Clangula Research Articles

<b>A rare sighting of the Long-tailed Duck <I>Clangula hyemalis</I> (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Anseriformes: Anatidae) over a four-week period in northwestern India: first detailed scientific documentation in 73 years</b>

The Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis is a circumpolar species, breeding in North America, Europe and Asia, however, it is currently among the rarest ducks in Asia, and assessed as globally Vulnerable. Conservation actions explicitly include improved monitoring efforts in Asia. We report the second sighting of this species at the Gharana Wetland Reserve the third in northwestern India, in over 73 years, and have carefully documented our findings over four weeks.

Atypical Feeding Behavior of Long-Tailed Ducks in the Wake of a Commercial Fishing Boat while Clamming

Abstract A foraging group of Clangula hyemalis (Long-tailed Duck) was observed on 10 February 2010 diving behind a commercial boat that was clamming near Monomoy Island, Nantucket Sound, MA. We used a shotgun to collect 9 of the ducks, and our analyses of gizzard and gullet (esophagus and proventriculus) revealed 37 food items in the gizzard and 16 in the gullet. Mollusca were the dominant food in the gizzard (49%), whereas Crustacea were dominant in the gullet (57%). Crustacea were the second most important food in the gizzard (38%), whereas Mollusca were the second most important food in the gullet (31%). Relatively high volumes of the Amphipoda Caprella sp. (skeleton shrimp) and the Decopoda Crangon septemspinosa (Sand Shrimp) were recorded in the gullet and gizzard. Ensis directus (Atlantic Jackknife Clam) formed the greatest volume of Mollusca in the gizzard (15%) and in the gullet (15%). Long-tailed Ducks had fed on this Bivalvia and several other species of Mollusca that had no shell or broken shel...

Evaluation of harvest and information needs for North American sea ducks.

Wildlife managers routinely seek to establish sustainable limits of sport harvest or other regulated forms of take while confronted with considerable uncertainty. A growing body of ecological research focuses on methods to describe and account for uncertainty in management decision-making and to prioritize research and monitoring investments to reduce the most influential uncertainties. We used simulation methods incorporating measures of demographic uncertainty to evaluate risk of overharvest and prioritize information needs for North American sea ducks (Tribe Mergini). Sea ducks are popular game birds in North America, yet they are poorly monitored and their population dynamics are poorly understood relative to other North American waterfowl. There have been few attempts to assess the sustainability of harvest of North American sea ducks, and no formal harvest strategy exists in the U.S. or Canada to guide management. The popularity of sea duck hunting, extended hunting opportunity for some populations (i.e., special seasons and/or bag limits), and population declines have led to concern about potential overharvest. We used Monte Carlo simulation to contrast estimates of allowable harvest and observed harvest and assess risk of overharvest for 7 populations of North American sea ducks: the American subspecies of common eider (Somateria mollissima dresseri), eastern and western populations of black scoter (Melanitta americana) and surf scoter (M. perspicillata), and continental populations of white-winged scoter (M. fusca) and long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis). We combined information from empirical studies and the opinions of experts through formal elicitation to create probability distributions reflecting uncertainty in the individual demographic parameters used in this assessment. Estimates of maximum growth (rmax), and therefore of allowable harvest, were highly uncertain for all populations. Long-tailed duck and American common eider appeared to be at high risk of overharvest (i.e., observed harvest < allowable harvest in 5–7% and 19–26% of simulations, respectively depending on the functional form of density dependence), whereas the other populations appeared to be at moderate risk to low risk (observed harvest < allowable harvest in 22–68% of simulations, again conditional on the form of density dependence). We also evaluated the sensitivity of the difference between allowable and observed harvest estimates to uncertainty in individual demographic parameters to prioritize information needs. We found that uncertainty in overall fecundity had more influence on comparisons of allowable and observed harvest than adult survival or observed harvest for all species except long-tailed duck. Although adult survival was characterized by less uncertainty than individual components of fecundity, it was identified as a high priority information need given the sensitivity of growth rate and allowable harvest to this parameter. Uncertainty about population size was influential in the comparison of observed and allowable harvest for 5 of the 6 populations where it factored into the assessment. While this assessment highlights a high degree of uncertainty in allowable harvest, it provides a framework for integration of improved data from future research and monitoring. It could also serve as the basis for harvest strategy development as management objectives and regulatory alternatives are specified by the management community.

