholinesterase (ChE) levels in free-ranging mountain plovers wintering in California, USA, and to assess whether sampled birds showed signs of ChE inhibition related to anticholinesterase chemical exposure. We compared plasma ChE activity for mountain plovers sampled from the Carrizo Plain (an area relatively free of anticholinesterase pesticide use) with similar measures for plovers from the Central Valley (where anticholinesterase pesticides are widely used). Analyses for ChE inhibition indicated that none of the plovers had been recently exposed to these chemicals. However, mean ChE levels of plovers from the Central Valley were significantly higher (32%) than levels reported for plovers from the Carrizo Plain. This result differs from our original assumption of higher exposure risk to mountain plovers in the Central Valley but does suggest that some effect is occurring in the ChE activity of mountain plovers wintering in California.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS2014

Utilizing hunter harvest effort to survey for wildlife disease: a case study of West Nile virus in greater sage-grouse

Greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ; sage-grouse) are highly susceptible to infection with West Nile virus (WNV), with substantial mortality reported in wild populations and in experimentally infected birds. Although sage-grouse are hunted throughout much of their range, they have also recently been considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. We used blood samples collected on filter-paper strips during the 2006–2010 Oregon, USA, annual sage-grouse hunt to survey for specific WNV-neutralizing antibodies that indicate a previous infection with WNV. During this period, hunters submitted 1,880 blood samples from sage-grouse they harvested. Samples obtained were proportional for all 12 Oregon sage-grouse hunting units. Laboratory testing of 1,839 samples by the WNV epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) followed by plaque reduction neutralization test on bELISA-positive samples yielded 19 (1%) and 1 (0.05%) positive samples, respectively. These data provided early baseline information for future comparisons regarding the prevalence of WNV-specific neutralizing antibodies in sage-grouse in Oregon. This methodology may provide other states where sage-grouse (or other species) populations are hunted and where WNV constitutes a species conservation concern with a viable option to track the relative prevalence of the virus in populations.

Oregon↗
USGS2015

Aquatic invertebrate food base for waterbirds at Wetland Reserve Program easements in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Migratory waterbirds depend on invertebrates as a key source of dietary protein, but few studies have quantified aquatic invertebrates or their response to management on privately owned wetlands. Our objectives were to quantify the effects of wetland management provided through the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI) on invertebrate biomass, family richness, and secondary production at Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) easements in Arkansas and Missouri. We collected core and sweep-net samples bi-weekly in autumn 2011 and sweep samples in winter 2012 at WRP easements enrolled in MBHI ( n  = 13), WRP easements not enrolled in MBHI ( n  = 12), and intensively managed public wetlands ( n  = 7) in Arkansas and Missouri. Overall mean (±SE) invertebrate biomass and production during autumn were 11.96 (±1.29) kg/ha and 1.57 (±1.09) kg/ha*season, and during winter were 3.96 (±0.55) kg/ha and 1.38 (±0.11), respectively. Macroinvertebrate biomass and family richness did not differ among wetland types or management practices, including inundation and mowing. Secondary macroinvertebrate production during autumn was 200 % greater on MBHI contracts compared to WRP easements. During winter, production was 40 % greater on MBHI and WRP easements compared to public wetlands. Our results suggest that with management, wetlands enrolled in conservation easement programs can be an important source of invertebrate production for migratory waterbirds.

Wetlands↗
USGS2011

Semi-quantitative evaluation of fecal contamination potential by human and ruminant sources using multiple lines of evidence

