Academic literature on the topic 'Ducks Waterfowl'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the lists of relevant articles, books, theses, conference reports, and other scholarly sources on the topic 'Ducks Waterfowl.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Journal articles on the topic "Ducks Waterfowl"
1
Kellett, Dana K., Ray T. Alisauskas, Katherine R. Mehl, Kiel L. Drake, Joshua J. Traylor, and Shona L. Lawson. "Body Mass of Long-Tailed Ducks (Clangula Hyemalis) During Incubation." Auk 122, no. 1 (January 1, 2005): 313–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/auk/122.1.313.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract We investigated body-mass dynamics during incubation of Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) nesting in Canada’s central Arctic, 1998–2003. Long-tailed Duck females (n = 37) lost 7% of pre-incubation body mass during incubation; on average, females weighed 618 ± 15 g (mean ± SE) at clutch completion and 575 ± 11 g at hatch. Given the differences in body size, Long-tailed Ducks relied less on endogenous reserves than sympatric King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis), but lost less mass than similar-sized waterfowl species nesting in temperate climates. Preliminary data suggest that Long-tailed Ducks maintain similar or higher nest-attendance rates than temperate-nesting waterfowl of similar size, and we suggest that access to locally abundant, high-quality foods enable Long-tailed Duck females to maintain high incubation constancy without sacrificing female body condition. Nevertheless, Long-tailed Ducks appear to differ widely from most Arctic-nesting waterfowl in nutritional strategy for nesting. Masse corporelle chez l’Harelde kakawi (Clangula hyemalis) au cours de l’incubation
2
St. James, Elizabeth A., Michael L. Schummer, Richard M. Kaminski, Edward J. Penny, and L. Wesley Burger. "Effect of Weekly Hunting Frequency on Rate of Ducks Harvested." Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 6, no. 1 (September 1, 2014): 247–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.3996/012014-jfwm-009.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Waterfowl hunting is important culturally and economically in North America. Few studies have evaluated the relationship between weekly hunting frequency and rate of ducks harvested. We evaluated the effect of hunting 2 or 4 d/wk on rate of ducks harvested on three Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas, USA, during three waterfowl hunting seasons, December–January 2008–2011. Harvest of all ducks combined, mallard Anas platyrhynchos, northern shoveler Anas clypeata, or green-winged teal Anas crecca per hunter day did not differ between areas hunted 2 or 4 d/wk, but increased with hours spent afield. We suggest Wildlife Management Areas may be hunted 4 d/wk without reducing duck harvest per hunter day. We recommend continued evaluations of weekly hunting frequency on rate of ducks harvested to sustain science-guided management of waterfowl hunting on Mississippi public lands and elsewhere.
3
Callicutt, James T., Heath M. Hagy, and Michael L. Schummer. "The Food Preference Paradigm: A Review of Autumn–Winter Food Use by North American Dabbling Ducks (1900–2009)." Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2011): 29–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.3996/102010-jfwm-038.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Studies describing food use (i.e., diet) of nonbreeding dabbling ducks Anas spp. are essential to understanding physiological needs of and recommending habitat management for these birds. We conducted a review of published autumn and winter food-use studies of dabbling ducks in North America to characterize the current state of knowledge and identify remaining research needs. We initiated our review to determine whether valuations of duck foods and the term “preference” commonly used by researchers and in waterfowl management guides (i.e., the food preference paradigm) were supported by available peer-reviewed literature. We analyzed peer-reviewed literature (1900–2009) on autumn–winter food use of dabbling ducks (n = 59 studies). Most studies (68%) used methods known to contain substantial bias including data from gizzards and hunter-collected ducks. Only 5% of published articles reliably determined food selection by concurrently measuring food use and availability, and no study determined food use at a scale appropriate for winter home ranges of dabbling ducks. In some habitats commonly managed for waterfowl (e.g., agricultural lands), few if any collections of ducks are available to obtain data on food use. The limited geographic and habitat scope of unbiased food use and selection studies for dabbling ducks during autumn and winter suggests that the food-preference paradigm found in waterfowl management literature is not supported by empirical evidence and that managers must continue to use best judgment in managing foraging habitats for waterfowl. Researchers and conservation planners should aim to reduce uncertainty regarding the value of waterfowl foods by conducting contemporary food-selection studies using unbiased collection and processing methodologies. Further, we suggest future researchers conduct concurrent behavioral observations, habitat use, and food selection studies within winter home ranges of dabbling ducks to aid managers in meeting the nutritional requirements of dabbling ducks during autumn and winter in North America.
