SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “The Condor”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

USGS2002

Book review: Bird census techniques, Second edition

Conservation concerns, federal mandates to monitor birds, and citizen science programs have spawned a variety of surveys that collect information on bird populations. Unfortunately, all too frequently these surveys are poorly designed and use inappropriate counting methods. Some of the flawed approaches reflect a lack of understanding of statistical design; many ornithologists simply are not aware that many of our most entrenched counting methods (such as point counts) cannot appropriately be used in studies that compare densities of birds over space and time. It is likely that most of the readers of The Condor have participated in a bird population survey that has been criticized for poor sampling methods. For example, North American readers may be surprised to read in Bird Census Techniques that the North American Breeding Bird Survey 'is seriously flawed in its design,' and that 'Analysis of trends is impossible from points that are positioned along roads' (p. 109). Our conservation efforts are at risk if we do not acknowledge these concerns and improve our survey designs. Other surveys suffer from a lack of focus. In Bird Census Techniques, the authors emphasize that all surveys require clear statements of objectives and an understanding of appropriate survey designs to meet their objectives. Too often, we view survey design as the realm of ornithologists who know the life histories and logistical issues relevant to counting birds. This view reflects pure hubris: survey design is a collaboration between ornithologists, statisticians, and managers, in which goals based on management needs are met by applying statistical principles for design to the biological context of the species of interest. Poor survey design is often due to exclusion of some of these partners from survey development. Because ornithologists are too frequently unaware of these issues, books such as Bird Census Techniques take on added importance as manuals for educating ornithologists about the relevance of survey design and methods and the often subtle interdisciplinary nature of surveys. Review info: Bird Census Techniques, Second Edition. By Colin J. Bibby, Neil D. Burgess, David A. Hill, and Simon H. Mustoe. 2000. Academic Press, London, UK. xvii 1 302 pp. ISBN 0- 12-095831-7.

Condor↗

USGS2016

Comment on "No evidence of displacement due to wind turbines in breeding grassland songbirds"

A recent article published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications by Hale et al. (2014) is entitled, “No evidence of displacement due to wind turbines in breeding grassland songbirds.” The conclusion stated in that title, unfortunately, is based on inappropriate statistical analysis of data collected by the authors. In fact, their data provide evidence of potential displacement by wind turbines in 2 of the 3 species considered.

The Condor↗

USGS2017

The first 50 years of the North American Breeding Bird Survey

The vision of Chandler (Chan) S. Robbins for a continental-scale omnibus survey of breeding birds led to the development of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Chan was uniquely suited to develop the BBS. His position as a government scientist had given him experience with designing and implementing continental-scale surveys, his research background made him an effective advocate of the need for a survey to monitor pesticide effects on birds, and his prominence in the birding community gave him connections to infrastructure—a network of qualified volunteer birders who could conduct roadside surveys with standardized point counts. Having started in the eastern United States and the Atlantic provinces of Canada in 1966, the BBS now provides population change information for ∼546 species in the continental United States and Canada, and recently initiated routes in Mexico promise to greatly expand the areas and species covered by the survey. Although survey protocols have remained unchanged for 50 years, the BBS remains relevant in a changing world. Several papers that follow in this Special Section of The Condor: Ornithological Advances review how the BBS has been applied to conservation assessments, especially in combination with other large-scale survey data. A critical feature of the BBS program is an active research program into field and analytical methods to enhance the quality of the count data and to control for factors that influence detectability. Papers in the Special Section also present advances in BBS analyses that improve the utility of this expanding and sometimes controversial survey. In this Perspective, we introduce the Special Section by reviewing the history of the BBS, describing current analyses, and providing summary trend results for all species, highlighting 3 groups of conservation concern: grassland-breeding birds, aridland-breeding birds, and aerial insectivorous birds.

The Condor↗

USGS1999

Does nonrandom nest placement imply nonrandom nest predation?: A reply

In response to the critique by Schmidt and Whelan (Condor 101(4):916-920, 1999), we find that the relationship between nest success and tree selectivity is dependent upon inclusion or exclusion of particular tree species, whether or not years are pooled, and the selectivity index used. We question their use of point estimates of nest success with extremely high variances, defend our index, question the application of the Chesson (1983) index to our data, and explain the need to analyze years separately. Bottomland hardwood forest systems are extremely variable; hydroperiods alter the suitability of nesting substrates, availability of alternative food, and behavior of predators and their prey. Given these features, actively searching for Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) nests is seldom an efficient predator foraging strategy. Therefore, these predation events are best described as random; nests are principally encountered opportunistically by generalist predators while searching for other prey.

