DOCSLIB.ORG

Further Notes on the Tufted Duck in St. James's Park, London

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Further Notes on the Tufted Duck in St. James's Park, London FURTHER NOTES ON THE TUFTED DUCK IN ST. JAMES'S PARK, LONDON By E. H. GILLHAM INTRODUCTION THIS PAPER on Tufted Duck (Ay thy a fuligula) in St. James's Park deals primarily with observations for 1956 and 1957. In addition, however, certain information gained during the previous three years, 1953-55, is summarized for the first time with the comparable details for 1956-57, and the general picture of events outlined in a previous paper (Gillham, 1957) is brought up to date. As in previous years, observations were made between late April and early October as follows : — On 90 days (twice in a day on 24) in the 140-day period 18th May-sth October 1956. On 128 days (twice in a day on 39) in the 171-day period 23rd April-ioth October 1957. During both breeding-seasons visits were regular, averaging on 4 days out of 7 in 1956 and on 5 days out of 7 in 1957. Daily counts, and the close scrutiny of birds at the various feeding points, as outlined previously (Gillham, op. cit.), were continued throughout both years. For almost the entire 1957 breeding-season, the construction of two widely-spaced parallel dams, with a drained pit between for bridge-building, divided' the lake into two separate waters. This was of great assistance to counting and observation for, apart from the movement or attempted movement of several newly-hatched Tufted broods from one portion to the other, there was no other passage of families or of independent ducklings between the Horse Guards end and Palace end lakes. Correction to a previous paper. Under Desertion of young by the female (antea, vol. L, p. 4), the nine broods in 1955 were hatched between 2nd July (not 29th July) and 12th August. Number of pairs. The number of pairs present in the two most recent years was 14 in 1956 and 18 in 1957. Between 1954 and 1957, inclusive, the number of pairs attempting breeding each season ranged from 12 to 18. Non-breeding birds. In 1956, unmated non-breeding birds present during the first half of the nesting-period totalled 6 or 7 adult males and 2 or 3 adult females, and in 1957, 6 to 9 males and up to 3 females. During 1954, another year of intensive watching, there was also a marked surplus over the breeding pairs, likewise mainly males. 413 414 BRITISH BIRDS [VOL. LI NESTING; HATCHING AND FLEDGING OF YOUNG Span of the nesting period. The nesting period (Fig. i) is based partly on calculations made on 50 broods and partly on field observations on the territorial behaviour of pairs. Observations on behaviour have indicated that the hatching-period should commence from the beginning of June, but these early nesting attempts have so far been unsuccess­ ful. In any case, the number of broods which should have appeared in June is very small, since between the last few days of April and the third week of May territorial pairs were considerably fewer than those seen in the period 22nd May-i3th June. FIG. 1—To SHOW THE TOTAL SPANS OF THE PERIODS OF NESTING, HATCHING, FIRST FLIGHTS OF YOUNG, AND WING-MOULTS OF ADULT FEMALES, OF TUFTED DUCK (Aythya fuligula) IN ST. JAMES'S PARK, LONDON The nesting season begins with a thin population of breeding pairs, then rises fairly sharply to a peak period during which most birds start nesting, after which there is a gradual decline until the last broods hatch. The flightless period of adult females begins with a small number of flightless birds, rises sharply to a peak period when most females are flightless, and similarly declines gradually. Span of the hatching period. The span of the hatching-period in relation to the spans of nesting and fledging of young is shown in Fig. 1. In some cases hatching dates had to be estimated because the exact age of ducklings was unknown, and it is convenient to group the hatching of broods in 8-day periods: — 27th June-4th July 2 broods hatched 5th July-i2th July 10 broods hatched 13th july-20th July 