Bird and Terrestrial Species Conservation
Bird and Terrestrial Species Conservation
At the Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC), we strive to provide world-class science to inform natural resource decisions that preserve and enhance our quality of life. Our team conducts a wide array of research to address the science needs of our partners.
Filter Total Items: 98
Marine Bird Populations and the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS)
The objective of the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project was to document the occurrence and diversity of bird species in nearshore and open sea environments of the Gulf of America for the purposes of better informing regulatory and other decisions that influence the conservation of migratory birds.
Understanding Avian Influenza Exposure and Antibodies in Understudied Species
Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have impacted a dramatically wider range of bird hosts than ever before. USGS researchers are working to identify which bird species have been exposed, which have developed immune responses, and how these species may influence viral ecology to inform risk management activities.
Using Telemetry to Understand Overlap in Habitat Use Between Waterfowl and Agricultural Birds in North America
USGS researchers are using telemetry to improve our understanding of how wild birds move throughout their environments and the potential implications for disease transmission within and to domestic poultry.
North American Breeding Bird Survey
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the primary source for critical quantitative data to evaluate the status of continental bird species, keeping common birds common and helping fuel a $75 billion wildlife watching industry. Each year thousands of citizen scientists skilled in avian identification collect data on BBS routes throughout North America allowing us to better understand...
Production, Behavior, and Survival of Juvenile Shad and River Herring
USGS is conducting research to better understand biology, behavior, and survival of juvenile fishes that travel between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycles. Migratory fishes as such as herring and shad are vital components in riverine and coastal ecosystems, transporting food and nutrients between fresh rivers and the ocean. They are also an important forage fish for predators in...
Sustaining Horseshoe Crabs and Supporting Migratory Shorebirds in the Delaware Bay
USGS is developing predictive models to inform sustainable harvest of horseshoe crabs ( Limulus polyphemus) in Delaware Bay to help managers make decisions to support needs of people and shorebirds including rufa red knot ( Calidris canutus rufa).
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Population and the Availability of Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) as Their Food Source in Chesapeake Bay: Historical and Present-day Comparison
USGS is collaborating with many biologists in analysis of data on osprey ( Pandion haliaetus) and their prey (menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, and other species of fish) in the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The data compiled and collected will help determine if a lack of menhaden or other environmental factors are affecting osprey reproductive success in portions of the...
Using Pollinator Environmental DNA to Assess the Ecological Resilience of America’s Grasslands
Scientists from six USGS science centers are collaborating with USDA, university, and Tribal partners, and Department of the Interior land managers, to assess the status of pollinator communities and the distribution of species of conservation concern using environmental DNA. These methods will be used to improve assessments of habitat quality and pollinator responses to restoration, including...
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Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Pacific Northwest Environmental DNA Laboratory
Quantitative Turtle Analysis Project: Machine learning with turtles
The Quantitative Turtle Analysis Project (QTAP) was created in 2019 with the goal of investigating how machine learning can be used to study wildlife populations using capture-recapture methods. QTAP has specifically been researching how digital images of the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) can be used by automated programs to recognize unique individual turtles, in place of a...
Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds (AFCoW)
The Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds (AFCoW) is a collaborative group effort that brings together research scientists engaged in understanding waterbird ecology in Eastern Asia. Due to the complexity of waterbird biology and unique threats to their populations in East Asia, we have established a voluntary international network of collaborators to promote advanced studies of large-scale...
Hazard and Risk of Anticoagulant Rodenticides to Predatory and Scavenging Wildlife
Invasive mammalian predators are the most damaging group of animals affecting global biodiversity. When introduced on remote islands, alien rodent species can devastate local biota and have been linked to approximately 30% of all extinctions. In addition, rodents can also consume and spoil crops, and serve as disease vectors that affect humans. Starting in the 20th century, rodenticides were...
Bird Habitat Needs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Historically the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) was predominantly bottomland hardwood forest and most birds of conservation concern depend on bottomland hardwood forest. Past conservation planning has focused on habitat objectives with presumption that bird population goals would be met by habitat provision.