Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

USGS publications associated with the Bird Banding Laboratory. For a complete listing of USGS publications:

Filter Total Items: 163

Reproductive ecology and demography of the 'Akohekohe Reproductive ecology and demography of the 'Akohekohe

The ‘Ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei) is an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the montane rain forests of east Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. We investigated ‘Ākohekohe nesting ecology using color-banded birds for the first time as a background to understanding the species' conservation. From 1994–1997, we color-banded 78 individuals, located and monitored 46 active nests, and took...
Authors
John C. Simon, Thane K. Pratt, Kim E. Berlin, James R. Kowalsky

Effects of color bands on Semipalmated Sandpipers banded at hatch Effects of color bands on Semipalmated Sandpipers banded at hatch

Effects of color bands on adult birds have been investigated in many studies, but much less is known about the effects of bands on birds banded at hatch. We captured Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) chicks at hatch on the Alaskan North Slope and attached 0–3 bands to them. The chicks were resighted and reweighed during the subsequent two weeks. The number of chicks banded varied...
Authors
Jonathan Bart, Daniel S. Battaglia, Nathan R. Senner

Development of a bird banding recapture database Development of a bird banding recapture database

Recaptures (and resightings) constitute the vast majority of post-release data from banded or otherwise marked nongame birds. A powerful suite of contemporary analytical models is available for using recapture data to estimate population size, survival rates and other parameters, and many banders collect recapture data for their project specific needs. However, despite widely recognized...
Authors
J. Tautin, P.F. Doherty, L. Metras

Southwestern willow flycatchers recaptured at wintering sites in Costa Rica Southwestern willow flycatchers recaptured at wintering sites in Costa Rica

An adult Southwestern Willow Flycatcher banded in summer 1998 at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, was recaptured the following winter in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, then relocated at Ash Meadows during the 1999 breeding season. Another Southwestern Willow Flycatcher banded in 1999 as a nestling at Roosevelt Lake, Arizona, was recaptured in January 2000 on its wintering grounds...
Authors
Thomas J. Koronkiewicz, Mark K. Sogge

Geographic variation and genetic structure in Spotted Owls Geographic variation and genetic structure in Spotted Owls

We examined genetic variation, population structure, and definition of conservation units in Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis). Spotted Owls are mostly non-migratory, long-lived, socially monogamous birds that have decreased population viability due to their occupation of highly-fragmented late successional forests in western North America. To investigate potential effects of habitat...
Authors
Susan M. Haig, R.S. Wagner, E.D. Forsman, Thomas D. Mullins

Home range and territoriality of two Hawaiian honeycreepers, the 'Akohekohe and Maui Parrotbill Home range and territoriality of two Hawaiian honeycreepers, the 'Akohekohe and Maui Parrotbill

Hawaiian honeycreepers have radiated into a diversity of trophic niches and patterns of space-use. We investigated space-use in two honeycreeper species, the ‘Ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei), an endangered nectarivore, and Maui Parrotbill (Pseudonestor xanthophrys), an endangered wood excavator, by mapping the home ranges and dispersion of color-banded individuals at a study site in...
Authors
Thane K. Pratt, John C. Simon, Brian P. Farm, Kim E. Berlin, James R. Kowalsky

Variability of bed mobility in natural, gravel‐bed channels and adjustments to sediment load at local and reach scales Variability of bed mobility in natural, gravel‐bed channels and adjustments to sediment load at local and reach scales

Local variations in boundary shear stress acting on bed‐surface particles control patterns of bed load transport and channel evolution during varying stream discharges. At the reach scale a channel adjusts to imposed water and sediment supply through mutual interactions among channel form, local grain size, and local flow dynamics that govern bed mobility. In order to explore these...
Authors
Thomas E. Lisle, Jonathan M. Nelson, John Pitlick, Mary Ann Madej, Brent L. Barkett

Effects of neck collars and radiotransmitters on survival and reproduction of emperor geese Effects of neck collars and radiotransmitters on survival and reproduction of emperor geese

Neck collars have been used widely for studies of goose population biology. Despite concerns about their negative impacts, few studies have employed designs capable of clearly demonstrating these effects. During a 1993-98 study of emperor geese (Chen canagica), we contrasted survival and reproduction of geese marked with tarsal bands to those marked with either small neck collars, large...
Authors
Joel A. Schmutz, Julie A. Morse

Atlantic Flyway review: Piedmont-Coastal Plain, Region IV, Fall 1999: Patuxent powerline right-of-way (390-0764) Atlantic Flyway review: Piedmont-Coastal Plain, Region IV, Fall 1999: Patuxent powerline right-of-way (390-0764)

Fall 1999 was among the poorest seasons in this banding station's 20 years of operation. Record high capture totals were set for only two species: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (41 individuals captured, none banded; previous high 21) and White-breasted Nuthatch (two individuals banded; previous high, one). The only other species that stood out as being unusually numerous was Blackpoll...
Authors
Deanna K. Dawson

Atlantic Flyway review: Piedmont-Coastal Plain, Region IV, Fall 1999 Atlantic Flyway review: Piedmont-Coastal Plain, Region IV, Fall 1999

In a slight reorganization, the Mount Nebo station in the mountains of western Maryland near Oakland was moved to Region III (Western Ridge), in exchange for Lakeshore Estates in Leon County, Florida, which we welcome to Region IV. This was the year of the hurricane in Region IV, with the majority of stations commenting on summer drought, persistent easterly winds, or hurricanes. Nine of...
Authors
Chandler S. Robbins

Effects of neck bands on survival of greater snow geese Effects of neck bands on survival of greater snow geese

Neck bands are a widely used marker in goose research. However, few studies have investigated a possible negative effect of this marker on survival. We tested the effect of neck bands on the survival of adult female greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) by marking birds with either a neck band and a metal leg band or a leg band only on Bylot Island (Nunavut, formerly included...
Authors
S. Menu, J.B. Hestbeck, G. Gauthier, A. Reed

Description and identification of American Black Duck, Mallard, and hybrid wing plumage Description and identification of American Black Duck, Mallard, and hybrid wing plumage

We developed a key to identify wings of hybrids between American Black Ducks (Anas rubripes) and Mallards (A. platyrhynchos). Material for analysis included review of historical descriptions dating from the late 1700's, older museum collections in Europe and North America, wings collected from hunters in North America and Great Britain, birds banded in Canada and the United States, and a...
Authors
Ronald E. Kirby, Austin Reed, Pierre Dupuis, Holliday H. Obrecht, Walter J. Quist
Was this page helpful?