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United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

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Articles 511 - 540 of 1529

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Efficacy Of The Boar-Operated-System To Deliver Baits To Feral Swine., Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, Giovanna Massei Jan 2011

Efficacy Of The Boar-Operated-System To Deliver Baits To Feral Swine., Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, Giovanna Massei

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) pose a significant disease threat to livestock and humans. Emerging technologies to reduce feral swine disease transmission risks include fertility control, vaccination, and toxicants. However, for these technologies to be appropriate for field application, a feral swine-specific oral delivery system is needed. We used two field trials to generate information related to appropriate field application of the Boar-Operated-System (BOSTM), an oral delivery system designed to provide bait access only to feral swine. Our objectives were to determine whether pre-baiting BOSTM units increased bait removal and to evaluate the proportion of feral swine and non-target animals that …

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Nilgai Antelope In Northern Mexico As A Possible Carrier For Cattle Fever Ticks And Babesia Bovis And Babesia Bigemina., E M. Cardenas-Canales, J. Alfonso Ortega-Santos, Tyler A. Campbell, Zeferino Garcia-Vaquez, Antonio Cantu-Covarrubias, Julio V. Figueroa-Millian, Randy W. Deyoung, David G. Hewitt, Fred C. Bryant Jan 2011

Nilgai Antelope In Northern Mexico As A Possible Carrier For Cattle Fever Ticks And Babesia Bovis And Babesia Bigemina., E M. Cardenas-Canales, J. Alfonso Ortega-Santos, Tyler A. Campbell, Zeferino Garcia-Vaquez, Antonio Cantu-Covarrubias, Julio V. Figueroa-Millian, Randy W. Deyoung, David G. Hewitt, Fred C. Bryant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Of 20 blood samples from nilgais from Me´ xico, five were polymerase chain reaction-positive for Babesia bigemina and one for Babesia bovis. Positive samples had the expected 170 (B. bigemina) and 291 (B. bovis) base pairs and were identical to Gen-Bank B. bigemina accession S45366 and B. bovis M38218.

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Absence Of Mycobacterium Bovis In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) From The Southern Texas Border Region., Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, Luiz R. Bazan, Bruce V. Thomsen, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Ronald B. Davey, Liza A. Soliz, Seth Swafford, Kurt C. Vercauteren Jan 2011

Absence Of Mycobacterium Bovis In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) From The Southern Texas Border Region., Tyler A. Campbell, David B. Long, Luiz R. Bazan, Bruce V. Thomsen, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Ronald B. Davey, Liza A. Soliz, Seth Swafford, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Free-ranging wildlife, such as feral swine (Sus scrofa), harbor a variety of diseases that are transmissible to livestock and could negatively impact agricultural production. Information is needed regarding the exposure and infection rates of Mycobacterium bovis and many other diseases and parasites in feral swine occurring in the Texas border region. Our main objective was to determine exposure rates and possible infection rates of M. bovis in feral swine by opportunistically sampling animals from the Texas border region. From June to September 2010, we obtained samples from 396 feral swine and tested 98 samples for M. bovis by histopathology and …

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Natal Colony Site Fidelity Of Herring Gulls At Sandusky Bay, Ohio., Bruce N. Buckingham, Benjamin Bacak Jan 2011

Natal Colony Site Fidelity Of Herring Gulls At Sandusky Bay, Ohio., Bruce N. Buckingham, Benjamin Bacak

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We studied three Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) colonies in the Sandusky Bay area, Sandusky, OH, between 1981 and 2006. During this period, we banded 24,000 nestlings and received reports of 347 recovered bands. Forty-nine of these band recoveries were as adults recovered during the nesting season as far as 890 km from their natal colony. Gulls were also captured at five other colonies located in the Great Lakes. Gulls recovered outside the original 10-min block of banding accounted for 47 percent of the returns. We hypothesize that half of the recoveries of adult Herring Gulls during the nesting season occurred …

