DOCSLIB.ORG

Elanus Caeruleus

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Elanus Caeruleus Elanus caeruleus -- (Desfontaines, 1789) ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- ACCIPITRIFORMES -- ACCIPITRIDAE Common names: Black-winged Kite; Black-shouldered Kite; Elanion blanc European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) At both European and EU27 scales this species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern within both Europe and the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: France; Portugal; Spain Vagrant: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Denmark; Germany; Greece; Italy; Netherlands; Poland; Romania; Switzerland; Turkey; Gibraltar (to UK) Population The European population is estimated at 1,100-2,600 pairs, which equates to 2,200-5,300 mature individuals. The entire population is found in the EU27. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe the population size is estimated to be increasing. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology Northern populations of this species make long-distance migratory movements, travelling southwards to their wintering grounds between August and November and returning to their breeding areas between March and April (Hayman et al. 1986). In more temperate regions the species is sedentary or only locally dispersive (Pierce and Boesman 2013). The species breeds solitarily or in loose colonies of 2–50 or occasionally up to several hundred pairs (Urban et al. 1986, Pierce and Boesman 2013). It is typically a gregarious species, occurring in small groups (Snow and Perrins 1998) (up to 15 individuals) (Urban et al. 1986, Pierce and Boesman 2013) or larger flocks of several hundred up to a thousand individuals on migration, during the winter (Urban et al. 1986, Snow and Perrins 1998) and at nightly roosts (Urban et al. 1986). The species typically breeds in shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands with sand, mud or clay substrates and open margins, islets or spits near water level (Snow and Perrins 1998). Suitable habitats include marshes and swamps, shallow lake edges, riverbeds, flooded fields, sewage ponds (Pierce and Boesman 2013), irrigated areas and fish-ponds (Snow and Perrins 1998). The species may also breed around alkaline and high- altitude (montane) lakes (Pierce and Boesman 2013) or in more saline environments such as river deltas, estuaries (Snow and Perrins 1998), coastal lagoons (Johnsgard 1981, Snow and Perrins 1998) and shallow coastal pools with extensive areas of mudflats, salt meadows (Johnsgard 1981), saltpans, coastal marshes (Pierce and Boesman 2013) and swamps (Snow and Perrins 1998). Outside of the breeding season the species occupies the shores of large inland waterbodies and estuarine or coastal habitats (Pierce and Boesman 2013) such as river deltas (Snow and Perrins 1998), coastal lagoons (Johnsgard 1981, Snow and Perrins 1998) and shallow freshwater or brackish pools with extensive areas of mudflats, salt meadows (Johnsgard 1981), saltpans, coastal marshes (Pierce and Boesman 2013) and swamps (Snow and Perrins 1998). Its diet is strongly seasonal but generally includes adult and larval aquatic insects (e.g., Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, Diptera, Neuroptera and Lepidoptera), molluscs, crustaceans, spiders, oligochaete and polychaete worms, tadpoles (Pierce and Boesman 2013) and amphibian spawn (Urban et al. 1986), small fish, fish eggs (Pierce and Boesman 2013) and occasionally seeds (Urban et al. 1986). The nest is a depression or shallow scrape positioned on hard ground near water on a hummock (Flint et al. 1984) or amongst grass and sedge (Pierce and Boesman 2013). Alternatively the nest may be a more elaborate platform of vegetation (Snow and Perrins 1998) constructed on a floating mass of aquatic vegetation. The species nests singly or in loose colonies (Pierce and Boesman 2013), showing a preference for open areas close to foraging sites with good all-round (360 degree) visibility (Johnsgard 1981). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Aquaculture Ponds suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over ha) suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable non-breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland suitable non-breeding Forest - Boreal major breeding Forest - Temperate major breeding Marine Intertidal - Mud Flats and Salt Flats suitable breeding Marine Neritic - Estuaries suitable resident Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable breeding Altitude 0-2000 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats Locally, populations are heavily impacted by annual rainfall. In eastern Europe (e.g. in Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria) declines are attributed to the loss of wetland habitats (Pierce and Boesman 2013). Disturbance by people and fluctuating water levels are also a threat to the species (Tinarelli 1992). In some areas, housing and commercial development threaten the wetland habitats of this species (Goutner and Papakostas 1992). