DOCSLIB.ORG

FOR SHOREBIRDS (Charadriiformes, Suborder Charadrii)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
FOR SHOREBIRDS (Charadriiformes, Suborder Charadrii) THE NORTH AMERICAN BANDER’S MANUAL FOR SHOREBIRDS (Charadriiformes, suborder Charadrii) A product of the North American Banding Council C. L. Gratto-Trevor Science and Technology Branch Environment and Climate Change Canada Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre 115 Perimeter Road Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4 Publication Committee February 2018 Suggested reference: Gratto-Trevor, C. L. 2018. The North American Bander’s Manual for Shorebirds. North American Banding Council Publication Committee. http://www.nabanding.net/ THE NORTH AMERICAN BANDERS' MANUAL FOR SHOREBIRDS (Charadriiformes, suborder Charadrii) Copyright© 2018 by The North American Banding Council http://nabanding.net/ All rights reserved. Reproduction for educational purposes permitted. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface …………………………………………… 1 Table 1. North American shorebird species, Acknowledgments ……………………..…………. 1 ageing and sexing, potential banding and handling problems, BNA references … 4 1. Introduction .…………………………………. 2 2. The Bander’s Code of Ethics ……………….…. 2 3. Permits required ……..………………………... 3 Appendix 1. Methods used to capture shorebirds 4. Objectives of study ………………...………..... 3 at nests and with broods ………………… 52 5. Training advised for personnel ……………….. 6 Appendix 2. Constructing noose mats …………... 53 6. Handling ..…………………………………….. 6 Appendix 3. Construction of a bownet shorebird 6.1. Removal from capture devices …………. 6 nest trap …………………………………. 55 6.2 Holding …………………………………. 7 Appendix 4. Pan American Shorebird Program 6.3. Carrying and holding devices ……………. 7 (PASP) flag colors ……………………… 58 6.4. Capture myopathy ……………………….. 7 Appendix 5. How to read a shorebird color band 6.5. Keeping shorebirds in captivity ………… 8 combination …………………………….. 59 7. Capture methods ……………………………… 10 Appendix 6. Sizes of shorebird metal (U.S./Canada) 7.1. Migrants, wintering, or foraging shorebirds 10 color bands ……………………………….. 60 7.1.1. Mist nets ……………………………… 10 7.1.2. Cannon or rocket nets ……………. 11 Appendix 7. Ageing Calidris sandpipers ………… 61 7.1.3. Pull or drop nets …………………. 12 7.1.4. Walk-in traps …………………….. 13 7.1.5. Hand nets ……………………….. 14 LIST OF FIGURES 7.1.6. Noose mats ……………………… 14 7.1.7. Net guns ………………………… 15 Figure 1. Rocket net ……………………………… 12 7.2. Shorebirds at nests …………………….. 15 7.2.1. Mist nets ………………………… 16 Figure 2. Foraging walk-in trap 1 ………………… 13 7.2.2. Hand net ………………………… 17 7.2.3. Nest trap ………………………… 17 Figure 3. Foraging walk-in trap 2 ………………… 14 7.2.4. Noose mats ……………………… 19 7.2.5. Capturing adults with broods …… 19 Figure 4. Use of horizontal mist net to capture 8. Nests ………………………………………… 20 birds on a nest ……………………………. 16 8.1. Finding nests ……………………… 20 8.2. Marking and checking nests ……… 21 Figure 5. Use of upright mist net to capture 8.3. Predator nest exclosures …………… 21 birds on a nest ……………………………. 17 9. Processing …………………………………… 22 9.1. Species identification ……………… 22 Figure 6. Passive nest trap 1: rigid mesh ………… 17 9.2. Metal bands ………………………… 24 9.3. Marking …………………………….. 25 Figure 7. Passive nest trap 2: chicken-wire ……… 18 9.3.1. Color banding ………………… 26 9.3.1.1. Choosing a marking scheme … 26 Figure 8. Bownet nest trap ……………………….. 19 9.3.1.2. Obtaining UV-stable flags ….. 27 9.3.1.3. Applying color bands ………. 28 Figure 9. Cable chain nest drag ………………….. 20 9.3.1.4. Forming and applying flags … 28 9.3.1.5. Standard protocol for recording Figure 10. Types of bands and flags …………….. 25 color markers ……………….. 29 9.3.2. Patagial tags ………………….. 29 Figure 11. Shorebird measurements …………….. 33 9.3.3. Color dyes …………………… 30 9.3.4. Electronic tracking of individuals 30 Figure 12. Shorebird weighing cone ……………. 33 9.4. Measurements …………………….. 32 9.5. Ageing …………………………….. 34 Figure 13. Juvenile versus adult median 9.6. Molt ……………………………….. 36 coverts …………………………………… 35 9.7. Sex determination ………………… 37 9.8. Feather and blood sampling ……… 37 Figure 14. Partial post-juvenile wing molt ……… 36 10. Health of banders (shorebird diseases) …..... 