Condor↗

USGS2023

Supervised versus unsupervised approaches to classification of accelerometry data

Sophisticated animal-borne sensor systems are increasingly providing novel insight into how animals behave and move. Despite their widespread use in ecology, the diversity and expanding quality and quantity of data they produce have created a need for robust analytical methods for biological interpretation. Machine learning tools are often used to meet this need. However, their relative effectiveness is not well known and, in the case of unsupervised tools, given that they do not use validation data, their accuracy can be difficult to assess. We evaluated the effectiveness of supervised ( n = 6), semi-supervised ( n = 1), and unsupervised ( n = 2) approaches to analyzing accelerometry data collected from critically endangered California condors ( Gymnogyps californianus ). Unsupervised K-means and EM (expectation–maximization) clustering approaches performed poorly, with adequate classification accuracies of <0.8 but very low values for kappa statistics (range: −0.02 to 0.06). The semi-supervised nearest mean classifier was moderately effective at classification, with an overall classification accuracy of 0.61 but effective classification only of two of the four behavioral classes. Supervised random forest (RF) and k-nearest neighbor (kNN) machine learning models were most effective at classification across all behavior types, with overall accuracies >0.81. Kappa statistics were also highest for RF and kNN, in most cases substantially greater than for other modeling approaches. Unsupervised modeling, which is commonly used for the classification of a priori-defined behaviors in telemetry data, can provide useful information but likely is instead better suited to post hoc definition of generalized behavioral states. This work also shows the potential for substantial variation in classification accuracy among different machine learning approaches and among different metrics of accuracy. As such, when analyzing biotelemetry data, best practices appear to call for the evaluation of several machine learning techniques and several measures of accuracy for each dataset under consideration.

Ecology and Evolution↗

USGS2009

I.-The Jordan-Arabah Depression and the Dead Sea

The following account of the geology of the Dead Sea basin A. has been compiled from the observations of others, and I am especially indebted in this connection to H. J. Johnson, Geologist of the United States Expedition to the Dead Sea, to Professor Louis Lartet, Geologist of the Due de Luynes' Expedition to the same region, and to Prof. Edward Hull, F.R.S., Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland, who visited Arabia Petraaa and Palestine in 1883–84, under the auspices of the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Besides these observers, who devoted their attention specially to the geology of the regions traversed during their several expeditions, the writer is under obligations to the Ordnance Survey of Palestine, and to many observant travellers, including Condor, Fraas, Tristram, Wilson, and others, for many interesting details and attractive descriptions concerning the regions to which it is desired to direct the reader's attention.

Geological Magazine↗

USGS2003

Impact of structural and autocyclic basin-floor topography on the depositional evolution of the deep-water Valparaiso forearc basin, central Chile

The Valparaiso Basin constitutes a unique and prominent deep-water forearc basin underlying a 40-km by 60-km mid-slope terrace at 2.5-km water depth on the central Chile margin. Seismic-reflection data, collected as part of the CONDOR investigation, image a 3-3.5-km thick sediment succession that fills a smoothly sagged, margin-parallel, elongated trough at the base of the upper slope. In response to underthrusting of the Juan Ferna??ndez Ridge on the Nazca plate, the basin fill is increasingly deformed in the seaward direction above seaward-vergent outer forearc compressional highs. Syn-depositional growth of a large, margin-parallel monoclinal high in conjunction with sagging of the inner trough of the basin created stratal geometries similar to those observed in forearc basins bordered by large accretionary prisms. Margin-parallel compressional ridges diverted turbidity currents along the basin axis and exerted a direct control on sediment depositional processes. As structural depressions became buried, transverse input from point sources on the adjacent upper slope formed complex fan systems with sediment waves characterising the overbank environment, common on many Pleistocene turbidite systems. Mass failure as a result of local topographic inversion formed a prominent mass-flow deposit, and ultimately resulted in canyon formation and hence a new focused point source feeding the basin. The Valparaiso Basin is presently filled to the spill point of the outer forearc highs, causing headward erosion of incipient canyons into the basin fill and allowing bypass of sediment to the Chile Trench. Age estimates that are constrained by subduction-related syn-depositional deformation of the upper 700-800m of the basin fill suggest that glacio-eustatic sea-level lowstands, in conjunction with accelerated denudation rates, within the past 350 ka may have contributed to the increase in simultaneously active point sources along the upper slope as well as an increased complexity of proximal depositional facies.