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Agriculture & Agro-industry Timing Scope Severity Impact aquaculture plantations Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact Stresses Ecosystem conversion Biological resource Hunting & trapping Timing Scope Severity Impact use terrestrial animals Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact (persecution/ Declines control) Stresses Species mortality Biological resource Logging & wood Timing Scope Severity Impact use harvesting Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact (unintentional effects: (large scale) Stresses [harvest]) Ecosystem conversion Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Climate change & Storms & flooding Timing Scope Severity Impact severe weather Ongoing Minority (<50%) Causing/Could Low Impact cause fluctuations Stresses Species mortality; Reduced reproductive success Energy production Renewable energy Timing Scope Severity Impact & mining Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact Declines Stresses Ecosystem degradation; Species mortality Human intrusions & Recreational Timing Scope Severity Impact disturbance activities Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact Stresses Species disturbance Pollution Herbicides and Timing Scope Severity Impact pesticides Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects Residential & Housing & urban Timing Scope Severity Impact commercial areas Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact development Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Conservation Conservation Actions Underway The species is listed on Annex I of the EU Birds Directive and Annex II of the Bern Convention. A network of protected wetlands in western Europe is providing secure breeding and feeding grounds for the species (Pierce and Boesman 2013). Conservation Actions Proposed Pollution of wetland habitats, land reclamation, infrastructure development and human disturbance at breeding sites needs to be stopped. Abandonment of salt pans should be reversed. Bibliography Ferguson-Lees, J. and Christie, D.A. 2001. Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm, London. Hagemeijer, W.J.M. and Blair, M.J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London. Kemp, A.C., Kirwan, G.M., Marks, J.S. and Motis, A. 2014. Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. and de Juana, E. (eds.) 2014. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/52966 on 12 March 2015). Snow, D.W. and Perrins, C.M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Tucker, G.M. and Heath, M.F. 1994. Birds in Europe: their conservation status. BirdLife Conservation Series no. 3, BirdLife International, Cambridge. Map (see overleaf) .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Communal Roosting Behavior and Winter Diet of the White-Tailed Kite (Elanus Leucurus) in an Agricultural Habitat on the Argentine Pampas
    J. Raptor Res. 44(3):202–207 E 2010 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. COMMUNAL ROOSTING BEHAVIOR AND WINTER DIET OF THE WHITE-TAILED KITE (ELANUS LEUCURUS) IN AN AGRICULTURAL HABITAT ON THE ARGENTINE PAMPAS JOSE´ HERNA´ N SARASOLA,1 CLAUDINA SOLARO, AND MIGUEL A´ NGEL SANTILLA´ N Centro para el Estudio y Conservacio´n de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina (CECARA), Universidad Nacional de La Pampa – CONICET, Avda. Uruguay 151, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina MAXIMILIANO ADRIA´ N GALMES Centro para el Estudio y Conservacio´n de las Aves Rapaces en Argentina (CECARA), Universidad Nacional de La Pampa – CONICET, Avda. Uruguay 151, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina and The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709 U.S.A. ABSTRACT.—Although the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is widely distributed throughout the Americas, winter communal roosting has been recorded only in the Nearctic portion of its range. As a result, data on the food habits of the White-tailed Kite in South America during the nonbreeding season are scarce and, when available, limited to pellets from solitary individuals. Here, we report the communal roosting behav- ior and the winter diet of White-tailed Kites in an agricultural habitat on the Argentine pampas based on information gathered over three consecutive years (2006–2008). From May to July of each year, we observed an average of 11 (6SD 5 2.8) kites roosting in a grove of Eucalyptus viminalis. Prior to roosting, kites gathered in a tall, dead, and leafless Eucalyptus tree before flying to more densely foliated trees where they spent the night.
