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Patricia A Ortiz (Former Employee)

Science and Products

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America

Lead poisoning occurs worldwide in populations of predatory birds, but exposure rates and population impacts are known only from regional studies. We evaluated the lead exposure of 1210 bald and golden eagles from 38 US states across North America, including 620 live eagles. We detected unexpectedly high frequencies of lead poisoning of eagles, both chronic (46 to 47% of bald and golden eagles, as
Authors
Vincent A. Slabe, James T. Anderson, Brian A. Millsap, Jeffrey L. Cooper, Alan R. Harmata, Marco Restani, Ross H. Crandall, Barbara Bodenstein, Peter H. Bloom, Travis L. Booms, John Buchweitz, Renee C. E. Culver, Kim Dickerson, Robert Domenech, Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Daniel Driscoll, Brian W. Smith, Michael J. Lockhart, David McRuer, Tricia A. Miller, Patricia Ortiz, Krysta Rogers, Matt Schwarz, Natalie Turley, Brian Woodbridge, Myra E. Finkelstein, Christian A. Triana, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Illegal killing of nongame wildlife and recreational shooting in conservation areas

Illegal killing of nongame wildlife is a global yet poorly documented problem. The prevalence and ecological consequences of illegal killing are often underestimated or completely unknown. We review the practice of legal recreational shooting and present data gathered from telemetry, surveys, and observations on its association with illegal killing of wildlife (birds and snakes) within conservatio
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Jay D. Carlisle, Sharon Poessel, Eve C. Thomason, Benjamin P. Pauli, David Pilliod, James R. Belthoff, Julie A. Heath, Kristina J. Parker, Kevin S. Warner, Heather Hayes, Madeline Aberg, Patricia Ortiz, Sandra Amdor, Steven Alsup, Stephanie E. Coates, Tricia A. Miller, Zoe K. T. Duran
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Feeding ecology drives lead exposure of facultative and obligate avian scavengers in the eastern United States

Lead poisoning of scavenging birds is a global issue. However, the drivers of lead exposure of avian scavengers have been understood from the perspective of individual species, not cross‐taxa assemblages. We analyzed blood (n = 285) and liver (n = 226) lead concentrations of 5 facultative (American crows [Corvus brachyrhynchos], bald eagles [Haliaeetus leucocephalus], golden eagles [Aquila chrysae
Authors
Vincent Slabe, James T. Anderson, Jeff L Cooper, Tricia A. Miller, Bracken Brown, Anna Wrona, Patricia Ortiz, John Buchweitz, David McRuer, Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Shannon Behmke, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Lead exposure of red-shouldered hawks during the breeding season in the central Appalachians, USA

Lead is toxic to humans and wildlife. Most studies of lead exposure of raptors focus on the winter, non-breeding season when they scavenge heavily. We evaluated blood lead concentrations (BLCs) of red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) during the non-scavenging season in the eastern United States. BLCs of 53 of 70 hawks were above the limit of detection ( x¯ = 9.25 µg/dL ± 19.81; ± SD). Adult haw
Authors
Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Lead in piscivorous raptors during breeding season in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland and Virginia, USA

Sources of lead exposure of many bird species are poorly understood. We analyzed blood lead concentrations from osprey (n = 244; Pandion haliaetus) and bald eagles (n = 68; Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and documented potential sources of lead they may encounter. Adult bald eagles had higher blood lead concentrations than did adult osprey. However, blood lead concentrations of nestlings were similar f
Authors
Vincent A. Slabe, James T. Anderson, Jeff Cooper, Bracken Brown, Patricia Ortiz, John Buchweitz, Dave McRuer, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link
golden eagle in flight

Renewables-Wildlife Solutions Initiative

The USGS is leading a multi-disciplinary team with members from government, academia, non-profits, and industry, to generate science to inform resolution of wildlife-related issues that can impede development and operations of wind and solar energy facilities.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link

Renewables-Wildlife Solutions Initiative

The USGS is leading a multi-disciplinary team with members from government, academia, non-profits, and industry, to generate science to inform resolution of wildlife-related issues that can impede development and operations of wind and solar energy facilities.
Learn More

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Lead (Pb) in Bald and Golden Eagles from 38 United States, USA, 2010-2018

We evaluated lead poisoning in bald and golden eagles during all seasons of the year and from states in each of the four major flyways throughout the continental USA.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Illegal Killing of Non-Game Wildlife and Recreational Shooting in Conservation Areas

Illegal Killing of Non-Game Wildlife and Recreational Shooting in Conservation Areas

Illegal killing of non-game wildlife is a global yet poorly documented problem. 

