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At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
USGS2002

Avian vacuolar myelinopathy: a newly recognized fatal neurologic disease of eagles, waterfowl, and other birds

Wildlife biologists and health specialists have been frustrated by a long list of negative findings in their AVM investigations, however studies continue to provide pieces of information to aid the determination of the cause and its source. Available data indicated that AVM may have been present since at least 1990, occurs in at least five states, has been documented during October through April at sites of wintering populations of birds where the exposure apparently occurs, and has killed at least 90 bald eagles. Birds with AVM have difficulty or inability to fly, swim, walk, or perch, but there has been resolution of clinical signs in some affected coots. The list of affected species continues to grow, but remains confined to wild avians, including bald eagle, American coot, great horned owl, killdeer, Canada goose, mallard, ring-necked duck and bufflehead. The effects of the AVM agent on mammals, including human beings, are unknown. A neurotoxicant of manmade or natural origin is the suspected cause of AVM because no infectious disease agents, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites and prions, have been found, and the lesion and epizootiology of AVM resemble those of toxicoses. Additionally it is documented, experimentally, that exposure to raptors can occur through ingestion of infected coots. Collaborative studies will continue in the effort to identify the cause of AVM, its geographic distribution, and the range of species susceptibility. Hopefully, this information can be used to identify measures that might be taken to reduce the impact of AVM on the wildlife resource. Multiple agencies, institutions, and individuals must rely on each other's expertise in the multidisciplinary approach to this problem, persevere in their efforts and take advantage of serendipity that presents itself during investigations of this newly recognized cause of wild bird mortality.

Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina↗
USGS2008

Organochlorine pesticide, polychlorinated biphenyl, trace element and metal residues in bird eggs from Salton Sea, California, 2004

The Salton Sea is a highly eutrophic, hypersaline terminal lake that receives inflows primarily from agricultural drainages in the Imperial and Coachella valleys. Impending reductions in water inflow at Salton Sea may concentrate existing contaminants which have been a concern for many years, and result in higher exposure to birds. Thus, waterbird eggs were collected and analyzed in 2004 and compared with residue concentrations from earlier years; these data provide a base for future comparisons. Eggs from four waterbird species (black-crowned night-heron [Nycticorax nycticorax], great egret [Ardea alba], black-necked stilt [Himantopus mexicanus], and American avocet [Recurvirostra Americana]) were collected. Eggs were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, and trace elements, with current results compared to those reported for eggs collected from the same species and others during 1985a??1993. The two contaminants of primary concern were p,pa??-DDE (DDE) and selenium. DDE concentrations in night-heron and great egret eggs collected from the northwest corner of Salton Sea (Whitewater River delta) decreased 91 and 95%, respectively, by 2004, with a concomitant increase in eggshell thickness for both species. Decreases in bird egg DDE levels paralleled those in tissues of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus ?? O. urolepis), an important prey species for herons and egrets. Despite most nests of night-herons and great egrets failing in 2004 due to predation, predicted reproductive effects based on DDE concentrations in eggs were low or negligible for these species. The 2004 DDE findings were in dramatic contrast to those in the past decade, and included an 81% decrease in black-necked stilt eggs, although concentrations were lower historically than those reported in night-herons and egrets. Selenium concentrations in black-necked stilt eggs from the southeast corner of Salton Sea (Davis Road) were similar in 1993 and 2004, with 4.5a??7.6% of the clutches estimated to be selenium impaired during both time periods. Because of present selenium concentrations and future reduced water inflow, the stilt population is of special concern. Between 1992 and 1993 and 2004 selenium in night-heron and great egret eggs from the Whitewater River delta at the north end of the Sea decreased by 81 and 55%, respectively. None of the night-heron or egret eggs collected in 2004 contained selenium concentrations above the lowest reported effect concentration (6.0 I?g/g dw). Reasons for selenium decreases in night-heron and egret eggs are unknown. Other contaminants evaluated in 2004 were all below known effect concentrations. However, in spite of generally low contaminant levels in 2004, the nesting populations of night-herons and great egrets at Salton Sea were greatly reduced from earlier years and snowy egrets (Egretta thula) were not found nesting. Other factors that include predation, reduced water level, diminished roost and nest sites, increased salinity, eutrophication, and reduced fish populations can certainly influence avian populations. Future monitoring, to validate predicted responses by birds, other organisms, and contaminant loadings associated with reduced water inflows, together with adaptive management should be the operational framework at the Salton Sea.