Basin Research↗

USGS2012

Moderating Argos location errors in animal tracking data

1. The Argos System is used worldwide to satellite-track free-ranging animals, but location errors can range from tens of metres to hundreds of kilometres. Low-quality locations (Argos classes A, 0, B and Z) dominate animal tracking data. Standard-quality animal tracking locations (Argos classes 3, 2 and 1) have larger errors than those reported in Argos manuals. 2. The Douglas Argos-filter (DAF) algorithm flags implausible locations based on user-defined thresholds that allow the algorithm's performance to be tuned to species' movement behaviours and study objectives. The algorithm is available in Movebank – a free online infrastructure for storing, managing, sharing and analysing animal movement data. 3. We compared 21,044 temporally paired global positioning system (GPS) locations with Argos location estimates collected from Argos transmitters on free-ranging waterfowl and condors (13 species, 314 individuals, 54,895 animal-tracking days). The 95th error percentiles for unfiltered Argos locations 0, A, B and Z were within 35·8, 59·6, 163·2 and 220·2 km of the true location, respectively. After applying DAF with liberal thresholds, roughly 20% of the class 0 and A locations and 45% of the class B and Z locations were excluded, and the 95th error percentiles were reduced to 17·2, 15·0, 20·9 and 18·6 km for classes 0, A, B and Z, respectively. As thresholds were applied more conservatively, fewer locations were retained, but they possessed higher overall accuracy. 4. Douglas Argos-filter can improve data accuracy by 50–90% and is an effective and flexible tool for preparing Argos data for direct biological interpretation or subsequent modelling.

Methods in Ecology and Evolution↗

USGS2009

Lead in the environment

Anthropogenic uses of lead have probably altered its availability and environmental distribution more than any other toxic element. Consequently, lead concentrations in many living organisms may be approaching thresholds of toxicity for the adverse effects of lead. Such thresholds are difficult to define, as they vary with the chemical and physical form of lead, exposure regime, other elements present and also vary both within and between species. The technological capability to accurately quantify low lead concentrations has increased over the last decade, and physiological and behavioral effects have been measured in wildlife with tissue lead concentrations below those previously considered safe for humans.s.236 Consequently. lead criteria for the protection of wildlife and human health are frequently under review, and 'thresholds' of lead toxicity are being reconsidered. Proposed lead criteria for the protection of natural resources have been reviewed by Eisler. Uptake of lead by plants is limited by its generally low availability in soils and sediments, and toxicity may be limited by storage mechanisms and its apparently limited translocation within most plants. Lead does not generally accumulate within the foliar parts of plants, which limits its transfer to higher trophic levels. Although lead may concentrate in plant and animal tissues, no evidence of biomagnification exists. Acid deposition onto surface waters and soils with low buffering capacity may influence the availability of lead for uptake by plants and animals, and this may merit investigation at susceptible sites. The biological significance of chronic low-level lead exposure to wildlife is sometimes difficult to quantify. Animals living in urban environments or near point sources of lead emission are inevitably subject to greater exposure to lead and enhanced risk of lead poisoning. Increasingly strict controls on lead emissions in many countries have reduced exposure to lead from some sources. and the .reduction of lead in gasoline has resulted in lower tissue lead concentrations in humans and wildlife from many, particularly urban, locations. However, it has been suggested that increasing use of organic lead compounds as catalysts for the production of plastics and as wood preservatives and biocides could adversely affect wildlife. The most significant source of direct wildlife mortality from lead is spent gunshot and fishing sinkers. Elevated mortality from shot ingestion in avian species resulted in the introduction of nontoxic (steel) shot zones along certain flyways in the United States in the mid-1970s and a total ban on the use of lead for waterfowl and coot hunting nationwide by 1992. Several other countries are now following suit and have either banned or are in the process of restricting the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting. In the United States it has been estimated that since the 1986 hunting season. when the use of nontoxic shot became widespread. over 6 million ducks have not been lost to lead poisoning. Raptors, especially eagles, have also apparently benefited. although lead poisoning from ingestion of bullet fragments remains a problem for the critically threatened California condor. Quantifying reductions in lead mortality rates would be difficult since eagle populations throughout North America are rapidly recovering from other anthropogenic perturbations, especially organochlorine pesticides.

Book chapter↗

USGS2014

Movement-based estimation and visualization of space use in 3D for wildlife ecology and conservation

Advances in digital biotelemetry technologies are enabling the collection of bigger and more accurate data on the movements of free-ranging wildlife in space and time. Although many biotelemetry devices record 3D location data with x, y , and z coordinates from tracked animals, the third z coordinate is typically not integrated into studies of animal spatial use. Disregarding the vertical component may seriously limit understanding of animal habitat use and niche separation. We present novel movement-based kernel density estimators and computer visualization tools for generating and exploring 3D home ranges based on location data. We use case studies of three wildlife species – giant panda, dugong, and California condor – to demonstrate the ecological insights and conservation management benefits provided by 3D home range estimation and visualization for terrestrial, aquatic, and avian wildlife research.