4
Metz, Karen J., and C. Davison Ankney. "Are brightly coloured male ducks selectively shot by duck hunters?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 69, no. 2 (February 1, 1991): 279–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z91-043.
Full textAbstract:
In many species of ducks, males are harvested at higher rates than females. Several studies have suggested that particular aspects of the birds' biology may account for this difference, but few studies have attempted to determine the effect of hunter behaviour on the differential vulnerability. The objective of this study was to determine if the bright plumage of male ducks was related to greater hunting mortality. Ducks shot from pairs at Long Point Waterfowl Management Unit, Ontario, from September 25 to November 26, 1987, were examined, and questions were asked of hunters who brought the ducks into the Waterfowl Management Unit's check station. Sixty-one percent of ducks shot from pairs were mallards, green-winged teal, or ring-necked ducks. A significant interaction occurred between the degree of dichromatism of plumage and which sex of duck was shot. Approximately equal numbers of males and females were shot when males resembled females. However, when males obtained their full, bright, alternate plumage, a significantly greater proportion of males were shot regardless of which sex was leading. These data suggest that hunters select, consciously or unconsciously, the more distinctive male when he is accompanied by a female. Characteristics of hunters' behaviour while hunting are pertinent to assessing current waterfowl management programs.
5
Crome, FHJ. "An Experimental Investigation of Filter-Feeding on Zooplankton by Some Specialized Waterfowl." Australian Journal of Zoology 33, no. 6 (1985): 849. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo9850849.
Full textAbstract:
A study was made of the filtering ability and anatomy of the mouthparts of 4 species of waterfowl: pink-eared duck, Australasian shoveler, freckled duck and grey teal. The first 3 are highly specialized for filter-feeding on zooplankton whereas the last is a more generalized anatid. The pink-eared duck and Australasian shoveler have the filtering lamellae on the bills variously elaborated, whereas the grey teal is similar to published descriptions of the mallard. The freckled duck has bill features more characteristic of flamingoes. On the basis of anatomy it was predicted that pink-eared ducks should be able to filter the smallest particles, followed by shovelers, freckled ducks and grey teal. In feeding experiments the proportions of plankton of various sizes removed by the species was compared. For the 3 specialists the distributions of proportion removed compared with plankton size was, in general, best fitted by a threshold model as follows: y = 1.0[x > P]; y = aebx[60 mu m < x < P], where P is a threshold size above which all plankton can be filtered, y is the proportion filtered out and x is the size class of the plankton (in mu m). Grey teal were inefficient feeders on plankton and gave results only poorly fitted by a simple linear model. The 3 specialists had significantly different threshold sizes, and the results indicated that pink-eared ducks were the most able filterers, followed by freckled ducks, then Australasian shovelers. The failure of a simple mechanistic analysis of anatomy to predict filtering ability is discussed. On the basis of the abundance of these specialized filter-feeders possibly being related to plankton abundance, counts of pink-eared ducks and Australasian shovelers were regressed against plankton counts for a semi-permanent lake in western New South Wales. No simple relationship was found, and the significance of planktivory in these species is discussed.
6
Szeredi, Levente, Ádám Dán, Nimród Pálmai, Krisztina Ursu, Ádám Bálint, Zsófia Szeleczky, Éva Ivanics, et al. "Tissue tropism of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 in naturally infected mute swans ( Cygnus Olor ), domestic geese ( Anser Anser var. domestica ), pekin ducks ( Anas platyrhynchos ) and mulard ducks ( Cairina moschata × anas platyrhynchos )." Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 58, no. 1 (March 1, 2010): 133–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1556/avet.58.2010.1.14.
Full textAbstract:
The 2006 epidemic due to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 in Hungary caused the most severe losses in waterfowl which were, according to the literature at the time, supposed to be the most resistant to this pathogen. The presence of pathological lesions and the amount of viral antigen were quantified by gross pathology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the organs of four waterfowl species [mute swans (n = 10), domestic geese (n = 6), mulard ducks (n = 6) and Pekin ducks (n = 5)] collected during the epidemic. H5N1 subtype HPAIV was isolated from all birds examined. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRRT-PCR) was also applied on a subset of samples [domestic geese (n = 3), mulard (n = 4) and Pekin duck (n = 4)] in order to compare its sensitivity with IHC. Viral antigen was detected by IHC in all cases. However, the overall presence of viral antigen in tissue samples was quite variable: virus antigen was present in 56/81 (69%) swan, 22/38 (58%) goose, 28/46 (61%) mulard duck and 5/43 (12%) Pekin duck tissue samples. HPAIV subtype H5N1 was detected by qRRT-PCR in all birds examined, in 19/19 (100%) goose, 7/28 (25%) mulard duck and 12/28 (43%) Pekin duck tissue samples. As compared to qRRTPCR, the IHC was less sensitive in geese and Pekin ducks but more sensitive in mulard ducks. The IHC was consistently positive above 4.31 log10 copies/reaction but it gave very variable results below that level. Neurotropism of the isolated virus strains was demonstrated by finding the largest amount of viral antigen and the highest average RNA load in the brain in all four waterfowl species examined.