Protocols for microbial source tracking of fecal contamination generally are able to identify when a source of contamination is present, but thus far have been unable to evaluate what portion of fecal-indicator bacteria (FIB) came from various sources. A mathematical approach to estimate relative amounts of FIB, such as Escherichia coli , from various sources based on the concentration and distribution of microbial source tracking markers in feces was developed. The approach was tested using dilute fecal suspensions, then applied as part of an analytical suite to a contaminated headwater stream in the Rocky Mountains (Upper Fountain Creek, Colorado). In one single-source fecal suspension, a source that was not present could not be excluded because of incomplete marker specificity; however, human and ruminant sources were detected whenever they were present. In the mixed-feces suspension (pet and human), the minority contributor (human) was detected at a concentration low enough to preclude human contamination as the dominant source of E. coli to the sample. Without the semi-quantitative approach described, simple detects of human-associated marker in stream samples would have provided inaccurate evidence that human contamination was a major source of E. coli to the stream. In samples from Upper Fountain Creek the pattern of E. coli , general and host-associated microbial source tracking markers, nutrients, and wastewater-associated chemical detections—augmented with local observations and land-use patterns—indicated that, contrary to expectations, birds rather than humans or ruminants were the predominant source of fecal contamination to Upper Fountain Creek. This new approach to E. coli allocation, validated by a controlled study and tested by application in a relatively simple setting, represents a widely applicable step forward in the field of microbial source tracking of fecal contamination.

Water Research↗
USGS2003

Use of retrospective data to assess ecotoxicological monitoring needs for terrestrial vertebrates residing in Atlantic coast estuaries

The “Contaminant Exposure and Effects–Terrestrial Vertebrates” (CEE-TV) database contains 4,336 records of ecotoxicological information for free-ranging amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals residing in Atlantic and Florida Gulf coast estuaries and their drainages. To identify spatial data gaps, those CEE-TV records for which the specific study location were known ( n =2,740) were combined with watershed and wildlife management unit boundaries using Geographic Information Systems software. The US Environmental Protection Agency's Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI), which classifies watersheds based on water quality and their vulnerability to pollution, was used to prioritize these data gaps. Of 136 watersheds in the study area, 15 that are classified by the IWI as having water quality problems or high vulnerability to pollution lacked terrestrial vertebrate ecotoxicological monitoring or research in the past decade. Older studies within some of these watersheds documented high levels of contaminants in wildlife tissues. Of 90 National Wildlife Refuge units, 42 without current data fall within watersheds of concern. Of 40 National Park units larger than 1 km 2 , 17 without current data fall within watersheds of concern. Issues encountered in this analysis highlighted the need for spatially and temporally replicated field monitoring programs that utilize random sampling. Without data from such studies, it will be difficult to perform unbiased assessments of regional trends in contaminant exposure and effects in terrestrial vertebrates.

Ecotoxicology↗
USGS2004

Autumn migration and wintering areas of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus nesting on the Kola Peninsula, northern Russia

Four female Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus breeding on the Kola Peninsula, Russia, were fitted with satellite-received transmitters in 1994. Their breeding home ranges averaged 1175 (sd = ±714) km 2 , and overlapped considerably. All left their breeding grounds in September and migrated generally south-west along the Baltic Sea. The mean travel rate for three falcons was 190 km/day. Two Falcons wintered on the coasts of France and in southern Spain, which were, respectively, 2909 and 4262 km from their breeding sites. Data on migration routes suggested that Falcons took a near-direct route to the wintering areas. No prolonged stopovers were apparent. The 90% minimum convex polygon winter range of a bird that migrated to Spain encompassed 213 km 2 ( n = 54). The area of the 50% minimum convex polygon was 21.5 km 2 ( n = 29). Data from this study agree with others from North America that show that Falcons breeding in a single area do not necessarily follow the same migratory path southward and do not necessarily use the same wintering grounds.

Kola Peninsula↗
USGS1986

Bird predation on cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in wheat fields and chlorpyrifos effects on brain cholinesterase activity

Horned larks, Eremophila alpestris (L.), and McCown's longspurs, Calcarius mccownii (Lawrence), were collected at intervals from two winter wheat fields in Montana after aerial application of chlorpyrifos to control cutworms. Both bird species had a high (95–100%) incidence of Lepidoptera, mostly pale western cutworms, Agrotis orthogonia Morrison, in their stomachs at 3 days postspray. Incidence of cutworms and other insects in stomachs of birds from sprayed fields was lower at 9 and 16 days postspray than in control birds, presumably due to insecticide-caused reduction of insects. Effects of birds on population dynamics of insect pests in wheat are unknown, but birds do contribute to cutworm mortality. Predation is one of the limiting factors to cutworm increase and can supplement insecticidal control. Brain cholinesterase activity in horned larks collected from the sprayed fields at 3 and 9 days postspray was significantly lower than in unexposed larks, but at 16 days the difference was not significant. Although nontarget birds clearly were exposed to chlorpyrifos and manifested a sublethal physiological response, toxic effects were lesssevere than those resulting from endrin application for cutworm control in wheat. More study is needed of larger chlorpyrifos-treated fields under a variety of conditions to fully assess effects on nontarget life.