Hanöbukten, an important wintering area for waterbirds in South Sweden

Hanöbukten in SE Sweden (including Blekinge archipelago) is an important wintering and staging area for a number of waterbird species. The inshore parts have been covered by counts from the shore during the International Waterbird Counts (IWC) since 1969. In the present study we analyze these counts for the period 1969–2014. When the counts started the total number of wintering waterbirds varied between 20,000 and 40,000 per year. However, from the early 1990s the number doubled, reaching 60,000 to 80,000 birds per year. All species with the exception of the Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis showed similar increase. The area had a high proportion of the Swedish wintering population of Pochard Aythya ferina and Smew Mergellus albellus. Large numbers of Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula also wintered in the area, and some parts of the archipelago had internationally important concentrations of Tufted Duck and Smew. The increase in numbers in the study area showed the same pattern as in all Sweden and was most probably a result of milder winters in recent years.

Trematode fauna (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) of some sea ducks wintering on the southern Baltic coast (NW Poland) – a general comparison

ABSTRACTThe common scoter Melanitta nigra, velvet scoter M. fusca and long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis (Aves: Anatidae) are among the more abundant sea ducks on the southern coast of the Baltic in winter, but their parasitic trematode fauna (Platyhelminthes, Digenea) in this region is little known. The aim of this study, conducted in 2007–2009, was a general comparison of the trematode fauna of these ducks in NW Poland. The prevalence and intensity of trematode infection were 68.3% and 119.9 in common scoter (101 examined), 77.6% and 13.1 in velvet scoter (58 examined) and 70.6% and 23.7 in long-tailed duck (68 examined). The following trematodes were found: Diplostomum pungitii, Apatemon gracilis, Australapatemon minor, Typhlocoelum sisowi, Echinochasmus spinulosus, Echinoparyphium recurvatum, Psilostomum brevicolle, Psilotrema simillimum, Catatropis verrucosa, Notocotylus attenuatus, N. gibbus, Paramonostomum alveatum, Prosthogonimus ovatus, Levinseniella propinqua, Gymnophallus bursicola and Cryptocotyle concava. The common scoter differs from the velvet scoter and long-tailed duck in its statistically significantly higher prevalence of G. bursicola; from long-tailed duck in its higher prevalence and greater intensity of infection with P. alveatum; and from velvet scoter in its greater intensity of infection with C. concava. The velvet scoter is distinguished from the long-tailed duck by its greater intensity of infection with P. brevicolle, lower prevalence of L. propinqua and lower intensity of infection with C. concava. Links between the differences found and the biology and ecology of the hosts, as well as the means of transmission of the parasites, are also discussed.

Migration characteristics of long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) from the western Canadian Arctic

There are significant deposits of oil and gas in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, and many long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) spend a large portion of their annual cycle in that region, but little is known about their migration patterns. Consequently, we used satellite telemetry to track movements and reveal migration routes and staging areas of 57 long-tailed ducks from the western Canadian Arctic. After molting, all ducks moved westward along the Beaufort Sea coast of Canada and Alaska, into the Chukchi and Bering Seas and the North Pacific, staging at various locations. Long-tailed ducks wintered throughout the North Pacific region as far south as British Columbia, Canada on the North American side and Japan and South Korea on the Asian side, a distribution similar to long-tailed ducks marked with transmitters in Alaska. Spring migration of long-tailed ducks was generally a reversal of fall migration, following Alaskan and Asian coastlines north and eastward to breeding areas in Northwest Territories, Canada, with the exception of two females that travelled to Russia and one male and one female that stopped in northwestern Alaska for the breeding period. Migratory patterns of ducks from this study displayed both similarities and variations to other species breeding in the Arctic, e.g., eiders. However, similar to eiders, long-tailed ducks were in or near offshore oil and gas lease areas of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas for significant portions of their annual life cycle, making them vulnerable to impacts from exploration and development in that region.

Changes in numbers and distribution of wintering Long-tailed Ducks Clangula hyemalis in Swedish waters during the last fifty years

The Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis is the most common wintering waterfowl in Swedish marine waters but it is not well covered in the International Midwinter Counts due to its offshore distribution making special surveys necessary for the species. Surveys covering the entire Baltic Sea were organized for the first time in 1992/1993 with follow-up surveys in 2007–2011 and 2016. In Sweden, aerial line transect surveys covered all areas of importance for the Long-tailed Duck during the last two all-Baltic surveys. In the 1970s extensive regional surveys were done from coastguard boats and airplane. The total wintering population of Long-tailed Duck was estimated to be around 370,000 individuals in 2016 compared to 436,000 in 2009, and in the order of 1,400,000 in 1992/1993, indicating an ongoing decrease. Comparing the more recent surveys with the surveys from the 1970s, the most marked changes in wintering numbers were found east of Gotland, where only a small proportion of the numbers estimated in the 1970s remained. Decreases were also found in the waters around Öland, whereas no marked changes were noted for the smaller wintering populations of the east coast archipelagos.