7
Norton, Michael R., and Vernon G. Thomas. "Economic Analyses of ‘Crippling Losses’ of North American Waterfowl and Their Policy Implications for Management." Environmental Conservation 21, no. 4 (1994): 347–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s037689290003366x.
Full textAbstract:
Hunter ‘crippling losses’, or unretrieved kill, probably range from 20% to 40% of all ducks hit by gunfire. However, this major mortality factor in duck populations has been largely ignored by waterfowl policymakers and managers. An economic analysis of ‘crippling losses’ for prairie Canada and the USA was conducted, based on 1992 harvest statistics. The analysis is based on current levels of spending on habitat programmes designed to bolster declining North American duck populations, with reference to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
8
Andersson, Kent, Craig A. Davis, Grant Harris, and David A. Haukos. "Nonbreeding Duck Use at Central Flyway National Wildlife Refuges." Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 9, no. 1 (January 4, 2018): 45–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.3996/042017-jfwm-033.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Within the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages waterfowl on numerous individual units (i.e., Refuges) within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Presently, the extent of waterfowl use that Refuges receive and the contribution of Refuges to waterfowl populations (i.e., the proportion of the Central Flyway population registered at each Refuge) remain unassessed. Such an evaluation would help determine to what extent Refuges support waterfowl relative to stated targets, aid in identifying species requiring management attention, inform management targets, and improve fiscal efficiencies. Using historic monitoring data (1954–2008), we performed this assessment for 23 Refuges in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska during migration and wintering months (October–March). We examined six dabbling ducks and two diving ducks, plus all dabbling ducks and all diving ducks across two periods (long-term [all data] and short-term [last 10 October–March periods]). Individual Refuge use was represented by the sum of monthly duck count averages for October–March. We used two indices of Refuge contribution: peak contribution and January contribution. Peak contribution was the highest monthly count average for each October–March period divided by the indexed population total for the Central Flyway in the corresponding year; January contribution used the January count average divided by the corresponding population index. Generally, Refuges in Kansas, Nebraska, and New Mexico recorded most use and contribution for mallards Anas platyrhynchos. Refuges along the Texas Gulf Coast recorded most use and contribution for other dabbling ducks, with Laguna Atascosa and Aransas (including Matagorda Island) recording most use for diving ducks. The long-term total January contribution of the assessed Refuges to ducks wintering in the Central Flyway was greatest for green-winged teal Anas crecca with 35%; 12–15% for American wigeon Mareca americana, gadwall Mareca strepera, and northern pintail Anas acuta; and 7–8% for mallard and mottled duck Anas fulvigula. Results indicated that the reliance on the National Wildlife Refuge System decreased for these ducks, with evidence suggesting that, for several species, the assessed Refuges may be operating at carrying capacity. Future analyses could be more detailed and informative were Refuges to implement a single consistent survey methodology that incorporated estimations of detection bias in the survey process, while concomitantly recording habitat metrics on and neighboring each Refuge.