Environmental Entomology↗
USGS2017

Passive restoration following ungulate removal in a highly disturbed tropical wet forest devoid of native seed dispersers

Overabundant ungulate populations can alter forests. Concurrently, global declines of seed dispersers may threaten native forest structure and function. On an island largely devoid of native vertebrate seed dispersers, we monitored forest succession for 7 years following ungulate exclusion from a 5-ha area and adjacent plots with ungulates still present. We observed succession from open scrub to forest and understory cover by non-native plants declined. Two trees, native Hibiscus tiliaceus and non-native Leucaena leucocephala , accounted for most forest regeneration, with the latter dominant. Neither species is dependent on animal dispersers nor was there strong evidence that plants dependent on dispersers migrated into the 5-ha study area. Passive restoration following ungulate removal may facilitate restoration, but did not show promise for fully restoring native forest on Guam. Restoration of native forest plants in bird depopulated areas will likely require active outplanting of native seedlings, control of factors resulting in bird loss, and reintroduction of seed dispersers.

Guam↗
USGS2004

Woodland type and spatial distribution of nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)

Spatial distribution patterns of black-legged ticks, Ixodes scapularis , in deciduous and coniferous woodlands were studied by sampling ticks in different woodland types and at sites from which deer had been excluded and by quantifying movement patterns of tick host animals (mammals and birds) at the Lighthouse Tract, Fire Island, NY, from 1994 to 2000. Densities of nymphal ticks were greater in deciduous than coniferous woods in 3 of 7 yr. Only engorged ticks survived the winter, and overwintering survival of engorged larvae in experimental enclosures did not differ between deciduous and coniferous woods. Nymphs were not always most abundant in the same forest type as they had been as larvae, and the habitat shift between life stages differed in direction in different years. Therefore, forest type by itself did not account for tick distribution patterns. Nymphal densities were lower where deer had been excluded compared with areas with deer present for 3 yr after exclusion, suggesting that movement patterns of vertebrate hosts influenced tick distribution, but nymphal densities increased dramatically in one of the enclosures in the fourth year. Therefore, movements of ticks on animal hosts apparently contribute substantially to tick spatial distribution among woodland types, but the factor(s) that determine spatial distribution of nymphal I. scapularis shift from year to year.

New York↗
USGS2014

Understanding the value of imperfect science from national estimates of bird mortality from window collisions

The publication of a U.S. estimate of bird–window collisions by Loss et al. is an example of the somewhat contentious approach of using extrapolations to obtain large-scale estimates from small-scale studies. We review the approach by Loss et al. and other authors who have published papers on human-induced avian mortality and describe the drawbacks and advantages to publishing what could be considered imperfect science. The main drawback is the inherent and somewhat unquantifiable bias of using small-scale studies to scale up to a national estimate. The direct benefits include development of new methodologies for creating the estimates, an explicit treatment of known biases with acknowledged uncertainty in the final estimate, and the novel results. Other overarching benefits are that these types of papers are catalysts for improving all aspects of the science of estimates and for policies that must respond to the new information.

Condor↗
USGS2007

Daily foraging patterns of adult Double-crested Cormorants during the breeding season

We recorded the daily presence of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) at the nesting island on Oneida Lake, New York, by monitoring the activities of 15 radio-tagged adults from July through September, 2000, using an automated data-logging receiver. A total of 24,464 acceptable detections was obtained for adult cormorants actively attempting to nest on the lake. Tagged cormorants had a bimodal dally activity pattern during the first month, with the fewest birds detected on the island at 09.00 h and 15.00 h Eastern daylight time. The pattern of activity appeared to change slightly in the second month of the study, representative of a post-breeding period for the colony, with a shift from a less synchronous pattern of departures to a greater focus on morning activity also centered around 09.30 h. These results correspond with daily observations of Great Cormorant (P. carbo) foraging activities reported for colonies in Africa and Poland. The data also support the possibility of nocturnal foraging activity, not previously reported for this species on their summer breeding grounds. No correlation was found between total number of daily detections and climatalogical factors or events.

