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Publications

USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center staff publish results of their research in USGS series reports and in peer-reviewed journals. Publication links are below.  Information on all USGS publications can be found at the USGS Publications Warehouse.

Filter Total Items: 1907

Effects of management practices on grassland birds: Golden eagle

Information on the habitat requirements and effects of habitat management on grassland birds were summarized from information in more than 4,000 published and unpublished papers. A range map is provided to the breeding, year-round, and nonbreeding ranges in the United States and southern Canada. Although birds frequently are observed outside the breeding range indicated, the maps are intended to s
Authors
John P. DeLong

Unusual behavior by Bison, Bison bison, toward Elk, Cervus elaphus, and wolves, Canis lupus

Incidents are described of Bison (Bison bison) in Yellowstone National Park mauling and possibly killing a young Elk (Cervus elaphus) calf, chasing wolves (Canis lupus) off Elk they had just killed or were killing, and keeping the wolves away for extended periods. During one of the latter cases, the Bison knocked a wolf-wounded Elk down. Bison were also seen approaching wolves that were resting an
Authors
L. D. Mech, R.T. McIntyre, D.W. Smith

Less waste corn, more land in soybeans, and the switch to genetically modified crops: Trends with important implications for wildlife management

American agriculture has provided abundant high-energy foods for migratory and resident wildlife populations since the onset of modern wildlife management. Responding to anecdotal evidence that corn residues are declining in cropland, we remeasured waste corn post-harvest in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV) of Nebraska during 1997 and 1998 to compare with 1978. Post-harvest waste corn averag
Authors
G.L. Krapu, D.A. Brandt, R. R. Cox

Effects of distance from cattle water developments on grassland birds

Many North American grassland bird populations appear to be declining, which may be due to changes in grazing regimes on their breeding areas. Establishment of water developments and confining cattle (Bos taurus L.) to small pastures often minimizes spatial heterogeneity of cattle forage consumption, which may lead to uniformity in vegetative structure. This increased uniformity may provide suitab
Authors
A.L. Fontaine, P.L. Kennedy, D. H. Johnson

Record high wolf, Canis lupus, pack density

This report documents a year-around wolf (Canis lupus) density of 18.2/100 m2 and summer density of 30.8/100 km2, in a northeastern Minnesota wolf pack. The previous record was a summer density of 14.1/100 km2, for a wolf pack on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.

Guidelines for finding nests of passerine birds in tallgrass prairie

The productivity of birds is one of the most critical components of their natural history affected by habitat quality. Birds might occur at high densities in a given habitat patch but have low nesting success. Such "population sinks" would not be detected if observers relied solely on estimates of bird density. Therefore, it is essential to monitor nests and determine their outcomes. Although inte
Authors
Maiken Winter, Shawn E. Hawks, Jill A. Shaffer, Douglas H. Johnson

Historical and recent records and first nest records of Henslow's sparrow in North Dakota

The northwestern limit of the Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii) breeding distribution occurs in southern Minnesota and central Wisconsin. In North Dakota, observations of Henslow's sparrows are reported infrequently, and there are no published nest records in the state. Herein, we summarize and review previous reports of Henslow's sparrows in North Dakota and document the first two nest rec
Authors
Jill A. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Frédérick Vanhove

The northern pintail in North America: the problem and prescription for recovery

No abstract available.
Authors
M. R. Miller, D.C. Duncan, K. Guyn, Paul L. Flint, J. E. Austin

Status assessment and conservation plan for the Western Burrowing Owl in the United States

The Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) is a grassland specialist distributed throughout w. North America, primarily in open areas with short vegetation and bare ground in desert, grassland, and shrub-steppe environments. Burrowing Owls are dependent on the presence of fossorial mammals (primarily prairie dogs and ground squirrels), whose burrows are used for nesting and roosting.
Authors
David S. Klute, Loren W. Ayers, Michael T. Green, William H. Howe, Stephanie L. Jones, Jill A. Shaffer, Tara S. Zimmerman

[Book review] Prairie Wetland Ecology--The Contribution of the Marsh Ecology Research Program, edited by H. R. Murkin, A. G. van der Valk, and W. R. Clark

Review of: Prairie Wetland Ecology: The Contribution of the Marsh Ecology Research Program by Henry R. Murkin, Arnold G. van der Valk, and William R. Clark, eds.
Authors
G.L. Krapu

[Book review] Pheasants of the World . . . Again

Review of: The Pheasants of the World: Biology and Natural History, 2nd edition. Paul A. Johnsgard. 1999. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 398 pages.$50.00 (cloth).
Authors
B.E. Jamison