Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Steven C Houdek

Steven Houdek

Science and Products

Summary of Detection Data for Breeding Common Loons in North-central Minnesota (2021-2022)

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, and Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota to restore common loons lost to the spill. In 2020–21, study lakes in an eight-county region in north-central Minnesota were
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Common loon migration and winter data: telemetry locations and archival geolocator tag location (ver 2.0, October 2022)

The data details common loon locations based on archival geolocator tag information, characteristics of common loon dives during wintering, and common loon locations based on telemetry data. Satellite transmitters (Model PTT-100, Microwave Telemetry, Inc) were implanted in 31 adult male (marked during July 2010 and July 2011) and 27 juvenile (marked during August 2014 and August 2015) common loons
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Lake Michigan Sea Duck Survey 2009-2014

These data contain observation and null polygons for waterfowl aerial surveys of Lake Michigan collected through the years 2009-2014. Polygons were created adjacent to either side of the flight lines (transects). The right and left offset of the polygons from the flight path, was determined using the average altitude of the plane along the transect and the observation angle through the plane's win
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2022 annual report

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform on April 20, 2010, caused a massive oil spill and injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico. Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project “Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota” to restore common loons lost to the spill. Here, we report on
Authors
William S. Beatty, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Robert Rabasco, Spencer Rettler, Elizabeth Rasmussen, Kevin P. Kenow, Brian R. Gray, Steven Yang, Kelly Amoth
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

The relative importance of cisco (Coregonus artedi) in the diets of common loons (Gavia immer) among a set of cisco refuge lakes in Minnesota

Common loon (Gavia immer (Brünnich, 1764)) foraging patterns and the relative importance of cisco (Coregonus artedi Lesueur, 1818) in the diets of loons were evaluated for the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, a set of coldwater cisco refuge lakes in Minnesota, USA. Environmental DNA metabarcoding of loon fecal samples detected 15 fish species. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens (Mitchill, 1814)), mimic shine
Authors
Kevin P. Kenow, Yer Lor, Beth V. Holbrook, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Tariq Tajjioui, Brian R. Gray, Peter C. Jacobson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2021 annual report

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, and Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota to restore common loons lost to the spill. In 2020–21, priority lakes in an eight-county region in north-central Minnesota we
Authors
William S. Beatty, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Kevin P. Kenow, Brian R. Gray
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Migration patterns and wintering distribution of common loons breeding in the Upper Midwest

Identification of geographic linkages among breeding, migratory and wintering common loon Gavia immer populations is needed to inform regional and national conservation planning efforts and compensation of loons lost during marine oil spill events. Satellite telemetry and archival geolocator tags were used to determine the migration patterns and wintering locations of breeding adult and young of t
Authors
Kevin P. Kenow, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Brian R. Gray, Darryl J. Heard, Michael W. Meyer, Timothy J. Fox, Robert Kratt, Scott L. Ford, Anette Gendron-Fitzpatrick, Carrol L. Henderson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Patterns of mercury and selenium exposure in Minnesota common loons

Common loons (Gavia immer) are at risk of elevated dietary mercury (Hg) exposure in portions of their breeding range. To assess the level of risk among loons in Minnesota (USA), we investigated loon blood Hg concentrations in breeding lakes across Minnesota. Loon blood Hg concentrations were regressed on predicted Hg concentrations in standardized 12‐cm whole‐organism yellow perch (Perca flavescen
Authors
Kevin P. Kenow, Steven C. Houdek, Luke J. Fara, Richard A. Erickson, Brian R. Gray, Travis J. Harrison, Bruce Monson, Carrol L. Henderson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Distribution and foraging patterns of common loons on Lake Michigan with implications for exposure to type E avian botulism

Common loons (Gavia immer) staging on the Great Lakes during fall migration are at risk to episodic outbreaks of type E botulism. Information on distribution, foraging patterns, and exposure routes of loons are needed for understanding the physical and ecological factors that contribute to avian botulism outbreaks. Aerial surveys were conducted to document the spatiotemporal distribution of common
Authors
Kevin P. Kenow, Steven C. Houdek, Luke J. Fara, Brian R. Gray, Brian R. Lubinski, Darryl J. Heard, Michael W. Meyer, Timothy J. Fox, Robert Kratt
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Identifying the origin of waterbird carcasses in Lake Michigan using a neural network source tracking model

Avian botulism type E is responsible for extensive waterbird mortality on the Great Lakes, yet the actual site of toxin exposure remains unclear. Beached carcasses are often used to describe the spatial aspects of botulism mortality outbreaks, but lack specificity of offshore toxin source locations. We detail methodology for developing a neural network model used for predicting waterbird carcass m
Authors
Kevin P. Kenow, Zhongfu Ge, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Brian R. Lubinski
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
link
USFWS Kodiak 100 survey plane after image collection

Visibility correction factors for multiple species of sea ducks and diving ducks using an aerial remote sensing approach

Aerial ocular surveys used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service provide the most cost and time-efficient method to evaluate the relative abundance and spatial distributions of breeding, staging, and wintering waterbirds. However, the survey method is subject to substantial visibility bias, and visibility correction factors must be calculated to correct for incomplete detection...
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
link

Visibility correction factors for multiple species of sea ducks and diving ducks using an aerial remote sensing approach

Aerial ocular surveys used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service provide the most cost and time-efficient method to evaluate the relative abundance and spatial distributions of breeding, staging, and wintering waterbirds. However, the survey method is subject to substantial visibility bias, and visibility correction factors must be calculated to correct for incomplete detection...
Learn More
link
Waterfowl on the Upper Mississippi River

Voluntary Waterfowl Avoidance Area

The Mississippi flyway is one of the most important flyways in North America providing habitat for songbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl, especially the canvasback duck (Aythya valisineria), tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus), and scaup (Aythya spp.). During their migration, it is energetically favorable if migrating birds can rest and refuel in areas without stressors such as hunters, boats, and...
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
link

Voluntary Waterfowl Avoidance Area

The Mississippi flyway is one of the most important flyways in North America providing habitat for songbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl, especially the canvasback duck (Aythya valisineria), tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus), and scaup (Aythya spp.). During their migration, it is energetically favorable if migrating birds can rest and refuel in areas without stressors such as hunters, boats, and...
Learn More

Science and Products