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Domestic Calf Mortality And Producer Detection Rates In The Mexican Wolf Recovery Area: Implications For Livestock Management And Carnivore Compensation Schemes., Stewart W. Breck, Bryan M. Kluever, Michael Panasci, John Oakleaf, Terry Johnson, Warren B. Ballard, Larry Howery, David L. Bergman Jan 2011

Domestic Calf Mortality And Producer Detection Rates In The Mexican Wolf Recovery Area: Implications For Livestock Management And Carnivore Compensation Schemes., Stewart W. Breck, Bryan M. Kluever, Michael Panasci, John Oakleaf, Terry Johnson, Warren B. Ballard, Larry Howery, David L. Bergman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Conserving large carnivores throughout the world will often require that they share the landscape with livestock. Minimizing depredations and increasing tolerance by livestock producers will be critical for conservation efforts. To investigate factors influencing calf mortality and producer detection rates (i.e., number of livestock killed by predators, found by producers, and correctly classified as to cause of death), we monitored radio-tagged domestic calves at two sites in the Mexican wolf recovery area (East Eagle [EE] and Adobe Ranch [AR]). Study areas differed in grazing practices, density of predators (mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, and Mexican wolves), and amount of effort …

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A Review And Synthesis Of Bird And Rodent Damage Estimates To Select California Crops, Karen Gebhardt, Aaron M. Anderson, Katy N. Kirkpatrick, Stephanie A. Shwiff Jan 2011

A Review And Synthesis Of Bird And Rodent Damage Estimates To Select California Crops, Karen Gebhardt, Aaron M. Anderson, Katy N. Kirkpatrick, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the magnitude of bird and rodent damage to 19 economically important crops in California. Interviews with agriculture experts provided additional information about damages. Monte Carlo simulations were used to derive summary estimates of damages to each crop. A meta-analysis indicated that summary damage estimates from expert interviews were higher than estimates from field studies and surveys. It was also found that there has been a downward trend over time in damages to almonds and grapes. The results of our study indicate that damages from bird and rodents remain high for many crops …

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Determinants Of Local And Migratory Movements Of Great Lakes Double-Crested Cormorants, Alban Guillaumet, Brian S, Dorr, Guiming Wang, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Richard B. Chipman, Heidi Scherr, Jeff Bowman, Kenneth F. Abraham, Terry J. Doyle, Elizabeth Cranker Jan 2011

Determinants Of Local And Migratory Movements Of Great Lakes Double-Crested Cormorants, Alban Guillaumet, Brian S, Dorr, Guiming Wang, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Richard B. Chipman, Heidi Scherr, Jeff Bowman, Kenneth F. Abraham, Terry J. Doyle, Elizabeth Cranker

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We investigated how individual strategies combine with demographic and ecological factors to determine local and migratory movements in the double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). One hundred and forty-five cormorants were captured from 14 nesting colonies across the Great Lakes area and fitted with satellite transmitters. We first tested the hypotheses that sexual segregation, density-dependent effects, and the intensity of management operations influenced home range size during the breeding season. The influence of these factors appeared to be limited in part due to random variability in foraging and dispersal decisions at individual and colony levels. We also designed a statistical …

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Clinical And Pathologic Responses Of American Crows (Corvus Brachyrhynchos) And Fish Crows (C Ossifragus) To Experimental West Nile Virus Infection, N. M. Nemeth, B. V. Thomsen, T. R. Spraker, J. M. Benson, A. M. Bosco-Lauth, P. T. Oesterle, J. M. Bright, J. P. Muth, T. W. Campbell, T. L. Gidlewski, R. A. Bowen Jan 2011

Clinical And Pathologic Responses Of American Crows (Corvus Brachyrhynchos) And Fish Crows (C Ossifragus) To Experimental West Nile Virus Infection, N. M. Nemeth, B. V. Thomsen, T. R. Spraker, J. M. Benson, A. M. Bosco-Lauth, P. T. Oesterle, J. M. Bright, J. P. Muth, T. W. Campbell, T. L. Gidlewski, R. A. Bowen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

