Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Blackbirds And Corn In Ohio, Richard A. Dolbeer

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Damage to corn by blackbirds (Icteridae) has been an economic problem throughout historical times in North America. Ohio, with the highest nesting season population density of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in North America and large acreages of corn, has been a key State in this conflict. Surveys of damage from 1968 to 1979 revealed that blackbirds annually destroyed less than 1% of the corn crops in Ohio, a 4- to 6-million dollar loss at 1979 prices. This total dollar loss is somewhat misleading because of the uneven distribution of damage among fields. Over 97% of the cornfields in Ohio receive …

Evaluation Of Lasers To Disperse American Crows, Corvus Brachyrhynchos, From Urban Night Roosts, W.P. Gorenzel, B. F. Blackwell, G.D. Simmons, T.P. Salmon, R.A. Dolbeer

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) have a long history of causing agricultural damage in North America. Shooting and bombing at crow night roosts have been employed to reduce such damage. Most roosts were located in rural locations, but in the latter half of the 1900s crows began to roost in urban locations. Urban crow roosts are presently a nationwide problem in the United States. Thousands of crows at a roost create problems for businesses and residents. Improved control techniques are needed. Lasers have been used in Europe to scare and disperse birds but the technique has only recently received formal testing. …

Analysis Of Integrated Farming Systems In Eastern Nebraska, Lori A. Hoagland

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Agroecosystems in the U.S. are beset with social, ecological and environmental problems as large industrial farming methods are edging out small family-sized farms and replacing ecological services provided by biodiversity with synthetic inputs and practices. While many of the benefits of smaller diversified or integrated farming systems are well known, farm producers need a concrete model that shows how integration is possible and with what crops. The objective of this study was to investigate some of these supplemental farm activities, and identify and evaluate whether they were compatible given the time and resource constraints of a typical eastern Nebraska farm. …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 34, No. 3/4 September/December 2002

The Prairie Naturalist

SEASONAL FOOD HABITS OF COYOTES IN NORTHEASTERN KANSAS ▪ J. F. Kamler, P. S. Gipson, and C. C. Perchellet

SELECTION OF NESTING HABITAT BY SHARP-TAILED GROUSE IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS ▪ B. L. Prose, B. S. Cade, and D. Hein

PATTERNS OF REPRODUCTION FOR WESTERN HARVEST MICE IN NORTH-CENTRAL KANSAS ▪ J. R. Goheen, G. A. Kaufman, and D. W. Kaufman

THE IMPACT OF RECREATIONAL TRAILS AND GRAZING ON SMALL MAMMALS IN THE COLORADO PIEDMONT ▪ C. A. Meaney, A. K. Ruggles, N. W. Clippinger, and B. C. Lubow

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA 2001 ▪ R. N. Randall …

Water Current, Volume 34, No. 6. December 2002

Water Current Newsletter

• UNL Aquaculturist Sees Fish Farming Niche in Empty Hog Barns by Steve Ress

• From the Director

• Meet the Faculty

• The Army Corps’ Missouri River Mission by Brig. Gen. David A. Fastabend

• Water News Briefs

The Role Of Climate In Modern Water Planning And Related Decisions: Nebraska Case Study, Donna L. Woudenberg

Open Access Master's Theses (through 2010)

Climate and weather play an integral role in the planning and decision-making processes for those involved in agricultural and natural resource fields. This project was conducted to determine whether climate and weather data are being efficiently and effectively used in these processes.

A survey was mailed to those who work in water-related fields in Nebraska and post-survey interviews were conducted to obtain greater detail. Survey results were analyzed in the following three ways: as a whole; stratified by respondent’s agency; and stratified by the educational background of respondents. It was found that climate and weather data are more likely to …

Crab Louse Infestation In Pre-Columbian America, F. M. Rick, G. C. Rocha, K. Dittmar, C. E. A. Coimbra Jr., Karl J. Reinhard, F. Bouchet, L. F. Ferreira, A. Araújo

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Until now, Pthirus pubis infestation in ancient human populations had only been recorded in the Old World. We found crab lice on South American mummified bodies from the Atacama Desert region. Crab louse eggs were found attached to the pubic hairs of a 2,000-yr-old Chilean mummy. Well-preserved adults were found in sediment and clothing from a Peruvian mummy dated 1,000 yr ago. Paleoparasitological evidence expands the knowledge of the distribution of this ectoparasite in ancient populations. As with many other parasites, pubic lice recorded in Andean populations show the antiquity of this parasite in the New World. It is likely …

A Socioeconomic And Biological Evaluation Of Current And Hypothetical Crappie Regulations In Sardis Lake, Mississippi: An Integrated Approach, Brian Dorr, Ian A. Munn, Keith O. Meals