Waterbirds↗
USGS2000

Sexing adult black-legged kittiwakes by DNA, behavior, and morphology

We sexed adult Black-legged Kittiwakes ( Rissa tridactyla ) using DNA-based genetic techniques, behavior and morphology and compared results from these techniques. Genetic and morphology data were collected on 605 breeding kittiwakes and sex-specific behaviors were recorded for a sub-sample of 285 of these individuals. We compared sex classification based on both genetic and behavioral techniques for this sub-sample to assess the accuracy of the genetic technique. DNA-based techniques correctly sexed 97.2% and sex-specific behaviors, 96.5% of this sub-sample. We used the corrected genetic classifications from this sub-sample and the genetic classifications for the remaining birds, under the assumption they were correct, to develop predictive morphometric discriminant function models for all 605 birds. These models accurately predicted the sex of 73-96% of individuals examined, depending on the sample of birds used and the characters included. The most accurate single measurement for determining sex was length of head plus bill, which correctly classified 88% of individuals tested. When both members of a pair were measured, classification levels improved and approached the accuracy of both behavioral observations and genetic analyses. Morphometric techniques were only slightly less accurate than genetic techniques but were easier to implement in the field and less costly. Behavioral observations, while highly accurate, required that birds be easily observable during the breeding season and that birds be identifiable. As such, sex-specific behaviors may best be applied as a confirmation of sex for previously marked birds. All three techniques thus have the potential to be highly accurate, and the selection of one or more will depend on the circumstances of any particular field study.

Alaska↗
USGS2008

Winter survival of Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola in central Italy

The Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola is a popular game bird in much of Europe. However, little is known about its population dynamics. We estimated winter survival of woodcock in a protected area with no hunting in central Italy. We radio-tagged 68 woodcocks with battery-powered radio-transmitters during 2001-2005. Woodcocks were captured in fields at night from November through February and fitted with radios. Birds were classified on capture as juveniles or adults using plumage characteristics. Woodcocks were relocated daily through March of each year or until they died, disappeared from the study area, or until their radio failed. We constructed a set of eight competing models of daily survival for the period 1 December - 28 February. Estimates of survival were obtained using the program SURVIV and Akaike's Information Criteria. The best model suggested daily survival was a constant 0.9985 (95% CI = 0.9972-0.9998), corresponding to a survival rate of 0.88 (SE = 0.05) for the 90-day winter study period. Our estimate of juvenile survival is higher than previously reported, and may reflect the protected status of the study area. Our estimates of winter survival may be helpful in managing harvested woodcock populations as well as in conserving populations in an increasingly urbanised environment. ?? Wildlife Biology (2008).

Wildlife Biology↗
USGS2009

Lead poisoning in wild birds

Lead in its various forms has been used for thousands of years, originally in cooking utensils and glazes and more recently in many industrial and commercial applications. However, lead is a potent, potentially deadly toxin that damages many organs in the body and can affect all animals, including humans. By the mid 1990s, lead had been removed from many products in the United States, such as paint and fuel, but it is still commonly used in ammunition for hunting upland game birds, small mammals, and large game animals, as well as in fishing tackle. Wild birds, such as mourning doves, bald eagles, California condors, and loons, can die from the ingestion of one lead shot, bullet fragment, or sinker. According to a recent study on loon mortality, nearly half of adult loons found sick or dead during the breeding season in New England were diagnosed with confirmed or suspected lead poisoning from ingestion of lead fishing weights. Recent regulations in some states have restricted the use of lead ammunition on certain upland game hunting areas, as well as lead fishing tackle in areas frequented by common loons and trumpeter swans. A variety of alternatives to lead are available for use in hunting, shooting sports, and fishing activities.

Fact Sheet↗