Read Article

Science and Products

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America

Lead poisoning occurs worldwide in populations of predatory birds, but exposure rates and population impacts are known only from regional studies. We evaluated the lead exposure of 1210 bald and golden eagles from 38 US states across North America, including 620 live eagles. We detected unexpectedly high frequencies of lead poisoning of eagles, both chronic (46 to 47% of bald and golden eagles, as
Authors
Vincent A. Slabe, James T. Anderson, Brian A. Millsap, Jeffrey L. Cooper, Alan R. Harmata, Marco Restani, Ross H. Crandall, Barbara Bodenstein, Peter H. Bloom, Travis L. Booms, John Buchweitz, Renee C. E. Culver, Kim Dickerson, Robert Domenech, Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Daniel Driscoll, Brian W. Smith, Michael J. Lockhart, David McRuer, Tricia A. Miller, Patricia Ortiz, Krysta Rogers, Matt Schwarz, Natalie Turley, Brian Woodbridge, Myra E. Finkelstein, Christian A. Triana, Christopher R. DeSorbo, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center

Illegal killing of nongame wildlife and recreational shooting in conservation areas

Illegal killing of nongame wildlife is a global yet poorly documented problem. The prevalence and ecological consequences of illegal killing are often underestimated or completely unknown. We review the practice of legal recreational shooting and present data gathered from telemetry, surveys, and observations on its association with illegal killing of wildlife (birds and snakes) within conservatio
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Jay D. Carlisle, Sharon Poessel, Eve C. Thomason, Benjamin P. Pauli, David Pilliod, James R. Belthoff, Julie A. Heath, Kristina J. Parker, Kevin S. Warner, Heather Hayes, Madeline Aberg, Patricia Ortiz, Sandra Amdor, Steven Alsup, Stephanie E. Coates, Tricia A. Miller, Zoe K. T. Duran
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Feeding ecology drives lead exposure of facultative and obligate avian scavengers in the eastern United States

Lead poisoning of scavenging birds is a global issue. However, the drivers of lead exposure of avian scavengers have been understood from the perspective of individual species, not cross‐taxa assemblages. We analyzed blood (n = 285) and liver (n = 226) lead concentrations of 5 facultative (American crows [Corvus brachyrhynchos], bald eagles [Haliaeetus leucocephalus], golden eagles [Aquila chrysae
Authors
Vincent Slabe, James T. Anderson, Jeff L Cooper, Tricia A. Miller, Bracken Brown, Anna Wrona, Patricia Ortiz, John Buchweitz, David McRuer, Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Shannon Behmke, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Lead exposure of red-shouldered hawks during the breeding season in the central Appalachians, USA

Lead is toxic to humans and wildlife. Most studies of lead exposure of raptors focus on the winter, non-breeding season when they scavenge heavily. We evaluated blood lead concentrations (BLCs) of red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) during the non-scavenging season in the eastern United States. BLCs of 53 of 70 hawks were above the limit of detection ( x¯ = 9.25 µg/dL ± 19.81; ± SD). Adult haw
Authors
Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Lead in piscivorous raptors during breeding season in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland and Virginia, USA

Sources of lead exposure of many bird species are poorly understood. We analyzed blood lead concentrations from osprey (n = 244; Pandion haliaetus) and bald eagles (n = 68; Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and documented potential sources of lead they may encounter. Adult bald eagles had higher blood lead concentrations than did adult osprey. However, blood lead concentrations of nestlings were similar f
Authors
Vincent A. Slabe, James T. Anderson, Jeff Cooper, Bracken Brown, Patricia Ortiz, John Buchweitz, Dave McRuer, Todd E. Katzner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link
golden eagle in flight

Renewables-Wildlife Solutions Initiative

The USGS is leading a multi-disciplinary team with members from government, academia, non-profits, and industry, to generate science to inform resolution of wildlife-related issues that can impede development and operations of wind and solar energy facilities.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
link

Renewables-Wildlife Solutions Initiative

The USGS is leading a multi-disciplinary team with members from government, academia, non-profits, and industry, to generate science to inform resolution of wildlife-related issues that can impede development and operations of wind and solar energy facilities.
Learn More

If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.

Lead (Pb) in Bald and Golden Eagles from 38 United States, USA, 2010-2018

We evaluated lead poisoning in bald and golden eagles during all seasons of the year and from states in each of the four major flyways throughout the continental USA.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Illegal Killing of Non-Game Wildlife and Recreational Shooting in Conservation Areas

Illegal Killing of Non-Game Wildlife and Recreational Shooting in Conservation Areas

Illegal killing of non-game wildlife is a global yet poorly documented problem. 

Read Article
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