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We conducted a socioeconomic survey and review of existing biological data in an integrated evaluation of current and hypothetical fishery regulations on crappies Pomoxis spp. in Sardis Lake, Mississippi. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess angler acceptance of current and hypothetical harvest restrictions, (2) determine the recreational value of the crappie fishery to its participants, (3) estimate possible changes in recreational value based on angler responses to hypothetical regulations, and (4) integrate the results of the socioeconomic surveys with existing biological information. Using the travel cost method, we estimated mean expenditures at US$29.48 and average consumer surplus …

Field Evaluation Of Flight ControlTm To Reduce Blackbird Damage To Newly Planted Rice, John L. Cummings, Michael L. Avery, Owen Mathre, E. Allen Wilson, Darryl L. York, Richard M. Engeman, Patricia A. Pochop, James E. Davis Jr.

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An effective, economic, and environmentally safe bird repellent is needed to reduce blackbird (Icterinae) depredations to newly planted rice. We evaluated Flight Control^TM, a 50% anthraquinone product, as a seed treatment for newly planted rice. We treated rice seed with Flight Control at a 2% (g/g) concentration (1% active anthraquinone) the day of planting. This concentration reduced the number of blackbirds (P=0.0003) using treated fields and blackbird damage to rice seed (P=0.0124). The chemical concentration of anthraquinone on rice seed averaged 0.79% (SE=0.06%) at planting; 0.39% (SE= 0.04%) at day I, 0.34% (SE=0.05%) at …

The Nadca Probe, Issue 225

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

Beaver Management- Nevada 1942-1943

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

If I think an animal may have been poisoned or exposed to a toxin, is there a source of information-a non-human animal poison control center?

"The Critter Control Handbook: Pro Secrets for Stopping Sneaky Squirrels & Other Crafty Critters in Their Tracks" by Dan "The Critter Man" Hershey.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Launches Assault on an Animal Rights Movement

Rodent Rabies - Bolivia

Counter Terrorism Includes Animal Rights and Eco-Violence

Managing Nature In Today's World, Walter E. Howard

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The objective of my talk is to help airport authorities better understand the turmoil they encounter when managing birds and other wildlife populations. Many are reluctant to manage birds and mammals because they know that it will inevitably stir up controversy. Especially this is true when the program includes lethal means. Many people think all problems can be resolved by using non-lethal frightening devices or by live-trapping offending animals and relocating them away from airports. There are some sound arguments as to why it is biologically, ecologically and ethically proper to even use lethal means to resolve some airport wildlife …

Mandatory Strike Reporting: The Time Has Come, Paul Eschenfelder

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The reporting of wildlife collisions with aircraft in almost all places, worldwide, is voluntary. As a result data with which to design, manufacture and operate aircraft to mitigate this hazard is poor. Voluntary reporting of strikes has resulted in data collection rates in the USA of around 20%, and only about 9% of the reported strikes contain complete data on bird species. Aviation manufacturers also agree that collection of strike data is difficult, incomplete and without an industry best practice. Air carriers, when research is done, are amazed to find that strike rates may be eight times higher than their …

Development And Maintenance Of Airport Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Website For The Faa And Its Use As A Communication Tool, Archie M. Dickey, Allen R. Newman

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) William J. Hughes Technical Center has contracted with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott to develop and maintain a website dealing with a variety of issues and concerns related to wildlife and aviation. Our goal is to increase the transfer of information among biologists and the aviation community regarding the nature of wildlife hazards to aircraft and methods for reducing these hazards. The site has an on-line wildlife strike report form (FAA Form 5200-7) which also enables users submitting strike reports to access information on wildlife management, bird identification, FAA guidelines, and strike statistics. A query system has …

Advances In Radar Technology For Bird Strike Risk Assessment, T. Adam Kelly, Ronald Merritt, Ronald L. White, Mark Howera, Timothy West

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Since the 2001 BSC meeting in Calgary, Geo-Marine, Inc. has made dramatic advances in the development of avian radar systems. The Mobile Avian Radar System (MARS) has undergone major revisions. New radar processor cards provide the computer workstations with higher resolution data than was previously possible. The system now incorporates both horizontal- and vertical-scanning radars. The vertical scanning radar antenna now includes a shield to reduce side-lobe interference. Significant improvements have been made in ground clutter and weather reduction algorithms. The system has been tested for use in real-time monitoring of bird hazards on airports. GMI is currently working with …

Bird Detection And Radar Wind Profilers, Scott Mclaughlin

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Radar wind profilers (RWPs) are a very sensitive class of operational and research-grade meteorological radars designed specifically to detect clear air turbulence in the atmosphere. These systems have been designed with frequencies ranging from 50 MHz to 3 GHz and antenna sizes from about 1 m to >1 ha. Unlike NEXRAD systems, the antennas do not move or scan but rather are stationary and use phase-shifter arrangements to point the beam. Using the Doppler-shifted backscatter return, winds profiles can be measured from near the ground to as high as 20 km in 5- to 60-minute intervals. RWPs have been used …

Development Of A Portable Bird Detection Radar For Airports, Michael Hovan, William J. Hughes

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The development of a prototype portable bird detection radar for airports and airfields will be presented. This prototype radar is currently being developed under a partnership between the U.S. Air Force and the FAA, and is being funded under the U.S. Air Force Dual Use Science and Technology (DUST) program. Overview of the program will be given, and detailed specifications of the radar unit, and planned tests at a commercial airport will be presented. Future Plans for an integration of this type of radar into a real-time airport bird strike advisory system will be presented as well.

