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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
USGS1995

Successful nesting behavior of Puerto Rican parrots

We analyzed nesting behavior of five pairs of the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata) during eight successful nesting attempts. Each stage of the nesting cycle (egg laying, incubation, early chick rearing, and late chick rearing) was characterized by distinct trends or levels of behavior. During egg laying, female attentiveness to tile nest increased, and male attentiveness decreased. Throughout incubation and the first several days of early chick rearing, females were highly attentive to their nests, whereas males rarely entered the nest cavities. Female attentiveness then began to decline. Male attentiveness to the nest was sporadic until chicks were 10-12 days old. when all males began to enter their nests at least once each day. During late chick rearing, both male and female attentiveness were erratic and highly variable. Biologists may be able to use these results to identify nest problems and the need for management intervention when patterns of nest attentiveness deviate from the limits described in this study..

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1993

Eggs, nests, and nesting behavior of akiapolaau (Drepanidinae)

We describe the fifth verified nest and first verified egg of the Akiapolaau (Hemignathus munroi), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper. We dispute the validity of Bryan?s (1905a) description of three eggs and two nests of the Akiapolaau. Eggs that he attributed to this species were much smaller than ours, and his nest descriptions did not match the only nest apparently belonging to the Akiapolaau in the B. P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, where Bryan worked. Twigs and bark were distinctively combined in the nest that we examined. We compare eggs and nests of the Akiapolaau with those of other Hawaiian honeycreepers.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1994

Winter movements and spring migration of American woodcock along the Atlantic coast

Radio transmitters were attached to American Woodcock (scolopax minor) at three Atlantic coastal sites to monitor winter movements and spring departure dates from Georgia (1982-1984, 1989-1991), South Carolina (1988-1989), and Virginia (1991-1992). There was no evidence of temperature, sex, or age-dependent migration dates. Migration was coincident with the full moon in February and the passage of weather fronts close to this time.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1977

Conservation committee report. Falconry: Effects on raptor populations and management in North America

The art of falconry in North America, practiced by a few individuals for many years, attracted little attention until the 1960?s. Presently about 2800 falconers are licensed in the United States with less than one half considered to be active. While interest in this art is expected to increase, we believe growth will be slow, probably 5 to 10% per year, due to rigorous demands on time and equipment required and restrictive regulations.....Many different species of raptors have been used in falconry. Presently 6 species are commonly used, especially the Red-tailed Hawk and American Kestrel. Present evidence suggests that only 2 races of the Peregrine Falcon are threatened in North America, and declines may have occurred in local populations of other species. Declines in populations of Peregrines are attributed to pesticide contamination of food chains. Apparent declines in other populations of raptors are also attributed to pesticides and locally to changes in land use and possibly indiscriminate shooting. Removal of raptors from wild populations for falconry has not had documentable adverse effects except possibly at local nesting sites. Continuation of the art of falconry under the framework of the recent federal regulations is not expected to have measurable impacts on region-wide populations. Management of raptors is poorly developed and relatively unexplored. Captive breeding of raptors holds much promise for production of birds both for re-establishment and as a source of birds for falconry. Falconers have contributed much to the continued improvement of the Cornell University Peregrine program in terms of breeding stocks and technique development.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1991

Specimens and probable breeding activity of the band-rumped storm-petrel on Hawaii

Specimens (a downy fledgling and a hatch-year juvenile) and nocturnal calling of the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma custro) are evidence that this rare seabird breeds on the island of Hawaii. Nocturnal calling over land and sightings near the coast indicate that populations nest on the southwest rift and possibly the upper western slope of Mauna Loa.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1993

Site tenacity of the endangered palila

Strong site tenacity might prevent Palila (Loxioides bailleui), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, from repopulating favorable habitats in their former range. We used radio telemetry during the nonbreeding and breeding seasons to study movements and dispersal rates of 57 Palila. All Palila remained in the study area, and home range sizes and movement distances were small relative to the potential mobility of the species. Banding and nesting studies revealed that Palila show strong site tenacity. An inverse correlation between movements and elevation was related to an elevational gradient in food supply. Translocations of Palila into presently unoccupied areas in their range might speed the recovery of this endangered species.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1994

Identifying sex and age of akiapolaau

Methods for identifying the sex and age of the Akiapolaau (Hemignathus munroi), an endangered honeycreeper found only on the island of Hawaii, were developed by examination and measurement of 73 museum specimens and 24 live birds captured in mist nests. Akiapolaau probably undergo a single annual molt, with most birds molting between February and July. The mottled juvenal plumage is replaced by a first basic plumage characterized by yellowish-gray or yellowish-green underparts and often by retained wingbars. Male Akiapolaau may not attain adult plumage until their third molt. In adult females, only the throat and upper breast become yellow, whereas in adult males the superciliaries, cheeks, and entire underparts are yellow. Adult males have greater exposed culmen, gonys, wing chord, tail, and tarsus lengths than do females. Akiapolaau in first prebasic molt or older can be identified as to sex by culmen length, that of males being >23.4 mm.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1994