9
Pantin-Jackwood, Mary J., Mar Costa-Hurtado, Eric Shepherd, Eric DeJesus, Diane Smith, Erica Spackman, Darrell R. Kapczynski, David L. Suarez, David E. Stallknecht, and David E. Swayne. "Pathogenicity and Transmission of H5 and H7 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses in Mallards." Journal of Virology 90, no. 21 (August 24, 2016): 9967–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01165-16.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACTWild aquatic birds have been associated with the intercontinental spread of H5 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/96 (Gs/GD) lineage during 2005, 2010, and 2014, but dispersion by wild waterfowl has not been implicated with spread of other HPAI viruses. To better understand why Gs/GD H5 HPAI viruses infect and transmit more efficiently in waterfowl than other HPAI viruses, groups of mallard ducks were challenged with one of 14 different H5 and H7 HPAI viruses, including a Gs/GD lineage H5N1 (clade 2.2) virus from Mongolia, part of the 2005 dispersion, and the H5N8 and H5N2 index HPAI viruses (clade 2.3.4.4) from the United States, part of the 2014 dispersion. All virus-inoculated ducks and contact exposed ducks became infected and shed moderate to high titers of the viruses, with the exception that mallards were resistant to Ck/Pennsylvania/83 and Ck/Queretaro/95 H5N2 HPAI virus infection. Clinical signs were only observed in ducks challenged with the H5N1 2005 virus, which all died, and with the H5N8 and H5N2 2014 viruses, which had decreased weight gain and fever. These three viruses were also shed in higher titers by the ducks, which could facilitate virus transmission and spread. This study highlights the possible role of wild waterfowl in the spread of HPAI viruses.IMPORTANCEThe spread of H5 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the Gs/GD lineage by migratory waterfowl is a serious concern for animal and public health. H5 and H7 HPAI viruses are considered to be adapted to gallinaceous species (chickens, turkeys, quail, etc.) and less likely to infect and transmit in wild ducks. In order to understand why this is different with certain Gs/GD lineage H5 HPAI viruses, we compared the pathogenicity and transmission of several H5 and H7 HPAI viruses from previous poultry outbreaks to Gs/GD lineage H5 viruses, including H5N1 (clade 2.2), H5N8 and H5N2 (clade 2.3.4.4) viruses, in mallards as a representative wild duck species. Surprisingly, most HPAI viruses examined in this study replicated well and transmitted among mallards; however, the three Gs/GD lineage H5 HPAI viruses replicated to higher titers, which could explain the transmission of these viruses in susceptible wild duck populations.
10
St. James, Elizabeth A., Michael L. Schummer, Richard M. Kaminski, Edward J. Penny, and L. Wesley Burger. "Effect of Weekly Hunting Frequency on Duck Abundances in Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas." Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 4, no. 1 (June 1, 2013): 144–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.3996/042012-jfwm-034.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Management of waterfowl habitat and hunting frequency is important to sustain hunting opportunities in Mississippi and elsewhere in North America. Managers have limited scientific information regarding the effect of weekly hunting frequency on waterfowl abundance for use in developing hunting plans for public hunting areas. We divided the hunted portions of three Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas into two treatments to evaluate the effect of hunting 2 versus 4 d/wk on duck abundance. Abundance of all ducks, mallard Anas platyrhynchos, northern shoveler Anas clypeata, and green-winged teal Anas crecca were not detectably different between weekly hunting frequencies. Sanctuary use increased approximately 30% during the first 1.25 h after sunrise regardless of hunting disturbance being present or absent. Our results indicate that duck abundance did not increase with increased rest days at Wildlife Management Areas, suggesting these areas may be hunted 4 d/wk without significantly decreasing duck abundance. Sanctuaries were used daily and may be vital to attract and retain ducks on Wildlife Management Areas.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Ducks Waterfowl"
1
Silverman, Emily Davies. "Ducks in the muck : models of waterfowl aggregation /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6376.
Full text
2
Warren, Jeffrey Michael. "Effects of cattle grazing on upland nesting duck production in the Aspen Parkland." Thesis, Montana State University, 2004. http://www.montana.edu/etd/available/warren%5F0805.html.
Full text
3
Evans, Darren Mark. "The ecology and spatial dynamics of wintering waterfowl on Lough Neagh." Thesis, University of Ulster, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.268567.
Full text
4
Behney, Adam Christopher. "FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF DUCKS DURING SPRING MIGRATION IN THE WABASH RIVER REGION, ILLINOIS." OpenSIUC, 2014. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/937.
