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125 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
USGS2019

Spatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

Rapid physical changes that are occurring in the Arctic are primary drivers of landscape change and thus may drive population dynamics of Arctic-breeding birds. Despite the importance of this region to breeding and molting waterbirds, lack of a comprehensive analysis of historic data has hindered quantifying avian population change. We estimated distribution, abundance, and spatially explicit population trend of 20 breeding waterbird species using 25 years (1992–2016) of aerial survey data collected on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP), Alaska. The ACP is an extensive wetland complex on Alaska’s North Slope that supports millions of breeding waterbirds and includes portions of the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We summarized annual counts into approximately 6-km by 6-km grid cells and analyzed data with generalized linear mixed models that accounted for survey timing and spatio-temporal autocorrelation. Geese and swans were most abundant along the coast between Admiralty Bay and Prudhoe Bay. Sea ducks, generalist predators (i.e., jaeger, gulls, terns), and loons were most abundant between Utqiaġvik and Point Lay, Alaska. Important areas for most species included the coastal fringe near Teshekpuk Lake, the Colville River Delta, and Admiralty Bay. The National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska was an important area for all species examined. Conversely, density on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was greater than average for 20% of species. Annual population growth rates over the 25-year survey period were variable: 13 increased (range: 1.4%–13.8%), one decreased (-3.4%), and six were stable. However, even species with no overall population trend had areas of changing population size, suggesting localized conditions affected waterbird distributions on the ACP. Our results can be used to better inform land use decisions, improve monitoring of waterbird populations, and increase understanding of avian response to ecological change in the Arctic.

Alaska↗
USGS1983

Waterbird mortality from botulism type E in Lake Michigan: An update

Three outbreaks of botulism type E occurring in waterbirds on Lake Michigan since autumn 1976 are discussed. Natural ingestion of food containing type E toxin by Ring-billed Gulls ( Larus delawarensis ) and the presence of type E toxin in blood from moribund gulls were demonstrated. Concurrent presence of type C and type E botulinal toxins was found in a die-off of Common Loons ( Gavia immer ). In combination with previous reported outbreaks, these incidents suggest that this disease is geographically widespread in Lake Michigan, and that environmental conditions conducive to type E botulinal toxin production and consumption occur in both summer and autumn.

Lake Michigan↗
USGS1999

Avian botulism

Avian botulism is a paralytic, often fatal, disease of birds that results when they ingest toxin produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum . Seven distinct types of toxin designated by the letters A to G have been identified (Table 38.1). Waterfowl die-offs due to botulism are usually caused by type C toxin; sporadic die-offs among fish-eating birds, such as common loons and gulls, have been caused by type E toxin. Type A botulinum toxin has also caused disease in birds, most frequently in domestic chickens. Types B, D, F, and G are not known to cause avian botulism in North America.

Information and Technology Report↗
USGS2002

Waterbird conservation for the Americas: The North American waterbird conservation plan, version 1

The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan (the Plan) is the product of an independent partnership of individuals and institutions having interest and responsibility for conservation of waterbirds and their habitats in the Americas. This partnership - Waterbird Conservation for the Americas - was created to support a vision in which the distribution, diversity, and abundance of populations and habitats of breeding, migratory, and nonbreeding waterbirds are sustained or restored throughout the lands and waters of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The Plan provides a continental-scale framework for the conservation and management of 210 species of waterbirds, including seabirds, coastal waterbirds, wading birds, and marshbirds utilizing aquatic habitats in 29 nations throughout North America, Central America, the islands and pelagic waters of the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic, the U.S.-associated Pacific Islands and pelagic inland and pelagic waters of the Pacific. Birds as familiar as herons, loons, pelicans, and gulls, as well as the lesser known albatrosses, petrels, auks, and rails are among the species considered in the Plan. These birds' dependence on aquatic habitats such as wooded swamps, stream corridors, salt marshes, barrier islands, continental shelf waters and open pelagic waters make them especially vulnerable to the myriad threats facing water and wetland resources globally. In addition, the congregatory behavior of many waterbirds increases population risks by concentrating populations in limited areas.

Book↗
USGS1985

Avian botulism

What is avian botulism? Avian botulism, or Western duck sickness, is one of the three most important disease problems of wild migratory birds. Each year, many birds are paralyzed or die after exposure to a toxin produced by the botulinum bacterium. Two of the seven toxin types that have been identifies cause mortality in wild birds; one of these types, type C, is most often associated with dieoffs of ducks, while type E primarily affects gulls and loons.