38 11. Data management ………………………… 39 Figure 15. Labeled shorebird wing ……………… 36 12. Literature Cited …………………………… 39 PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The purpose of the publications of the North I greatly appreciate those who provided references American Banding Council is to provide for all for this manual, including Diane Amirault-Langlais, banders in North America the basic information to Graham Appleton, Jez Blackburn, Nigel Clark, Nick safely and productively conduct bird banding. This Davidson, Ken Gosbell, Brian Harrington, Anne manual is an integral part of other publications, Hecht, Wojciech Kania, Rick Lanctot, Erica Nol, primarily The North American Banders' Study Guide Oriane Taft, Lee Tibbitts, David Stroud, Steve Van (North American Banding Council 2001; Wilgenburg, Robin Ward, Nils Warnock, and Pat http://www.nabanding.net/other-publications/). It is Yeudall. The following people provided information assumed that the person reading this manual already for all or parts of the manual. Without their has fully read that guide. Further, we also assume that comments, corrections, suggestions, and answers to the introductory material on pages 1-40 in Pyle my questions, this document would be far less useful: (1997) also has been read. With this background, this Diane Amirault-Langlais, Graham Appleton, Gerry manual will augment the information that pertains Beyersbergen, Rob Butler, Ralph Cartar, Jacquie especially to shorebirds. The Banders' Study Guide is Clark, Kathy Clark, Nigel Clark, Mark Colwell, John intended to cover various aspects of banding that are Cooper, Brenda Dale, Christian Friis, Jennifer Gill, across taxa; where this manual covers only the Tomas Gunnarsson, Mary Gustafson, Ben Haase, shorebirds. In addition to an Instructor's Guide, for Susan Haig, Brian Harrington, Stephanie Hazlitt, persons training banders, the North American Peter Hicklin, Keith Hobson, Marshall Howe, Lesley Banding Council has produced other taxon-specific Howes, Cameron Jackson, Guy Jarry, Joe Jehl, manuals for hummingbirds, passerines and near Joanna Klima, Rick Lanctot, Dov Lank, F. A. passerines, raptors, and waterfowl. The Council is Leighton, Stuart Mackenzie, Katherine Mehl, Lucie also producing manuals for seabirds, and perhaps Metras, Clive Minton, Guy Morrison, Erica Nol, other groups. While some of the material in this Bridget Olson, Lew Oring, Gary Page, Julie Paquet, manual may apply to taxa other than shorebirds, the Theunis Piersma, Julie Robinson, Margaret Rubega, material was included if the primary use by banders Brett Sandercock, Alan Smith, Mikhail Soloviev, Lee would be with shorebirds. For instance, the traps for Tibbitts, Pavel Tomkovich, Declan Troy, Nellie catching shorebirds are covered in this manual, Tsipoura, Nils Warnock, and Brad Winn. G. although similar traps are used for landbirds and Woolfenden, S. Russell, L. L. Long, and C. J. Ralph waterfowl. The Publications Committee felt, provided final editing comments on this manual. however, that the special adaptations required for Special thanks to Guy Morrison for introducing me to capture of these quite different taxa merited separate the fascinating world of shorebird banding, a long treatment in the taxon-specific manuals. time ago. We trust that this guide will be read by all banders —C.L. Gratto-Trevor and trainers involved in shorebird banding. This is a truly cooperative venture, representing many hours of work by many individuals and their institutions and including, as much as possible, all responsible views of banding in North America. We trust that the final product is worthwhile to those involved in the capture and banding of shorebirds. —The Publications Committee of the North American Banding Council C. John Ralph, Chair North American Bander’s Manual for Shorebirds 1 1. INTRODUCTION Table 1 with AOU four-letter codes and numbers, With few exceptions, shorebird banding programs scientific names, recommended band sizes, summary in North America are for short-term studies, carried of sexing and ageing techniques, potential handling out with a specific objective in mind. Often, the and banding problems, and Birds of North America banders have little experience with shorebirds, and references. ‘learn as they go’, with some opportunities to The information included in this manual was question the limited number of experienced shorebird obtained from published sources, the experiences of banders in Canada and the United States. Although the author in banding