Life Sciences Commons^™

The Feasibility Of Using Drones To Count Songbirds, Andrew M. Wilson, Janine M. Barr, Megan E. Zagorski

Environmental Studies Student Conference Presentations

Point and transect counts are the most common bird survey methods, but are subject to biases and accessibility issues. To eliminate some of these biases, we propose attaching a recorder to a consumer-grade quadcopter (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV) to estimate songbird populations from audio recordings. We conducted a blind experiment using broadcast recordings to estimate the detection radius of a compact recorder attached to a UAV, and found that the detection radius did not vary significantly when the UAV was flown at elevations of 20, 40 and 60m. We field tested our system by comparing UAV-based bird counts with …

Earlier Nesting By A Predatory Bird Is Associated With Human Adaptations To Climate Change, Shawn Heath Smith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Advancing growing seasons and prey abundance drive earlier breeding in dietary specialists because, ultimately, consumers benefit by timing their reproduction to coincide with peak prey abundance. The selective pressure to breed earlier may be lower for species that forage on diverse prey items that vary in abundance both spatially and temporally. The selective pressure may be reduced further if predators have access to a mosaic of habitats, each of which having different shifts in growing seasons. We studied whether earlier breeding of a predatory generalist, the American kestrel (Falco sparverius) nesting in a mosaic of habitat types was …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 92, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Human Disturbance On Physiology, Behavior, And Ornamentation In The Eastern Bluebird, Lauren Marjorie Gillespie

Dissertations

Overall, few studies have focused on anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife physiology. Research has typically focused on how environmentally contaminated areas or anthropogenic disturbance (e.g. noise, human activity) influences biodiversity, community structure and behavior of individual animals. However, understanding how disturbance influences some aspects of physiology can require sacrifice of the animal, prohibiting ecologically relevant measures of behavior and reproductive success. This research strives to examine covariation between testosterone (T) and corticosterone (CORT), plumage ornamentation, and behavior in two populations of eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) that differ in degree to which their habitat is modified by human activity.

In …

The North American Geese: Their Biology And Behavior, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

The eight currently recognized species of North American geese are part of a familiar group of birds collectively called waterfowl, all of which are smaller than swans and generally larger than ducks. They include the most popular of our aquatic gamebirds, with several million shot each year by sport hunters. Our two most abundant waterfowl, the Canada goose and snow goose, have populations collectively totaling about 15 million individuals. Like swans, the lifelong pairbonding of geese, their familial care, and prolonged social attachment to their offspring are legendary. Their seasonal migratory flights sometimes span thousands of miles, and the sight …

The Maintenance Of Phenotypic Divergence Through Sexual Selection: An Experimental Study In Barn Swallows Hirundo Rustica, Rebecca Safran, Yoni Vortman, Brittany R. Jenkins, Joanna K. Hubbard, Matt Wilkins, Rachel J. Bradley, Arnon Lotem

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Previous studies have shown that sexual signals can rapidly diverge among closely related species. However, we lack experimental studies to demonstrate that differences in trait-associated reproductive performance maintain sexual trait differences between closely related populations, in support for a role of sexual selection in speciation. Populations of Northern Hemisphere distributed barn swallows Hirundo rustica are closely related, yet differ in two plumage-based traits: ventral color and length of the outermost tail feathers (streamers). Here we provide experimental evidence that manipulations of these traits result in different reproductive consequences in two subspecies of barn swallow: (H. r. erythrogaster in North …

Effects Of Sleep Fragmentation On The Immune System Of Zebra Finches Using Cytokine Gene Expression, Laken N. Cooper

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sleep loss is known to trigger an inflammatory response and increase serum corticosterone in both human and murine models. However, very little evidence is available on the potential effects of sleep loss in avian models. This study aims to construct a profile using cytokine gene expression data to determine how birds respond to sleep loss in a controlled environment. I investigated changes in pro-inflammatory (IL-1β and IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine gene expression in the periphery (fat, liver, spleen, and heart) and brain (hypothalamus, hippocampus, and apical hyperpallium) in zebra finches exposed to a novel sleep fragmentation method. Serum corticosterone, …