PLoS ONE↗

USGS1965

Body weights of newly hatched Anatidae

As early as 1928 (E.C. Meyers, Auk , 45: 334-388, 1928) investigators realized the importance of bird weights and appealed to ornithologists to record and publish records of these. Practically all of the weights of waterfowl that have been published, however, have been of adults or grown young (see F.H. Kortright, The ducks, geese and swans of North America , Amer. Wildl. Inst., 1943, pp. 381-388; F.C. Bellrose and A.S. Hawkins, Auk , 64: 422-430, 1947; A.L. Neldon and A.C> Martin, J. Wildl. Mgmt. , 17: 36-42, 1953; F.A. Hartman, Condor , 57: 221-238, 1955; and D.W. Johnston, Wilson Bull ., 75: 437, 1963). The purpose of this paper is to make available a record of weights of a number of species of newly hatched Anatidae.

The Auk↗

USGS1996

In memoriam: Harvey I. Fisher, 1916-1994

Harvey Irvin Fisher was born on 15 June 1916 in Edgar, Nebraska, and spent his youth near Blue Springs, Missouri. Following his A.A. from Kansas City in 1935, and B.S. from Kansas State University in 1937, he married Mildred Hoch; they had three sons. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1942. From 1942 through 1945, while at Berkeley, he was Technical Curator, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Biologist with the Crocker Radiation Laboratory, and Assistant Editor of The Condor . In 1944 he joined the AOU, became a Fellow in 1950, and was Editor of The Auk from 1948 to 1952 (to which he contributed numerous book reviews). He later became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the International Academy of Science.

The Auk↗

USGS1998

History and tradition, or contemporary ornithology? Why ornithological journals should not have bird names

Ask any non-ornithologist to predict the prestige of the following journals, based on the name alone: American Birds, Auk, Bluebird, Condor, Emu, Forktail, Gerfaut, Ibis, Journal of Avian Biology, and Journal of Field Ornithology . The results always will be that the first one and the last two are placed in one category, and the blizzard of bird-named journals in another, lower category. When that same non-ornithologist is called upon to evaluate the publication records of ornithologists, those with important papers in bird-named journals likely will suffer lower rankings. If lucky, an ornithologist under review will receive support from an internationally distinguished ornithological colleague who will take explicit pains to argue that publication in The Auk is a meritorious professional accomplishment. Such arguments, however, may not counteract the damage of a single referee's sneering at the names of the journals in which a bird biologist has chosen to publish. One cannot overstate the importance of the serendipitous collection of peer reviews that determines whether ornithologists get and then keep their first academic jobs, receive tenure, are promoted, are evaluated fairly, and, most important, achieve and maintain the respect of colleagues in other biological disciplines.

The Auk↗

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↗

USGS2005

Preliminary geologic map of the Los Angeles 30' x 60' quadrangle, Southern California

This data set maps and describes the geology of the Los Angeles 30? x 60? quadrangle, southern California. Compilation of the Los Angeles quadrangle is based upon published mapping at scales of 1:12,000 and smaller, unpublished mapping at scales of 1:12,000 and smaller, with reconnaissance mapping by the compilers to resolve some edge-matching problems. The Los Angeles 30' x 60' quadrangle covers approximately 5,000 km2 including some of the most densely populated urban and suburban areas of the southern California megalopolis. It extends about 90 km E-W and about 55 km N-S, from Fillmore and Thousand Oaks in the west to Vincent in the northeast and Montebello in the southeast, and includes urban San Gabriel Valley and San Gabriel Mountain foothill communities from Monrovia to Pasadena, as well as Glendale, downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Malibu, in addition to all the communities in the San Fernando Valley, Simi Valley, and the upper Santa Clara River Valley. From the 2000 Census, the population of these urban and suburban areas totals approximately 5.6 million, and estimates of property value total hundreds of billions of dollars. Residents and transient visitors are subject to potential hazards from earthquakes, debris flows and other landslides, floods, wildfires, subsidence from ground water and petroleum withdrawal, and swelling soils; and coastal areas are exposed to flooding and erosion by storm and tsunami waves. Topographic relief ranges from about one hundred meters sub sea (in Santa Monica Bay) to more than 2,000 meters above sea level at Pacifico Mountain in the high San Gabriel Mountains. In addition to the populated area, the quadrangle includes significant areas of wilderness in the Angeles and Los Padres National Forests, in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary. The geologic map illustrates the general distribution of the rocks and surficial deposits in the area and their structural and stratigraphic relations to one another. The principal characteristics of the map units are described and are part of the database. The map provides a regional geologic framework as an aid to better evaluations of the potential for hazard from active earth processes. It synthesizes and combines studies by many earth scientists. Most of the source maps are at more detailed scales than 1:100,000, and we utilized the most detailed source materials available. We have not attempted to resolve all problems of stratigraphic correlation and nomenclature. In most areas we have retained the unit designations of source-map authors, but in some areas, particularly in the igneous-metamorphic complex of the San Gabriel Mountains, some unit designations have been changed. Hopefully, this map will stimulate further work to describe and correlate the many units within the scope of a more coherent, more accurate geologic history.