Demography and movements of the endangered akepa and Hawaii creeper

We studied populations of the endangered Akepa (Loxops coccineus coccineus) and Hawaii Creeper (Oreomystis mana) at four sites on the island of Hawaii. Mean monthly density (? SL) of Akepa was 5.74 t 0.87, 1.3? 0.41, 0.96 -? 0.13, and 0.76 ? 0.12 Akepa/ha at Kau Forest, Hamakua, Keauhou Ranch, and Kilauea Forest study areas, respectively. Hawaii Creepers were found at densities of 1.68 ? 0.53, 1.79 ? 0.42, 0.48 ? 0.06, and 0.54 2 ? 0.08 birds/ha, respectively, at the four study areas. Highest capture rates and numbers of birds counted from stations occurred from August through November and February through March. Hatching-year birds were captured from May through December for Akepa and April through December for Hawaii Creeper. Annual survival for adults at Keauhou Ranch was 0.70 ? 0.27 SE for 61 Akepa and 0.73 ? 0.12 SE for 49 Hawaii Creepers. Lowest rates of mortality and emigration occurred between May and August. Both species appeared to defend Type-B territories typical of cardueline finches, retained mates for more than one year, and showed strong philopatry. Home ranges for Hawaii Creepers (X = 7.48 ha) were larger than those for Akepa (X = 3.94 No difference was found between home range sizes of males and females for either species.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1994

Communal roosting and foraging behavior of staging sandhill cranes

Each spring more than 300,000 Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) roost communally at night in river channels in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska and disperse at dawn to forage in agricultural fields. Cranes with central roosts had activity ranges double the size of those with peripheral roosts; 42% of the birds changed activity ranges prior to the onset of migration. Minimum daily flight distance generally increased during the staging period. Cranes used native grassland and planted hayland more often than expected, relative to their percentage of occurrence, and fed longest there; cornfields were underutilized. These differences probably reflect, in part, (1) limited distribution of grasslands and haylands resulting in a greater energy expenditure to acquire protein in the form of macroinvertebrates and (2) wider distribution of cornfields with adequate energyrich foods but limited protein. Cranes probably forage more efficiently and conserve energy by following conspecifics from communal roosts to local feeding grounds, by settling in fields where foraging flocks are already present, and by establishing diurnal activity centers. Alert behavior varied with flock size but not as predicted from group size, presumably because predation of staging adult cranes is inconsequential.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1996

Dispersal and habitat use by post-fledging juvenile snowy egrets and black-crowned night-herons

We studied the postfledging dispersal movements and habitat use of juvenile Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) (SNEG) and Black-crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) (BCNH) in coastal Virginia using a dye (picric acid) and radiotelemetry. Results from monitoring radiomarked birds revealed significant differences both years between species, with SNEGs dispersing more widely than BCNHs. BCNH juveniles usually remained south of Delaware, but SNEGs often moved into Delaware and southern New Jersey. The maximum dispersal distance found for a SNEG was ca 340 km north of the natal colony. Temporal patterns of movement followed logistic relationships, with rapid initial movements, but relatively few movements after about 23 weeks for most birds. Cumulative distances moved by juvenile SNEGs during AugustSeptember differed from 1992 to 1993. No such year difference was found for BCNHs. Compared to SNEGs, BCNHs used man-made impoundments relatively more often than natural wetlands; however no quantitative assessment of habitat preferences could be made.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1978

Differential use of fresh water environments by wintering waterfowl of coastal Texas

A comparative study of the environmental relationships among 14 species of wintering waterfowl was conducted at the Welder Wildlife Foundation, San Patricia County, near Sinton, Texas during the fall and early winter of 1973. Measurements of 20 environmental factors (social, vegetational, physical, and chemical) were subjected to multivariate statistical methods to determine certain niche characteristics and environmental relationships of waterfowl wintering in the aquatic community.....Each waterfowl species occupied a unique realized niche by responding to distinct combinations of environmental factors identified by principal component analysis. One percent confidence ellipses circumscribing the mean scores plotted for the first and second principal components gave an indication of relative niche width for each species. The waterfowl environments were significantly different interspecifically and water depth at feeding site and % emergent vegetation were most important in the separation. This was shown by subjecting the transformed data to multivariate analysis of variance with an associated step-down procedure. The species were distributed along a community cline extending from shallow water with abundant emergent vegetation to open deep water with little emergent vegetation of any kind. Four waterfowl subgroups were significantly separated along the cline, as indicated by one-way analysis of variance with Duncan?s multiple range test. Clumping of the bird species toward the middle of the available habitat hyperspace was shown in a plot of the principal component scores for the random samples and individual species.....Naturally occurring relationships among waterfowl were clarified using principal comcomponent analysis and related multivariate procedures. These techniques may prove useful in wetland management for particular groups of waterfowl based on habitat preferences.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1997

The first nest records of the sooty antbird (Myrmeciza fortis) with notes on eggs and nestling development

Two Myrmeciza fortis nests were discovered in a lowland floodplain forest of Manu National Park, Peru. Both nests were embedded in leaf litter on the ground and were oven-shaped with a an entrance and an inner chamber concealing two eggs. Unlike the known nests of other Myrmeciza spp., the nests of Myrmeciza fortis closely resembled nests of other species in the Thamnophilidae. This discovery suggests that the genus Myrmeciza is polyphyletic

The Wilson Bulletin↗