Hydrobiologia↗
USGS1992

Book review: Disease and Threatened Birds, edited by J. E. Cooper

Review of: Disease and threatened birds : based on the proceedings of a symposium held at the XIX World Conference of the International Council for Bird Preservation, June 1986, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Edited by J. E. Cooper. Cambridge, England : International Council for Bird Preservation, 1989. ICBP technical publication ; no. 10.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗
USGS2005

A retrospective perspective: evaluating population changes by repeating historic bird surveys

Acquiring an accurate picture of the changes in bird populations often involves a tradeoff between the time and effort required to complete the surveys and the number of years spent surveying the bird populations. An alternative approach to long-term monitoring efforts is to collect current data and contrast those with data collected earlier in a similar fashion on the same study site(s). To evaluate changes in bird populations, we repeated two extensive surveys, one in North Dakota (1967 vs. 1992-1993) and the other in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska (1979-1980 vs. 2001), where large areas of native vegetation had been converted to agriculture. We use these examples and others from the literature to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of using historical data as a frame of reference for population changes.

General Technical Report↗
USGS2006

Making connections for bird conservation: linking states, provinces & territories to important wintering and breeding grounds

To effectively conserve migratory landbirds, we need to be involved in conservation beyond our political borders. This has been a central tenet of Partners in Flight (PIF) since the initiative began in 1990 with a focus on Nearctic-Neotropical migrants. Implementation of this concept has also been fundamental to the success of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (e.g., NAWMP 2004). Actions by individual states, provinces and territories are key to the success of PIF efforts at the continental scale, and great progress has been made in recent years though various initiatives. Currently, U.S. state Wildlife Action Plans are outlining a vast array of actions to benefit priority species. However, it is also very important to take action in regions that support these same species at the other end of their migratory movements, to ensure effective protection year-round (Rappole et al. 1983, Webster and Marra 2005, Elliott et al. 2005). For instance, conservation action is needed on the wintering grounds for many birds that breed in Canada and the U.S. but spend a large portion of their annual cycle in Mexico, the West Indies, Central and/or South America. In this document we use maps to summarize migratory connections between individual U.S. states, Canadian provinces & territories and the regions that support the same birds at the other end of migration. The maps give a general picture of where birds go, providing a starting point for targeting action. With this information in hand, decision-makers can explore partnerships and mechanism that would help further conservation action outside their bordersa?|

Partners in Flight Technical Series↗
USGS1995

The Summer Atlas of North American Birds

The North American Breeding Bird Survey comprises a network of regularly censussed, road-based survey routes and constitutes the most comprehensive set of data on the relative abundance and population trends of these birds during the summer months. Its value was highlighted in 1989, when the data were used to confirm suspected population declines in a number of species of neotropical migrants breeding in the northeastern United States and Canada. In this book Jeff and Amy Price and Sam Droege have used these data to create detailed, computer-generated maps showing the relative abundance of 450 species that summer in the contiguous United States and southern Canada. Tabular information on distribution hotspots for these, and a further 50 or so species too local in occurrence to map effectively, are also presented. As a data-based survey, the focus of the maps is on places where occurrence has been systematically confirmed over a number of years. As such, the maps provide a baseline for future and more regionally based studies. Supporting chapters provide details on the survey methodology, the mapping procedures used, and some current concerns in North American bird conservation.

Book↗
USGS2003

Annotated checklist of Georgia birds

This edition of the checklist includes 446 species, of which 407 are on the Regular Species List, 8 on the Provisional, and 31 on the Hypothetical. This new publication has been greatly expanded and much revised over the previous checklist (GOS Occasional Publ. No. 10, 1986, 48 pp., 6x9 inches) to a 7x10-inch format with an extensive Literature Cited section added, 22 species added to the Regular List, 2 to the Provisional List, and 9 to the Hypothetical List. Each species account is much more comprehensive over all previous editions of the checklist. Among some of the new features are citations for sources of most information used, high counts of individuals for each species on the Regular List, extreme dates of occurrence within physiographic regions, a list of abbreviations and acronyms, and for each species the highest form of verifiable documentation given with its repository institution with a catalog number. This checklist is helpful for anyone working with birds in the Southeastern United States or birding in that region. Sykes' contribution to this fifth edition of the Annotated Checklist of Georgia Birds includes: suggestion of the large format and spiral binding, use of Richard A. Parks' painting of the Barn Owl on the front cover, use of literature citations throughout, and inclusion of high counts for each species. Sykes helped plan all phases of the publication, wrote about 90% of the Introduction and 84 species accounts (Osprey through Red Phalarope), designed the four maps in the introduction section and format for the Literature Cited, and with Giff Beaton designed the layout of the title page.