West Nile virus (WNV)-associated disease has a range of clinical manifestations among avian taxa, the reasons for which are not known. Species susceptibility varies within the avian family Corvidae, with estimated mortality rates ranging from 50 to 100%. We examined and compared virologic, immunologic, pathologic, and clinical responses in 2 corvid species, the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the fish crow (C ossifragus), following experimental WNV inoculation. Unlike fish crows, which remained clinically normal throughout the study, American crows succumbed to WNV infection subsequent to dehydration, electrolyte and pH imbalances, and delayed or depressed humoral immune …

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The Effect Of Cooking On Diphacinone Residues Related To Human Consumption Of Feral Pig Tissues, William C. Pitt, Michelle Higashi, Thomas M. Primus Jan 2011

The Effect Of Cooking On Diphacinone Residues Related To Human Consumption Of Feral Pig Tissues, William C. Pitt, Michelle Higashi, Thomas M. Primus

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined feral pig tissues to determine whether the potential hazard of consuming meat from pigs previously exposed to diphacinone rodenticide baits was reduced by cooking. Residue levels were measured in cooked and uncooked tissues of feral pigs exposed to sub-lethal quantities of the anticoagulant rodenticide. Pigs were provided large amounts of baits or untreated food to consume, then euthanized prior to the onset of symptoms indicative of rodenticide poisoning or sickness. For analysis, we grouped pigs into three levels of mean diphacinone consumption: 0, 3.5, and 7.4 mg/kg. None of the pigs displayed obvious signs of toxicity during the …

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Reconciling Sensory Cues And Varied Consequences Of Avian Repellents, Scott J. Werner, Frederick D. Provenza Jan 2011

Reconciling Sensory Cues And Varied Consequences Of Avian Repellents, Scott J. Werner, Frederick D. Provenza

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We learned previously that red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) use affective processes to shift flavor preference, and cognitive associations (colors) to avoid food, subsequent to avoidance conditioning. We conducted three experiments with captive red-winged blackbirds to reconcile varied consequences of treated food with conditioned sensory cues. In Experiment 1, we compared food avoidance conditioned with lithium chloride (LiCl) or naloxone hydrochloride (NHCl) to evaluate cue–consequence specificity. All blackbirds conditioned with LiCl (gastrointestinal toxin) avoided the color (red) and flavor (NaCl) of food experienced during conditioning; birds conditioned with NHCl (opioid antagonist) avoided only the color (not the flavor) of …

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Refinement Of Biomarker Pentosidine Methodology For Use On Aging Birds, Crissa K. Cooey, Jesse A. Fallon, Michael L. Avery, James T. Anderson, Elizabeth A. Falkenstein, Hillar Klandorf Oct 2010

Refinement Of Biomarker Pentosidine Methodology For Use On Aging Birds, Crissa K. Cooey, Jesse A. Fallon, Michael L. Avery, James T. Anderson, Elizabeth A. Falkenstein, Hillar Klandorf

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

There is no reliable method for determining age for most species of long-lived birds. Recent success using the skin chemical pentosidine as a biomarker has shown promise as an aging tool for birds. Pentosidine levels have been determined only from the breast tissue of carcasses, and we sought to refine the procedure with respect to biopsy size and location for safe and effective use on living birds. We compared pentosidine concentrations in 4 skin-size samples (4, 6, 8, and 20-mm diameter biopsies) from the breast of black vulture (Coragyps atratus) carcasses. We also compared pentosidine levels from breast …

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Evaluation Of Rhodamine B As A Biomarker For Raccoons, Tricia L. Fry, Todd C. Atwood, Mike R. Dunbar Oct 2010

Evaluation Of Rhodamine B As A Biomarker For Raccoons, Tricia L. Fry, Todd C. Atwood, Mike R. Dunbar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services (WS) oral rabies vaccination program uses tetracycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic and relatively reliable biomarker, to quantify vaccinebait uptake by raccoons (Procyon lotor). However, obtaining samples (e.g., bone or teeth) to assess tetracycline uptake is highly invasive, and sample preparation can be expensive. By contrast, rhodamine B, a commercially available dye, is absorbed systemically in growing tissues, including hair and whiskers, and can be observed under ultraviolet (UV) light as fluorescent orange bands. Our goal was to evaluate whether rhodamine B can be used as a biomarker to monitor bait uptake by raccoons. We began by …