Gut content analysis of Lake Michigan waterbirds in years with avian botulism type E mortality, 2010–2012

Abstract Waterbird die-offs caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E) have occurred sporadically in the Great Lakes since the late 1960s, with a recent pulse starting in the late 1990s. In recent die-offs, round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) have been implicated as vectors for the transfer of BoNT/E to fish-eating birds due to the round goby invasion history and their importance as prey. Dreissenid mussels (Dreissena spp.) are also potentially involved in BoNT/E transmission to birds and round gobies. We examined gut contents of waterbirds collected in Lake Michigan during die-offs in 2010–2012, and the gut contents of culled, presumably BoNT/E-free double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). Round gobies were found in 86% of the BoNT/E-positive individuals, 84% of the BoNT/E-negative birds, and 94% of the BoNT/E-free cormorants examined. Double-crested cormorants, ring-billed gulls (Larus delewarensis), and common loons (Gavia immer) consumed larger-sized round gobies than horned and red-necked grebes (Podiceps auritus and Podiceps grisegena), white-winged scoters (Melanitta deglandi), and long-tailed ducks (Clangula hymealis). Other common prey included dreissenid mussels, terrestrial insects, and alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus). Our data emphasize the importance of round gobies and mussels in diets of Lake Michigan waterbirds and suggest they may play a role in the transfer of BoNT/E to waterbirds; however, round gobies and mussels were found in BoNT/E-positive, -negative, and -free individuals, suggesting that other factors, such as alternative trophic pathways for toxin transfer, bird migratory timing and feeding locations, prey behavior, and individual physiological differences across birds may affect the likelihood that a bird will succumb to BoNT/E intoxication.

Trace Elements in Sea Ducks of the Alaskan Arctic Coast: Patterns of Variation Among Species, Sexes, and Ages.

Climate change and increasing industrialization in the Arctic call for the collection of reference data for assessing changes in contaminant levels. For migratory birds, measuring and interpreting changes in traceelement burdens on Arctic breeding areas require insights into factors such as sex, body size, or wintering area that may modify patterns independently of local exposure. In the Alaskan Arctic, we determined levels of trace elements in liver and kidney of common eiders (Somateria mollissima) and long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) from the Prudhoe Bay oil field and of king eiders (S. spectabilis) and threatened spectacled eiders (S. fischeri) and Steller's eiders (Polystica stelleri) from near the town of Barrow. Small-bodied Steller's eiders and long-tailed ducks from different locations had similarly low levels of selenium (Se), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu), perhaps reflecting high mass-specific rates of metabolic depuration during long spring migrations through areas of low exposure. In larger species, Se, Cd, and Cu concentrations were higher in adults than juveniles suggesting that these elements were acquired in nonbreeding marine habitats. Adult male spectacled eiders had exceptionally high Se, Cd, and Cu compared with adult females, possibly because of depuration into eggs and longer female occupancy of nonmarine habitats. Adult female common eiders and juvenile long-tailed ducks at Prudhoe Bay had high and variable levels of Pb, potentially due to local exposure. Explanations for substantial variations in Hg levels were not apparent. Further research into reasons for differing element levels among species and sexes will help clarify the sources, pathways, and risks of exposure.

Reactions of ground-nesting marine birds to human disturbance in the Canadian Arctic

I studied the reactions of five ground-nesting marine bird species (Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), Sabine’s gull (Xema sabini), common eider (Somateria mollissima), long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), and Ross’ gull (Rhodostethia rosea)) breeding in the low and high Arctic to disturbance from nearby aircraft as well as avian flight initiation response to humans approaching on foot. All species except nesting long-tailed ducks and common eiders departed their nest when overhead aircraft were within 200 m, with loafing birds often flying off when aircraft were still 1 km away. There was considerable individual and species-specific variation in responses to approaching humans, with some nesting birds not flushing from their nest until touched by a researcher (e.g., waterfowl, 0 m), while others flushed when people were 400 m away (Ross’s gull). Excluding Ross’s gulls, 95% of the individuals of most species did not initiate flight until humans were ≤100 m from the nest, suggesting that this might represent a minimum, suitable “buffer zone” around nesting colonies for nonmotorized human activities.