Wpa News 100 (2016), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Summer 2016), number 100

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Range-Wide Patterns Of Geographic Variation In Songs Of Golden-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Atricapilla), Daizaburo Shizuka, Glen Chilton, M Ross Lein

Papers in Behavior in Biological Sciences

Discrete geographic variation, or dialects, in songs of songbirds arise as a consequence of complex interactions between ecology and song learning. Four of the five species of Zonotrichia sparrows, including the model species White-crowned Sparrow (Z. leucophrys), have been studied with respect to the causes and consequences of geographic variation in song. Within White-crowned Sparrows, subspecies that migrate farther have larger range size of dialects. Here, we assessed geographic patterns of song variation in the fifth species of this genus, the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Z. atricapilla). We analyzed field-recorded songs from 2 sampling periods (1996–1998 and 2006–2013) covering most of its …

The North American Grouse: Their Biology And Behavior, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

The ten currently recognized species of grouse in North America have played an important role in America’s history, from the famous but ill-fated heath hen, a primary source of meat for the earliest New England immigrants, to the ruffed grouse, currently one of the most abundant and soughtafter upland game birds in more than 40 states and provinces. This book summarizes the ecology, reproductive biology, and social behavior of all ten of the extant North American grouse species. It also describes the current status of grouse populations, some of which are perilously close to extinction. The social behavior of grouse …

Molecular Tracking Of Individual Host Use In The Shiny Cowbird – A Generalist Brood Parasite, Ma Alicia De La Colina, Mark E. Hauber, Bill M. Strausberger, Juan Carlos Reboreda, Bettina Mahler

Publications and Research

Generalist parasites exploit multiple host species at the population level, but the individual parasite’s strategy may be either itself a generalist or a specialist pattern of host species use. Here, we studied the relationship between host availability and host use in the individual parasitism patterns of the Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis, a generalist avian obligate brood parasite that parasitizes an extreme range of hosts. Using five microsatellite markers and an 1120-bp fragment of the mtDNA control region, we reconstructed full-sibling groups from 359 cowbird eggs and chicks found in nests of the two most frequent hosts in our study area, …

Finding The Beat: From Socially Coordinated Vocalizations In Songbirds To Rhythmic Entrainment In Humans, Jonathan I. Benichov, Eitan Globerson, Ofer Tchernichovski

Publications and Research

Humans and oscine songbirds share the rare capacity for vocal learning. Songbirds have the ability to acquire songs and calls of various rhythms through imitation. In several species, birds can even coordinate the timing of their vocalizations with other individuals in duets that are synchronized with millisecond-accuracy. It is not known, however, if songbirds can perceive rhythms holistically nor if they are capable of spontaneous entrainment to complex rhythms, in a manner similar to humans. Here we review emerging evidence from studies of rhythm generation and vocal coordination across songbirds and humans. In particular, recently developed experimental methods have revealed …

Nesting Ecology Of The Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma Imberbe) In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Usa, Scott M. Werner, Sallie J. Hejl, Timothy Brush

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

During 2002–2003, we studied the breeding ecology of the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe), a poorly known and rare permanent resident in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, United States of America. We found 28 nests in clusters of Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) or ball moss (T. recurvata), 93% of which were in cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) trees. Nest-building, incubation, and nestling periods averaged 7.0, 14.0, and 18.5 days, respectively. Of the 28 nests, 43% were successful, while 38% of the failed nests showed obvious signs of depredation. Nests were located in …

The Mute Swan In Nebraska: History And Current Status, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

Mute Swans (Cygnus alar) were introduced into North America during the late 1800s as decorative waterfowl and have established feral populations (Ciaranca et al. 1997). Currently, the range of wild populations of Mute Swans in North America includes the Atlantic Coast from Maine to South Carolina and the Great Lakes, with the exception of Lake Superior where it is not established (Baldassarre 2014). The current total North American population is estimated to be 22,000–25,000 (Baldassarre 2014), and populations continue to increase (Petrie and Francis 2003). Indeed, the growing concern over burgeoning numbers has resulted in many states and …

Subscription And Organization Information [June 2016]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household (one or more people) $25; Sustaining …

Nou Spring Field Days And Annual Meeting, Kimball, May 20–22, 2016, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union was held at the Kimball Event Center on May 20–22, 2016, and was organized by Robin Harding and Betty Grenon. Although it was a long drive for most, 75 birders attended, including guests from Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas.