12 broods hatched 21st July-28th July 15 broods hatched 29th July-sth August 5 broods hatched 6th August-i3th August 4 broods hatched 14th August-2ist August 2 broods hatched (this includes an estimated hatching date for a female incubating on 16th August 1954) VOL. LI] TUFTED DUCK IN ST. JAMES'S PARK 415 Fledging period of individual ducklings. In The Handbook it is stated that young Tufted Ducks are able to fly at six weeks. Observations on certain broods in 1953 and 1955 indicated that a fledging period of six weeks could be regarded only as a minimum. In 1956 and 1957 closer observation on broods, especially on nine broods watched until deserted by their mothers at ages ranging from 39 to 43 days, showed that at 42 days old none was capable of flight. One bird was seen to fly a few yards just above the water at 44 days; from age calculations at least twelve birds could fly well between 7 and 8 weeks old. MIXED BROODS OF TUFTED DUCK AND MALLARD In 1957, four newly-hatched Tufted ducklings formed part of a similarly aged brood of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and received the same attention from the female as the downy Mallard. This mixed brood was almost certainly the result of a female Tufted's laying in a Mallard's nest, for it is very unusual for female Mallard to tolerate a close association of strange ducklings even of their own species (i.e., ducklings not hatched out in a Mallard's own nest), with their own broods. Both of the two surviving Tufted of this mixed brood eventually deserted their foster-mother when about two-and-a-half weeks old and reared themselves. Laying in the nest of another species is probably by no means rare in the Park, for I have known two newly-hatched Mallard to be part of a newly-hatched Tufted brood and a Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) duckling amongst a fresh brood of Mallard. In all cases these ducklings were accepted by their foster-mothers. (Since the completion of this paper there have been three further instances of newly-hatched Tufted ducklings with foster-mothers of another species:— (1) a female Pochard (Aythya ferina) with a brood of six, including three Tufted, on 30th June 1958; (2) a female Mallard with five, including two Tufted, on 8th July 1958; and (3) a female Mallard with four ducklings—all Tufted—on 14th July 1958. The last record, in particular, raises the question whether other species sometimes take over a Tufted Duck's nest in the laying period.) CLUTCH SIZES AND BROOD SIZES Brood sizes are based solely on the number of young in the various broods of tiny ducklings when they were first seen on water. The following summary refers only to 1956 and 1957, the years for which figures are particularly accurate: — Number of young in broods Brood sizes 1 2 3 4 s 6 7 8 9 10 Number of broods of the brood sizes 2 1 1 S 7 3 1 4 1 2 = 27 broods detailed above 416 BRITISH BIRDS [VOL. LI The average brood size was between 5 and 6 young-, whereas data relating to eighteen full clutches found in 1954 and 1955 (W. G. Teagle, in litt.) give an average clutch size of 9 eggs. There is a possibility that a proportion of eggs fail to hatch as has been reported for the Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator): in a study of twenty-two clutches of this species on Schliemunde, Germany, Pflugbeil (Hamerstrom, 1957) found that of at least 262 eggs only 53% hatched, while the average number of unhatched eggs was 1 to 4 per nest. In St. James's Park there is positive evidence of a few eggs in nests after hatching, for in 1954 Mr. W. H. Punter (Teagle, in Hit.) found that, out of two Tufted Ducks' nests holding 20 eggs, a fifth failed to hatch. Rather less conclusive are my own observations of two different females leaving their newly-hatched young on water and return­ ing to, and sitting on, their nests. This apparently unusual behaviour may have been associated with unhatched eggs remain­ ing in these nests though, regrettably, in neither case was it possible for me to confirm this by inspection. Although in the five