Phenotypic variation of the Mexican duck (Anas platyrhynchos diazi) in Mexico
N.J. Scott Jr., R.P. Reynolds
1984, Condor (86) 266-274
A collection of 98 breeding Mexican Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos diazi) was made in Mexico from six areas between the United States border with Chihuahua and Lake Chapala, Jalisco, in order to study geographic variation. Plumage indices showed a relatively smooth clinal change from north to south; northern populations were most...
Avian endocrine responses to environmental pollutants
Barnett A. Rattner, V.P. Eroschenko, G.A. Fox, D.M. Fry, J. Gorsline
1984, Journal of Experimental Zoology (232) 683-689
Many environmental contaminants are hazardous to populations of wild birds. Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides and industrial pollutants are thought to be responsible for population declines of several species of predatory birds through eggshell thinning. Studies have demonstrated that these contaminants have estrogenic potency and may affect the functioning of the gonadal...
Breeding biology of the blue-gray noddy
M.J. Rauson, S. Harrison, R. B. Clapp
1984, Journal of Field Ornithology (55) 309-321
Blue-gray Noddies, the smallest marine terns, are similar in many respects to all tropical terns in Hawaii: single-egg clutches are laid, growth and development take about 7 weeks, breeding is colonial. Its small size results in eggs that comprise over 27% of adult body weight, compared to 15-20% for...
Recuperation of a severely debilitated wolf
L.D. Mech, U.S. Seal, S.M. Arthur
1984, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (20) 166-168
Opportunities are rare for determining the degree to which an animal can starve and still survive. Therefore we describe here an incident in which a wild wolf (Canis lupus) starved almost to death and was then restored to her former free-ranging state. The incident took place in northern Lake County,...
Radio-triggered anesthetic-dart collar for recapturing large mammals
L.D. Mech, Richard C. Chapman, W.W. Cochran, L. Simmons, U.S. Seal
1984, Wildlife Society Bulletin (12) 69-74
A re-usable, radio-triggered, anesthetic-dart collar costing about $1,200 has been developed for recapturing large, free-ranging mammals. The collar was tested successfully on captive gray wolves, white-tailed deer, a mountain lion, a black bear, and a tiger, and on wild wolves, a bear, and deer after periods of up to 32...
The use of a robust capture-recapture design in small mammal population studies: A field example with Microtus pennsylvanicus
James D. Nichols, Kenneth H. Pollock, James E. Hines
1984, Acta Theriologica (29) 357-365
The robust design of Pollock (1982) was used to estimate parameters of a Maryland M. pennsylvanicus population. Closed model tests provided strong evidence of heterogeneity of capture probability, and model M eta (Otis et al., 1978) was selected as the most appropriate model for estimating population size. The Jolly-Seber model...
Effects of the herbicide glyphosate on avian community structure in the Oregon coast range
M.L. Morrison, E. Charles Meslow
1984, Forest Science (30) 95-106
A study was conducted on vegetative changes induced by the herbicide glyphosate, and the resultant habitat use of birds nesting on two clearcuts in western Oregon. About 23 percent of total plant cover was initially damaged by aerial application of glyphosate. Most measures of vegetation on the treated site decreased...
The use of auxiliary variables in capture-recapture and removal experiments
K. H. Pollock, J.E. Hines, J.D. Nichols
1984, Biometrics (40) 329-340
The dependence of animal capture probabilities on auxiliary variables is an important practical problem which has not been considered in the development of estimation procedures for capture-recapture and removal experiments. In this paper the linear logistic binary regression model is used to relate the probability of capture to continuous...
Proper expression of metabolizable energy in avian energetics
M. R. Miller, K. J. Reinecke
1984, Condor (86) 396-400
We review metabolizable energy (ME) concepts and present evidence suggesting that the form of ME used for analyses of avian energetics can affect interpretation of results. Apparent ME (AME) is the most widely used measure of food energy available to birds. True ME(TME) differs from AME in recognizing fecal and...
Home-range formation and dispersal of deer in northeastern Minnesota
M.E. Nelson, L.D. Mech
1984, Journal of Mammalogy (65) 567-575
Eleven white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus) does and their offspring (10 male and 6 female fawns) were radio-tracked for up to 56 months (2,725 total deer locations) in Minnesota's Superior National Forest from November 1974 through August 1983. All fawns wintered in yards with their does and migrated in spring to...
Age-specific productivity and nest site characteristics of Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii)
K.R. Moore, Charles J. Henny
1984, Northwest Science (58) 290-299
Nesting Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) were studied in northeastern Oregon. Second-year (SY) males did not breed, but 22 percent of the breeding females were SY's. Mean clutch size (P = 0.012) and mean number of young fledged per pair that laid eggs (P < 0.10) were lower for...
Observer visitation frequency and success of mourning dove nests: A field experiment
J.D. Nichols, H.F. Percival, R.A. Coon, M.J. Conroy, Gary L. Hensler, J.E. Hines
1984, The Auk (101) 398-402
Field studies of nesting success generally require visits by the investigator to the nests under study. Such visits may themselves influence nesting success, however, and this possibility has been discussed and investigated by a number of workers with a variety of bird species. Livezey (1980) reviewed the relevant literature for...