Full textAbstract:
Strategies animals use to find and consume food in the face of conflicting forces such as competition and predation are central questions in the fields of ecological theory and management. Whereas theoretical models abound, proper empirical tests of these theories are less abundant. In studying the relationship between food abundance, predation risk, and competition there exists an array of confounding factors, which need to be accounted for by manipulating some aspect of the system. I used a guild of spring migratory ducks as a model system and manipulated food abundance in areas differing in presumed risk to assess the relative effects of food abundance, predation risk, competition, and life history characteristics on foraging strategies used by ducks. Using a randomized block design, I established a pair of 0.4 ha plots (block) in emergent, open water, and forested wetlands in the Wabash River Floodplain in eastern Illinois. I randomly selected one plot within each block to supplement with 2000 kg/ha of corn (Zea mays), creating an area of very high duck food abundance next to a control area with no added food. I conducted instantaneous focal animal samples and used video recorders to estimate the proportion of time mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), blue-winged teal (Anas discors), wood duck (Aix sponsa), ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris), and lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) devoted to feeding, identify the specific behaviors used, and estimate feeding stint lengths and frequencies. I used these metrics as an index of risk that ducks were willing to engage in for a known food reward. I predicted that species with a faster life history strategy, factors that increase perceived predation risk (cover, water depth, group size), and increase energetic demand (due to nesting or temperature), would elicit more risk-taking behaviors in ducks. This would be realized by an increase in the proportion of time spent feeding, longer feeding durations, and deeper feeding behaviors in treatment plots compared with control plots. Consistent with my life history prediction, species with a faster life history strategy were willing to engage in more risky behavior (feeding more) for a greater food reward (food treatment). Mallards, lesser scaup, and wood ducks exhibited risk-taking behavior consistent with perceived predation risk. Mallards devoted more time to feeding and used longer feeding stints when in areas with less cover. Alternatively, lesser scaup devoted more time to feeding when in areas of more cover. Wood ducks devoted more time to feeding in treatment plots, when in shallow areas, and larger flocks. When blue-winged teal fed on the surface (eyes above water), they devoted more overall time to feeding indicating that surface feeding is less risky than deeper feeding. Wood ducks and lesser scaup exhibited behavior consistent with an increase in energetic demand as observed by an increase in the proportion of time devoted to feeding later in the spring. I also examined how food abundance influenced aspects of ducks' foraging niches. I found that dabbling ducks used a greater variety of behaviors (behavior niche breadth) when in treatment plots compared to control plots and also shifted to slightly deeper feeding behaviors in treatment plots. This greater breadth when food was more abundant was due to individuals of the same species diverging from one another, rather than each individual using a broader array of behaviors. Overall, I found substantial variability among and within species in how they manage risk while foraging, although this was partially explained by life history theory, and what types of conditions they perceive as risky. I document the importance of taking the state of the forager (life history, perceived risk, energetic demand) into account when examining patterns of risk-taking.
5
Eamer, Joan. "Winter habitat for dabbling ducks on southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24634.
Full textAbstract:
This study is an examination of the use of coastal estuaries and nearby farmland as habitat by dabbling ducks (mallard and American wigeon) during migrating and wintering periods. Its aim was to identify aspects of British Columbia coastal habitat of importance to dabblers through an analysis of the ducks' movements among habitat types and through a description of where and on what ducks feed. Data were collected in 1979 and 1980 along a 30 km stretch of coastline on southeastern Vancouver Island. Results are presented in 3 parts.
Part 1 examines the relative use of farm and coastal habitat through a series of censuses conducted weekly at 8 farm and 8 coastal sites. The strong negative correlation between counts at farm and coastal sites indicates that dabblers treat them as alternative habitats. The numbers of ducks on farms was positively correlated with the area of standing water on the fields. Farm habitat, apparently preferred during warm, wet weather, was not used when fields were dry or frozen.
Part 2 is a description of feeding location on fields, at estuaries and at a shallow, nonestuarine bay. It is based on observations at selected sites at high and low tide levels. Each duck in each observation period was classified as to location and activity. Both species fed primarily in shallow water, their feeding location shifting with the tides. Both marsh and marine sections of estuaries were used extensively for feeding. The shallow bay was used especially by American wigeon at low tide in fall and early winter. The high marsh areas at estuaries were particularly attractive to mallards when flooded by exceptionally high tides. Feeding intensities were consistently high at farm sites for both species.
In Part 3, 23 mallards and 40 American wigeon were shot while feeding in estuarine locations commonly used for feeding. Analysis of gullet contents revealed that both species ate a wide variety of items. Main foods were, for mallards, seeds, invertebrates and green algae and, for American wigeon, green algae, roots, seeds and green vegetation. Algae and marine Invertebrates are not usually considered to be important dabbler foods in estuaries.
Major conclusions and recommendations are:
1) Both farm and coastal sites are important to dabblers, with fields being favoured as feeding locations under good flood conditions and coastal habitat being vital during dry or freezing periods. As dabblers move among sites, assessment and management of wintering dabbler habitat should be by wetland complexes rather than by individual estuaries.