    [Show full text]
  • CONVERGENT EVOLUTION of ELANUS KITES and the OWLS Author(S): Juan J
    CONVERGENT EVOLUTION OF ELANUS KITES AND THE OWLS Author(s): Juan J. Negro, Cino Pertoldi, Ettore Randi, Juan J. Ferrero, José M. López-Caballero, Domingo Rivera, and Erkki Korpimäki Source: Journal of Raptor Research, 40(3):222-225. 2006. Published By: The Raptor Research Foundation DOI: 10.3356/0892-1016(2006)40[222:CEOEKA]2.0.CO;2 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.3356/0892- 1016%282006%2940%5B222%3ACEOEKA%5D2.0.CO%3B2 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is an electronic aggregator of bioscience research content, and the online home to over 160 journals and books published by not-for-profit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS J. Raptor Res. 40(3):222–225 E 2006 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. CONVERGENT EVOLUTION OF ELANUS KITES AND THE OWLS JUAN J. NEGRO1 AND CINO PERTOLDI Estacio´n Biolo´gica de Don˜ana, Apdo. 1056, 41080 Sevilla, Spain ETTORE RANDI Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica, 40064 Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy JUAN J.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Birds
    WESTERN BIRDS Vol. 49, No. 4, 2018 Western Specialty: Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Second-cycle or third-cycle Herring Gull at Whiting, Indiana, on 25 January 2013. The inner three primaries on each wing of this bird appear fresher than the outer primaries. They may represent the second alternate plumage (see text). Photo by Desmond Sieburth of Los Angeles, California: Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico, 30 December 2016 Endemic to western mainland Mexico from Sinaloa south to Oaxaca, the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker comprises two well-differentiated subspecies. In the more northern Third-cycle (or possibly second-cycle) Herring Gull at New Buffalo, Michigan, on M. c. chrysogenys the hindcrown of both sexes is largely reddish with only a little 14 September 2014. Unlike the other birds illustrated on this issue’s back cover, in this yellow on the nape, whereas in the more southern M. c. flavinuchus the hindcrown is individual the pattern of the inner five primaries changes gradually from feather to uniformly yellow, contrasting sharply with the forehead (red in the male, grayish white feather, with no abrupt contrast. Otherwise this bird closely resembles the one on the in the female). The subspecies intergrade in Nayarit. Geographic variation in the outside back cover, although the prealternate molt of the other body and wing feathers Golden-cheeked Woodpecker has not been widely appreciated, perhaps because so many has not advanced as far. birders and ornithologists are familiar with the species from San Blas, in the center of Photos by Amar Ayyash the zone of intergradation. Volume 49, Number 4, 2018 The 42nd Annual Report of the California Bird Records Committee: 2016 Records Guy McCaskie, Stephen C.
    [Show full text]
  • A Microscopic Analysis of the Plumulaceous Feather Characteristics of Accipitriformes with Exploration of Spectrophotometry to Supplement Feather Identification
    A MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF THE PLUMULACEOUS FEATHER CHARACTERISTICS OF ACCIPITRIFORMES WITH EXPLORATION OF SPECTROPHOTOMETRY TO SUPPLEMENT FEATHER IDENTIFICATION by Charles Coddington A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Biology Committee: __________________________________________ Dr. Larry Rockwood, Thesis Director __________________________________________ Dr. David Luther, Committee Member __________________________________________ Dr. Carla J. Dove, Committee Member __________________________________________ Dr. Ancha Baranova, Committee Member __________________________________________ Dr. Iosif Vaisman, Director, School of Systems Biology __________________________________________ Dr. Donna Fox, Associate Dean, Office of Student Affairs & Special Programs, College of Science __________________________________________ Dr. Peggy Agouris, Dean, College of Science Date: _____________________________________ Summer Semester 2018 George Mason University Fairfax, VA A Microscopic Analysis of the Plumulaceous Feather Characteristics of Accipitriformes with Exploration of Spectrophotometry to Supplement Feather Identification A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at George Mason University by Charles Coddington Bachelor of Arts Connecticut College 2013 Director: Larry Rockwood, Professor/Chair Department of Biology Summer Semester 2019 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Biology of Neotropical Accipitriformes: Current Knowledge and Research Priorities
    Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 26(2): 151–186. ARTICLE June 2018 Breeding biology of Neotropical Accipitriformes: current knowledge and research priorities Julio Amaro Betto Monsalvo1,3, Neander Marcel Heming2 & Miguel Ângelo Marini2 1 Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, IB, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil. 2 Departamento de Zoologia, IB, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil. 3 Corresponding author: [email protected] Received on 08 March 2018. Accepted on 20 July 2018. ABSTRACT: Despite the key role that knowledge on breeding biology of Accipitriformes plays in their management and conservation, survey of the state-of-the-art and of information gaps spanning the entire Neotropics has not been done since 1995. We provide an updated classification of current knowledge about breeding biology of Neotropical Accipitridae and define the taxa that should be prioritized by future studies. We analyzed 440 publications produced since 1995 that reported breeding of 56 species. There is a persistent scarcity, or complete absence, of information about the nests of eight species, and about breeding behavior of another ten. Among these species, the largest gap of breeding data refers to the former “Leucopternis” hawks. Although 66% of the 56 evaluated species had some improvement on knowledge about their breeding traits, research still focus disproportionately on a few regions and species, and the scarcity of breeding data on many South American Accipitridae persists. We noted that analysis of records from both a citizen science digital database and museum egg collections significantly increased breeding information on some species, relative to recent literature. We created four groups of priority species for breeding biology studies, based on knowledge gaps and threat categories at global level.