Spatial Genetic Structure of Long-tailed Ducks (&lt;i&gt;Clangula hyemalis&lt;/i&gt;) among Alaskan, Canadian, and Russian Breeding Populations + Supplementary Appendix Tables S1 and S2 (See Article Tools)

&lt;p class="Pa5" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 10.0pt; color: #221e1f;"&gt;Arctic ecosystems are changing at an unprecedented rate. How Arctic species are able to respond to such environmental change is partially dependent on the connections between local and broadly distributed populations. For species like the Long-tailed Duck (&lt;em&gt;Clangula hyemalis&lt;/em&gt;), we have limited telemetry and band-recovery information from which to infer population structure and migratory connectivity; however, genetic analyses can offer additional insights. To examine population structure in the Long-tailed Duck, we characterized variation at mtDNA control region and microsatellite loci among four breeding areas in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. We observed significant differences in the variance of mtDNA haplotype frequencies between the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) and the three Arctic locations (Arctic Coastal Plain in Alaska, eastern Siberia, and central Canadian Arctic). However, like most sea duck genetic assessments, our study found no evidence of population structure based on autosomal microsatellite loci. Long-tailed Ducks use multiple wintering areas where pair formation occurs with some populations using both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This situation provides a greater opportunity for admixture across breeding locales, which would likely homogenize the nuclear genome even in the presence of female philopatry. The observed mtDNA differentiation was largely due to the presence of two divergent clades: (A) a clade showing signs of admixture among all breeding locales and (B) a clade primarily composed of YKD samples. We hypothesize that the pattern of mtDNA differentiation reflects some degree of philopatry to the YKD and isolation of two refugial populations with subsequent expansion and admixture. We recommend additional genetic assessments throughout the circumpolar range of Long-tailed Ducks to further quantify aspects of genetic diversity and migratory connectivity in this species.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Habitat Use and Foraging Patterns of Molting Male Long-tailed Ducks in Lagoons of the Central Beaufort Sea, Alaska

From mid-July through September, 10 000 to 30 000 Long-tailed Ducks (&lt;em&gt;Clangula hyemalis&lt;/em&gt;) use the lagoon systems of the central Beaufort Sea for remigial molt. Little is known about their foraging behavior and patterns of habitat use during this flightless period. We used radio transmitters to track male Long-tailed Ducks through the molt period from 2000 to 2002 in three lagoons: one adjacent to industrial oil field development and activity and two in areas without industrial activity. We found that an index to time spent foraging generally increased through the molt period. Foraging, habitat use, and home range size showed similar patterns, but those patterns were highly variable among lagoons and across years. Even with continuous daylight during the study period, birds tended to use offshore areas during the day for feeding and roosted in protected nearshore waters at night. We suspect that variability in behaviors associated with foraging, habitat use, and home range size are likely influenced by availability of invertebrate prey. Proximity to oil field activity did not appear to affect foraging behaviors of molting Long-tailed Ducks.

Nest usurpation by a common eider toward a long-tailed duck

Intraspecific and non-obligate brood parasitism and nest takeover is well documented in common eiders ( Somateria mollissima borealis ) nesting in the Arctic. However, we report the takeover of a long-tailed duck ( Clangula hyemalis ) nest by a female common eider on Nasaruvaalik Island, Nunavut, Canada. The high nesting density due to limited habitat in the region may have contributed to this seemingly risky behaviour, which provides no clear benefits to the eider. Keywords: Nest takeover; sea ducks; Somateria mollissima ; Clangula hyemalis ; High Arctic; limited habitat. (Published: 26 October 2016) Citation: Polar Research 2016, 35 , 32414, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v35.32414

Distribution and numbers of wintering waterbirds in Sweden in 2015 and changes during the last fifty years

The International Waterfowl Census started in Europe in 1967, in Sweden already in 1966. In Sweden, country-wide surveys of the inshore coastal areas were undertaken in 1971–1973, 2004 and 2015 in addition to the annual sample counts. In 2015, the entire coast between the Norwegian border and the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago was covered. The total estimate was 616,000 (excluding seaducks such as Long-tailed duck and scoters), a slight increase since 2004 and a large increase since 1971–1973. Long-term significant increase or little change was recorded for all species but the Longtailed Duck which decreased significantly. The distribution showed marked changes for several species, with larger proportions being found in the Baltic archipelagos in later years. In all EU the seaducks declined whereas most other species were stable or increased. In four diving ducks an increases in Sweden and other northern areas was balanced by decreasing numbers for countries to the south and southwest. Thus population changes in Sweden could be related to milder winters in the northern part of the wintering area.