Report↗
USGS1989

Avian botulism: geographic expansion of a historic disease

Avian botulism is a paralytic, often fatal disease of birds resulting from ingestion of toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Waterfowl die-offs from the botulism are usually caused by type C toxin; sporadic die-offs among fish-eating birds, such as common loons (Gavia immer) and gulls, have been caused by type E toxin.

Fish and Wildlife Leaflet↗
USGS2015

Incorporating temporal variation in seabird telemetry data: time variant kernel density models

A key component of the Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies project was tracking the individual movements of focal marine bird species (Red-throated Loon [Gavia stellata], Northern Gannet [Morus bassanus], and Surf Scoter [Melanitta perspicillata]) through the use of satellite telemetry. This element of the project was a collaborative effort with the Department of Energy (DOE), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV), among other organizations. Satellite telemetry is an effective and informative tool for understanding individual animal movement patterns, allowing researchers to mark an individual once, and thereafter follow the movements of the animal in space and time. Aggregating telemetry data from multiple individuals can provide information about the spatial use and temporal movements of populations. Tracking data is three dimensional, with the first two dimensions, X and Y, ordered along the third dimension, time. GIS software has many capabilities to store, analyze and visualize the location information, but little or no support for visualizing the temporal data, and tools for processing temporal data are lacking. We explored several ways of analyzing the movement patterns using the spatiotemporal data provided by satellite tags. Here, we present the results of one promising method: time-variant kernel density analysis (Keating and Cherry, 2009). The goal of this chapter is to demonstrate new methods in spatial analysis to visualize and interpret tracking data for a large number of individual birds across time in the mid-Atlantic study area and beyond. In this chapter, we placed greater emphasis on analytical methods than on the behavior and ecology of the animals tracked. For more detailed examinations of the ecology and wintering habitat use of the focal species in the midAtlantic, see Chapters 20-22.

Report↗
USGS2017

Have mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) from the lower Penobscot River, Maine, developed tolerance to the toxic effects of mercury?

Fish populations that are chronically exposed to mercury (Hg) can develop resistance to the toxic effects of this metal, including mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus; Weis 2002). Such resistance allows them to potentially accumulate very high levels of this contaminant (Stefansson et al. 2013). Mercury is a neurotoxin that affects behavior in fish, including swimming and the ability to capture prey (Samson et al. 2001, Zhou et al. 2001), and behavior, reproduction and immune function in birds (Evers et al. 2008, Hawley et al. 2009). Ingestion of mercury-contaminated prey could have significant, and severe, effects on migratory fish and piscivorous birds, including loons (Evers et al. 2008). We found that mercury concentrations in resident mummichog collected from sites in the lower Penobscot River in 2011 were 9 to 16 times higher than Hg levels in mummichog from a control site in Wells, Maine (Elskus 2012). For part one of this study, reproductively mature male and female mummichog were collected in Fall 2015 from two sites in Maine: Bald Hill Cove, a mercury-contaminated site along the mercury gradient of the Penobscot River, and Drake, a reference site at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. These parental fish were housed at the US EPA laboratory (Narragansett, RI). Beginning in Spring 2016, these fish were fed diets containing either low or high concentrations of mercury for 28 days. Embryos were collected from these parents and divided into subsets. One subset was used to measure the mercury concentrations in the embryos, the second subset was shipped to the University of Maine where they were hatched, and the larval fish evaluated for behavioral effects. For part two of this study, adult mummichog were collected from Hg-contaminated Bald Hill Cove and from a reference site, Wells, in the Wells National Estuarine Reserve and evaluated for mercury body burdens and behavior. In Study 1, mercury was maternally transferred to the progeny demonstrating this is one pathway of generational exposure to mercury. Unfortunately, all larvae from the mercury-contaminated Bald Hill Cove population died before behavioral analysis could be done. Behavioral studies of the reference Drake population, however, demonstrated no significant differences between offspring of parents fed high mercury diets and offspring of parents fed low mercury diets. In Study 2, adult fish from the mercury contaminated BHC population had mercury body burdens that were four times higher than those in the reference Wells population, but while fewer BHC adults performed prey strikes than the Wells adults, there were no other significant behavioral differences between the two populations. In conclusion, the main hypothesis, that fish from the site receiving chronic mercury exposure had developed resistance to mercury toxicity, could not be definitively determined due to the death of embryos from the chronically exposed population. However, the present study did reveal some behavioral effects associated with mercury exposure that warrant further study. Behavioral approaches are important because they address some of the basic and difficult questions surrounding contaminant exposures; namely that sub-lethal effects are important to evaluate because they may have consequences for individual and perhaps population survival.