    [Show full text]
  • Communal Roosting and Diet of Black-Shouldered Kites
    162 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS VOL. 35, NO. 2 j RaptorRes. 35(2):162-164 ¸ 2001 The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc. COMMUNALROOSTING AND DIET OF BLACK-SHOULDEREDKITES (ELANUSCAERUI•US) WINTERING IN SOUTHWESTERN SPAIN DESEADAPAREJO 1 AND JESOS M. AVIL•S1 Grupode lnvestigacidn en Cons•vacitn,Area deBiolo•a Animal,Departamento de CienciasMorfoltgicas, BiologiaCelular y Animal, Univ•sidadde Extremadura, Avda. deElvas s/n, BadajozE-06071, Spain JUANJ. FERRERO C/Tirso de Molina, 14. MdridaE-06800, Badajoz,Spain DOMINGORiVERA AND Jos• M. CASAS C/FranciscoLujdn, 4. BadajozE-06004, Spain KEY WORDS: Black-shouldered Kite; Elanus caeruleus; ing behavior in Iberia and little is known about its winter roosts;wint• die•, Spain. diet. In this paper,we describethe roostingbehavior and the diet of Black-shoulderedKites wintering in irrigated The Black-shoulderedKite (Elanus caemleus)is widely fields in Extremadura. d•stributed through the southern and central portions of STUDY AREA AND METHODS the Iberian Peninsula, northern Africa, and South Africa The study was conducted in southwesternSpain near (Cramp and Simmons 1980). Its main prey are small the Portugueseborder in an irrigated area of Badajoz mammals,although it sometimeseats reptiles, birds, and province (38ø45'N, 7ø10'W). The area is in the meso- insects (Cramp and Simmons 1980). It tends to rely on mediterranean climate area (Rivas-Martfnez 1981), with rodent populations that often fluctuate substantiallyand a mean annual temperatureand rainfall of 17øCand 600 unpredictably (Mendelsohn and Jaksic 1989). Its use of mm, respectively.Pellets of Black-shoulderedKites were sporadically-abundantprey apparently favorscommunal collected in December 1999 at a large communal roost roosting in the species(Mendelsohn 1988), although the located on a piece of irrigation equipment.
    [Show full text]
  • Hunting by the White-Tailed Kite (Elanus Leucurus)
    226 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS (It will be less marked, or absent altogether, if the the population is less than that of an individual predators.’ demands also rise and fall-e.g., if the leaving the population. breeding season of the predator is synchronized with I thank F. S. and M. C. Sterrett, M. Y. Stoeckle, that of its prey.) The selective effect will fall most T. L. Israel, M. E. Golberg, and J. Loughlin for heavily on the early recruits to the prey population, assistance in the field. This study was supported by in circumstances where individual prey grow through- a grant from the Frederick W. Beinecke Fund. This out the season, so that the rate of addition of biomass is Contribution No. 113 from the Scientific Staff, at the beginning of the season is less than the rate Massachusetts Audubon Society. of loss of biomass at the end. The same phenomena might be expected to occur, for example, in preda- LITERATURE CITED tion on larval insects, in which first instar recruits ASHMOLE, N. P. 1963. The biology of the Wide- are much smaller than the final instar larvae which awake or Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata. Ibis 103b: leave the population on pupation. Likewise, her- 297-364. bivores might be expected to exert the greatest grazing AUSIXN, 0. L. 1948. Predation by the Common pressure on the plants that start to grow earliest in Rat (Ruttus noruegicus) in the Cape Cod colonies the season. The experience of gardeners whose of Common Terns. Bird-Banding 19:60-65. earliest lettuce is eaten by rabbits provides a familiar CRAIGHEAD, J.