On Friday evening, President Dan Leger presented a Michael Forsberg photograph of Burrowing Owls to Betty Grenon in appreciation for her many years of service as Treasurer. The evening program continued with a presentation by Angela Dwyer and Larry Snyder of the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, formerly known as the …

The Second Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas, Wayne J. Mollhoff, Bulletin Of The University Of Nebraska State Museum, Vol. 29, 2016 [Book Review], W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

As suggested by its title, this book (“Second Atlas”) presents the results of a follow-up to the first Nebraska breeding bird atlas, The Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas 1984–89 (“First Atlas”), also authored by Wayne Mollhoff. In this Second Atlas, Mollhoff acknowledges the foresight of John J. Dinan, Nongame Bird Program Manager at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission during the time of the First Atlas, in working toward a “follow-up project.” As Mollhoff says in the foreword to the Second Atlas, "His persistence in pursuing that goal ultimately led to the current project.”

The best feature of the Second Atlas is …

Spring Field Report, March 2016 To May 2016, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

In contrast to the fairly routine spring of 2015, this year saw an almost unbelievable parade of early arrivals. About 49 species, including virtually all taxonomic groups, had arrival dates at the early end of expected arrival dates, and a few species set record early dates. Notable early birds were Calidris shorebirds, flycatchers, and swallows, species which depend on available insect and pond-edge life, suggesting that organisms are "waking up" earlier than in previous years, helped, of course, by the mild 2015–2016 winter. On the other hand, there was only one late species: Purple Finch, which remained into mid-May at …

Gyrfalcon In Boyd County, Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie, David Heidt

Nebraska Bird Review

Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is considered in Nebraska to be a "rare casual winter visitor statewide" (Sharpe et al. 2001). Since 1990, there has been only one NOURC (Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee) accepted record (Class III) for Gyrfalcon in Nebraska (Jorgensen 2003). This bird was a gray morph adult observed below Keystone Dam, Keith Co., 01 January 2001 (Silcock 2001). Nebraska has no April dates for Gyrfalcon, although South Dakota has several April records: 10 Apr 2001, Jones Co., and 23 Apr 1955, Pennington Co., (Tallman et al. 2002). Additionally, an immature Gyrfalcon was photographed 5 April 2010 …

Answers To The Photo Quiz (The Nebraska Bird Review, March 2016, Page 29), Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

These four photos were published in color in the previous issue of The Nebraska Bird Review without identification. All are birds commonly found in Nebraska, and they are identified and described here.

Nebraska Bird Review (June 2016) 84(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March 2016 to May 2016 ... 58

The Mute Swan in Nebraska: History and Current Status … 86

Gyrfalcon in Boyd County, Nebraska … 96

The Second Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas, Wayne J. Mollhoff [book review] … 97

Answers to the Photo Quiz (The Nebraska Bird Review, March 2016) … 100

NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, Kimball, May 20–22, 2016 … 102

Subscription and Organization Information ... 107

Why Come Back Home? Investigating The Proximate Factors That Influence Natal Philopatry In Migratory Passerines, Jenna A. Cava, Noah G. Perlut, Steven E. Travis

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Knowledge of which cues attract birds back to natal areas is important for conservation because the cues could be manipulated to attract breeders to source habitat or discourage breeders from settling in sink habitat. We examined the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic variables on natal philopatry using two metrics, short-distance natal dispersal and the probability of philopatry to the natal field, in two obligate-grassland bird species breeding in an agricultural landscape: the bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, and the Savannah sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis. During 2002–2014, we detected 90 locally hatched Savannah sparrows and 129 locally hatched bobolinks breeding as adults …

Utilization Probability Map For Migrating Bald Eagles In Northeastern North America: A Tool For Siting Wind Energy Facilities And Other Flight Hazards, Elizabeth K. Mojica, B. D. Watts, Courtney L. Turrin

