Publications

I used band recovery data to examine distances between banding and recovery locations for 154 nestling Florida Bald Eagles and discuss the implications for understanding natal dispersal and philopatry in this species. Band recoveries occurred in 23 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces between 1931–2005. Recovery distance from the natal nest averaged longer for the youngest age classes (ANOVA: F

We describe long-term pair bonds in the endangered Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis), a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago. Individually marked birds were identified on Laysan Island between 1998 and 2006 (n = 613 marked adults). We recorded pair bonds while observing marked birds, and documented within and between year mate switches and multi-year pair bonds. Twenty pairs banded befor

For the purposes of making many informed conservation decisions, the main goal for data collection is to assess population status and allow prediction of the consequences of candidate management actions. Reducing the bias and variance of estimates of population parameters reduces uncertainty in population status and projections, thereby reducing the overall uncertainty under which a population man

An important assumption of mark?recapture studies is that individuals retain their marks, which has not been assessed for goose reward bands. We estimated aluminum leg band retention probabilities and modeled how band retention varied with band type (standard vs. reward band), band age (1-40 months), and goose characteristics (species and size class) for Canada (Branta canadensis), cackling (Brant

The global redistribution of pathogens, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza, has renewed interest in the connectivity of continental populations of birds. Populations of the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) wintering in Japan and California are considered separate from a management perspective. We used data from band recoveries and population genetics to assess the degree of biological independ

In the fall of 2005, the Directors of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) determined that to ensure that the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) of the USGS maintains and continues its important support of conservation and management of birds, it should be guided by a clear vision for the future. In order to carry out this task, they impaneled a fourteen-member

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Early bird-banding programs in North America were developed to provide descriptions of bird migration and movement patterns. This initial interest in description quickly evolved into more quantitative interests in two ways. There was (1) interest in quantifying migration and movement patterns, and (2) rapid recognition that re-observations of marked birds provided information about other paramete

This station operates at the Patuxent Research Refuge in a powerline right-of-way that bisects an upland deciduous forest. This area has been used for this purpose since 1980, except in the years 2004-2006. Twenty-six nets are arrayed along approximately one-half mile that runs generally on an east-west orientation. The habitat is marked by dense 4-6 foot high shrub foliage with very few trees of

After a gap of two years I resumed banding at this suburban fall-line station on the Patuxent River, my 33rd fall banding season on our two-acre wooded lot. I banded three mornings per week, trying to keep the same schedule as the Patuxent powerline station five miles downstream. I used half as many nets as they did and captured only 15% as many birds. Their location in a large undeveloped area co

Region IV welcomed another coastal station in 2007 with a report from Chris Snook at Charleston, South Carolina. The season was hot and dry throughout Region IV except in Florida where precipitation averaged above normal. Banders blamed their poor success on the lack of cold fronts in August, September, and the first half of October and on persistent strong east winds that blew the migrants farthe