2) Dabblers feed in or near shallow water. Fields that do not flood are not worth maintaining as dabbler habitat. Assessment of estuarine
marshes should consider the availability of food at all points of the tidal cycle.
3) As both species feed on a wide variety of items, factors affecting shallow water flooding and thus food availability are more important
than plant species composition.
4) Marine deltas and beaches are important as refuges from disturbance and as feeding grounds. They form an integral part of dabbler coastal habitat.Science, Faculty of
Zoology, Department of
Graduate
6
Morton, John. "Habitat use and energetics of American black ducks wintering at Chincoteague, Virginia." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53147.
Full textAbstract:
The habitat use and energetics of American black ducks (Anas rubripes) wintering at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia, were investigated. Twenty-two female black ducks were systematically radiotracked on the 25,600 ha study area between 15 December 1985 and 28 February 1986. Diurnal time and energy budgets were constructed by distributing 1,471 scans (collected in 1985-86 and 1986-87) over a time-tide matrix within refuge, saltmarsh, and tidal water habitats. Sixty-four ducks were collected during early, mid, and late winter in 1985-86 to determine changes in carcass composition. The Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for wintering black ducks was evaluated. Age affected range and core areas but did not affect habitat selection. Tide, ice, and time of day affected habitat use. Refuge pools were used during the day and saltmarsh was used at night. Subtidal water was used during periods of icing. Black ducks fed least and rested most when in refuge pools but fed most and rested least when in tidal waters. Black ducks curtailed feeding and increased time spent in alert and locomotion behaviors in response to disturbance. Whole carcass analysis indicated that black ducks were at least as fat and heavy in the spring as they were in the fall. Comparisons with similar work in Maine suggested that black ducks wintering in Maine and Virginia expend the same energy at a given temperature. However, because of lower temperatures, black ducks collected at Chincoteague were in relatively better condition than ducks wintering in Maine.Master of Science
7
Perry, Cahanin Jacqueline Marie. "Abundance and Habitat Preferences of Introduced Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata)." Scholar Commons, 2017. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6741.
Full textAbstract:
Muscovy ducks are native only to Central and South America, Mexico, and parts of southern Texas and are considered invasive in some areas outside of their native range. Although they have been introduced worldwide, they remain largely unstudied. The primary focus of this study was to relate Muscovy duck abundance to habitat characteristics of wetlands in Tampa, Florida. Muscovy abundance was measured using point count methods at 21 wetland sites that occur within an eight km radius of the University of South Florida’s main campus. Habitat features at these sites were assessed using field methods and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (Arc 10.1v). Mann-Whitney U tests and Chi-squared tests were performed to identify significant differences between quantitative data groups. A Chi-squared test determined that there was not a positive correlation between Muscovy abundance and fountains or water regime, yet identified a significant relationship between Muscovy abundance and fencing, in which Muscovies did not frequently occupy ponds with fencing. Mann-Whitney U tests did not identify significances between Muscovy abundance and other habitat groups. Since Muscovy ducks are listed as an invasive species, identifying habitat preferences and deterrents will assist land managers and property owners with habitat modifications in preventing or controlling nuisance Muscovy populations.
8
Pauzé, Marc D. "Predation by great horned owls and red-tailed hawks in a prairie landscape enhanced for waterfowl." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=29464.
Full textAbstract:
Several species of raptors are found in prairie landscapes managed and enhanced for waterfowl. Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis ) and Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) may benefit from such management in a manner that is counter to its goals and objectives; that is, waterfowl may comprise a significant proportion of their diet, resulting in a decline in waterfowl numbers. The overall aims of this three-year study were to determine whether the feeding habits of the two raptor species are selective and to determine if waterfowl is a preferred prey group. The diet was determined through pellet analysis, prey remains and direct nest observations during the nestling growth period. Availability of most prey species was assessed through small mammal trapping and by conducting waterfowl censuses. It was determined that both raptors select for duck species. The average waterfowl biomass consumed per nestling represented 21.5% of the total biomass consumed for Great Horned Owls and 23.5% for Red-tailed Hawks. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
9
Borgo, Jennifer. "Effects of Olfactory and Visual Predators on Nest Success and Nest-Site Selection of Waterfowl in North Dakota." DigitalCommons@USU, 2008. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/43.