    [Show full text]
  • White-Tailed Kite Elanus Leucurus The
    Hawks, Kites, and Eagles — Family Accipitridae 153 White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus The White-tailed Kite is not only one of southern California’s most elegant birds of prey, it is one of the most interesting, because of its communal roosting, history of steep rises and falls in popula- tion, and concentration on a single species of prey, the California vole or meadow mouse. Though the kite is found in San Diego County year round, its numbers vary with those of the vole and the shifting of communal roosts. Unfortunately, urbanization of the grasslands in which kites forage threatens the recovery the species enjoyed from the late 1930s to the 1970s. Photo by Anthony Mercieca Breeding distribution: The White-tailed Kite is wide- spread over the coastal slope of San Diego County, prefer- 1999, M. Sadowski), certainly in San Felipe Valley, where ring riparian woodland, oak groves, or sycamore groves there are many reports, including a pair with a probable adjacent to grassland. Regions of concentration are in nest in the upper valley (H20) 1 May 1998 (A. P. and T. the northwest from Camp Pendleton to Carlsbad and E. Keenan) and a pair in courtship display near Scissors Vista, in the central region from Los Peñasquitos Canyon Crossing (J22) 13 April 1998 (E. C. Hall). Note that these through Miramar to Poway, and in the south from the suggestions of breeding were in the wet El Niño spring Tijuana River valley to Otay Mesa and Otay lakes. In the of 1998; monitoring at Scissors Crossing in two dry to foothills the species is less common than in the coastal average years, 2002 and 2003, yielded only occasional lowland but still fairly widespread—substantially more postbreeding visitors (J.
    [Show full text]
  • Food Partitioning Between Breeding White-Tailed Kites (Elanus Leucurus
    Food partitioning between breeding White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus; Aves; Accipitridae) and Barn Owls (Tyto alba; Aves; Tytonidae) in southern Brazil Scheibler, DR. (in memoriam) Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, CP 199, Av. 24A, 1515, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Received February 21, 2005 – Accepted August 8, 2005 – Distributed February 28, 2007 (With 1 figure) Abstract I examined the diet of breeding White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus; Aves; Accipitridae) and Barn Owls (Tyto alba; Aves; Tytonidae) in an agrarian area of southern Brazil by analyzing regurgitated prey remains. The objective was to evaluate how these raptors, which differ markedly in their hunting activity periods (owls are nocturnal and kites di- urnal), share their mammalian food component. 2,087 prey consumed by Barn Owls and 1,276 by White-tailed Kites were identified. They presented a high overlap of food-niches (Pianka’s index was 0.98). Based on the daily activity period of their main small mammal prey, a lower overlap would be expected. The crepuscular/nocturnal Mus musculus was the main prey for the diet of breeding Barn Owls (81%) and White-tailed Kites (63%). This small exotic rodent provided 63% of the small mammal biomass ingested by owls and 44% by kites. Larger native small mammals were also considered important for the diet of kites, mainly because of their biomass contribution. Although these raptors differ markedly in their hunting activity periods, Barn Owls and White-tailed Kites are very similar predators in south- ern Brazil, overlapping their diets. Keywords: breeding diet, small mammal prey, Elanus leucurus, Tyto alba, Brazil.