Arts & Sciences Articles

Collisions with anthropogenic structures are a significant and well documented source of mortality for avian species worldwide. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is known to be vulnerable to collision with wind turbines and federal wind energy guidelines include an eagle risk assessment for new projects. To address the need for risk assessment, in this study, we 1) identified areas of northeastern North America utilized by migrating bald eagles, and 2) compared these with high wind-potential areas to identify potential risk of bald eagle collision with wind turbines. We captured and marked 17 resident and migrant bald eagles in the northern …

Dynamic Egg Color Mimicry, Daniel Hanley, Michael Sulc, Patricia L. R. Brennan, Mark E. Hauber, Tomas Grim, Marcel Honza

Publications and Research

Evolutionary hypotheses regarding the function of eggshell phenotypes, from solar protection through mimicry, have implicitly assumed that eggshell appearance remains static throughout the laying and incubation periods. However, recent research demonstrates that egg coloration changes over relatively short, biologically relevant timescales. Here, we provide the first evidence that such changes impact brood parasite–host eggshell color mimicry during the incubation stage. First, we use long-term data to establish how rapidly the Acrocephalus arundinaceus Linnaeus (great reed warbler) responded to natural parasitic eggs laid by the Cuculus canorus Linnaeus (common cuckoo). Most hosts rejected parasitic eggs just prior to clutch completion, but …

Hands Of The Future, Inc; Junior Nature Club; Living Schoolyards, Zonda K. Bryant

Purdue P-12 Networking Summit & Poster Session

Programs to connect children to nature

Fluctuating Survival Selection Explains Variation In Avian Group Size, Charles R. Brown, Mary Bomberger Brown, Erin A. Roche, Valerie A. O'Brien, Catherine E. Page

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Most animal groups vary extensively in size. Because individuals in certain sizes of groups often have higher apparent fitness than those in other groups, why wide group size variation persists in most populations remains unexplained. We used a 30-y mark– recapture study of colonially breeding cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) to show that the survival advantages of different colony sizes fluctuated among years. Colony size was under both stabilizing and directional selection in different years, and reversals in the sign of directional selection regularly occurred. Directional selection was predicted in part by drought conditions: birds in larger colonies tended …

Comparative Analysis Of Factors Associated With First‐Year Survival In Two Species Of Migratory Songbirds, Noah G. Perlut, Allan M. Strong

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Our understanding of the full life cycle of most migratory birds remains limited. Estimates of survival rates, particularly for first‐year birds are notably lacking. This knowledge gap results in imprecise parameters in population models and limits our ability to fully understand life history trade‐offs. We used eleven years of field data to estimate first‐year apparent survival (φ_1st) for two species of migratory grassland songbirds that breed in the same managed habitats but have substantially different migration distances. We used a suite of life‐history, habitat and individually‐based covariates to explore causes of variation in φ_1st. The interaction …

History And Current Status Of The Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius Acadicus) In Arkansas, Mitchell L. Pruitt

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The secretive Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is believed to be much more widespread during fall and winter than previously thought. Of the few places in the southern United States conducting research on this species, all have been successful at capturing birds. A total of 12 historic records existed for Arkansas until my work began in fall of 2014. The first confirmed record was in 1959 and the most recent was in 2010. Over the course of two field seasons, I captured and banded 24 saw-whet owls in rural Madison County. All birds were mist-netted along a trail, in …

Three-Dimensional Simulation For Fast Forward Flight Of A Calliope Hummingbird, Jialei Song, Bret W. Tobalske, Don Powers, Tyson Hedrick, Haoxiang Luo

Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science

We present a computational study of flapping-wing aerodynamics of a calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) during fast forward flight. Three-dimensional wing kinematics were incorporated into the model by extracting time-dependent wing position from high-speed videos of the bird flying in a wind tunnel at 8.3 m s⁻¹. The advance ratio, i.e. the ratio between flight speed and average wingtip speed, is around one. An immersed-boundary method was used to simulate flow around the wings and bird body. The result shows that both downstroke and upstroke in a wingbeat cycle produce significant thrust for the bird to overcome …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 92, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.