Hi folks,

In today's mail was the October 1996 issue (volume 60 No 4) of the =
Journal of Wildlife Management, the quarterly journal of The Wildlife =
Society. Among the papers, ranging from "Modifications of Ecosystems by =
Ungulates" to "Intramuscular and intervenous immobilization of southern =
elephant seals", to "Winter foraging ecology of Woodland Caribou in =
northeastern Washington" to "Cougar population characteristics in =
southeastern British Columbia", were a number of bird articles. =
Enjoy...

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net


Food habits and preferences of Blue Grouse during Winter. Thomas E =
Remington and Richard W Hoffman.pp 808-816. Study from Middle Park, =
Colorado; most feeding by wild birds was in Douglas Fir or Lodgepole =
pine, feeding rarely observed in subalpine fir or Englemann spruce. =
Captive birds preferred needles from mature Doug Firs to needles from =
young trees, and 1-2 year old fir needles to older needles.=20

Long-term population analysis of Gray Partridge in eastern Washington. =
Jay J Rotella, John T Ratti, Kerry P Reese, Mark L Taper and Brian =
Dennis. pp 817-825. Spring and Fall densities of partridge in the =
Palouse prairie of SE Whitman County (Pullman to Colton) analyzed to =
determine long-term (1940-92) population trends. Population density was =
higher during 1982-1992 (6.72 birds/km2) than during 1940-1954 (3.45 =
birds/km2). This higher density contrasts with a series of reports =
indicating that the population was in serious decline.

Habitat quality and reproduction of Red-cockaded Woodpecker groups in =
Florida. Dean E Beyer Jr, Ralph Costa, Robert G Hooper and Charles A =
Hess. pp 826-835. In the Apalachicola Natl Forest in north Florida, the =
hypothesis was tested that reproductive success, number of adults/family =
group, and occupancy of cluster of cavity trees by a group are related =
to amount of foraging habitat. Detected no association between number =
of young fledged and availability of pine trees or degree of habitat =
fragmentation; weak association between number of young fledged and =
demographic isolation of surrounding cavity tree clusters. Population =
growth of woodpeckers will make it difficult to meet current foraging =
guidelines, because this habitat must be divided among more nesting =
clusters. Suggest that foraging guidelines should not categorically =
prohibit actions designed to benefit woodpeckers long-term, when these =
actions reduce available foraging habitat in the short-term.

Grit color selection by House Sparrows and Northern Bobwhites. James P =
Gionfriddo and Louis B Best. pp 836-842. Granule color may be an =
important factor influencing avian exposure to granular pesticides when =
they are mistakenly picked up as grit. Both species preferred yellow and =
white particles and avoided black and blue particles, when grit =
presented on light-brown or dark-brown soil background. When food was =
dyed red, yellow or blue and presented on dark soil, sparrows preferred =
brown, yellow and white grit and quail preferred yellow and green grit. =
Black received little use by either species. If goal is to design =
pesticide granules unattractive to birds, suggest that blue and black be =
tested further. If goal is to deter bird consumption of =
pesticide-treated granules by applying a mixture of =
unattractively-colored treated granules and attractively-colored =
untreated ones, then yellow (maybe white and green) should receive =
further study as colors likely to attract birds.

Winter feeding ecology of Northern Shovelers on freshwater and saline =
wetlands in south Texas. WD Tietje and JG Teer. pp 843-854. Study at =
Welder Wildlife Refuge (freshwater site) and Mission/Copano Bay =
(saltwater site); shovelers spent more time feeding in saltwater than =
fresh during early winter and afternoon. Biomass of plankton, nekton and =
seeds was greater in freshwater. Implies that management of waterfowl =
habitats in Texas Gulf Coast zone should emphasize protection of =
freshwater marsh from saltwater intrusion and other development.=20

Survival and recovery rates of American Eiders in eastern North America. =
David G Krementz, James E Hines and David F Caithamer. pp 855-862. =
Analysis of banding and recovery data of adult female eiders (Somateria =
mollissima dresseri) captured during breeding season in eastern N =
America. Survival rates were 0.873 and recovery rates were 0.0101. =
Support for several "banding reference" or subpopulation areas (Atlantic =
coast, Gulf of St Lawrence and St Lawrence estuary) was found for the =
species, with little interchange between regions by adult females. No =
trends were detected in band recovery, harvest rates or harvest over =
time.