    [Show full text]
  • Checklist of Species Within the CCBNEP Study Area: References, Habitats, Distribution, and Abundance
    Current Status and Historical Trends of the Estuarine Living Resources within the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Study Area Volume 4 of 4 Checklist of Species Within the CCBNEP Study Area: References, Habitats, Distribution, and Abundance Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program CCBNEP-06D • January 1996 This project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement #CE-9963-01-2 to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. The contents of this document do not necessarily represent the views of the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, nor do the contents of this document necessarily constitute the views or policy of the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Management Conference or its members. The information presented is intended to provide background information, including the professional opinion of the authors, for the Management Conference deliberations while drafting official policy in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The mention of trade names or commercial products does not in any way constitute an endorsement or recommendation for use. Volume 4 Checklist of Species within Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Study Area: References, Habitats, Distribution, and Abundance John W. Tunnell, Jr. and Sandra A. Alvarado, Editors Center for Coastal Studies Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi 6300 Ocean Dr. Corpus Christi, Texas 78412 Current Status and Historical Trends of Estuarine Living Resources of the Corpus Christi Bay National Estuary Program Study Area January 1996 Policy Committee Commissioner John Baker Ms. Jane Saginaw Policy Committee Chair Policy Committee Vice-Chair Texas Natural Resource Regional Administrator, EPA Region 6 Conservation Commission Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Fish and Wildlife in the Corte Madera Creek Watershed
    Fish and Wildlife in the Corte Madera Creek Watershed Prepared by Friends of Corte Madera Watershed May 2004 Many creatures are found in the watershed. The following categories are discussed below: invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and mammals. Invertebrates Detailed information regarding the aquatic invertebrate populations is limited to the middle, lower, and tidally influenced portions of the watershed. Information about the Ross area provided by the Corps of Engineers (1987) suggests that the creeks support a diverse aquatic insect population. Insects observed include water striders, water scorpions, giant water bugs, water boatmen, water bugs (Naucoridia and Dytiscidae), diving beetles, whirligigs, Dobson fly larvae, caddis fly larvae, damselfly nymphs, dragonfly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, mosquitoes, gnats, and black flies. Crayfish are commonly observed in the freshwater reaches of the creek. Benthic sampling of the non-tidal reaches of the creek (COE 1987) indicated that dipteran (fly) larvae were numerically dominant. Only a few reaches of the creek supported the generally herbaceous mayfly larvae. Omnivorous coroxid beetles were also noted. Pulmonate snails, invertebrates that are moderately tolerant of pollution, tend to dominate the benthic biomass. Larvae and emergent adult insects are particularly important food sources for young steelhead trout. In the tidal areas of the watershed, the species are typical of those found throughout San Francisco Bay. The two dominant benthic species found in Corte Madera Creek tidal areas are the gem clam (Gemma gemma) and the amphipod Ampelisca abdita. Other species found there were the clam Chone gracilis, the Asian clam (Potamocorbula amurensis), Sipunculid worms, and the small mussel (Musculus senhousia).
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Annual Report
    Biomonitoring of the California Department of Water Resources Delta Levees Program Habitat Restoration Sites 2020 Annual Report Biomonitoring of the California Department of Water Resources Delta Levees Program Habitat Restoration Sites: 2020 Annual Report Prepared by: Jason Riggio, Kristen Zumdahl, Danielle Fradet, Michelle Mah, Molly Ferrell, Lynn Kimsey, & Andrew Engilis, Jr. December 2020 Cover photo: Mixed blackbird flock on Twitchell Island as captured by a camera trap station (All photos in this report were taken at our sites unless otherwise specified) Acknowledgements On behalf of the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology and Bohart Museum of Entomology, we wish to thank everyone involved in the 2020 Biomonitoring of the California Department of Water Resources Delta Levees Program Habitat Restoration Sites survey season. We would especially like to thank all of the site managers who provided access to our study areas including Juan Mercado (Board President for both Sherman and Twitchell Island Reclamation District boards), Joel McElroy (Sherman Island Superintendent), Ricky Carter (Twitchell Island Superintendent), Katherine Bandy (acting Program Manager of Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project), and Harry McQuillen (Cosumnes River Preserve Manager). Additionally, our work at the Cosumnes River Preserve, McCormack-Williamson Tract and Grizzly Slough would not have been possible without the assistance of Sara Sweet (Cosumnes River Preserve Restoration Ecologist) and Anitra Pawley (CA DWR North Delta Program Manager). We are grateful to Chris Carlson (Solano Resource Conservation District Restoration Program Manager) for his assistance with protecting the invertebrate survey stations from livestock damage and Laureen Thompson (CDFW Environmental Scientist) for her help assessing the sites for endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse habitat potential.
    [Show full text]