years personal opportunities for studying nests have been few, I know of single instances of (a) 2 dead young being found in one nest, (b) a broken egg in a nest, and (c) an egg lying just outside a nest In addition, Mr. Teagle informed me that 4 of 12 eggs—the combined total laid in two nests— disappeared in the incubation period. These incidents point to a combination of factors being responsible for the low average brood size. In considering the average brood size it is necessary to make some allowance for a percentage of broods resulting from second nest attempts. This should lower the average brood size, for it is highly probable that with Tufted and other species the clutch sizes of second attempts are generally 1 smaller than those of first layings—as has been reported for some North American wild ducks (Farrington, 1947). (The following evidence, obtained since the completion of this paper, suggests that a return to the nest by the female after most eggs have hatched is associated with unhatched eggs remain­ ing. On nth July 1958, I was informed by Mr.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Systematic Position of the Ring-Necked Duck
    460 Hollister, Ring-necked Duck. [o"t. into consideration the evanescence of the diagnostic markings, and the inaccessibility of the coastal marshes where the bird breeds, together with the fact that the few ornithologists who seem to have visited them were generally armed only with cameras, it is perhaps not so odd after all. In assembling the data upon which these notes are based, besides those already mentioned, to whom I am particularly indebted, my thanks are due to Messrs. Stanley C. Arthur, O. Bangs, Howarth S. Boyle, William Brewster, Jonathan Dwight, J. H. Flemming, Harry C. Oberholser, Wilfred H. Osgood, T. S. Palmer, H. S. Swarth, P. A. Taverner, W. E. Clyde Todd, and John E. Thayer. THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE RING-NECKED DUCK. BY N. HOLLISTER. The group of fuliguline Ducks now called Marila in the American ' Ornithologists' Union Check-List ' has had its full share of nomen- clatorial shifts and changes, and many schemes have been proposed for its division into genera or subgenera. It has always seemed to me that the question of the number and rank of the named super- specific sections within this group is of little importance in com- parison to the error involved in the sequence given the species in the ' Check-List,' where the Canvasback is placed between the Redhead and the Scaups, and the Ring-necked Duck is put at the end of the series in the typical subgenus Marila. From a study of the literature of American Ducks it is evident that the belief prevails that the Ring-necked Duck (Marila col- laris) is a Scaup, very closely related to the Greater and Lesser Bluebills (Marila marila and M.
    [Show full text]
  • Bird Species Checklist
    6 7 8 1 COMMON NAME Sp Su Fa Wi COMMON NAME Sp Su Fa Wi Bank Swallow R White-throated Sparrow R R R Bird Species Barn Swallow C C U O Vesper Sparrow O O Cliff Swallow R R R Savannah Sparrow C C U Song Sparrow C C C C Checklist Chickadees, Nuthataches, Wrens Lincoln’s Sparrow R U R Black-capped Chickadee C C C C Swamp Sparrow O O O Chestnut-backed Chickadee O O O Spotted Towhee C C C C Bushtit C C C C Black-headed Grosbeak C C R Red-breasted Nuthatch C C C C Lazuli Bunting C C R White-breasted Nuthatch U U U U Blackbirds, Meadowlarks, Orioles Brown Creeper U U U U Yellow-headed Blackbird R R O House Wren U U R Western Meadowlark R O R Pacific Wren R R R Bullock’s Oriole U U Marsh Wren R R R U Red-winged Blackbird C C U U Bewick’s Wren C C C C Brown-headed Cowbird C C O Kinglets, Thrushes, Brewer’s Blackbird R R R R Starlings, Waxwings Finches, Old World Sparrows Golden-crowned Kinglet R R R Evening Grosbeak R R R Ruby-crowned Kinglet U R U Common Yellowthroat House Finch C C C C Photo by Dan Pancamo, Wikimedia Commons Western Bluebird O O O Purple Finch U U O R Swainson’s Thrush U C U Red Crossbill O O O O Hermit Thrush R R To Coast Jackson Bottom is 6 Miles South of Exit 57.