Occasional Publication↗
USGS1978

Census techniques for forest birds

1. Although bird censuses are imprecise, they have considerable value in a relative sense. 2. If the techniques are designed so as to minimize effects of variables that can be controlled, valid comparisons may be made among bird populations of two or more plots. 3. The spot-mapping method is recommended for greatest precision, and when a study is to be repeated over a period of years. Carefully standardized transects or point counts are most effective when many plots are being compared, and relative rather than absolute numbers will suffice. 4. Any method selected may be calibrated by a more thorough coverage of sample plots by the same or another method. 5. Demand for data on bird populations and species composition in specific habitats is increasing rapidly. Therefore, the results of census work should be published or at least made available through data banks or other means.

Book chapter↗
USGS1979

Brain cholinesterase activities of passerine birds in forests sprayed with cholinesterase inhibiting insecticides

Brain cholinesterase activities were determined in passerines collected from northwestern forests that had been sprayed with trichlorfon, acephate, and carbaryl at 0.56, 1.13 and 2.26 kg/ha. Trichlorfon and carbaryl inhibited cholinesterase activity slightly in only a few birds, primarily canopy dwellers. In contrast, acephate caused marked inhibition of cholinesterase activity in nearly all birds collected. The inhibition was present even 33 days after spraying. Some birds from the acephate-sprayed forests exhibited clinical signs compatible with acute acetylcholinesterase inhibition.

Book chapter↗
USGS1979

Endrin in birds: Lethal residues and secondary poisoning

Endrin residues in brains that are diagnostic of death were determined for several species of birds. Residues of 0.8 ppm or more of endrin in brain meant death; 0.6 ppm or less meant survival; between was a zone of overlap. These criteria indicate that some wild birds of the U.S., particularly white pelicans in the Northwest and two bald eagles, have been killed by endrin. Signs of endrin poisoning in experimental birds are described. The important and highly toxic metabolite in rodents, 12-ketoendrin, was sought but not found.

Book chapter↗
USGS1981

Interpreting population estimates of birds following pesticide applications--behavior of male starlings exposed to an organophosphate pesticide

We determined activity budgets for 10 pairs of captive male Starlings between 7 May and 18 July 1980. Our objective was to quantify changes in behavior after exposure to an organophosphate (OP) pesticide and to assess the impact of changes in behavior on the interpretation of population estimates of birds following pesticide applications. We observed each pair of males for an hour at 07:30 and 09:30 for four days and classified their behavior into one of four categories: flying, perching, foraging, or singing and displaying. At 06:30 on day 2, one male received a single oral dose of 2.5 mg dicrotophos (3-hydroxy-N, N-dimethyl-cis-crotonamide dimethyl phosphate) per kg of body weight; the other male received an equivalent exposure of corn oil. Changes in the activity budgets of OP-dosed and control males were compared using t-tests. Activity of OP-dosed males was significantly (P _ 0.05) reduced within the 2-4 h following exposure. OP-dosed males spent more time perching (46.1%) than controls and less time flying (-96.6%), foraging (-28.5%), and singing and displaying (-49.5%). The frequency of perching (-75.3%), flying (-83.8%), foraging (-54.1%), and singing and displaying (- 59.2%) was significantly reduced. Activity in OP-dosed males returned to normal by 26-28 h posttreatment. Results suggest that movement and vocalization may be significantly reduced in birds exposed to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides. Conventional censusing techniques and population estimating procedures may, therefore, be inadequate to assess changes in bird populations after pesticide applications because of the difficulty in separating decreases in density due to mortality or emigration from reductions in activity.

Book chapter↗
USGS1977

Effects of oil on aquatic birds

There is some evidence of the impact of direct mortality from oil spills on bird populations, but very little is known about the sublethal and indirect effects of oil on birds. Research at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, is directed at (1) determining the effects of petroleum on the physiology and reproductive success of birds, and (2) developing the analytical methodology necessary for detection of petroleum in avian tissues.

FWS/OBS↗
USGS1985

Case histories of organophosphate pesticides killing birds of prey in the United States

Since 1982 when secondary. poisoning of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) was documented following the recommended use of famphur on cattle, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center has tested for organophosphate (OP) poisoning in selected birds of prey found dead. This report documents the circumstances for a number of. cases where birds of prey were killed by OP pesticides in the United States. Many of the cases were brought to our attention by the U S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Law Enforcement The cases may be divided into three categories: misuse, approved use, and unknown. Now that we are looking for OP poisoning of birds of prey, we are finding it more frequently than previously suspected.