Full textAbstract:
Selecting a nest site is an important decision for waterfowl. Because most nest failure is due to depredation, the primary selective pressure in choosing a nest site should be to reduce depredation risk. This task is difficult because predators use differing tactics to locate nests, such as olfactory or visual cues. I investigated several components of waterfowl nest-site selection and success on sites with shelterbelts (planted tree-rows) in North Dakota, during the 2006 and 2007 nesting seasons. I found that meteorological conditions impacted nest depredation; artificial nests were more likely to be depredated when either temperature or dew point was high. These meteorological conditions should improve foraging efficiency for olfactory predators by increasing odor concentration. Waterfowl selected nesting sites with greater visual concealment than random locations (lateral concealment). However, the only difference found between successful and depredated nests was lateral dispersion, an olfactory concealment characteristic. Nest density was higher in areas without shelterbelts than in areas near shelterbelts. Nest success for waterfowl decreased as shelterbelt height increased. Other shelterbelt characteristics, like porosity and orientation, did not affect nest success or nest density. Given that nest predators differ in foraging habitat, temporal patterns of activity, and searching modalities, nest site characteristics that conceal the nest from 1 predator species may increase its vulnerability to another predator. For instance, risk due to olfactory predators should be reduced near shelterbelts because locating nests would be more difficult as turbulence is generated by the shelterbelts. Concomitantly, shelterbelts could also increase the presence of visual predators, by providing nesting sites and vantage points. In my study, any benefits shelterbelts provide in reducing nest depredation by olfactory predators may have been offset by increasing nest depredation from visual predators. Hence nesting near shelterbelts was neither a liability nor a benefit to ducks.
10
Kearns, Brian Vance. "Patterns and pathways of lead contamination in mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) and their habitat." Diss., Kansas State University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19062.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Biology
David A. Haukos
Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) are dabbling waterfowl species native to coastal wetlands of the Gulf of Mexico of the United States and Mexico. Although closely related to common waterfowl species such as the mallard (A. platyrhynchos) and American black duck (A. rubripes), the mottled duck exhibits unique behavior, mainly in its life history as a non-migratory species. As such, because of population declines caused by predation, habitat destruction, and environmental contaminants, this species requires specialized conservation concerns and species-specific management to protect population numbers. The goal of this study was to assess ongoing effect of observed lead (Pb) contamination and exposure issues in mottled ducks and their habitats, which I achieved by conducting assessments that will provide managers habitat and organism level metrics to detect and mitigate lead in mottled ducks and their environments. My field study was conducted at the Texas Chenier Plain National Wildlife Refuge Complex (TCPC), which was the area of greatest mottled duck density on the Texas Coast. I first created a body condition index to provide managers a tool to monitor population health, and a proxy for lead exposure and avian health without destructively sampling individuals. I then used presence-only maximum entropy (MaxENT) and multivariate statistical modeling procedures in conjunction with mottled duck movement data to elucidate sets of habitat conditions that were conducive to predicting the occurrence of mottled ducks and environmental lead “hot spots”. MaxENT analyses suggested that lead in the top portion of the soil column is similarly related to all environmental variables considered, may be increasingly available after large-scale environmental disturbances. Lack of variation in coarse-scale habitat use between breeding and non-breeding seasons may further point to a food-based exposure pathway for lead as mottled ducks switch from an invertebrate to plant diet, either as a result of changing age classes or normal adult phenology, during the period of increased lead exposure. Using stable isotope ratio analysis, I then tested environmental samples of soil and vegetation as well as mottled duck blood to determine isotopic signatures that were consistent with particular sources of lead deposition (e.g., lead shot pellets, leaded fossil fuel combustion, industrial effluents). Comparisons suggested a great deal of similarity to lead shot reference values in vegetation and blood samples, especially in blood samples with higher concentrations of lead present. Last, I conducted a formal Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) procedure to quantify the risk to mottled ducks from lead exposure in their current habitat and direct managers towards effective mitigation and habitat management strategies to reduce exposure in the future. One scenario suggested that mottled ducks were at greatest risk from eating an invertebrate-based diet, but lead content values at the TCPC suggest that a plant-based diet may provide a higher lead exposure risk for mottled ducks, depending on true levels of bioavailability in environmental media. Overall, I determined that mottled ducks experience greatest lead exposure risk from lead shot pellets on the TCPC or in nearby habitat, while potentially also experiencing low levels of exposure from several other sources. Additionally, management efforts that focus on plants that do not provide food resources for mottled ducks as a potential environmental sink for lead contamination, such as phytoremediation, may prove effective in reducing the overall lead load from historical activities that likely deposited much of the lead in this ecosystem.
Books on the topic "Ducks Waterfowl"
3
Custer, Christine Mitchell. Waterfowl management handbook. [Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service], 1993.