    [Show full text]
  • Hunting in SWEDEN
    www.face-europe.org Page 1 of 14 Hunting in SWEDEN SURFACE AREA Total surface area 449,964 km² Woodlands 62 % Farming area 9 % Huntable area n.a. average huntable area n.a. HUNTER/POPULATION Population 9,000,000 Number of Hunters 290,000 % Hunters 3.2 % Hunters / Inhabitants 1:31 Population density inhabitants/km² 22 Source: http:www.jagareforbundet.se, 2005 Handbook of Hunting in Europe, FACE, 1995 www.face-europe.org Page 2 of 14 HUNTING SYSTEM Competent authorities The Parliament has overall responsibility for legislation. The Government - the Ministry of Agriculture - is responsible for questions concerning hunting. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for supervision and monitoring developments in hunting and game management. The County Administrations are responsible for hunting and game management questions on the county level, and are advised by County Game Committees - länsviltnämnd - with representatives of forestry, agriculture, hunting, recreational and environmental protection interests. } Ministry of Agriculture (Jordbruksdepartementet) S-10333 Stockholm Phone +46 (0) 8 405 10 00 - Fax +46 (0)8 20 64 96 } Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) SE-106 48 Stockholm Phone +46 (0)8 698 10 00 - Fax +46 (0)8 20 29 25 Hunters’ associations Hunting is a popular sport in Sweden. There are some 290.000 hunters, of whom almost 195.000 are affiliated to the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management (Svenska Jägareförbundet). The association is a voluntary body whose main task is to look after the interests of hunting and hunters. The Parliament has delegated responsibility SAHWM for, among other things, practical game management work.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Scaup X Tufted Duck Hybrids by Bryan L
    Notes on Scaup x Tufted Duck hybrids By Bryan L. Sage (Plates 6 and 7b) SINCE THE LENGTHY controversy over the 'Lesser Scaup' problem, which was finally settled by Perrins (1961), most field ornithologists have been alive to the occasional occurrence of hybrid ducks. Hybrids of various parentages are very frequent in the Anatidae, both in captivity and to an unknown but possibly quite considerable extent in the wild. In addition to individuals of wild origin, many of the hybrids bred in captivity are left full-winged and frequently take to a feral existence. The most aggravating aspect of the whole problem to the field worker is the almost total lack of descriptions and illustrations of these hybrids in the normal identification books. The object of this short paper, therefore, is to give as much information as possible about two hybrids, one drake and one duck, bred in captivity from a male Scaup {Aythya marila) and a female Tufted Duck {A. fuliguld), to compare them with other recorded hybrids between these two species, and to see what conclusions can be reached about the field-characters of this cross. The emphasis is very much on the drake, partly because I am now fortunate enough to have the skin as a study specimen and partly because most of the other records refer to males; in any case, females would be very difficult to identify in the field. PLUMAGE DESCRIPTION OF A MALE SCAUP X TUFTED DUCK HYBRID This drake hybrid and the female discussed later on were, as already mentioned, the progeny of a male Scaup and a female Tufted Duck.
    [Show full text]
  • Alpha Codes for 2168 Bird Species (And 113 Non-Species Taxa) in Accordance with the 62Nd AOU Supplement (2021), Sorted Taxonomically
    Four-letter (English Name) and Six-letter (Scientific Name) Alpha Codes for 2168 Bird Species (and 113 Non-Species Taxa) in accordance with the 62nd AOU Supplement (2021), sorted taxonomically Prepared by Peter Pyle and David F. DeSante The Institute for Bird Populations www.birdpop.org ENGLISH NAME 4-LETTER CODE SCIENTIFIC NAME 6-LETTER CODE Highland Tinamou HITI Nothocercus bonapartei NOTBON Great Tinamou GRTI Tinamus major TINMAJ Little Tinamou LITI Crypturellus soui CRYSOU Thicket Tinamou THTI Crypturellus cinnamomeus CRYCIN Slaty-breasted Tinamou SBTI Crypturellus boucardi CRYBOU Choco Tinamou CHTI Crypturellus kerriae CRYKER White-faced Whistling-Duck WFWD Dendrocygna viduata DENVID Black-bellied Whistling-Duck BBWD Dendrocygna autumnalis DENAUT West Indian Whistling-Duck WIWD Dendrocygna arborea DENARB Fulvous Whistling-Duck FUWD Dendrocygna bicolor DENBIC Emperor Goose EMGO Anser canagicus ANSCAN Snow Goose SNGO Anser caerulescens ANSCAE + Lesser Snow Goose White-morph LSGW Anser caerulescens caerulescens ANSCCA + Lesser Snow Goose Intermediate-morph LSGI Anser caerulescens caerulescens ANSCCA + Lesser Snow Goose Blue-morph LSGB Anser caerulescens caerulescens ANSCCA + Greater Snow Goose White-morph GSGW Anser caerulescens atlantica ANSCAT + Greater Snow Goose Intermediate-morph GSGI Anser caerulescens atlantica ANSCAT + Greater Snow Goose Blue-morph GSGB Anser caerulescens atlantica ANSCAT + Snow X Ross's Goose Hybrid SRGH Anser caerulescens x rossii ANSCAR + Snow/Ross's Goose SRGO Anser caerulescens/rossii ANSCRO Ross's Goose
