DOCSLIB.ORG

Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax Nycticorax) William C

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax Nycticorax) William C Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) William C. Scharf Status: Special Concern (MNFI) Detroit Zoo, MI. 6/11/2008 © Joan Tisdale (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) Known by the elegant black and white of its Distribution Black-crowned Night-Herons in Michigan adult plumage and its red-eyed stare, the Black- historically have had their colonies along the crowned Night-Heron is a voracious and shores and islands of Lake Erie, the Detroit stealthy predator of fish, frogs, mice, and River, Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron with new especially young gulls, terns and other birds. colonies since Scharf (1998) expanding into Many potential prey animals should heed its northern Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, the St. “quawk” call in the night. A widespread species, Marys River and eastern Lake Superior. They it is found nesting on every continent except seek nesting on islands or other similar insulated Australia and Antarctica (Davis 1993). They are spots protected from predators. Twelve breeding colonial breeders, and are often found breeding colonies were documented on the Great Lakes and foraging with other species of herons as islands or along the shoreline of the NLP and well as other species of colonial nesting UP during MBBA II. This seems to indicate an waterbirds. increase in northward nesting for this species. A noteworthy coincident change has been that new Suitable wetland habitat for nesting and colonies established in Ontario are northward of foraging influences Black-crowned Night Heron the traditional nesting areas by 72 km (48 mi) distribution. Sites of Black-crowned Night (Cadman 2007). Many newer observations in Heron colonies in Michigan include Great Lakes MBBA II are from inland swamps, marshes, islands with suitable shrubs for nesting and riverine habitats, or other non-Great Lakes sites proximity to coastal wetlands. Inland swamps in the SLP, but only one of these is a confirmed and marshes continue to attract Black-crowned breeding record. Many similar inland Night-Herons during the nesting season, usually observations from MBBA I, especially in the with only small colonies confirmed away from NLP, were vacated between MBBA I and the Great Lakes in Michigan. Wintering MBBA II. distribution includes the coastal southeastern U.S. with some going as far as the Caribbean (Byrd 1978). © 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) William C. Scharf Status: Special Concern (MNFI) Breeding Biology supply of nestling gulls and terns occur at the Black-crowned Night-Herons are primarily same site. nocturnal. Most birds leave colony sites at night; foraging and courtship take place at night. They Conservation Needs return to the colony before sunrise (Davis 1993). Despite the increase in the number of confirmed Wetland nests near foraging sites are normal, nesting colonies cited above, the total number of but it has been shown in Wisconsin that Black- nests in MBBA II was not available for crowned Night-Herons may fly up to 24 km (14 comparison with former numbers, and MNFI mi) to feed (Hoefler 1979). Small trees and has listed Black-crowned Night-Herons as a brush such as white cedar, aspen, cottonwood, species of Special Concern. Illinois and Indiana box elder, willows, wild plum, elderberry, list them as endangered (Kleen et al. 2004 and dogwood, and mulberry are chosen nest sites. Castrale et al. 1998). The North American Trees in one colony varied in height from 11-16 Waterbird Conservation Plan (Kushlan et al. m (32-51 ft) (Hoffman and Prince 1975). In 2002) considers the continental populations of contrast, the herons have also nested in cattails Black-crowned Night-Heron to be declining. (pers. obs.). At Michigan latitudes, this species The northeastern U.S. populations have declined is single brooded, but will re-nest if disturbed or by 50% since 1970 (McGowan et al. 2008). attacked by predators. Yearling herons, with Loss of wetlands is probably the major cause of brownish streaked plumage, are known to be the species’ decline. Strict enforcement of breeders (Custer and Davis 1982), but most wetland protection, continuance of strictures birds typically breed at age two or three. The against removing vegetation near the riparian cryptic brown plumages of juvenile and first zone, and zoning to keep industrial, commercial summer birds coupled with thick vegetation and residential development away from the make them inconspicuous and hard to count. In water’s edge will preserve nesting and foraging mixed heron species colonies, Black-crowned habitat. Unfortunately, much damage to riparian Night-Heron nests are usually smaller and zones has already occurred from a variety of located closer to the trunk among the lower human impacts. The largest Black-crowned branches of trees tending to cause the censuses, Night Heron colony in Michigan, the Saginaw both aerial and ground, to underestimate their Bay CDF, has been considered for a county true numbers (Erwin 1980). park. Intensive recreational development is incompatible with colonial bird nesting. Abundance and