Survival and movements of Canvasback ducklings. Jerome P Leonard, =
Michael G Anderson, Harold H Prince and Robert B Emery. pp 863-873. =
Aspen parkland area near Minnedosa, Manitoba - brood and duckling =
survival and overland movements studied on enhanced (predator exclusion =
fences and clutch sizes increased) and unmanipulated habitat plots. =
Canvasback ducklings in broods containing parasitic Redhead ducklings =
had lower survival during 1st 7 days of life. Canvasback broods observed =
on an average of 4 different ponds and travelled an average overland =
distance of 1.5km. Experimental high-density area had higher duckling =
survival rates during 1987-88, but not during 1983-86.

Red-billled Teal foods in semiarid South Africa: A North-Temperate =
Contrast. S.A. Petrie. pp 874-881. Native terrestrial seeds (Panicum =
schinzii) were principal dietary items of breeding and postbreeding =
teal. Ovulating and post-breeding females ate more aquatic invertebrates =
(primarily gastropods). Red-billed Teal are capable of reproducing while =
consuming a more herbivorous diet than north-temperate duck species; =
this may enable them to breed during dry years in semiarid regions.

Predicting breeding sucess of Atlantic population Canada Geese from =
meterological variables. Susan E Sheaffer and Richard A Malecki. pp =
882-890. Used ratio of immature/adult geese harvested in Maryland, =
correlated against weather data for Ungava Peninsula in northern Quebec =
to develop multiple-regression models. Models with greatest predictive =
ability included average mean temp. and number of days with snowfall in =
May and June.=20

Neck bands reduce survival of Canada Geese in New Jersey. Paul M =
Castelli and Robert E Trost. pp 891-898. Average annual survival of =
geese with leg bands only was 82.77% and was 69.21% for birds that were =
banded and neck-collared. Managers cautioned in interpreting results of =
existing neck banding studies; neck bands should be used judiciously and =
with a leg-banded-only control group.=20

Estimation of apparent metabolizability in herbivorous wildfowl with =
plant pigments. Simon J Lane and Mark Hassall. pp 910-916. Use of a =
suite of chromagens as a naturally occurring indigestible marker to =
estimate apparent metabolizability in waterfowl was assessed as a =
simple, inexpensive and potentially accurate method.=20

Exposure to volatile D-Pulegone alters feeding behavior in European =
Starlings. S.A. Wager-Page' and J.R. Mason. pp 917-922. D-pulegone, a =
monoterpene present in pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), is effective in =
reducing feeding in starlings. Can be used as a control agent to prevent =
fruit depredation by pest birds. Might also be used to treat pesticides =
to deter birds from ingesting granular pesticides.=20

Repellency of Methyl Anthranilate to pre-exposed and naive Canada Geese. =
Jerrold L Belant, Thomas W Seamans, Laura A Tyson and Sheri K Ickes. pp =
923-928. Learned avoidance of MA formulation by geese pre-exposed to =
chemical did not occur; chemical applied to turf was not effective as a =
grazing repellent for geese.

Field evaluation of Methyl Anthranilate for deterring birds eating =
Blueberries. Michael L Avery, Thomas M Primus, Joe Defrancesco, John L =
Cummings, David G Decker, John S Humphrey, James E Davis and Rob Deacon. =
pp 929-934. On 5 0.4-ha plots in Oregon (2 sites near Salem), =
Washington (sites at Mt Vernon and Lynden) and Michigan (MSU research =
station at Fennville), applied chemical at weekly intervals for 21 days. =
Number of blueberries lost from branches in treated plots did not differ =
from those lost from branches in untreated plots. Yields did not differ =
between treated/untreated plots. At 3 of 5 study plots, chemical caused =
extensive leaf discoloration (phytotoxicity).

Analysis of bird strikes at a tropical airport. Michael A Linnell, =
Michael R Conover and Tim J Ohashi. pp 935-945. Runway sweeps at Lihue =
airport on Kauai, Hawaii; Three species of granivorous birds (Zebra =
Doves, mannikins, and Spotted Doves), 2 owl species (Barn Owl and Pueo =
[endemic Short-eared Owl ssp]) and the Pacific Golden-plover composed =
>80% of bird strikes. 91% of strikes involved one bird; 9% involved >1 =
bird. Larger, faster commercial planes had higher strike rates than =
military or general aviation types; engine ingestions being more common =
than strikes on windshield or nose. Damage from ingestions resulted in =
losses >$1.5 million. Most strikes occurred during landings than =
takeoffs. Bird strikes correlated with mean monthly rainfall; increased =
seed production along runways resulted in increased bird use.

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