    [Show full text]
  • TUFTED DUCK Aythya Fuligula Non-Breeding Visitor, Occasional Winterer Monotypic
    TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula non-breeding visitor, occasional winterer monotypic Tufted Ducks breed across the n. Palearctic and winter S to n. Africa, India, and the Philippine Is (Dement'ev and Gladkov 1952, Cramp and Simmons 1977). They are regular vagrants to N America (AOU 1998, CBRC 2007) and rare winter visitors to the Hawaiian Islands, with records rather equally distributed between the Northwestern and Southeastern Islands. Records also occur from throughout Micronesia E to the Marshall Is (Clapp 1990), and possibly Wake Atoll (Rauzon et al. 2008). In contrast to the two scaup species and Ring-necked Duck, there is little evidence that individual Tufted Ducks return to Hawaii for consecutive winters, although two adults at Kuilima STP, O'ahu in 2010-2011 could have been among the 5 there in 2009-2010. Most records of Tufted Ducks from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are from Midway, where 10 specimens were collected between 1959 and 1980 (USNM; Fisher 1960, Clapp and Woodward 1968, Engilis et al. 2004) and 8 additional birds were observed in 1963-2002 (e.g., Fisher 1965; HRBP 0345, 1262-1264). At least 7 present during the winter of 1963 (Clapp and Woodward 1968) represents the high count. Other records from the Northwest Islands are from Kure (5, 1963-2011; e.g., USNM 493448, 497908; HRBP 6703-6704) and French Frigate (1, 17-19 Nov 1984; HRBP 0572-0574, 0792). The earliest fall arrival was recorded 25 Oct (1965, Midway) and of several that wintered on Midway in 1995-2002, the latest individual remained until early Apr (2000).
    [Show full text]
  • SPECIES INFORMATION SHEET Aythya Fuligula
    SPECIES INFORMATION SHEET Aythya fuligula English name: Scientific name: Tufted duck Aythya fuligula Taxonomical group: Species authority: Class: Aves Linnaeus, 1758 Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae Subspecies, Variations, Synonyms: – Generation length: 5 years Past and current threats (Habitats Directive Future threats (Habitats Directive article 17 article 17 codes): Other threat factors (declining codes): Other threat factors (declining colonies of colonies of L. ridibundus; J03.01), Tourism L. ridibundus; J03.01), Tourism (G01, G02), Alien (disturbance; G01, G02), Alien species (I01), species (I01), Competition and predation (I02), Competition and predation (I02), Hunting Hunting (F03.01), Bycatch (F03.02.05), Oil spills (F03.01), Bycatch (F03.02.05), Oil spills (H03.01) (H03.01) IUCN Criteria: HELCOM Red List NT A2ab Category: Near Threatened Global / European IUCN Red List Category Annex I EU Birds Directive-no LC / LC Annex II EU Birds Directive-II A Red List status in HELCOM countries: Denmark: LC, Estonia: LC, Finland: VU, Germany: * (*Not threatened), Latvia: –, Lithuania: –, Poland: – , Russia: –, Sweden: LC Range description and general trends The tufted duck is a widespread breeder across much of Europe. The European population counts >730 000 bp. Although the species was stable or increased in much of its range during 1990–2000, there were declines in north-eastern Europe, including the north-eastern Baltic Sea. Aythya fuligula. Photo by Lutz Ritzel. Distribution and status in the Baltic Sea region The size of the breeding population is much smaller in the western Baltic Sea area than in the north- eastern parts of the region. The Swedish population has been stable both in short-term and long-term (Ottvall et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Welfare Assessment for Captive Anseriformes: a Guide for Practitioners and Animal Keepers
    animals Article Welfare Assessment for Captive Anseriformes: A Guide for Practitioners and Animal Keepers Paul Rose 1,2,* and Michelle O’Brien 2 1 Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, Washington Singer, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK 2 Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, UK; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 30 May 2020; Accepted: 1 July 2020; Published: 3 July 2020 Simple Summary: Zoological collections are constantly working to find new ways of improving their standards of care for the animals they keep. Many species kept in zoos are also found in private animal collections. The knowledge gained from studying these zoo-housed populations