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Reducing The Risk Of Human Exposure To Wildlife Diseases, Tyler A. Campbell Aug 2010

Reducing The Risk Of Human Exposure To Wildlife Diseases, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As a professional biologist working for a government agency, I am required to carry a card alerting medical personnel that I may have been exposed to certain zoonotic diseases (animal diseases that can infect man) not routinely considered in differential diagnosis. Some of these pathogens are obscure and seldom heard of, such as monkeypox and Q fever; others more commonly make headlines, such as influenza, West Nile virus, Lyme disease, and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Hunters, ranchers, and biologists who work with wildlife have an increased risk of acquiring these diseases directly from animal hosts or their parasites. Here are some …

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Increased Abundance And First Breeding Record Of The Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Brasilianus) On The Alluvial Plain Of Mississippi, Katie C. Hanson, Travis L. Devault, Stephen J. Dinsmore Jul 2010

Increased Abundance And First Breeding Record Of The Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Brasilianus) On The Alluvial Plain Of Mississippi, Katie C. Hanson, Travis L. Devault, Stephen J. Dinsmore

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Phalacrocorax brasilianus (Neotropic Cormorant) has been observed with increasing frequency in the alluvial plain (Delta region) of Mississippi. In the past 6 years, 22 individuals have been observed in 20 separate sightings during spring and summer. These sightings have occurred at breeding colonies of other colonial waterbirds and commercial aquaculture facilities of Ictalurus punctatus (Channel Catfish). Two sexually mature Neotropic Cormorants have been collected at a colonial waterbird breeding colony near the Mississippi River in the western Delta region among flocks of Phalacrocorax auritus (Double-crested Cormorants). Twice during the summer of 2008, confirmed nesting of Neotropic Cormorants were documented in …

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On A Quest For Safer Skies: Managing The Growing Threat Of Wildlife Hazards To Aviation, Gail Keirn, Jonathon Cepek, Bradley Blackwell, Travis L. Devaul Jul 2010

On A Quest For Safer Skies: Managing The Growing Threat Of Wildlife Hazards To Aviation, Gail Keirn, Jonathon Cepek, Bradley Blackwell, Travis L. Devaul

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The images remain indelible: On a chilly January day in 2009, a U.S. Airways Airbus A320 departed from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. About five miles out, flying at 2,000 feet, it collided with a flock of Canada geese (Branta canadensis), severely damaging the plane’s engines. Within minutes of the collision the pilot safely conducted an emergency landing on the Hudson River. All 155 passengers survived.

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Why Don’T Rats And Mice Vomit? A Behavioral And Anatomical Investigation, C. C. Horn, National Wildlife Res. Ctr, G.R. Gathright, B. Yates, P.L. Andrews Jun 2010

Why Don’T Rats And Mice Vomit? A Behavioral And Anatomical Investigation, C. C. Horn, National Wildlife Res. Ctr, G.R. Gathright, B. Yates, P.L. Andrews

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Laboratory rats and mice are known to lack a vomiting response and the dimensions of the abdominal esophagus might be an important constraint (Andrews, 1995, Physiol. Zool.). However, a broad evaluation of Rodentia is lacking. Here we determined the behavioral responses and esophageal and diaphragm anatomy from 4 of the 5 Suborders.Weused prototypical emetic agents, apomorphine (s.c.), veratrine (s.c.), and copper sulfate (i.g.), which are thought to produce emesis by action on the area postrema, nodose ganglia, and vagal afferent fibers, respectively. None of the rodents, including nutria (Myocastor coypus), beavers (Castor canadensis), mountain beavers …

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Immunocontraception In Male Feral Swine Treated With A Recombinant Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Vaccine, Tyler A. Campbell, Michelle R. Garcia, Lowell A. Miller, Martha A. Ramirez, David B. Long, Jean-Baptiste Marchand, Fergal Hill Jun 2010

Immunocontraception In Male Feral Swine Treated With A Recombinant Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Vaccine, Tyler A. Campbell, Michelle R. Garcia, Lowell A. Miller, Martha A. Ramirez, David B. Long, Jean-Baptiste Marchand, Fergal Hill

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Objective: To determine if a recombinant gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccine is a potential immunocontraceptive agent for juvenile male feral swine.