shorebirds since 1976 in Arctic, many of the techniques used in the capture and interior, and coastal locations of Canada, as well as handling of shorebirds are similar to those used for from experiences in co-ordinating color marking of passerines, there are a number of differences. This shorebirds in North America. Drafts of the manual attempts to compile in one document the manuscript were sent to many experienced shorebird information necessary for shorebird banding. It adds banders (see Acknowledgements), and their responses to the more general information provided in the North added immensely to the manual’s content and American Bander’s Study Guide (North American accuracy. Banding Council 2001; Capture and banding techniques, as well as http://www.nabanding.net/other-publications/), and potential problems, vary greatly according to identifies ways in which shorebird banding differs location, species, season, and objectives of the study. from that of other bird groups. North American This manual will point out known differences in shorebird species covered by
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Field Identification of Smaller Sandpipers Within the Genus <I
    Field identification of smaller sandpipers within the genus C/dr/s Richard R. Veit and Lars Jonsson Paintings and line drawings by Lars Jonsson INTRODUCTION the hand, we recommend that the reader threeNearctic species, the Semipalmated refer to the speciesaccounts of Prateret Sandpiper (C. pusilia), the Western HESMALL Calidris sandpipers, affec- al. (1977) or Cramp and Simmons Sandpiper(C. mauri) andthe LeastSand- tionatelyreferred to as "peeps" in (1983). Our conclusionsin this paperare piper (C. minutilla), and four Palearctic North America, and as "stints" in Britain, basedupon our own extensivefield expe- species,the primarilywestern Little Stint haveprovided notoriously thorny identi- rience,which, betweenus, includesfirst- (C. minuta), the easternRufous-necked ficationproblems for many years. The hand familiarity with all sevenspecies. Stint (C. ruficollis), the eastern Long- first comprehensiveefforts to elucidate We also examined specimensin the toed Stint (C. subminuta)and the wide- thepicture were two paperspublished in AmericanMuseum of Natural History, spread Temminck's Stint (C. tem- Brtttsh Birds (Wallace 1974, 1979) in Museumof ComparativeZoology, Los minckii).Four of thesespecies, pusilla, whichthe problem was approached from Angeles County Museum, San Diego mauri, minuta and ruficollis, breed on the Britishperspective of distinguishing Natural History Museum, Louisiana arctictundra and are found during migra- vagrant Nearctic or eastern Palearctic State UniversityMuseum of Zoology, tion in flocksof up to thousandsof
    [Show full text]
  • To View the Apr/May Issue of the Sandpiper (Pdf)
    The andpiper APRIL/MAY 2018 Redwood Region Audubon Society www.rras.org S APRIL/MAY FIELD TRIPS Every Saturday: Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. Sunday, April 8: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife carpooling available. Walks generally run 2-3 hours. All These are our famous, rain-or-shine, docent-led fi eld trips at Refuge. This is a wonderful 2-to 3-hour trip for people ages, abilities and interest levels welcome! For more the Marsh. Bring your binocular(s) and have a great morning wanting to learn the birds of the Humboldt Bay area. It information, please contact Melissa Dougherty at 530-859- birding! Meet in the parking lot at the end of South I Street takes a leisurely pace with emphasis on enjoying the birds! 1874 or email [email protected]. (Klopp Lake) in Arcata at 8:30 a.m. Trips end around 11 a.m. Beginners are more than welcome. Meet at the Refuge Walks led by: Cédric Duhalde (Apr 7); Cindy Moyer (Apr Visitor Center at 9 a.m. Call Jude Power (707-822- 3613) Saturday, April 14: Shorebird Workshop, Part 14); Michael Morris (Apr 21); Christine Keil (Apr 28). If you for more information. III at Del Norte Pier. Meet at 10 a.m. to watch the are interested in leading a Marsh walk, please contact Ken rising tide at the foot of W. Del Norte St. bring in waves Burton at [email protected]. Sunday, April 8: Shorebird Workshop, Part II of godwits, willets, turnstones, and curlews. Tide will turn at South Spit. First we’ll look for beach-loving around noon; we hope to see a good show by then.