California↗

USGS2010

Development and Application of Regression Models for Estimating Nutrient Concentrations in Streams of the Conterminous United States, 1992-2001

Data collected for the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment program from 1992-2001 were used to investigate the relations between nutrient concentrations and nutrient sources, hydrology, and basin characteristics. Regression models were developed to estimate annual flow-weighted concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus using explanatory variables derived from currently available national ancillary data. Different total-nitrogen regression models were used for agricultural (25 percent or more of basin area classified as agricultural land use) and nonagricultural basins. Atmospheric, fertilizer, and manure inputs of nitrogen, percent sand in soil, subsurface drainage, overland flow, mean annual precipitation, and percent undeveloped area were significant variables in the agricultural basin total nitrogen model. Significant explanatory variables in the nonagricultural total nitrogen model were total nonpoint-source nitrogen input (sum of nitrogen from manure, fertilizer, and atmospheric deposition), population density, mean annual runoff, and percent base flow. The concentrations of nutrients derived from regression (CONDOR) models were applied to drainage basins associated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) River Reach File (RF1) to predict flow-weighted mean annual total nitrogen concentrations for the conterminous United States. The majority of stream miles in the Nation have predicted concentrations less than 5 milligrams per liter. Concentrations greater than 5 milligrams per liter were predicted for a broad area extending from Ohio to eastern Nebraska, areas spatially associated with greater application of fertilizer and manure. Probabilities that mean annual total-nitrogen concentrations exceed the USEPA regional nutrient criteria were determined by incorporating model prediction uncertainty. In all nutrient regions where criteria have been established, there is at least a 50 percent probability of exceeding the criteria in more than half of the stream miles. Dividing calibration sites into agricultural and nonagricultural groups did not improve the explanatory capability for total phosphorus models. The group of explanatory variables that yielded the lowest model error for mean annual total phosphorus concentrations includes phosphorus input from manure, population density, amounts of range land and forest land, percent sand in soil, and percent base flow. However, the large unexplained variability and associated model error precluded the use of the total phosphorus model for nationwide extrapolations.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2008

Biological and societal dimensions of lead poisoning in birds in the USA

The ingestion of spent lead shot was known to cause mortality in wild waterfowl in the US a century before the implementation of nontoxic shot regulations began in 1972. The biological foundation for this transition was strongly supported by both field observations and structured scientific investigations. Despite the overwhelming evidence, various societal factors forestalled the full transition to nontoxic shot for waterfowl hunting until 1991. Now, nearly 20 years later, these same factors weigh heavily in current debates about nontoxic shot requirements for hunting other game birds, requiring nontoxic bullets for big game hunting in California Condor range and for restricting the use of small lead sinkers and jig heads for sport-fishing. As with waterfowl, a strong science-based foundation is requisite for further transitions to nontoxic ammunition and fishing weights. Our experiences have taught us that the societal aspects of this transition are as important as the biological components and must be adequately addressed before alternatives to toxic lead ammunition, fishing weights, and other materials will be accepted as an investment in wildlife conservation.

Book chapter↗

USGS1981

Whooping crane preyed upon by golden eagle

The Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) is the largest predatory bird in North America and is well known for its predatory abilities. Attacks have been reported on mammals such as whitetail jackrabbits ( Lepus townsendi ) (McGahan 1967, J. Wildl. Mgmt. 31: 496), pronghorn antelope ( Antilocapra americana ) (Bruhns 1970, Can. Field-Natur. 84: 301), Mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) (Kelleher and O'Malia 1971, Auk 88: 186), and Great Blue Herons ( Ardea herodias ) (Carnie 1954, Condor 56: 3). This communication describes an attack on an immature Whooping Crane ( Grus americana ) by a Golden Eagle and the subsequent necropsy findings.

Colorado↗