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Publications

View citations of publications by National Wildlife Health Center scientists since our founding in 1975.  Access to full-text is provided where possible.

Filter Total Items: 1613

Causes of mortality in common loons

Summarized are necropsy results from 222 carcasses of Common Loons (Gavia immer) submitted to the National Wildlife Health Research Center from 1976 through 1991.  The carcasses were from 18 states, and 10 or more birds each were from Minnesota, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, and North Carolina.  Seventy-three (33%) carcasses were emaciated, and in some of these birds emaciation wa
Authors
J. Christian Franson, David J. Cliplef

Prevalence of lead exposure among age and sex cohorts of Canada geese

We examined the prevalence of lead exposure from ingestion of waste lead shot among age and sex cohorts of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) on the breeding, migration, and wintering grounds of the Eastern Prairie Population. Blood samples from 6963 geese were assayed for lead concentration by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. On the breeding grounds, no goslings and <1% of adults showed evidenc
Authors
S. DeStefano, C. J. Brand, D. H. Rusch

Poisoning of Canada geese in Texas by parathion sprayed for control of Russian wheat aphid

Approximately 200 Canada geese (Branta canadensis) died at a playa lake in the Texas Panhandle shortly after a winter wheat field in the basin adjacent to the lake was treated with parathion to control newly invading Russian wheat aphids (Diuraphis noxia). No evidence of infectious disease was diagnosed during necropsies of geese. Brain ChE activities were depressed up to 77% below normal. Parathi
Authors
Edward L. Flickinger, Gary Juenger, Thomas J. Roffe, Milton R. Smith, Roy J. Irwin

Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report

No abstract available.
Authors
G. Kidd

Lead poisoning of a marbled godwit

A thin adult female marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa) found dead at Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, was found to have 17 ingested lead shot in its gizzard. Its liver contained 51.7 ppm lead (wet weight). Based on these necropsy findings a diagnosis of lead poisoning was made.
Authors
L. N. Locke, M. R. Smith, R. M. Windingstad, S. J. Martin

Effects of lead shot ingestion on selected cells of the mallard immune system

The immunologic effects of lead were measured in game-farm mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) that ingested lead shot while foraging naturally, mallards intubated with lead shot, and unexposed controls. Circulating white blood cells (WBC) declined significantly in male mallards exposed to lead by either natural ingestion or intubation, but not females. Spleen plaque-forming cell (SPFC) counts were sign
Authors
T.E. Rocke, M. D. Samuel

Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report

No abstract available.
Authors
G. Kidd

Fall and winter distribution of Canada geese in the Mississippi flyway

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) from northern Manitoba and northern Ontario were marked with leg bands and neck bands and observed throughout the Mississippi flyway from 1978 to 1989. We used observations of neck-banded geese within each state to determine the relative fall/winter distribution of the Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) and the Mississippi Valley Population (MVP). Mississippi Valley
Authors
M. D. Samuel, D. H. Rusch, K.F. Abraham, M.M. Gillespie, J.P. Prevett, G.W. Swenson

Capture myopathy in an endangered sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla)

Despite precautions to protect cranes, a 3-year-old endangered Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla) was found caught in a leghold trap in Gautier, Mississippi, on 11 November 1987. The bird could have been in the trap for up to 16 hr and was standing and struggling to escape when it was discovered. Serum chemistries of the crane on 12 November revealed elevated lactic dehydrogenase (
Authors
J. W. Carpenter, Nancy Thomas, S. Reeves

Mortality in tundra swans Cygnus columbianus

Our paper identifies and examines the significance of hunting and non-hunting mortality affecting the Eastern Population (EP) and Western Population (WP) (see Serie & Bartonek 1991a) of Tundra Swans. Sport hunting (Serie & Bartonek 1991b), native subsistence hunting (Copp 1989, Stewart & Bernier 1989), malicious shooting (McKelvey & MacNeill 1981), avian cholera (Friend et al. 1981, Schroeder 1983
Authors
J. C. Bartonek, J.R. Serie, K. A. Converse

Surgical removal of a tracheal foreign body from a whooping crane (Grus americana)

The left wing of a whooping crane (Grus americana) was amputated for treatment of severe nonunion and malunion fractures of the radius and ulna. During the postoperative convalescent period, the bird aspirated a corn kernel and subsequently suffered episodic bouts of dyspnea. The bird was anesthetized with tiletamine-zolazepam. Attempts to deliver the kernel through the glottis with endoscopic ins
Authors
P.E. Howard, F. J. Dein, J.A. Langenberg, K.J. Frischmeyer, D. Brunson