    [Show full text]
  • Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary Bird Checklist
    Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary Bird Checklist Arcata, Humboldt County, California (Updated Fall 2014) The following list of 327 species was updated by Rob Fowler and David Fix in 2014 from the list they compiled in 2009. Data came from sightings entered in eBird; Stanley Harris's Northwest California Bird (2005, 1996, 1991); historical records in North American Birds magazine and its supporting unpublished Humboldt County summaries; the 2006 edition Arcata Marsh bird checklist (Elias Elias); the 1995 edition Arcata Marsh bird checklist (Kristina Van Wert); and personal communications with many birders. Formatting by Camden Bruner. Call the Northwest California Bird Alert at (707) 822-5666 to report or hear reports of rare birds! Abbreviations: A - Abundant; occurs in large numbers C - Common; likely to be found U - Uncommon; occurs in small numbers, found with seearching R - Rare; expected in very small numbers, not likely to be found Ca - Casual; several records, possibly may occur regularly Ac - Accidental; 1-3 records, not reasonably expected to occur Sp - Spring (Marsh - May) S - Summer (June to mid-July) F - Fall (mid-July through November) W - Winter (December through February) Here Waterfowl: Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Greater White-fronted Goose R R R _____ Emperor Goose Ac _____ Snow Goose Ca Ca Ca _____ Ross's Goose Ca Ca Ca _____ Brant U Ac U R _____ Cackling Goose A U C _____ Canada Goose C C C C yes _____ Tundra Swan Ca Ca _____ Wood Duck U U U U yes _____ Gadwall C C C C yes _____ Eurasian Wigeon R U R _____
    [Show full text]
  • Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research
    THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL Providing Scientific Information about Birds GUIDELINES TO THE USE OF WILD BIRDS IN RESEARCH Special Publication 1997 Edited by Abbot S. Gaunt & Lewis W. Oring Third Edition 2010 Edited by Jeanne M. Fair, Editor-in-Chief Ellen Paul & Jason Jones, Associate Editors GUIDELINES TO THE USE OF WILD BIRDS IN RESEARCH Jeanne M. Fair1, Ellen Paul2, & Jason Jones3, Anne Barrett Clark4, Clara Davie4, Gary Kaiser5 1 Los Alamos National Laboratory, Atmospheric, Climate and Environmental Dynamics, MS J495, Los Alamos, NM 87506 2 Ornithological Council, 1107 17th St., N.W., Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20036 3 Tetra Tech EC, 133 Federal Street, 6th floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 4 Binghamton University State University of New York, Department of Biology, PO BOX 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902-6000 5 402-3255 Glasgow Ave, Victoria, BC V8X 4S4, Canada Copyright 1997, 2010 by THE ORNITHOLOGICAL COUNCIL 1107 17th Street, N.W. Suite 250 Washington, D.C. 20036 http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET Suggested citation Fair, J., E. Paul, and J. Jones, Eds. 2010. Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research. Washington, D.C.: Ornithological Council. Revision date August 2010 2 Dedication The Ornithological Council dedicates this 2010 revision to Lewis W. Oring and the late Abbot (Toby) S. Gaunt, whose commitment to the well-being of the birds for whom ornithologists share a deep and abiding concern has served our profession well for so many years. Toby Gaunt Lew Oring Revision date August 2010 3 Acknowledgments and disclaimer Third edition The Ornithological Council thanks the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare of the National Institutes of Health for their financial support for the production of this revision.
