Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

These publications showcase the significant science conducted in our Science Centers.

Filter Total Items: 16785

Techniques for trapping, aging, and banding wintering canvasbacks

Techniques used to trap, band, and determine age of Canvasbacks during winter on Chesapeake Bay are presented. Canvasbacks were captured with welded-wire traps baited with corn. Two trap designs were used and traps and trapping techniques are described. Ducks were dipnetted from traps and held in modified poultry crates that provided seclusion and ventilation and allowed birds to dry unsoiled. Ca
Authors
G. M. Haramis, E.L. Derleth, D.G. McAuley

An analysis of howling response parameters useful for wolf pack censusing

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were studied from April-1972 through April 1974 in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota by radio-tracking and simulated howling. Based on replies during 217 of 456 howling sessions, the following recommendations were derived for using simulated howling as a census technique: (1) the best times of day are dusk and night; (2) July, August, and September a
Authors
F.H. Harrington, L. D. Mech

Organochlorine residues and shell thinning in Oregon seabird eggs

A single egg was collected at 62 nests of 10 seabird species from Oregon in 1979. The eggs were analyzed for organochlorine contaminants; contemporary shell thickness was compared with eggshells collected during earlier time periods. Concentrations of DDE and PCB's in 1979 were generally low with the most contaminated species being the Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Leach's Stor
Authors
C. J. Henny, L. J. Blus, R. M. Prouty

Organochlorine residues in bats after a forest spraying with DDT

Background levels of DDT and its metabolites (ZDDT) were extremely low or not detected in five species of forest-dwelling bats in northeastern Oregon, i.e., areas not sprayed with DDT in 1974. Other organochlorine pesticides were rarely found and no polychlotinated biphenyls (PCBs) were detected at any time during the study. Four of five species of bats showed significant changes in Z:DDT residues
Authors
Charles J. Henny, Chris Maser, John O. Whitaker, T. Earl Kaiser

Migratory peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus, accumulate pesticides in Latin America during winter

Blood samples from 433 Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) during fall and spring migrations, 1976-80, indicated that most of their pesticide burden, primarily DDE, was accumulated on wintering grounds in Latin America. DDE in spring migrants returning from Latin America for the first time declined significantly from 1979 to 1980. Only about 10% of breeding-age females contained organochlorine re
Authors
C. J. Henny, F.P. Ward, K.E. Riddle, R. M. Prouty

DDE not implicated in cliff swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, mortality during severe spring weather in Oregon

Large numbers ofCliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) died in late May near Burns, Oregon, during cold, wet weather. The brains of five dead birds did not contain lethal concentrations of DDE, and no PCBs were detected.
Authors
C. J. Henny, L. J. Blus, C. J. Stafford

Population dynamics of ring-necked ducks in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways

Band-recovery data, harvest surveys, and spring and winter population surveys were used to estimate population parameters of ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris). Mean annual survival rates of adult males (0.63 to 0.69) were higher (P < 0.05) than those of either adult females (0.48 to 0.58) or juveniles (0.31 to 0.41). Survival rates of winter-banded adult males were highest in the Mississippi Fly
Authors
M.J. Conroy

Osmoregulation and salt gland Na, K-ATPase activity following exposure to the anticholinesterase fenthion

Salt gland function and osmoregulation in aquatic birds drinking hyperosmotic water has been suggested to be impaired by organophosphorus insecticides. To test this hypothesis, adult ducks (Anas rubripes) were provided various regimens of fresh or salt (1.5% NaCl) water (FW, SW) and mash containing vehicle or 21 ppm fenthion (Fn) on days 1-7 and 7-12 of this study. The 8 treatments (day 1-7:day 7-
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, W. J. Fleming, H. C. Murray

Inclusion body hepatitis in kestrels (Falco sparverius)

Inclusion body disease of suspected adenovirus etiology was the apparent cause of death of 9 captive kestrels (Falco sparverius). Cloacal hemorrhage was the only prominent gross lesion; disseminated hepatocellular necrosis and intranuclear inclusion bodies were evident microscopically. Attempts to reproduce the disease, and to propagate and serologically characterize the agent were unsuccessful.
Authors
L. Sileo, J. C. Franson, D.L. Graham, C.H. Domermuth, Barnett A. Rattner, O. H. Pattee

Ecology of avian brood parasitism at an early interfacing of host and parasite populations

The shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis), a brood parasite, has recently spread into the Greater Antilles from South America via the Lesser Antilles. This species is a host generalist and upon reaching Puerto Rico exploited avian communities with no history of social parasitism. Forty-two percent of the resident non-raptorial land bird species were parasitized in mangrove habitat study areas. Cow
Authors
J. W. Wiley