Maine↗
USGS2025

MTAB 111, March 2025

This Memo to All Banders (MTAB 111) was released in March 2025. Subjects in this this memo are 1. The Chief’s Chirp; 2. Alerts – Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza; 3. Staff updates – celebrating Karen Jone’s remarkable career and retirement, meeting reports and a field trip; 4. News – BandIt end of life! (starting February 1st, 2025 the BBL will no longer be accepting BandIt files), Notes From the Field: Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Longevity records update, ABA Bird of the Year the Common Loon, EESC signs partnership with Audubon Society, and what 100 years of USGS bird monitoring data tells us about hummingbirds; 5. A note from the permitting shelves – changes to the application process for new master personal or station permits and don’t wait to submit authorization requests; 6. A note from the supply room – best practices for band supply; 7. Data management – banding data submission for birds released from rehabilitation; 8. Frequently asked questions – I had to replace a federal metal band or auxiliary marker, how should I submit this data to the BBL? 9. Banding and encounter highlights; 10. Message to the Flyways; 11. Recent literature; 12. Moments in history; 13. Upcoming events; and 14. Request for information.

Memo to All Banders (MTAB)↗
USGS2026

Family life is critical for migration and survival in a long-lived social bird

Extended parental care is common among birds and particularly well known among long-lived migratory species. Yet, factors influencing the duration of parental care are poorly understood, and empirical evidence for the functional importance of family life for offspring development is scarce. Using unique tracking and genetic data of 55 adult and juvenile migratory Bewick’s swans, among which 18 parent-offspring pairs and 13 sibling pairs, we quantify variation in family bond duration and identify the cause and consequences of their dissolution. Families generally broke up during the second half of the first northward migration of the offspring, when offspring were nearly one year old. Earlier separation occurred on the wintering grounds in response to disturbance ( n = 10 juveniles) and led to delayed migration and, critically, lower survival (40 vs. 86%). Our results provide rare empirical evidence that family bonds, as a pathway for social learning, are not just important, but vital to the migration and survival of young family-living birds.

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology↗
USGS2018

Artificial light at night confounds broad-scale habitat use by migrating birds

With many of the world's migratory bird populations in alarming decline, broad-scale assessments of responses to migratory hazards may prove crucial to successful conservation efforts. Most birds migrate at night through increasingly light-polluted skies. Bright light sources can attract airborne migrants and lead to collisions with structures, but might also influence selection of migratory stopover habitat and thereby acquisition of food resources. We demonstrate, using multi-year weather radar measurements of nocturnal migrants across the northeastern U.S., that autumnal migrant stopover density increased at regional scales with proximity to the brightest areas, but decreased within a few kilometers of brightly-lit sources. This finding implies broad-scale attraction to artificial light while airborne, impeding selection for extensive forest habitat. Given that high-quality stopover habitat is critical to successful migration, and hindrances during migration can decrease fitness, artificial lights present a potentially heightened conservation concern for migratory bird populations.

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachuse↗
USGS2023

Wherever I may roam—Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents

Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals' responses to human activity. Here we address this knowledge gap using 1206 Global Positioning System movement trajectories of 815 individuals from 14 red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) and 14 elk ( Cervus canadensis ) populations spanning wide environmental gradients, namely the latitudinal range from the Alps to Scandinavia in Europe, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in North America. We measured individual-level movements relative to the environmental context, or movement expression, using the standardized metric Intensity of Use, reflecting both the directionality and extent of movements. We expected movement expression to be affected by resource (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) predictability and topography, but those factors to be superseded by human impact. Red deer and elk movement expression varied along a continuum, from highly segmented trajectories over relatively small areas (high intensity of use), to directed transitions through restricted corridors (low intensity of use). Human activity (Human Footprint Index, HFI) was the strongest driver of movement expression, with a steep increase in Intensity of Use as HFI increased, but only until a threshold was reached. After exceeding this level of impact, the Intensity of Use remained unchanged. These results indicate the overall sensitivity of Cervus movement expression to human activity and suggest a limitation of plastic responses under high human pressure, despite the species also occurring in human-dominated landscapes. Our work represents the first comparison of metric-based movement expression across widely distributed populations of a deer genus, contributing to the understanding and prediction of animals' responses to human activity.

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming↗