Inheritance patterns of enzymes and serum proteins of mallard-black duck hybrids
R.P. Morgan II, D. W. Meritt, S. B. Block, M.A. Cole, S. T. Sulkin, F.B. Lee, Charles J. Henny
1984, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology (12) 119-123
From 1974 to 1976, a breeding program was used to produce hybrids of black ducks and mallards for the evaluation of inheritance patterns of serum proteins and serum, liver and muscle enzymes. In addition to the crosses designed to produce hybrids, a series of matings in 1975 and 1976...
Changes in levels of organochlorines in woodcock wings from 1971 to 1975
M. Anne Ross McLane, D.L. Hughes, G. H. Heinz
1984, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (4) 105-111
Wings from woodcock (Philohela minor) were first monitored for organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the eastern U.S. in 1971. Regional differences in these compounds were clearly demonstrated and baseline residue levels were obtained for later comparisons. An expanded sampling of wings in 1972 revealed that residues in wings...
Organochlorine residues in eggs of black-crowned night herons from Colorado and Wyoming
L. C. McEwen, C. J. Stafford, Gary L. Hensler
1984, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (3) 367-376
Eggs of black-crowned night-herons Nycticorax nycticorax (L.) were collected for analysis from seven nesting sites in Colorado and Wyoming in 1979. One egg was taken per nest from as many as 20 nests per site during early incubation. The nests were marked and revisited after hatching, but before fledging, to record the...
Hawaii's seabird islands, No. 1: Moke'ehia
C. B. Kepler, A.K. Kepler, T.R. Simons
1984, 'Elepaio (44) 71-74
No abstract available....
Effects of egg oiling on larid productivity and population dynamics
S.J. Lewis, R.A. Malecki
1984, The Auk (101) 584-592
Small quantities of petroleum may adhere to the plumage, feet, or nest materials of breeding birds and be transferred to their eggs during incubation. In this study, oil was applied to naturally incubated Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) and Herring Gull (L. argentatus) eggs, and its effects on reproductive success...
Case report: Isolation of streptococcus zooepidemicus from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
L. N. Locke, T. G. Lamont, R. Harrington Jr.
1984, Avian Diseases (28) 514-516
Streptococcus zooepidemicus was isolated from the interstinal tract of an adult male bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) found dead in Minnesota in 1974....
High PCB residues in birds from the Sheboygan River, Wisconsin
Gary Heinz, Douglas M. Swineford, Dale E. Katsma
1984, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (4) 155-161
Organochlorine residues were measured in the carcasses and, in some cases, brains and stomach contents of four species of birds collected along the Sheboygan River, Wisconsin during the years 1976 to 1980. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were high in all samples and were the contaminants of greatest concern. Carcass residues ranged...
Avian models for toxicity testing
E. F. Hill, D. J. Hoffman
1984, Journal of the American College of Toxicology (3) 357-376
The use of birds as test models in experimental and environmental toxicology as related to health effects is reviewed, and an overview of descriptive tests routinely used in wildlife toxicology is provided. Toxicologic research on birds may be applicable to human health both directly by their use as models for...
Toxicity of anticholinesterase insecticides to birds: Technical grade versus granular formulations
E. F. Hill, M.B. Camardese
1984, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (8) 551-563
The acute toxicities of 13 granular anticholinesterase insecticides were compared with their technical grade active ingredients by administering single oral doses of chemical to adult Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) and evaluating resultant LD50 values and dose-response curves. Similar tests with ringed turtledoves (Streptopelia risoria) were conducted with five of the...
Lead concentrations and reproduction in highway-nesting barn swallows
C.E. Grue, T. J. O'Shea, D. J. Hoffman
1984, Condor (86) 383-389
Swallows (Hirundo rustica) collected within the right-of-way of a major Maryland highway were greater than those found in Barn Swallows nesting within a rural area. Lead concentrations in the feathers of adults from the highway colony were also greater than Lead concentrations in the carcasses and stomach contents of adult...
Neurotoxic and teratogenic effects of an organophosphorus insecticide (phenyl phosphonothioic acid-O-ethyl-O-[4-nitrophenyl] ester) on mallard development
D. J. Hoffman, L. Sileo
1984, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (73) 284-294
Phenyl phosphonothioic acid-O-ethyl-O-[4-nitrophenyl] ester (EPN) is one of the 10 most frequently used organophosphorus insecticides and caused delayed neurotoxicity in adult chickens and mallards. Small amounts of organophosphorus insecticides placed on birds' eggs are embryotoxic and teratogenic. For this reason, the effects of topical egg application on...
Estimating prey size and number in crayfish-eating snakes, genus Regina
J.S. Godley, R.W. McDiarmid, N.N. Rojas
1984, Herpetologica (40) 82-88
Snakes of the genus Regina feed almost exclusively on crayfish. The paired, symmetrical gastroliths of crayfish are not digested and are detectable from x-rays of the snake. Gastrolith length is directly proportional to carapace length and can be obtained from x-rays. Carapace length can be converted to kcal of...
Species groups in Proechimys (Rodentia: Echimyidae) as indicated by karyology and bullar morphology
A. L. Gardner, L.H. Emmons
1984, Journal of Mammalogy (65) 10-25
The genus Proechimys is divisible into four groups of species on the basis of bullar septal patterns. Each of the four groups can be further characterized by distinctive distributions and karyotypes. The subgenus Trinomys and the guairae species group each are comprised of phylogenetically closely-related species. The semispinosus- and brevicauda-groups, although generally distinctive on the basis of...