Results: As expected, a single dose of GonaCon vaccine reduced testes mass, serum testosterone, and percent normal tubules, and restricted sperm development at each stage. These reductions in reproductive development were associated with elevated GnRH antibodies. The single injection of rGnRH was not as effective in reducing these reproductive parameters; however, the two-dose injection of rGnRH was as effective as the single injection of GonaCon.

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A Review Of Existing And Potential New World And Australasian Vertebrate Pesticides With A Rationale For Linking Use Patterns To Registration Requirements, Charles T. Eason, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, John D. Eisemann, Simon Humphrys, Jeanette R. O’Hare, Steven J. Lapidge Jun 2010

A Review Of Existing And Potential New World And Australasian Vertebrate Pesticides With A Rationale For Linking Use Patterns To Registration Requirements, Charles T. Eason, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, John D. Eisemann, Simon Humphrys, Jeanette R. O’Hare, Steven J. Lapidge

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Registration is a necessarily sophisticated evaluation process applied to vertebrate pesticide products. Although conducted to minimize any potential impacts upon public health, the environment and food production, the all-encompassing process of registration can stifle innovation. Vertebrate pesticides are rarely used to control pest animals in food crops. In contrast to agrochemicals, relatively small amounts of vertebrate pesticides are used (50.1%), usually in solid or paste baits, and generally by discrete application methods rather than by broad-scale spray applications. We present a hierarchy or sliding scale of typical data requirements relative to application techniques, to help clarify an evolving science-based approach …

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Avian Piscivores As Vectors For Myxobolus Cerebralis In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Todd M. Koel, Billie L. Kerans, Scott C. Barras, Katie C. Hanson, John S. Wood May 2010

Avian Piscivores As Vectors For Myxobolus Cerebralis In The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Todd M. Koel, Billie L. Kerans, Scott C. Barras, Katie C. Hanson, John S. Wood

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Myxobolus cerebralis, the cause of whirling disease in salmonids, has dispersed to waters in 25 states within the USA, often by an unknown vector. Its incidence in Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri within the highly protected environment of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, is a prime example. Given the local abundances of piscivorous birds, we sought to clarify their potential role in the dissemination of M. cerebralis. Six individuals from each of three bird species (American white pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, double-crested cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus, and great blue heron Ardea herodias) were fed known-infected or …

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Eradicating Rats On Lehua Island, Hawaii, With The Help Of Gis And Gps, Justin W. Fischer, Peter Dunlevy Apr 2010

Eradicating Rats On Lehua Island, Hawaii, With The Help Of Gis And Gps, Justin W. Fischer, Peter Dunlevy

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Lehua Island is an uninhabited, 290-acre crescent-shaped volcanic cone located approximately 150 miles north-northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, or approximately 20 miles west of the island of Kauai. Lehua is a state-designated seabird sanctuary managed by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (HIDLNR) and federally owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. Renowned for its diversity of nesting seabirds, it is home to at least 17 recorded species of seabirds, including, but not limited to, colonies of Laysan and black-footed albatross, red-footed and brown boobies, black noddies, and Newell's shearwaters. Lehua is also home to several species of native coastal …

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Visitation To Cottonseed Storage Sites By Feral Swine And Evidence Of Gossypol Exposure, Tyler A. Campbell, Sarah Bullock, David B. Long, David G. Hewitt, Michael Dowd Apr 2010

Visitation To Cottonseed Storage Sites By Feral Swine And Evidence Of Gossypol Exposure, Tyler A. Campbell, Sarah Bullock, David B. Long, David G. Hewitt, Michael Dowd

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Texas ranks first in U.S. cotton production, and southern Texas is a major region of production within the state. Within Kleberg County, for example, approximately 16,147 ha are planted in cotton annually, yielding approximately 68,200 bales, or 15,467 metric tons, of cotton (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] 2009). Cotton producers have discovered new uses for cotton ginned by-products, such as hydro-mulch (Holt et al. 2005) used as a protein supplement for range livestock (DelCurto et al. 2000) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; Cooper 2006). Because of this, much of the materials are temporarily stored for later use.