can also benefit private animal keepers and their animals. Waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans) are examples of species commonly kept in zoos, and in private establishments, that have received little attention when it comes to understanding their core needs in captivity. Measuring welfare (how the animal is coping with the environment that it is in) is one way of understanding whether a bird’s needs are being met by the care provided to it. This paper provides a method for measuring the welfare of waterfowl that can be applied to zoo-housed birds as well as to those in private facilities. The output of such a welfare measurement method can be used to show where animal care is good (and should be continued at a high standard) and to identify areas where animal care is not meeting the bird’s needs and hence should be altered or enhanced to be more suitable for the birds being kept.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Certain Aythya Hybrids ERIC GILLHAM, JAMES M
    A study of certain Aythya hybrids ERIC GILLHAM, JAMES M. HARRISON and JEFFERY G. HARRISON Summary Six distinct types of drake Aythya hybrids which may be seen in Britain are described both from museum specimens and as seen in the field. These are the progeny of various combinations of four species: Pochard, Tufted Duck, Ferruginous Duck and Scaup. A description is also given of a drake hybrid between two North American species, the Redhead and Ring-necked Duck. Female Aythya hybrids must often remain unrecognised: four specimens are described. The relatively frequent occurrence of hybrids resembling species rarely found in Britain necessitates very careful scrutiny of all records purporting to be of Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck and Ferruginous Duck. Introduction one or other of the parent species is so The problem of hybridisation among the close that they are likely to be overlooked. diving duck of the genus Aythya was We have, however, examined one skin of a brought into prominence in this country female Pochard X Tufted Duck and by the now famous ‘Lesser Scaup’ dispute, watched female Paget’s Pochards in the in which a bird, eventually obtained at field. Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire, was finally i . P o c h a r d A. ferina X T u f t e d D u c k identified as a hybrid, probably between a A. fuligula, o ‘L e s se r S c a u p T y p e ’ . The Pochard Aythya ferina (Linnaeus) x Sutton Courtenay specimen. (See Plates Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus). 16, 17, 18 in Photographic Section I, The hybrid was described by Perrins opposite page 64.) (1961), in comparison with a Lesser Scaup The description and relevant compari­ Aythya affinis (Eyton), but no attempt was sons have already been published else­ made at that time to compare it with other where (Perrins, 1961).
    [Show full text]
  • Comparing Two Genetic Markers Used in the Identification of Diving
    Comparing two genetic markers used in the identification of diving ducks (Aythyinae) involved in birdstrikes Damani Eubanks, Carla Dove Ph.D, Faridah Dahlan, Sergei Drovetski Ph.D Abstract Results Knowing the species of birds involved in damaging collisions with U.S. military and civil aircraft (birdstrikes) is For our phylogenetic reconstruction we used 25 (16 new and 9 from GenBank) ND2 sequences and 51 (17 new and paramount to understanding and preventing human-wildlife conflicts in this field. The Feather Identification Lab, 34 from GenBank/BoLD) CO1 sequences. Although we were not able to sequence 3 samples for ND2 and for 2 Smithsonian Institution, identifies over 9,000 birdstrike cases each year using feather morphology and DNA samples for CO1, this indicates similar efficiency of ND2 and CO1 primers. barcoding. While the DNA barcode marker (CO1) is successful at identifying many species of birds, it falls short Genetic distances between closely related species in the ND2 tree were 1.8 - 5.3 times greater than those in the CO1 in species that are very closely related or hybridize frequently. This project tested the effectiveness of two tree (Fig. 1; Table 1). When number of segregating sites is considered, the differences are even greater due to the mitochondrial genetic markers, cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) used for differences in sequence length of the two markers. identifying species of waterfowl within the genus Aythya. Because these diving ducks are commonly involved in Both the differences in evolutionary rate and the sequence length between the two loci had a strong effect on posterior damaging birdstrikes, the most reliable method of DNA identification is needed for species designation of probability of monophyly of conspecific haplotypes.