First Off-Shore Site Bird Monitoring In Poland (Debki-Białogóra, 2002–2004)

Abstract Due to the presence along the Polish Baltic coast of migratory bird flyways from north-eastern European breeding grounds to wintering areas distributed on continental shelf waters of western and southwestern Europe, the area has been designated as a NATURA 2000 site (PLB 990002). Therefore the site of a planned off-shore wind farm in this area requires monitoring as to its potential influence on birds. This was the first such monitoring performed in Poland. The expanse of water covered by the research included the planned location of the wind farm as well as adjacent areas. A series of 15 investigative cruises were undertaken from the beginning of October to the beginning of May. The period of observations was divided into five seasons: early autumn, late autumn, winter, early spring and late spring. The standard method of counting birds on transects in the form of strips reaching 300 m from the ship was used in the research, as well as the ‘snapshot’ technique (scan with bands transect with snapshot technique). Additional observations were made from a point on the shore. In the study area maritime birds are present in low or moderate densities, with localized clusters. Two diving benthophagous species dominate: the Long-tailed Duck (58.9%) and the Velvet Scoter (34.3%). The next two commonest species have a share of over 1% within the community – the Common Scoter (3.2%) and the Herring Gull (2.4%). Other species are very uncommon. There is very high fluctuation in the number of birds both observed on the water surface and seen in the air. In the area studied no pronounced migratory passage of waterfowl was observed; the usual migratory flyways probably lie farther to the north and the birds observed in flight perform mainly local movements. Observed bird densities in the study area are considerably lower (52.0 ind./km2) than those estimated for the entire NATURA 2000 area (116.7 ind./km2). In the area of the planned wind farm densities are even lower (36.1 ind./km2, i.e. 31% of the NATURA 2000 level), while densities in neighbouring areas are still below the NATURA 2000 average. In the subsequent administrative procedure the area was not accepted as the location of the planned wind farm.

Hydroxylated and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers in long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) and their main food, Baltic blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus × Mytilus edulis).

Long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) that breed in northern Europe and western Siberia and commonly winter in the Baltic Sea, are threatened by a significant population decrease. The ducks are, by primarily feeding on Baltic blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus × Mytilus edulis) while wintering in the Baltic Sea, potentially subjected to high levels of toxic hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs). To assess long-tailed ducks exposure to polybrominated phenols (PBPs), polybrominated anisoles (PBAs), hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs), their methylated counterparts (MeO-PBDEs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), livers of ten long-tailed ducks wintering in the Baltic Sea were analysed. Pattern and levels of analytes in long-tailed ducks (liver) and blue mussels sampled in March and May at nine sites in the Baltic Sea were compared. The geometric mean concentration (ng/g l.w.) in livers of long-tailed ducks and Baltic blue mussels were: Σ(2)PBPs: 0.57 and 48; Σ(2)PBAs: 0.83 and 11; Σ(7)OH-PBDEs: 6.1 and 45; Σ(7)MeO-PBDEs: 3.8 and 69; Σ(7)PBDEs: 8.0 and 7.2, respectively. Based on an estimated daily intake of 450 g fresh blue mussel meat, long-tailed ducks daily dietary intake of brominated substances while foraging in the Baltic Sea in March-May was estimated to; 390 ng Σ(2)PBPs, 90 ng Σ(2)PBAs, 370 ng Σ(7)OH-PBDEs, 590 ng Σ(7)MeO-PBDEs and 59 ng Σ(7)PBDEs. The low levels of PBPs, PBAs, OH-PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs in the long-tailed duck livers compared to blue mussel, despite a continuous daily intake, suggest that these compounds are poorly retained in long-tailed ducks.