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European Starling Preferences For Bait Substrates Used In Drc-1339 Applications, H. Jeffrey Usda-Aphis-Wildlife Services, George M. Linz, Scott F. Beckerman, Anthony Duffiney, Thomas Halstead Apr 2010

European Starling Preferences For Bait Substrates Used In Drc-1339 Applications, H. Jeffrey Usda-Aphis-Wildlife Services, George M. Linz, Scott F. Beckerman, Anthony Duffiney, Thomas Halstead

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Additional bait substrates for the avicide, DRC-1339 Concentrate (3-chloro-4- methylaniline hydrochloride), could provide USDA/Wildlife Services with more flexibility when managing nuisance populations of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at livestock facilities. From January 11 to 21, 2008, we conducted 11 2-choice preference tests with 6 bait types at a feedlot in central Kansas. The baits included cracked corn mixed with lard (2 concentrations), 2 forms of distiller’s grain (wet powder and pellets), 2 types of livestock feed (calf-starter pellet and sweet-feed mix), and a custom-produced poultry pellet (carrier pellet) made by USDA specifically for baiting starlings. We evaluated bait …

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Livestock Protection Dogs In The 21st Century: Is An Ancient Tool Relevant To Modern Conservation Challenges?, Thomas M. Gehring, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Jean-Marc Landry Apr 2010

Livestock Protection Dogs In The 21st Century: Is An Ancient Tool Relevant To Modern Conservation Challenges?, Thomas M. Gehring, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Jean-Marc Landry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Europe and North America share a similar history in the extirpation and subsequent recovery of large carnivore and ungulate species. Both continents face challenges and opportunities for managing human-wildlife conflict at the junction of livestock production and wildlife conservation. Predation of livestock and disease transmission between wildlife and livestock is an ongoing and escalating worldwide issue. In order to manage this conflict, producers need effective tools, and they have used livestock protection dogs (LPDs) for reducing predation for well over 2000 years. We review the history of the use of LPDs, including the loss of information on their use and …

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Eradicating Rats On Lehua Island, Hawaii, With The Help Of Gis And Gps, Justin W. Fischer, Peter Dunlevy Apr 2010

Eradicating Rats On Lehua Island, Hawaii, With The Help Of Gis And Gps, Justin W. Fischer, Peter Dunlevy

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Highlights

• Wildlife Services used GIS and GPS to document and track bait distribution during each bait drop.
• GIS and GPS were critical in making this eradication project effective and environmentally safe.
• Use of the technologies ensured the coverage necessary for the project's goals.

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Effects Of Aquaculture On Migration And Movement Patterns Of Double-Crested Cormorants, D. Tommy King, Bradley F. Blackwell, Brian S. Dorr Apr 2010

Effects Of Aquaculture On Migration And Movement Patterns Of Double-Crested Cormorants, D. Tommy King, Bradley F. Blackwell, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We analyzed 10,620 recovery records for double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) banded as nestlings from 1923 to 2006 to determine the population’s age structure, migration routes, dispersal patterns, and the possible influence of the expansion of the aquaculture industry in the southeastern United States on these population characteristics. Ninety-nine percent of the birds were banded during June to August, and 78% were banded as pre-fl edged birds. Cormorants banded in the interior region of the United States comprised 91% of all birds banded from 1955 to 2006; these birds wintered primarily in the Lower Mississippi Valley and the northern …

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Evaluation Of Large, Mobile, Decoy Traps For Managing Blackbird Damage To Ripening Sunflower, George M. Linz, Anthony Slowik, H. Jeffrey Homan, Robert Byrd Jan 2010

Evaluation Of Large, Mobile, Decoy Traps For Managing Blackbird Damage To Ripening Sunflower, George M. Linz, Anthony Slowik, H. Jeffrey Homan, Robert Byrd

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An estimated 75 million blackbirds migrate through the sunflower growing regions of the Great Plains and can cause severe damage to ripening sunflower and corn. If bird damage can be reduced or kept at levels <10% significant profits can be made. USDA Wildlife Services (WS) has developed some tools to help producers defend their fields against blackbird damage.