    [Show full text]
  • Foraging Guilds of North American Birds
    RESEARCH Foraging Guilds of North American Birds RICHARD M. DE GRAAF ABSTRACT / We propose a foraging guild classification for USDA Forest Service North American inland, coastal, and pelagic birds. This classi- Northeastern Forest Experiment Station fication uses a three-part identification for each guild--major University of Massachusetts food, feeding substrate, and foraging technique--to classify Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA 672 species of birds in both the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. We have attempted to group species that use similar resources in similar ways. Researchers have identified forag- NANCY G. TILGHMAN ing guilds generally by examining species distributions along USDA Forest Service one or more defined environmental axes. Such studies fre- Northeastern Forest Experiment Station quently result in species with several guild designations. While Warren, Pennsylvania 16365, USA the continuance of these studies is important, to accurately describe species' functional roles, managers need methods to STANLEY H. ANDERSON consider many species simultaneously when trying to deter- USDI Fish and Wildlife Service mine the impacts of habitat alteration. Thus, we present an Wyoming Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit avian foraging classification as a starting point for further dis- University of Wyoming cussion to aid those faced with the task of describing commu- Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA nity effects of habitat change. Many approaches have been taken to describe bird Severinghaus's guilds were not all ba~cd on habitat feeding behavior. Comparisons between different studies, requirements, to question whether the indicator concept however, have been difficult because of differences in would be effective. terminology. We propose to establish a classification Thomas and others (1979) developed lists of species scheme for North American birds by using common by life form for each habitat and successional stage in the terminology based on major food type, substrate, and Blue Mountains of Oregon.
    [Show full text]
  • (Haliaeetus Albicilla) Along the Danube
    Strasbourg, 20 October 2011 T-PVS/Inf (2011) 28 [inf28e_2011.doc] CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF EUROPEAN WILDLIFE AND NATURAL HABITATS Standing Committee 31st meeting Strasbourg, 29 November - 2 December 2011 __________ ACTION PLAN FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE (HALIAEETUS ALBICILLA) ALONG THE DANUBE Document prepared by Mr Remo Probst & Mr Akos Gaborik This document will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy. Ce document ne sera plus distribué en réunion. Prière de vous munir de cet exemplaire. T-PVS/Inf (2011) 28 - 2 – Action Plan for the conservation of the White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) along the Danube Remo Probst & Ákos Gaborik - 3 - T-PVS/Inf (2011) 28 ACTION PLAN FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE (HALIAEETUS ALBICILLA) ALONG THE DANUBE Compiled and edited by: Remo Probst & Akos Gaborik Scientific Board: Mirko Bohuš (Slovakia), Szilard Daroczi (Romania), István Hám (Serbia), Björn Helander (all countries), Zoltán Horváth (Hungary), Oliver Krone (Germany), Tibor Mikuska (Croatia), Eugen Petrescu (Romania), Andreas Ranner (Austria), Nikola Stojnic (Serbia), Emil Todorov (Bulgaria) & Marko Tucakov (Serbia). Contributors: Dan Bandacu, Larisa Benčina, Stela Bozhinova, Josef Chavko, Štefan Danko, Tamás Deme, Georg Frank, H.-J. Fünfstück, B. Grubač, Veselin Koev, Krasimir KirovKrasov, Matúš Kúdela, Yordan Kutsarov, Jozef Lengyel, Marija Milenkovic-Srbulovic, Attila Mórocz, Ion Munteanu, Vladimír Nemček, Peter Rác, Vlatko Rožac, Miroslava Rudá, Thomas Schneider,
    [Show full text]