Population Trends Records of breeding distribution in MBBA I Additionally, the prolific cormorant population show confirmed nesting in 15 townships; 4 in must be checked at some locations. Recently the UP, 6 in the NLP, and 5 in the SLP. In initiated control programs by USDA Animal MBBA II, nesting was documented in 25 and Plant Health Inspection Service personnel in townships; 10 in the UP, 8 in the NLP, and 7 in cooperation with tribal management teams and the SLP. This represents an increase of 67% Michigan DNRE biologists may accomplish since MBBA I. The state-wide increase in such reductions. This could free former habitat colonies of this species has been from the UP for Black-crowned Night-Herons at sites where and NLP. An upsurge in the number of nests to cormorants have displaced herons such as at 210 in one NLP Great Lakes colony (Cuthbert Goose Island in northern Lake Huron (pers. and Wires 2008) can be attributed to nearly obs.). The aquatic habitat that produces fish, ideal habitat at the Saginaw Bay Confined frogs, invertebrates, and, indirectly, the gull and Disposal Facility (CDF) where an increase in tern chicks that are prey for nesting herons, woody nesting vegetation and a convenient food should be monitored for ecosystem health. © 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) William C. Scharf Status: Special Concern (MNFI) Environment Canada, Ontario Field Due to their place high on the food chain, Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Black-crowned Night-Herons accumulate toxic Resources, & Ontario Nature, Toronto, xxii environmental contaminants, which may have + 706 pp. caused some part of their continental decline in Castrale, J.S., E.M. Hopkins, and C.E. Keller. recent years. Added to the contaminants is the 1998. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Indiana. destruction of nesting habitat through shoreline Indiana Department of Natural Resources, development. This species’ population is still Division of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame and but a small fraction of its historical numbers Endangered Wildlife Program. Indianapolis, described by Barrows (1912) and Wood (1951) IN. who enumerated several colonies with more Custer, T.W. and W.E. Davis, Jr. 1982. Nesting than 500 nests in Michigan. Continued by one-year-old Black-crowned Night- monitoring of toxic contaminants in herons Heron on Hope Island, Rhode Island. Auk (Custer et al. 1991) and clean-ups of polluted 99:784-786. sites along the Great Lakes could aid this Custer, T.W., B.A. Rattner, M. Ohlendorf, and species. M.J. Melancon. 1991. Herons and egrets as proposed indicators estuarine contamination Monitoring Black-crowned Night-Heron in the United States. Proc. Int. Ornithol. numbers can help us follow the decline or Congr. 20:2474-2479. increase in nesting colonies in Michigan, but Davis, W.E. Jr., 1993. Black-crowned Night- ultimately, the survival of the species depends Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). In The Birds on conserving natural diversity of coastal of North America, No. 74 (A. Poole and F. marshes, and keeping both the mainland and Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of island nesting sites free of toxic contaminants Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The and human disturbance. American Ornithologists’ Union. Erwin, R.M. 1980. Censusing waterbird Literature Cited colonies: some sampling experiments. Trans. Linn. Soc. NY 9: 77-85. Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Hoefler, J.E. 1979. Status and distribution of Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural Black-crowned Night-Herons in Wisconsin. College. Lansing, MI. Proc. Colon. Waterbird Group 3: 75-84. Byrd, M.A. 1978. Dispersal and movements of Hoffman, R.D. and H.H. Prince. 1975. six North American ciconiiforms. Pp. 161- Vegetative structure and nest distribution in 185 in Wading Birds (Sprunt et al., Eds.). a Black-crowned Night Heron heronry. Nat. Aud. Soc. Res. Rep. No. 7, New York. Jack-Pine Warbler 53: 95-99. Cuthbert, F.J. and L.R. Wires. 2008. Long-term Kleen, V.M., L. Cordle, and R.A. Montgomery. monitoring of colonial waterbird populations 2004. The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas. in the great lakes: improving the scientific Special Publication No. 26. Illinois Natural basis for conservation and management History Survey. Champaign, IL. years 1 (2007) AND 2 (2008) Progress Kushlan, J.A., M.J. Steinkamp, K.C. Parsons, J. Report. Submitted to USFWS, Fort Snelling, Capp, M.A. Cruz, M. Coulter, I. Davidson, MN. Nov 2008. L. Dickson, N. Edelson, R. Elliot, R.M. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Erwin, S. Hatch, S. Kress, R. Milko, S. Lepage, and A.R. Couturier (eds.). 2007. Miller, K. Mills, R. Paul, R. Phillips, J.E. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, Saliva, B. Sydeman, J. Trapp, J. Wheeler, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, and K.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa Violacea
    Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea Bob Moul Photo CURRENT STATUS: In Pennsylvania, the yellow-crowned night-heron is listed as state endangered and protected under the Game and Wildlife Code. Nationally, they are not listed as an endangered or threat- ened species. All migratory birds are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. POPULATION TREND: Yellow-crowned night-herons (Nyctanassa violacea) are one of the state’s rarest nesting birds). They are rare, regular visitors or residents in the Piedmont region of southeastern Penn- sylvania (all or parts of Bucks, Northampton, Lehigh, Berks, Lebanon, Lancaster, Dauphin, York, Adams and Cumberland counties), where they breed locally. In the coastal plain area along the Delaware River near Philadelphia, they are rare, irregular visitors. They are accidental visitors elsewhere in the state, particularly in late summer following the breeding season. Currently, the only known breeding sites are in Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties. They nest singly and in loose colonies regularly along Conodo- quinet Creek. A few yellow-crowned night-herons also nest on private property in an urban setting in Dauphin County and at Kiwanis Lake in York. Nests were once also found along Conestoga and Little Conestoga creeks in Lancaster County. Surveys in the 1990s counted not more than eight to 12 nests in any year in the state. Yellow-crowned night-herons were first listed as threat- ened species in 1990 because of their limited popula- tion and restricted range. They were downgraded to endangered in 1999 because of their small and vulner- able population. IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Adults are me- dium-sized, 22 to 28 inches in length from bill tip to tail tip, gray with a black head and whitish cheek patch and crown.
    [Show full text]
  • OBSERVATIONS on a GREAT EGRET Ardea Alba and NANKEEN NIGHT HERON Nycticorax Caledonicus COLONY at the PERTH ZOO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
    Corella, 2004, 28(3): 82-86 OBSERVATIONS ON A GREAT EGRET Ardea alba AND NANKEEN NIGHT HERON Nycticorax caledonicus COLONY AT THE PERTH ZOO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA ROBYN L. PHILLIMORE' and HARRY F. RECHER2 'School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia 6027 email: [email protected]: [email protected] 'Corresponding author. Present address: P.O. Box 154, Brooklyn, New South Wales, Australia 2083 Received: I I Augusr 2003 A colony of Great Egrets Ardea alba and Nankeen Night Herons Nycticorax caledonicus has existed at the Perth Zoo, Western Australia for over 25 years. The colony of egrets is one of very few in the region and hence is significant for the conservation and management of Great Egrets in Western Australia. From 1996 to 1998, surveys were conducted to determine the number of breeding pairs, clutch size, breeding success, and nest site selection of birds in the colony. Most observations were ground based, but a 30-metre cherry picker was used to inspect nests and determine clutch size. One hundred and thirty night heron and 49 egret nests were found in 1996; 92 night heron and 41 egret nests in 1997; and, 153 night heron and 36 egret nests in 1998. Nesting commenced in September, with peak numbers in early November. Both species nested in tall trees well above zoo visitors and animals. Egrets nested only in pines, whereas night herons nested mainly in figs. Great Egrets had an average clutch size of 2.6-2.7 by early November compared with a clutch of 1.6-1.8 for Nankeen Night Herons.
    [Show full text]
  • California Red-Legged Frog (Rana Aurora Draytonii)
    AMPHIBIANS California Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii) California Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora draytonii) Status State: Meets requirements as a “rare, threatened or endangered species” under CEQA Federal: Threatened Critical Habitat: Designated in 2001 (USFWS 2001) but rescinded in 2002 by court order except for one unit in the Sierra Nevada; proposed again in 2004 (USFWS 2004) Population Trend Global: State endemic; declining State: Declining Within Inventory Area: Apparently stable in some areas Data Characterization The location database for the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) within its known range in California includes 419 data records dated from 1919 to 2001. Of these records, 344 were documented within the past 10 years; of these, 203 are of high precision and may be accurately located within the inventory area. Approximately 81 of these high-precision records are located within or near the inventory area. These records occur within non-native grassland, riparian forest, riparian woodland, riparian scrub, freshwater marsh, and wetland. A moderate amount of literature is available regarding the California red-legged frog because of its threatened status and the recent trend in global decline in amphibians. Most of the literature pertains to habitat requirements, population trends, ecological relationships, threats, and conservation efforts. A final recovery plan for the California red-legged frog has been published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2002). Range The historical range of the California red-legged frog extended along the coast from the vicinity of Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California and inland from Redding, Shasta County southward to northwestern Baja California, Mexico (Jennings and Hayes 1985, Hayes and Krempels 1986).