Find full text
4
Custer, Christine Mitchell. Waterfowl management handbook. [Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service], 1993.
Find full text
5
S, Hochbaum George, Barrie Jack A, and Chambers Glenn D, eds. Wings over the prairie. Winnipeg: Tamos Books, 1994.
Find full text
6
LeMaster, Richard. The great gallery of ducks and other waterfowl. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1985.
Find full text
7
LeMaster, Richard. The great gallery of ducks and other waterfowl. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1995.
Find full text
8
New Mexico. Department of Game and Fish. Waterfowl identification in the central flyway. [S.l]: The Council, 1999.
Find full text
10
Waterfowl hunting: Ducks and geese of North America. Chanhassen, Minn: Creative Pub. International, 2006.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Ducks Waterfowl"
1
Wobeser, Gary A. "Duck Plague." In Diseases of Wild Waterfowl, 15–27. Boston, MA: Springer US, 1997. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5951-1_2.
Full text
2
"ANATIDAE DUCKS, GEESE, AND WATERFOWL." In Wildlife of Southeast Asia, 26–27. Princeton University Press, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9781400880720-003.
Full text
3
Fox, Michael H. "The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Coal and Gas." In Why We Need Nuclear Power. Oxford University Press, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199344574.003.0008.
Full textAbstract:
About ten miles north of where I live in northern Colorado, a smokestack rises 500 feet in the air alongside a stair-step series of buildings. On a summer day, nothing appears to be coming from the smokestack, as though it is a ghostly relic; in the winter, a white plume rises. On closer approach, a lake teeming with ducks, geese, pelicans, and other waterfowl sits in the foreground. A herd of American bison roam on over 4,000 acres of grasslands surrounding the smokestack. This apparently benign plant called Rawhide Energy Station is actually a 280 MWe coal-fired power plant that provides about one-quarter of the electricity for four nearby communities—Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and Estes Park. It is a public utility owned by the four communities and is near state-of-the-art for a coal-fired power plant, being one of the most efficient in the western United States and among the top ten in lowest emissions. I drove up to the Rawhide Energy Station and called on an intercom box to the security station to identify myself so the guard could open the security gate for me to enter. After driving across the edge of the lake, the armed guard then directed me to the visitor center. I met Jon Little, the knowledgeable and friendly tour guide, and a group of bicyclists from a local environmentally conscious brewery who were taking the tour also. We put on headphones with a radio set and a hard hat for the tour. The first and largest building houses the boiler and the generators. Th e coal arrives by train in five- to six-inch lumps, which are broken down into one-inch lumps before being fed by conveyor to grinders that convert it into a powder finer than facial powder. This powder is then mixed with air and blown into the 16-story. boiler from four directions, where it burns efficiently at a hellish temperature of 2,800˚F.
4
"Rails, duck-like diving birds, and waterfowl." In Birds of the West Indies Second Edition, 68–89. Princeton University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvsn3mss.7.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Ducks Waterfowl"
1
Hüseynəli oğlu Rzayev, Fuad, and Eldar Köçəri oğlu Qasımov. "A systematic review of the parasites (Acanthocephala) of the domestic waterfowl." In I İNTERNATİONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON "FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDICAL SCIENCE". http://aem.az/, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.36719/2707-1146/2021/1/1.
Full textAbstract:
The article presents the information about a systematic review of parasitic worms – acanthocephalans of the domestic waterfowl. Based on our own and literature data, 12 acanthocephala species belonging to the 1 order, 1 family and 5 genera were identified in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos dom.) and geese (Anser anser dom.). Three species of worms are found in domestic waterfowl in Azerbaijan. The acanthocephala Polymorphus magnus have been reported for the first time in Azerbaijan – Khachmaz region in both birds. Six species of acanthocephals parasitize only in anseriformes, and the remaining six species parasitize including other orders of birds (Ciconiiformes, Gruiformes, Galliformes, Podicipediformes, Gaviiformes, Falconiformes, Charadriiformes et al.) and even mammals (Rodentia, Carnivora). Of the registered acanthocephals, 3 species have a small area of distribution, and the remaining 9 species have a wide area. Each species is provided with the following data: scientific name, authority and year, synonyms, final, intermediate and auxiliary hosts, habitat in the bird body, collecting localities and geographic distribution, prevalence (PI) and intensity (II) of infection, literature sources. Keywords: geese, duck, acanthocephala, systematic review, area, hosts