Eliminating problem roosts by applying glyphosate herbicide to dense stands of cattail in wetlands favored by blackbirds has been used successfully and has been a well received program. However, WS only has sufficient funds to treat <1 % of the estimated 547,000 acres of cattails in North Dakota.

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Assessment Of Woven Wire For Reducing Predation On Red-Winged Blackbird Nests, Anthony A. Slowik, George M. Linz, H. Jeffrey Homan Jan 2010

Assessment Of Woven Wire For Reducing Predation On Red-Winged Blackbird Nests, Anthony A. Slowik, George M. Linz, H. Jeffrey Homan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Red-winged blackbirds (RWBL) are a polygynous species, and disruptions to either territorial behavior or reproductive fitness of the males has potential to lower annual productivity of several females. A reduction in the number of fledglings produced per territory could ultimately result in lower damage to grain crops, at least on a local scale. It is thus feasible that socially acceptable nonlethal methods, including reproductive inhibition through either physical or chemical means, may accomplish a reduction in crop damage.

Scientists at the USDA, Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center have shown that reproductive inhibition is an effective method for reducing local …

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Field Testing Class Iiib Handheld Lasers To Disperse Roosting Blackbirds, H. Jeffrey Homan, Anthony Slowik, Bradley F. Blackwell, George M. Linz Jan 2010

Field Testing Class Iiib Handheld Lasers To Disperse Roosting Blackbirds, H. Jeffrey Homan, Anthony Slowik, Bradley F. Blackwell, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

During late summer and fall, a hectare of cattail in a cattail-dominated wetland can hold about 1500 blackbirds. Thus, even small wetlands of 5-1 0 hectares that become roosts can cause significant problems for sunflower producers. USDA Wildlife Services has a cattail management program in North Dakota and South Dakota that helps sunflower producers eliminate cattail vegetation near susceptible fields. However, cattail-reduction treatments (which typically occur in August or September) do not break the cattail stalks, and the roosting substrate remains in place until the following year. Moreover, the sites selected for treatment are generally signed up at least one-year …

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Assessment Of Bird Damage To Sunflower And Corn In North Dakota, Megan Klosterman, George M. Linz, Tony Slowik, William Bleier Jan 2010

Assessment Of Bird Damage To Sunflower And Corn In North Dakota, Megan Klosterman, George M. Linz, Tony Slowik, William Bleier

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

North Dakota is the top sunflower producer in the United States, annually harvesting about 1 million acres (404,686 ha). The red-winged blackbird (RWBL), common grackle (COGR), and yellow-headed blackbird (YHBL) cause significant damage to these crops. Peer et al. (2003) estimated bird damage to sunflower at $5-10 million annually. Recently, corn has become a major crop within the state with 69,793,704.56 hectares planted in 2008 and 2009.
In the past 40 years, stable YHBL and increased COGR populations in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) may have lead to greater losses. While RWBL populations have declined slightly, populations in North Dakota …

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Importance Of Resource Selection And Social Behavior To Partitioning Of Hostile Space By Sympatric Canids, Todd Atwood, Eric Gese Jan 2010

Importance Of Resource Selection And Social Behavior To Partitioning Of Hostile Space By Sympatric Canids, Todd Atwood, Eric Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Investigations into mechanisms of resource partitioning are particularly suited to systems where nascent interactive behaviors are observable. Wolf (Canis lupus) recolonization of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem provided such a system, and we were able to identify behaviors influencing the partitioning of resources by coyotes (Canis latrans) and wolves. We observed coyote–wolf interactions immediately after wolf recolonization, when reemergent behaviors mediating the outcome of competitive interactions were detectable and mechanisms of spatial avoidance were identifiable. Although coyotes used the same space as wolves, they likely minimized risk of encounter by making adaptive changes in resource selection based …

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