    [Show full text]
  • The Maintenance Behavior of the Black-Crowned Night Heron
    THE MAINTENANCE BEHAVIOR OF THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON GEORGER. MAXWELL AND LOREN S. PUTNAM HIS paper is concerned with a three month study of the maintenance T behavior of the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and includes a description and interpretation of the activities observed. Maintenance behavior, as used in this paper includes movements concerned with locomotion, preening, scratching, care of feet, shaking, stretching, defecation, bill-wiping, sleeping, throat pulsation, yawning, resting, and feeding. The Black-crowned Night Heron is well suited to this type of study due to its colonial nesting habit. The work by Meyerriecks (1960) reinforced our interest in herons and this paper follows the style established in his monograph, so that these data may be utilized more easily. Specific com- parisons of night heron with Green Heron behaviors are made whenever the differences or similarities are striking enough to merit them. Some work has been done on the food preference of the night heron (see Palmer, 1962 and Teal, 1965), but little on the feeding behavior of im- mature herons. A detailed description of the behavior leading to the food transfer, as well as the food transfer itself, has not been available. Field observations were made in Foxs’ Marsh on North Bass Island, Ottawa County, Ohio, in western Lake Erie during the summer of 1963. Further observations were planned but the colony failed to breed in the marsh the following year. The marsh, about 1500 feet by 500 feet, is located at the south-west corner of the island. In the past it has been connected with the lake, but due to low water and wave action, it is now separated by a gravel bar.
    [Show full text]
  • Reproductive Success, Growth and Survival of Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax Nycticorax) and Snowy Egret (Egretta Thula) Chicks in Coastal Virginia
    The Auk 113(1):119-130, 1996 REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS, GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX) AND SNOWY EGRET (EGRETTA THULA) CHICKS IN COASTAL VIRGINIA R. MICHAEL ERWIN, JOHN G. HAIG, DANIEL B. $TOTTS,AND JEFF$. HATFIELD NationalBiological Service, Patuxent Environmental Science Center, 11410American Holly Drive, Laurel,Maryland 20708, USA ABSTRACT.--Westudied reproductive success, growth, and survivalof Black-crownedNight- Heron (Nycticoraxnycticorax) and Snowy Egret (Egrettathula) chicksin two mixed-species heronries on marsh islands in ChincoteagueBay, AccomackCounty, Virginia in 1992 and 1993. We attachedradio transmitterswith mortality sensorsto the oldest chicks (A-chicks) in 11 to 22 nestsof both speciesto monitor survival during the mid- to late nestlingperiod and into the postnestingdispersal period. For both species,we found significantdifferences between 1992and 1993in growth ratesand survival. Massgrowth ratesof chickswere higher in 1993 than in 1992for both species.Culmen-length growth ratesvaried significantlydue to year-colonyeffects for night-herons,but only for hatching order for egrets.Differences in survival rates due to hatching order were found for the egrets in both years, but were found only in 1992for night-herons.As with massgrowth rates, survival of chickswas higher in 1993 than 1992.Survival of radio-markedA-chicks did not differ between speciesor years for the period from hatchingto fledging or from fledging through the end of the study (ca. two monthspostfledging). Survival ranged from 0.80 to 1.00from the time radio transmitters were attached(ca. two weeksof age) until dispersalage (53-55 daysfor egrets;55-60 days for night-herons).After birds left the colony,survival rateswere lower during the next 40 to 55 days,ranging from 0.25 to 0.60.
