Marsh Birds Research Articles

Comparison of the Energy Requirements of Fledgling Black Ducks and American Coots

An experiment was undertaken to measure food consumption, exereta, and growth of the blaek duek (Anas rubripes) and the Ameriean coot (Fulica americana) under laboratory eonditions. Gross of the food and of the exereta samples was determined with a bomb ealorimeter. The results were used to ealeulate the per g of food. The total amount of retained by the dueks during the 8 weeks was 9,322 keal per bird. The eoots retained S,362 keal per bird or 57 pereent of the retained by the dueks. Brood size was not as mueh a determining faetor of growth rate and eonsumption in coots as it was in dueks. ENERGY REQUIREMENTS OF YOUNG BLACK DUCKS AND COOTS * Penney and Batley 105 Dept. of Interior, Bur. Sport Fish. and Wildl., J. P. Linduska (Editor). 770pp. SMITH:, A. G. 19S8. A progress report on the 1958 waterfowl surveys on the Lousana study area, Lousana, Alberta, Canada. U. S. Bur. Sport Fisheries and Wildl., Wildl. Research Lab., Denver, Colo. 12pp. SOWLS, L. K. 1955. Prairie ducks: a study of their behavior, ecology, and management. The Wildlife Management Institute, Washington, D. C. 193pp. STOUDT, J. H. 1959. Progress report: Redvers waterfowl study area with comparative data for several previous years. U. S. Bur. Sport Fisheries and Wildl., Wildl. Research Lab., Denver, Colo. 1 lOpp. WELLER, M. W., AND P. WARD. l9S9. Migration and mortality of hand-reared redheads ( Aythya americans ) . J. Wildl. Mgmt. 23(4): 427-433. Received for publicstion July 14, 1969. Using Armsby's method, Kendeigh (1949) measured the absorbed by the English sparrow (Passer domestious) throughout a range of temperatures and analyzed the resources of the birds during the year. More recently Stiven ( 1961 ) measured the food required by the blue grouse (Dendlragapus obscurus) chick. He determined total by multiplying the digestible portion of each nutrient for plant and animal foods by factors of 4, 9, or 4 (protein, fat, or carbohydrates respectively) to compensate for losses in the urine. The result was the amount of food available to the animal for combustion or for body tissue. Until recently, little research has been done in the field of flow systems involving populations of wild ducks. Sincock ( 1962) proposed a method to estimate total food demands of a wintering waterINTRODUCTION Most experimentation with requirements of birds has been concentrated on domestic chickens under laboratory conditions. The results of these studies are expressed either in values ( Armsby 1922 ) or in productive values (Hill and Dansky l954). The term metabolizable energy was introduced by Armsby (l922) and defined as the maximum quantity of a feed could contribute to the chemical transformations within an organism. Metabolizable was chosen for this experiment because it is a more easily determined value than productive and is a more accurate criterion of potential for a species than digestive energy. 1 Present address: Box 1012, Sioux Lookout, Ontario. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Thu, 01 Dec 2016 05:55:15 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 106 Journal of Wildlife Manugement, Vol. 34, No. 1, January 1970 fowl population in Virginia, using the average body weight of each species. Sugden (1965) compared types of food ingested and food requirements of four species of ducklings, using the plant and animal foods found at the sites where ducklings were collected. There have been no studies conducted on available requirements using wild ducks under laboratory conditions. This study was designed to: (1) measure and compare the requirements of two species of water birds from hatching until flight ( black ducks and American coots represented both dabbling and diving types of marsh birds ); ( 2 ) determine differences between the consumption by the two species and reasons for such differences; ( 3 ) determine the effect of brood size on consumption and growth rate. H. A. Hochbaum, Director, Delta Waterfowl Research Station, supplied the American coot eggs used in this project. W. Carrick, Manager, Kortright Waterfowl Research Station, Guelph, Ontario, supported the work with assistance, helpful suggestions, anfd use of research facilities at the Station.