    [Show full text]
  • The All-Bird Bulletin
    Advancing Integrated Bird Conservation in North America Spring 2014 Inside this issue: The All-Bird Bulletin Protecting Habitat for 4 the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Bolivia The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Conserving the “Jewels 6 Act (NMBCA): Thirteen Years of Hemispheric in the Crown” for Neotropical Migrants Bird Conservation Guy Foulks, Program Coordinator, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Bird Conservation in 8 Wildlife Service (USFWS) Costa Rica’s Agricultural Matrix In 2000, responding to alarming declines in many Neotropical migratory bird popu- Uruguayan Rice Fields 10 lations due to habitat loss and degradation, Congress passed the Neotropical Migra- as Wintering Habitat for tory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). The legislation created a unique funding Neotropical Shorebirds source to foster the cooperative conservation needed to sustain these species through all stages of their life cycles, which occur throughout the Western Hemi- Conserving Antigua’s 12 sphere. Since its first year of appropriations in 2002, the NMBCA has become in- Most Critical Bird strumental to migratory bird conservation Habitat in the Americas. Neotropical Migratory 14 Bird Conservation in the The mission of the North American Bird Heart of South America Conservation Initiative is to ensure that populations and habitats of North Ameri- Aros/Yaqui River Habi- 16 ca's birds are protected, restored, and en- tat Conservation hanced through coordinated efforts at in- ternational, national, regional, and local Strategic Conservation 18 levels, guided by sound science and effec- in the Appalachians of tive management. The NMBCA’s mission Southern Quebec is to achieve just this for over 380 Neo- tropical migratory bird species by provid- ...and more! Cerulean Warbler, a Neotropical migrant, is a ing conservation support within and be- USFWS Bird of Conservation Concern and listed as yond North America—to Latin America Vulnerable on the International Union for Conser- Coordination and editorial vation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
    [Show full text]
  • The First Record of Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius Hiaticula) in British Columbia
    The First Record of Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin. Submitted: April 15, 2019. Introduction and Distribution The Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) is a widespread Old World shorebird species that is found breeding in the Arctic and subarctic regions from Greenland, Europe, east to Siberia (O’Brien et al. 2006). In North America, this species breeds on Baffin Island, eastern Ellesmere Island (Godfrey 1986). The Common Ringed Plover winters primarily from Western Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, throughout Africa, including Madagascar, and the Middle East (Hayman et al. 1986, O’Brien et al. 2006, Brazil 2009). There are three recognized subspecies of the Common Ringed Plover (Thies et al. 2018). Distinction between the subspecies is based on moult; with features changing clinally North to South, rather than East to West, making it impossible to draw a dividing line in Northwestern Europe (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Snow and Perrins 1998). The nominate subspecies of Common Ringed Plover is (C. h. hiaticula ) which breeds from southern Scandinavia to Great Britain, and northwestern France (Wiersma et al. 2019). This subspecies winters from Great Britain, south into Africa (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Snow and Perrins 1998). The second subspecies of the Common Ringed Plover is (C. h. tundrae) which is found breeding from northern Scandinavia, and northern Russia east to the Chukotskiy Peninsula, and is a casual breeder also in the northern Bering Sea region of Alaska on St Lawrence Island (Wiersma et al. 2019). This subspecies winters in the Caspian Sea region, and from Southwest Asia, south and east to South Africa (Wiersma et al.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Shorebird Profiles
    List of Shorebird Profiles Pacific Central Atlantic Species Page Flyway Flyway Flyway American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) •513 American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) •••499 Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) •488 Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) •••501 Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)•490 Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) •511 Dowitcher (Limnodromus spp.)•••485 Dunlin (Calidris alpina)•••483 Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemestica)••475 Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)•••492 Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) ••503 Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)••505 Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) •497 Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa)••473 Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)•••479 Sanderling (Calidris alba)•••477 Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)••494 Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)•••507 Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)•509 Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) •••481 Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) ••515 All illustrations in these profiles are copyrighted © George C. West, and used with permission. To view his work go to http://www.birchwoodstudio.com. S H O R E B I R D S M 472 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Red Knot (Calidris canutus) Description The Red Knot is a chunky, medium sized shorebird that measures about 10 inches from bill to tail. When in its breeding plumage, the edges of its head and the underside of its neck and belly are orangish. The bird’s upper body is streaked a dark brown. It has a brownish gray tail and yellow green legs and feet. In the winter, the Red Knot carries a plain, grayish plumage that has very few distinctive features. Call Its call is a low, two-note whistle that sometimes includes a churring “knot” sound that is what inspired its name.