Two methods of radio transmitter attachment and their effects on the behavior and energetics of captive long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) during winter

Attachment of external devices can have negative consequences for the health and fitness of subjects, but these effects are often overlooked. In preparation for a field study with small sea ducks, we investigated the effects of two types of external radio transmitter attachments on activity budgets and energetics of captive long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) during winter. We conducted behavioral observations on 15 ducks over 3 months and measured oxygen consumption rates while resting on water and during preening. Ducks were either sham handled (‘Control’) or had transmitters attached with subcutaneous anchors (‘Prongs’) or Tesa tape/sutures (‘Tesa’). Following transmitter attachment, the activity budgets of Prong and Tesa birds changed significantly, while Controls remained largely unchanged. Prong and Tesa birds reduced locomotor activity (−58 and −54 %, respectively) and the proportion of time spent in water (−48 and −35 %, respectively), while they concomitantly increased time allocated to maintenance behavior (+98 and +151 %, respectively). Tesa birds recovered from these changes over time, at least partially, but Prong birds did not. Also, two of the five Prong birds developed a bacterial infection that spread from the attachment site. Retention time of transmitters was significantly greater for the Prong attachments (4 of 5 tags were retained for the entire 59-day study) than the Tesa technique (26.0 ± 3.2 days). Energy metabolism of ducks resting on water did not change significantly after transmitter attachment. Preening, the primary maintenance behavior, increased oxygen consumption rates by ~70 % over resting. The greater allocation of time to maintenance behavior after transmitter attachment most likely increased daily energy expenditure in these ducks, although the concurrent reduction in locomotor activity might have mitigated this effect. Ducks in our study had food ad libitum and were able to reduce locomotion after transmitter attachment without compromising food intake and, hence, energy balance. In the wild, this strategy might not be viable. Given the short retention time, the tape-based attachment technique we applied is not suitable if monitoring periods greater than ~2 to 3 weeks are desired. Both methods resulted in significant behavioral changes with energetic consequences that should be considered when planning to attach external transmitters to small sea ducks in the wild.

NATATORIAL BIRDS IN THE RUNE-POEMS IN THE KALEVALA METER

Similes and metaphors, based on the symbolic of the natatorial birds, such as the swan, the goose, the scaup duck, the green-winged teal, the oldsquaw - long-tailed duck, appear across the genres of the verbal description in oral rune-poems in the Kalevala meter. The ethnopoetical constansts, dealing with the aquatic sphere of the ornithological symbolic, correspond with the ornithic characters of the swan and the scaup, involved in the mythic plots of the Kalevalaic rune-poems and there in the laments appear systematic correspondences.

Phylogenetic and pathogenic characterization of novel adenoviruses isolated from long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis)

Novel adenoviruses were isolated from a long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) mortality event near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in 2000. The long-tailed duck adenovirus genome was approximately 27kb. A 907bp hexon gene segment was used to design primers specific for the long-tailed duck adenovirus. Nineteen isolates were phylogenetically characterized based on portions of their hexon gene and 12 were most closely related to Goose adenovirus A. The remaining 7 shared no hexon sequences with any known adenoviruses. Experimental infections of mallards with a long-tailed duck reference adenovirus caused mild lymphoid infiltration of the intestine and paint brush hemorrhages of the mucosa and dilation of the intestine. This study shows novel adenoviruses from long-tailed ducks are diverse and provides further evidence that they should be considered in cases of morbidity and mortality in sea ducks. Conserved and specific primers have been developed that will help screen sea ducks for adenoviral infections.

A Children’s Guide to Arctic Birds by M. Pelletier

Pelletier, Mia. A Children’s Guide to Arctic Birds. Iqaluit, NV: Inhabit Media Inc., 2014. PrintMia Pelletier is an ecologist who, since 2010, has worked with seabird populations in Nunavut. In this children’s field guide, she introduces fourteen species of Arctic birds. Each bird is introduced in two pages. One full page displays Danny Christopher’s illustrations of the birds and the facing page provides the natural history of the species. Each description includes both English and Inuktitut names, though notably, not the standard Latin name. The text is broken into easy to read paragraphs for: physical description, where to look for the birds, what they eat, the sounds they make, nests, eggs, chicks and where the birds winter. In addition to the species descriptions, Pelletier has supplied helpful sections including a coloured chart of the birds’ eggs, a size comparison chart, and comparative descriptions of the birds’ feathers, bills and feet. In addition to her own knowledge, Pelletier has based her work on research, including visiting a museum in Iceland to view species and eggs that she had not seen in the wild.Danny Christopher’s watercolours are excellent representations of the birds. Every species could easily be identified from the paintings. Each image page also contains a “Feathered Fact” that tells the reader something special about the bird. For example: “Long-tailed ducks like to sneak their eggs into the nests of other long-tailed ducks”.Overall, this is an excellent introduction to common Arctic birds, which could be used to learn about the birds or as a guide for field identification. This work is highly recommended for public libraries and elementary school libraries.Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.