Capturing Waterfowl in Iowa by Night-Lighting

A night-lighting technique was successful in capturing ducks and other marsh birds on shallow Iowa marshes in July and August. In 164 nights of night-lighting from 196 through 1968, 5,084 ducks of 13 species were captured. An average of 31 ducks per night was captured for a catch rate that varied from 4.0 birds per two-man crew hour to 6.6 birds per crew hour. Local birds made up 55 percent, immatures 27 percent, and adults 18 percent of the birds captured. The cost per bird captured varied from $1.10 per bird in 1, to $1.50 per bird in 1967 and 1968. Waterfowl production, weather, and marsh conditions were the three most important variables that determined capture success. 956 Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 33, No. 4, October 1969 ( Anser albifrons ) after individual release. Bird-Banding 36 ( 3 ) :18>191. NASS, R. D. 1964. Sexand age-ratio bias of cannon-netted geese. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 28 ( 3 ): 522 527. RAVING, D. G. 1966. Factors affecting age ratios of samples of Canada geese caught with cannon-nets. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 30 ( 4 ): 682-691. . 1969a. Social cIasses of Canada geese in winter. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 33(2):304-318. . 1969b. Roost sites and flight patterns of Canada geese in winter. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 33 ( 2 ): 319-330. SCHI0LER, E. L. 1924. Om de skandinviske aeunder, deres dragtskifte og traek. Dansk. Om. Tids. Kjbenhaven 18:85-95. SHERWOOD, G. A. 1967. Behavior of family groups of Canada geese. Trans. N. Am. Wildl. and Nat. Resources Gonf. 32: 340L355. VAUGHT, R. W., AND H. BIJRGESS. 1966. The 1966 progress report on goose management at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri. 33pp. Mimeo. , AND L. M. KIRSCH. 1966. Canada geese of the Eastern Prairie population, with special reference to the Swan Lake flock. Missouri Dept. Conserv. Tech. Bull. No. 3. 91pp. Received for publication May 5, 1969. This paper describes night-lighting equipment and subsequent captllre results of waterfowl in Iowa. The technique of nightlighting is an old practice. Reeves (1966) and Drewien et al. (1967) sumrnarized the history of night-lighting. Other writers have reported their efforts using this technique on waterfowl (Lindmeier and Jessen 1961, Cummings and Hewitt 1964) Lovrien 1965, Drewien et al. 1967). The reported techniques vary as to equipment, time of year, species of birds capturedn and types of habitat worked, but all authors verify that it is a successful method of captunng water birds and pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). We wish to thank R. Howing, Unit Game Manager of the Iowa Conservation Commission, for his help in improving this operation and for assistance in capturing wa-

Water and Marsh Birds of the World. Song Birds of the World Oliver L. Austin, Jr.

Water and Marsh Birds of the World. Song Birds of the World Oliver L. Austin, Jr.

NOTES ON SOME MARSH BIRDS OF CAPE SAN ANTONIO, ARGENTINA*

SummaryDuring an 11‐month study of the Black‐headed Duck in eastern Argentina, observations were made on the marsh birds of Cape San Antonio, Province of Buenos Aires. These observations supplement the distributional and life history obtained by Gibson (1879–1920), Wetmore (1926) and others.The deep, fresh‐water marshes characteristically are dominated by one of three plants: tules, cutgrass or cat‐tails. There were surprisingly few marshes with mixtures of these plants and few marshes which showed a gradual transition from marsh to uplands.Marsh birds showed considerable adaptation in chronology of nesting and nest‐site selection for the seasonal water cycle of wet springs and dry periods in the late summer and fall. Some marsh birds were involved in nesting over a longer period than is usual in Northern Hemisphere marshes. As seems characteristic of all marsh birds, cover‐water edges were usual sites for nests. There were only a few species with restricted nest‐site selection, and competition between closely related species was noted only among the three species of coots.A list of the marsh birds of the area is given, and comments are presented on the ecology and behaviour of selected species.

Capturing Waterfowl and Marsh Birds at Night with Light and Sound

A combination of light and sound proved economical and practicable for capturing fullwinged and flightless waterfowl and other marsh birds at night. A total of 107 hours of effort resulted in the capture of 1,146 birds of 27 species at an average cost between 50 and 60 cents per bird. Weather had only a minor influence on success of capturing flightless birds, but full-winged birds were caught more easily on darker nights. Finding birds was a problem because they were not usually found at night in the areas frequented during the day. This method is particularly useful in capturing species which are difficult to trap by conventional means. Increasing interest in success at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in capturing full-winged as well as flightless waterfowl by night-lighting suggests that our methods and results be summarized. We are indebted to D. T. Coggeshall for the photographs used in the figures. The use of light and sound in catching waterfowl for commercial purposes and for banding has been described only briefly by Scott (1938), U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1956), W. G. Leitch (1958), and Lindmeier and Jessen (1961). The reports deal chiefly with capture of flightless ducks. The first attempts to use this technique in our area were made in the fall of 1954, when O. H. Hewitt, C. W. Dane, and L. S. Smith, Montezuma Refuge Manager, caught several coots (Fulica americana) and 28 ducks of eight species, including full-winged redheads (Aythya americana) and ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensus) in 4 hours at the refuge. A flat-bottomed aluminum punt with a 10-hp motor was used. Lighting equipment consisted of two, 300watt, reflector floodlights mounted on a hand-held T frame and powered by a 1,000-watt portable gasoline generator. The response of many birds to the brilliant glare of the floodlights and the ear-splitting racket of two gasoline engines running simultaneously was amazing. Some ducks, blackbirds, and herons fled when we were still some distance away, but the majority of marsh birds, including full-winged as well as flightless ducks, often remained until we were almost on top of them. Most of the ducks swam slowly away, very low in the water, but it was not difficult to approach within a few feet (Fig. 1) and to capture birds with a dip net. Pied-billed grebes (Podilymbus podiceps), coots, and shorebirds sometimes did not move away, but preened or walked slowly about in the glare of the lights (Fig. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.102 on Thu, 23 Jun 2016 05:21:15 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms CAPTURING WATERFOWL AT NIGHT * Cummings and Hewitt 121

Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds

Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds

Comparative Nest Defense Behavior of Four Species of Marsh Birds

Comparative Nest Defense Behavior of Four Species of Marsh Birds Get access Roger J. Siglin, Roger J. Siglin Department of Zoology and Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Milton W. Weller Milton W. Weller Department of Zoology and Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Condor, Volume 65, Issue 5, 1 September 1963, Pages 432–437, https://doi.org/10.2307/1365149 Published: 01 September 1963

Cattle egrets and Bustards in Greek Art

There is a bird perched on the neck of a bull on a Late Bronze Age krater from Enkomi in the British Museum (plate I 1). It has long legs and a long neck, and it is much larger than any of the crow tribe, so often seen on cattle. Its long pointed bill is fixed on a point in the bull's neck probably removing a tick or something of the sort. The operation is painful and the bull tosses his head. On the other side of the vase the bird has lost his footing but still keeps the grip of his bill on the neck of the bull (plate I 2). That daggerlike bill is longer than the one on the other side of the vase. We must therefore suppose that the bill in the earlier scene has been inserted into the bull's neck to a considerable depth. No wonder the bull is plunging about to dislodge the operator.A bird with long neck, long legs, and long beak can only be a marsh bird, and as it is hunting for insects on the neck of a bull, it can only be a Cattle Egret (plate I 4.), though its body bears some resemblance to the bodies of birds which are probably meant for geese or swans; its beak is more formidable. Presumably this insect-hunting bird is not a deity revealing him or herself; but perhaps Cypriots are more secular than Mycenaeans.

The Mesostigmatic Nasal Mites of Birds. I. Two New Genera from Shore and Marsh Birds

The Mesostigmatic Nasal Mites of Birds. I. Two New Genera from Shore and Marsh Birds

Nesting of Birds in the Marshes of Northwest Iowa

During duck studies in the Ruthven Area (Clay and Palo Alto counties) of northwest Iowa, information was gathered on the nesting of other marsh birds. The observations were made from March to June, 1942, mostly on three State-owned preserves: (1) Dewey Pasture, a 402-acre tract of upland blue-grass pasture with 38 small kettleholes and enclosing some shoreline of Mud Lake, (2) East Mud Lake Slough, a 98-acre marsh, and (3) the Outlet of Lost Island Lake, a 1000-acre marsh.

Returns of Banded Birds: Recoveries of Banded Marsh Birds

Returns of Banded Birds: Recoveries of Banded Marsh Birds

Nichols' 'Birds of Marsh and Mere' Birds of Marsh and Mere and How to Shoot Them J. C. M. Nichols

Nichols' 'Birds of Marsh and Mere' Birds of Marsh and Mere and How to Shoot Them J. C. M. Nichols

Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl and North American Marsh Birds by Arthur Cleveland Bent [Review

Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl and North American Marsh Birds by Arthur Cleveland Bent [Review

Bent's 'Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds' Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds. Orders Odontoglossae, Herodiones and Paludicolae Arthur Cleveland Bent

Bent's 'Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds' Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds. Orders Odontoglossae, Herodiones and Paludicolae Arthur Cleveland Bent

Life histories of North American marsh birds. Orders Odontoglossae, Herodiones, and Paludiocolae

Life histories of North American marsh birds. Orders Odontoglossae, Herodiones, and Paludiocolae

Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States. Part I. Water Birds, Marsh Birds and Shore Birds Edward Howe Forbush Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Journal Article Forbush’s Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States Get access J. Grinnell J. Grinnell Berkeley, California Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Condor, Volume 28, Issue 2, 1 March 1926, Pages 104–105, https://doi.org/10.2307/1362933 Published: 01 March 1926