    [Show full text]
  • Heron, Black-Crowned Night
    142 Herons and Bitterns — Family Ardeidae Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax The Black-crowned Night-Heron spends much of the day resting quietly in marshes or trees, then at dusk flies off to forage, broadcasting a startlingly loud “quock!” In San Diego County it is locally common year round, both along the coast and at lakes and marshes inland. From 1997 to 2001 there were seven substantial colonies in the county, most mixed with other species of herons. Isolated pairs or small colo- nies also contribute to the population, to an unknown degree. Breeding distribution: Like the Great Blue, the Black- crowned Night-Heron nests mainly in colonies, often in mixed heronies. Seven sites appear to account for most Photo by Anthony Mercieca of San Diego County’s population. At the Wild Animal Park (J12), in the multispecies heronry in the Heart of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (O7) were a colony Africa exhibit, counts of the birds (fledglings included) site for many years, until some heavy construction at ranged up to 150 on 15 June 1998 (D. and D. Bylin); our the campus in 2002. At least three, possibly seven, nests best count of nests was at least 20 on 8 May 1999 (K. L. were active on 4 June 1998 (S. E. Smith). In 1999, Black- Weaver). At Sierra Avenue and Plaza Street in Solana crowned Night-Herons founded the mixed heronry at Beach (M7), Black-crowned Night-Herons nest in com- Lindo Lake (P14; M. B. Stowe). By 9 July 2001, there were pany with Snowy Egrets.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Auku'u Or Black-Crowned Night Heron
    Waterbirds ‘Auku‘u or Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli SPECIES STATUS: State recognized as Indigenous Photo: Richard Palmer SPECIES INFORMATION: The ‘auku‘u or black-crowned night heron (Family: Ardeidae) is a stocky cosmopolitan species that breeds on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. Four subspecies are recognized and N. n. hoactli occurs in Hawai‘i, as well as across North America and most of South America. Adult males and females have a black crown and upper back, with a white throat, cheeks, and a narrow band above the bill that extends over the eyes, gray wings, and whitish underparts; males are larger than females. Juveniles are overall brown with light spots. The species’ stout bill is black; legs and feet are yellow, and the eyes are red. ‘Auku‘u (black-crowned night heron) are gregarious and unlike continental birds, those in Hawai‘i are diurnal. The species uses a variety of shallow wetlands for foraging and employs various techniques to capture a diversity of prey including insects, fish, frogs, mice, and the young of other native waterbirds. Information on breeding in Hawai‘i is limited, but the species is a colonial nester, and in North America breeding occurs from December to August. Eggs are laid in a bulky stick nest usually placed low in vegetation. DISTRIBUTION: ‘Auku‘u (black-crowned night heron) is widely distributed throughout the MHI. ABUNDANCE: Island-wide population numbers, based on semi-annual waterbird counts conducted by DOFAW, indicate that the population is variable, but appears stable. Between 1983 and 2003 the average number of ‘auku‘u (black-crowned night heron) counted has been just over 400 individuals.
    [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]
  • Checklist of Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of New York
    CHECKLIST OF AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES, BIRDS AND MAMMALS OF NEW YORK STATE Including Their Legal Status Eastern Milk Snake Moose Blue-spotted Salamander Common Loon New York State Artwork by Jean Gawalt Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife Page 1 of 30 February 2019 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Diversity Group 625 Broadway Albany, New York 12233-4754 This web version is based upon an original hard copy version of Checklist of the Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals of New York, Including Their Protective Status which was first published in 1985 and revised and reprinted in 1987. This version has had substantial revision in content and form. First printing - 1985 Second printing (rev.) - 1987 Third revision - 2001 Fourth revision - 2003 Fifth revision - 2005 Sixth revision - December 2005 Seventh revision - November 2006 Eighth revision - September 2007 Ninth revision - April 2010 Tenth revision – February 2019 Page 2 of 30 Introduction The following list of amphibians (34 species), reptiles (38), birds (474) and mammals (93) indicates those vertebrate species believed to be part of the fauna of New York and the present legal status of these species in New York State. Common and scientific nomenclature is as according to: Crother (2008) for amphibians and reptiles; the American Ornithologists' Union (1983 and 2009) for birds; and Wilson and Reeder (2005) for mammals. Expected occurrence in New York State is based on: Conant and Collins (1991) for amphibians and reptiles; Levine (1998) and the New York State Ornithological Association (2009) for birds; and New York State Museum records for terrestrial mammals.
