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In 2021, landbird surveys were conducted at Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Molokaʻi to assess changes in species composition, distribution, and population densities since 2005. Point-transect distance sampling surveys were conducted on six transects at 50 landbird monitoring stations within an 1,834-hectare area. A total of nine...

The value of national parks as bird habitat depends not only on local conditions within the parks, but also on the landscape habitat matrices in which they are located. However, the influences of local and landscape habitat matrices on birds vary by species and have not been quantified. Similarly, the...

Annual point counts are commonly used to monitor birds to track population densities across space and time. Palila (Loxioides bailleui) are surveyed annually in the first quarter, but we recently instituted quarterly sampling that offers a unique opportunity to improve estimator precision. We conducted point-transect distance sampling point counts during...

The mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) is nonmigratory and a priority species for regional conservation and management because of its limited range and declining population trajectory in the western Gulf Coast (WGC) of Louisiana and Texas, USA. We developed multistate dead-recovery models for banding and recovery data (1997–2020) to evaluate potential...

Foragers on patchy landscapes must acquire sufficient resources despite uncertainty in the location and amount of the resources. Optimal Foraging Theory posits that foragers deal with this uncertainty by using strategies that optimize resource intake within foraging periods. For species such as wading birds, this optimization is closely linked to...

The U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center provides diagnostic services to determine causes of wildlife morbidity and mortality events to State, Federal, and Tribal partners. To accomplish this, we rely on the timely collection and evaluation of submitted carcasses and the epidemiologic information relayed from personnel in the field....

The “Water for Birds Tool” is a spreadsheet-based tool (using Microsoft Excel) designed to help resource managers assess the spatial extent and types of bird habitats in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, southeastern Oregon. The tool quantifies the areas of open water, partial water, and water depths on a monthly...

During the burial of mudstones, the associated organic matter undergoes gradual thermal maturation, a key process that can influence the reactivity of organic matter during catagenesis, the formation of hydrocarbon deposits and the chemical weathering of mudstones. Conventional methods for assessing the thermal maturity of organic matter often fail to...

Millions of small waterbodies are dispersed throughout the middle of the North American continent, and billions of dollars have been invested to conserve, restore, and manage these waterbodies in the 20th and 21st centuries. Small waterbody conservation has been supported by different stakeholders aiming at improving water quality, enhancing floodwater...

Intensive agriculture in the Prairie Pothole Region of Iowa, USA has resulted in significant wetland drainage and wildlife population declines. However, easement programs are increasingly used to protect and restore wetlands and revitalize biodiversity. Short-term responses (i.e., 1–5 years) of birds to wetland restorations are well-documented, but...

Geological studies in the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway (KWIS) in North America reveal highly variable sedimentological conditions on its western shore caused by rapidly changing sea level and detrital input during the seaway’s closure. Here we examine a 601-foot (183 meters) continuous core through the lower part of the Maastrichtian...

Palila (Loxioides bailleui) are critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers specializing on the seedpods of māmane (Sophora chrysophylla) and restricted to Mauna Kea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi. A previous analysis of survey data estimated an 89% population decline between 1998 and 2021. Using the most recent annual survey data from...

Captive breeding and release programs aimed at recovery of rare species can be informed by genetic data to help select high-diversity source populations, make pairing decisions to minimize inbreeding, and manage release strategies. We developed a set of 54 microsatellite loci to assess genetic structure and diversity across the United...

Multispecies management can contribute to meeting growing challenges of preserving biodiversity, yet current game and threatened species management often focuses on individual species. Satellite imagery available at high spatial and temporal resolution provides a potential tool to overcome the challenge posed by multispecies management of linking patterns of habitat use...

In 2023, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza occurred among critically endangered California condors (Gymnogyps californianus), and >21 died. We evaluated safety, immunogenicity, vaccination strategies, and correlates of antibody response of an influenza vaccine for poultry in black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and then California condors. We noted differences in...

Marine birds in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have long been poorly studied. Given statutory obligations to protect migratory birds and endangered species, three broad-scale vessel and aerial programs initiated since 2010 have now surveyed the entire northern Gulf. Vessel coverage alone exceeds 700 d and 74,000 km of observer...

Sprague's Pipit (Anthus spragueii) is an imperiled bird species that breeds in grasslands of the northern Great Plains of North America. While conducting avian surveys in the Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, southwest Montana, during spring and summer 2023, we detected approximately 10 male Sprague's Pipits performing aerial displays. These represent...

Geological resources critical to the energy transition, such as sedimentary geothermal, carbon storage potential, and lithium in brines, commonly struggle for economic feasibility as stand-alone developments but can have greater viability when the potential for more than one of these resources exist within the same reservoir or stacked...

ContextAnimals may adjust their behavior in predictable ways to balance tradeoffs between resource acquisition and survival or fecundity. Microhabitat selection based on individual traits or environmental conditions is one measure of risk–reward tradeoffs by individuals.AimsWe used data from observational and manipulative studies to investigate whether an...

Low-amplitude “whisper songs” are a taxonomically broad phenomenon in birds that could play an important role in the suite of behaviors birds use to communicate. Due to its cryptic nature, there are inherent difficulties in capturing high-quality whisper song recordings without interrupting natural behaviors. Thus, the whisper song acoustic structure...

BackgroundSince the 1980s, Pacific Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans, hereafter brant) have shifted their winter distribution northward from Mexico to Alaska (approximately 4500 km) with changes in climate. Alongside this shift, the primary breeding population of brant has declined. To understand the population-level implications of the changing migration strategy...

Solid bitumen reflectance (BRo in %) is widely used as a thermal maturity proxy in source-rock reservoirs, yet solid bitumen texture and physical attributes may be affected by varying environmental constraints during its formation, e.g., water saturation, mineral catalysis, or salinity. Herein we investigated the development of solid bitumen properties during...

ObjectiveWe evaluated survival differences between upstream and downstream stocking for landlocked Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar smolts in a tributary to Lake Champlain.MethodsWe radio-tagged smolts and stocked them concurrently with 22,000 smolts at two release sites in 2 years. The downstream location (DS, river kilometer...

Secretive birds are hard to detect, and thus, likely underestimated when surveyed, potentially preventing measures to protect them. We identified a sampling period and method that would yield the most reliable estimates of population numbers of the secretive Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo (Coccyzus vieilloti). We addressed these objectives by comparing point...

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...