Book chapter↗
USGS1995

Point count length and detection of forest neotropical migrant birds

Comparisons of bird abundances among years or among habitats assume that the rates at which birds are detected and counted are constant within species. We use point count data collected in forests of the Mid-Atlantic states to estimate detection probabilities for Neotropical migrant bird species as a function of count length. For some species, significant differences existed among years or observers in both the probability of detecting the species and in the rate at which individuals are counted. We demonstrate the consequence that variability in species' detection probabilities can have on estimates of population change, and discuss ways for reducing this source of bias in point count studies.

General Technical Report↗
USGS1997

Evaluation of semen from nondomestic birds

Aspects of poultry Al technology are applicable to nondomestic birds. However, modifications in the methods of semen collection, evaluation, and insemination are often necessary to accommodate either the bird's size, sperm numbers, or. female anatomy. This section provides a brief overview of procedures used to evaluate semen from nondomestic birds. Unless specified, materials, reagents, etc., are identical to those used in evaluating poultry semen (see appropriate chapters).

Book chapter↗
USGS1999

On the importance of controlling for effort in analysis of count survey data: Modeling population change from Christmas Bird Count data

Count survey data are commonly used for estimating temporal and spatial patterns of population change. Since count surveys are not censuses, counts can be influenced by 'nuisance factors' related to the probability of detecting animals but unrelated to the actual population size. The effects of systematic changes in these factors can be confounded with patterns of population change. Thus, valid analysis of count survey data requires the identification of nuisance factors and flexible models for their effects. We illustrate using data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), a midwinter survey of bird populations in North America. CBC survey effort has substantially increased in recent years, suggesting that unadjusted counts may overstate population growth (or understate declines). We describe a flexible family of models for the effect of effort, that includes models in which increasing effort leads to diminishing returns in terms of the number of birds counted.

Book chapter↗
USGS1997

Monitoring Canadian bird populations with winter counts

Two winter bird surveys in Canada have range-wide population monitoring potential: Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) and Project FeederWatch (PFW). CBC trends are shown to be correlated to Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) trends, whether or not part of the winter range lies outside the CBC coverage area. Some species are poorly covered by this survey (e.g. seabirds, nocturnal species, and Neotropical migrants). Only eight Canadian breeding species that are not sampled by the BBS have their winter range well-covered by the CBC, but the CBC should be valuable as an independent source of trend data for many more species, including northern nesters with only marginal BBS coverage. More work is needed to show whether PFW trends match BBS trends; even if they do, PFW covers relatively few species, and most are monitored already by the BBS and/or CBC

Book chapter↗
USGS2000

Managing wetlands for waterbirds: How managers can make a difference in improving habitat to support a North American Bird Conservation Plan

Wetlands are the most productive ecosystems in the world, yet they have suffered more loss and degradation than any other ecosystem. Not surprisingly, 50% (29 of 58) of all the bird species in the U. S. (excluding Hawaii and territories) that are listed either as federally threatened or endangered, or are on the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1995 List of Migratory Nongame Birds of Management Concern, occupy wetland or aquatic habitats even though many remaining wetlands across the North American landscape already are managed primarily for waterbirds. Some of these wetlands are administered by federal and state entities (e.g., national wildlife refuges, national and state parks, state wetland management areas) or are maintained on private lands through federally supported restoration and enhancement programs (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program, Wetland Reserve Program, Waterfowl Production Areas, and Partners for Wildlife). Private organizations, such as the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and private hunting clubs, also own wetland areas that are managed specifically to benefit wildlife. If management philosophies are altered to consider the entire complex of wetlands, many wetlands can provide benefits to a broad array of waterbirds, as opposed to just one or a few species. However, challenges for natural resource managers are in forming partnerships with owners-managers of wetlands where the objectives are not primarily wildlife oriented. These owners or managers need to be included in wetland training workshops in an attempt to educate them about wetland values and secondary wildlife benefits that may be derived in flooded agricultural lands, aquaculture ponds, altered coastal marshes (mosquito control), and salt evaporation ponds. In some cases, compensation for crop damages by wildlife may be a necessary part of any cooperative agreements. In the development of a North American Bird Conservation Plan we propose a four-step approach and recommend that emphasis be placed on working with Joint Ventures of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan to ensure that a diverse array of waterbird species will benefit. Efforts also should be devoted to developing similar partnerships in areas where important wetland resources exist but no Joint Ventures are planned.

Book chapter↗