Publications

Unstressed mallard ducks (Anas platyrhychos), given uncontaminated food and maintained on a short photoperiod, show two daily maxima in plasma corticosterone concentration ([B]); one occurring early in the light phase and a second just before the onset of darkness. After one week of exposure to food containing 3% (v/w) South Louisiana crude oil, plasma [B] were significantly lowered throughout the

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings were fed nickel sulphate in their diet from day one to 90 days of age. Ducklings fed 1,200 ppm nickel began to tremor and show signs of paresis after 14 days of dosage (age) and 71% of this group died within 60 days of age. Birds fed 1,200 ppm nickel weighed significantly less (P<0.05) at 28 days of age than birds fed the other diets. Weights of ducklings fed

Intestinal function in mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) on a freshwater regime was studied after a 7-day dietary ingestion of 0.25% and 2.5% Prudhoe Bay crude oil (PBCO) or a 2.5% paraffin mixture with an in vivo luminal perfusion technique. Dietary ingestion of 2.5% PBCO may have an effect on the integrity of the duckling intestine. There were no significant effects of PBCO on the absorptio

The responses of brain and plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activities were examined in mallard ducks, bobwhite quail, barn owls, starlings, and common grackles given oral doses of dicrotophos, an organophosphorus insecticide. Up to an eightfold difference in response of brain ChE activity to dicrotophos was found among these species. Brain ChE activity recovered to within 2 SD of normal within 26 days

Hydrocarbon residues in pooled eggs from a mallard duck on a diet of 25,000 ppm South Louisiana crude oil were compared after cleanup with and without saponification. The saponification procedure yielded superior reproducibility and extraction efficiency

Mallard eggs were externally exposed at 3 and 8 days of incubation to 7 different industrial effluents and to 7 different heavy metal, organic solvent, and petroleum solutions to screen for potential embryo-toxic effects. This route of exposure was chosen in order to simulate the transfer of pollutant from the plumage of aquatic birds to their eggs. Five of the effluents including mineral pigment,

Reduction and deterioration of habitat and high nest predation have contributed to the decline of the continental populations of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) (Trauger 1974). Environmental metal contaminants also may adversely affect reproduction and survival of waterfowl (Heinz 1974, 1976a,b, 1979; Finley and Stendell 1978). White et al. (1979) ex- amined canvasbacks from Chesapeake Bay in 19

Thirty breeding pairs of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups and were fed breeder mash containing 0, 12.5, 50.0, 200.0, or 800.0 ppm Ni (as the sulfate) for 90 d. Ni ingestion had no effect on egg production, hatchability, or survival of ducklings. After 90 d birds were bled, sacrificed, and necropsied. There were no significant differences in hemat

No. 2 fuel oil was fed to mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings in concentrations of 0.5 and 5.0% of the diet from hatching to 18 wk of age to assess the effects of chronic oil ingestion during early development. Five growth parameters (body weight, wing length, ninth primary length, tarsal length, and bill length) were depressed in birds receiving a diet containing 5% fuel oil. There was no oil-

Three reproductive trials were conducted to develop techniques for propagation of captive starlings (Stumus vulgaris) which could determine the effects of environmental contaminants on passerine reproduction. Trials were conducted during the spring of 1979 in five adjacent 2.4 by 3 by 12-m outdoor wire pens containing four or ten pairs of starlings, a similar number of nest boxes, perches, water,

Five gray wolf (Canis lupus) specimens were examined from Wisconsin from 1975 through 1979; each had been killed by human beings, accidentally or intentionally. This confirms the presence of wolves in Wisconsin and supports the hypothesis that human-related mortality is the factor limiting the population.

Adult mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were fed South Louisiana crude oil as 0.25 and 2.5% of the total diet for 26 weeks to assess the chronic effects of oil ingestion. Additional birds were fed diets containing either 1.0% of a paraffin mixture or clean feed. No birds died during the study, nor were their body weights significantly depressed. Oviduct weight at necropsy was greatly reduced in hens o