    [Show full text]
  • Iucn Red Data List Information on Species Listed On, and Covered by Cms Appendices
    UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC4/Doc.8/Rev.1/Annex 1 ANNEX 1 IUCN RED DATA LIST INFORMATION ON SPECIES LISTED ON, AND COVERED BY CMS APPENDICES Content General Information ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Species in Appendix I ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Mammalia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Aves ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Reptilia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Pisces .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Parasites of the Neotropic Cormorant Nannopterum (Phalacrocorax) Brasilianus (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) in Chile
    Original Article ISSN 1984-2961 (Electronic) www.cbpv.org.br/rbpv Parasites of the Neotropic cormorant Nannopterum (Phalacrocorax) brasilianus (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) in Chile Parasitos da biguá Nannopterum (Phalacrocorax) brasilianus (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) do Chile Daniel González-Acuña1* ; Sebastián Llanos-Soto1,2; Pablo Oyarzún-Ruiz1 ; John Mike Kinsella3; Carlos Barrientos4; Richard Thomas1; Armando Cicchino5; Lucila Moreno6 1 Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile 2 Laboratorio de Vida Silvestre, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile 3 Helm West Lab, Missoula, MT, USA 4 Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción, Chile 5 Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina 6 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile How to cite: González-Acuña D, Llanos-Soto S, Oyarzún-Ruiz P, Kinsella JM, Barrientos C, Thomas R, et al. Parasites of the Neotropic cormorant Nannopterum (Phalacrocorax) brasilianus (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) in Chile. Braz J Vet Parasitol 2020; 29(3): e003920. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612020049 Abstract The Neotropic cormorant Nannopterum (Phalacrocorax) brasilianus (Suliformes: Phalacrocoracidae) is widely distributed in Central and South America. In Chile, information about parasites for this species is limited to helminths and nematodes, and little is known about other parasite groups. This study documents the parasitic fauna present in 80 Neotropic cormorants’ carcasses collected from 2001 to 2008 in Antofagasta, Biobío, and Ñuble regions. Birds were externally inspected for ectoparasites and necropsies were performed to examine digestive and respiratory organs in search of endoparasites.
    [Show full text]
  • TESTING a MODEL THAT PREDICTS FUTURE BIRD LIST TOTALS by Robert W. Ricci Introduction One of the More Enjoyable Features of Bird
    TESTING A MODEL THAT PREDICTS FUTURE BIRD LIST TOTALS by Robert W. Ricci Introduction One of the more enjoyable features of birding as a hobby is in keeping bird lists. Certainly getting into the habit of carefully recording our own personal birding experiences paves the way to a better understanding of the birds around us and prepares our minds for that chance encounter with a vagrant. In addition to our own field experiences, we advance our understanding of bird life through our reading and fraternization with other birders. One of the most useful ways we can communicate is by sharing our bird lists in Christmas Bird Counts (CBC), breeding bird surveys, and in the monthly compilation of field records as found, for example, in this journal. As important as our personal observation might be, however, it is only in the analysis of the cumulative experiences of many birders that trends emerge that can provide the substance to answer important questions such as the causes of vagrancy in birds (Veit 1989), changes in bird populations (Davis 1991), and bird migration patterns (Roberts 1995). Most birders, at one time or another, have speculated about what new avian milestones they will overtake in the future. For example, an article in this journal (Forster 1990) recorded the predictions of several birding gurus on which birds might be likely candidates as the next vagrants to add to the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee roster of 451 birds. Just as important as predictions of which birds might appear during your field activities are predictions of the total number of birds that you might expect to encounter.