    [Show full text]
  • Responses of Nestling Black-Crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax Nycticorax) to Aquatic and Terrestrial Recreational Activities: a Manipulative Study
    Responses of Nestling Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) to Aquatic and Terrestrial Recreational Activities: a Manipulative Study ESTEBAN FERNÁNDEZ-JURICIC1, PATRICK A. ZOLLNER2, CHERIE LEBLANC3 AND LYNNE M. WESTPHAL3 1Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. (MS 3702), Long Beach, CA 90840, USA Internet: [email protected] 2Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 195 Marsteller Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA 3North Central Research Station, 1033 University Place, suite 360, Evanston, IL 60201, USA Abstract.—We assessed the effects of the presence and the frequency of canoe and pedestrian disturbance during two breeding seasons on multiple behavioral responses (scanning, freezing, grooming, sleeping, moving, wing-rais- ing, and standing-up) of Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) nestlings in a breeding colony in south- east Chicago. Short-term responses (min) of Black-crowned Night Heron nestlings showed that they were sensitive to the presence of aquatic and pedestrian disturbance by increasing vigilant (scanning) and anti-predator (freezing) behaviors and decreasing maintenance (grooming, sleeping) behaviors. Nestlings were also sensitive to recreationist behavior, with less time allocated to sleeping and more time to freezing and scanning in the presence of inquisitive pedestrians than pedestrians who passed by the colony without stopping. However, medium-term responses (days) were insensitive to the frequency of disturbance, but spatial proximity to the source of disturbance influenced time scanning, sleeping, and freezing). Our results have wide implications for the protection of the Black-crowned Night Heron in States in which it is considered a species of conservation concern. We recommend that boating activities should be precluded during the initial part of the breeding season and buffer zones of 50 m should be established around the colony to minimize human disturbance.
    [Show full text]
  • Nycticoarx Nycticorax)
    Sys Rev Pharm 2020;11(10):1013-1017 A multifaceted review journal in the field of pharmacy Gross and histological investigations on the cecum of the black-crowned night heron (Nycticoarx nycticorax) Ramzi Abdulghafoor Abood Al-Agelea*; Ammar Ismail Jabbarb and Raad Shaalan Ibrahimc a*,b,c Department of Anatomy and Histology/ College of Veterinary Medicine/ University of Diyala, Iraq. Corresponding author: Ramzi Abdulghafoor Abood Al-Agele* Email: [email protected] a ORCID No. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0699-3261 Abstract This study was aimed to investigate the gross and the Keywords: avian ceca, herons, cecal lymphocytes, histological structure of the ceca in the black-crowned Nycticoarx night heron Nycticoarx nycticorax. Ten captured birds Corresponding Author: Ramzi Abdulghafoor Abood Al- were used in this study. Grossly, the cecum in the night Agele* heron was a single left unilateral tube-like (intestinal) Email: [email protected] structure. It was located at the junction between the small and large intestine, with its pointed free end (the apex) directed cranially. The cecal base possessed a well- developed muscular ring, which may act as a sphincter. Histologically, the mucosa at the proximal region was lined with simple columnar epithelium with few goblet cells. The lamina propria contained a well-developed accumulated lymphoid nodules which either covered with small villi or intermediate villi. The lamina propria and submucosa were infiltrated with the lymphocytes and contained lymphatic nodules extended into the sub mucosa. The cecum possessed a certain pattern of the distribution of lymphatic nodules in the distal rather than that of the proximal regions.
    [Show full text]
  • CPY Document
    45 fN o o A NEW SUBFOSSIL NIGHT HERON AND A NEW GENUS FOR THE î . î H EXTINCT RAIL FROM ASCENSION ISLAND, CENTRAL TROPICAL + + + + + + o ATLANTIC OCEAN W.R.P. BOURNEi, N.P. ASHMOLE^ & K.E.L. SIMMONS^f. Bourne W.R.P., N.P. Ashmole & K.E.L. Simmons 2003. A new subfossil + + í î niglit heron and a new genus for tlie extinct rail Ascension Island, central tropical Atlantic Ocean. Ardea 91(1): 45-51. -I- + t t +•f- o + +4- + Bird bones found in guano deposits and caves on Ascension include remains of six small night herons, described as a new endemic species Nyc- ticorax olsoni. It is concluded that the similarities between the endemic flightless Ascension Rail Atlantisia elpenor and the genus Atlantisia are due to convergence, and it is placed in a new genus Mundia. 'Department of Zoology, Aberdeen University, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK; ^Division of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK; ^tDied 25 February 2002. + + I î î i INTRODUCTION including some of the rail, which he named + + Í I Atlantisia elpenor, and a small night heron Nycti- + , Ascension (Figs. 1, 2) is a recent volcanic island corax sp. During recent visits Simmons, John , î I some 10 km in diameter lying at 07°57'S 14°22'W Hughes, the Ashmoles and John Walmsley have , + i in the central tropical Atlantic Ocean 350 nautical miles south of the Equator. When discovered in 1501 it had a poor flora and terrestrial fauna, but many breeding seabirds presumably feeding 1 along the equatorial current system (Bourne & Simmons 2001).
    [Show full text]