    [Show full text]
  • American Avocet Breeding Habitat, Behaviour and Use of Nesting Platforms at Kelowna, British Columbia
    Avocet breeding habitat, behaviour, and nesting platform use ­ Gyug and Weir 13 American Avocet breeding habitat, behaviour and use of nesting platforms at Kelowna, British Columbia Les W. Gyug1 and Jason T. Weir2 1 Okanagan Wildlife Consulting, 3130 Ensign Way, West Kelowna, BC V4T 1T9 [email protected] 2 Dept. of Biological Sciences and Dept. of Ecology and Evolution, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4 [email protected] Abstract: The largest and most consistently used American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) colony in British Columbia is located in the southern half of the former Alki Lake, Kelowna. This lake was a landfill active from the 1960’s to 1980’s, and is now slated to be filled in completely as the landfill re­expands into the remnants of the lake. Here, we report avocet behaviour, nest conditions and foraging habitat characteristics in 1999 at Alki Lake and five other wetlands in the Kelowna area to inform future mitigation strategies for this colony. Thirteen breeding pairs initiated 21 nests (including renesting after failed attempts) at Alki Lake in 1999, with no nests in other Kelowna area localities. Fifteen nests were on islands, five on 1.2­ m square floating nest platforms, and one on a shoreline mudflat. Nesting on floating nest platforms had not been previously reported for American Avocets. Foraging areas regularly used by individual pairs were not necessarily adjacent to the nest, and increased from 0.32 ha during the incubation period to 0.53 ha after hatching. Avocets foraged primarily in soft silt substrates along non­vegetated shorelines and in shallow mudflats at a mean depth of 10 cm.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Breeding Colony of Blue-Footed Booby Sula Nebouxii at Islote González, Archipelago Islas Desventuradas, Chile
    Marín & González: A new Blue-footed Booby breeding colony in Chile 189 A NEW BREEDING COLONY OF BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY SULA NEBOUXII AT ISLOTE GONZÁLEZ, ARCHIPELAGO ISLAS DESVENTURADAS, CHILE MANUEL MARÍN1,2 & RODRIGO GONZÁLEZ3 1Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Section of Ornithology, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA 2Current address: Casilla 15, Melipilla, Chile ([email protected]) 3Santa María 7178, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile Received 13 January 2021, accepted 02 February 2021 ABSTRACT MARÍN, M. & GONZÁLEZ, R. 2021. A new breeding colony of Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii at Islote González, Archipelago Islas Desventuradas, Chile. Marine Ornithology 49: 189–192. We describe a new disjunct population of Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii at Islote González in the Islas Desventuradas archipelago. Though likely much larger, the population size at the time of our survey was a minimum of 16 breeding pairs. On 14–15 December 2020, two pairs of boobies with nestlings and four pairs with empty nests were found. Likely the species is a recent arrival to the archipelago, perhaps during one of the strong El Niño events between 1970 and 2001 (especially 1982/83, when the species was first recorded in Chile). Blue-footed Booby might also nest on different areas at San Félix Island and some smaller islets around the archipelago, where they would have no nesting-site competition from the larger Masked Booby S. dactylatra. Key words: Blue-footed Booby, Sula nebouxii, breeding, Islas Desventuradas, Chile INTRODUCTION northern coast between 21°54′S and 23°05′S (Guerra 1983). Guerra observed 10 individuals in a 132-km transect while surveying for Within the Sulidae, a widespread and prolific group of piscivorous guano birds and fur seals along the coast.
    [Show full text]