Emergency Wildlife Management Response To Protect Evidence Associated With The Terrorist Attack On The World Trade Center, New York City, Richard B. Chipman, Kenneth J. Preusser, Justin T. Gansowski, Carl P. Cranker Iii, Daniel P. Sullivan, Richard A. Dolbeer, Thomas W. Seamans, Laura C. Francoeur

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Human-wildlife conflicts arise under a variety of circumstances and working environments. No one could have predicted the unique working environment created by events surrounding 11 September 2001. At the request of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, a team of USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services (WS) biologists mobilized in less than 24 hours to assist officials from the NYPD, PANYNJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in managing birds and rodents impacting the recovery of evidence as a result of the …

Evaluation And Mitigation Of Bird Hazards In Ex-Vaso De Texcoco: The Proposed Site Of A New International Airport For Mexico City, Edward C. Cleary

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

If Mexico is to meet increasing demands for air travel, a new international airport for Mexico City must be constructed. At the request of the Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT), we evaluated Ex-Vaso de Texcoco (EVT), one of several sites considered for construction of the new airport, to determine if birds would pose an unacceptable risk to aircraft. Aerial (by helicopter) and ground surveys were conducted on 6 occasions during fall and winter from 1996-2002 to census birds and evaluate aquatic habitats at EVT and other locations in the Valley of Mexico. Total populations estimates for waterfowl and shorebirds …

The Evolution Of Transport Canada’S Wildlife Management And Planning Program, Bruce Mackinnon, Kristi Russell

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

As a follow-up to a paper presented at International Bird Strike Committee meeting #23 in 1996, discussing Transport Canada’s emphasis on education and awareness programs as a means to reduce bird hazards to aircraft, this paper will describe significant changes that have occurred in Canada since that time. The 1994 Government of Canada National Airports Policy led to the devolution of Canada’s major airports. Private sector airport authorities now operate these airports and Transport Canada’s focus has shifted from management by policy to one of regulatory oversight. In addition to building on the awareness program that was in place in …

Avian Hazard Control In Brazil: Essential Role Of The Aeronautical Accidents Prevention And Investigation Center - Cenipa, Luiz Claudio Magalhaes Bastos

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Brazil built one of the world’s largest aeronautical infrastructures. The airport net is distributed along its vast territory, which shows a tremendous ecosystem variety. Having a large civilian aircraft fleet and also running second after Venezuela in catalogued bird species, Brazil has had problems related to bird strikes. Nevertheless, Brazil is made up of 26 States plus the Federal District. Thus, besides the Union Government, each state holds its own government structure. The states are divided into counties that also have their own administrative structure. The jurisdiction of each level of government is established by the Federal Constitution, laws and …

The Brazilian Civil Aviation Department (Dac) And Bird Strike Control In Brazil, Jandrisson Gurgel Do Amaral Jr.

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The subject addressed in this paper is the participation of Brazilian Civil Aviation Department (DAC), and more specifically the Air Accident Investigation and Prevention Division (DIPAA) in the efforts regarding civil aircraft bird strike control in Brazil. In order to successfully achieve this intent, this paper will briefly introduce the recordings of civil aircraft bird collision registered in Brazilian Civil Aviation Department, reported by the civil aviation community (airliners, air operators, airport staff, general aviation personnel, ATC, etc.). In addition, the paper will outline the dimension of the bird strike hazard encountered by the civil fleet operating in Brazilian skies …

Effects Of Location And Phase Of Flight On The Behavioral Responses Of Birds To Aircraft: Preliminary Observations, T. C. Kelly, M. J. A. O'Callaghan, P. D. Bourke, L. Buurma, R. Bolger

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Based on an earlier classification of avoidance movements shown by birds to moving aircraft (Kelly et al. 2001), we have studied the evading maneuvers of the rook (Corvus frugilegus) in relation to the phase of flight of air traffic at Dublin Airport, Ireland. The percentage of individuals which did not show avoidance movements was almost identical for approach/landing and take-off /climb-out movements. However, the nature of the avoiding-response in relation to the phase of flight was different. Thus 78% of responses were “Simple” in the approach/landing flight phase whereas only 5% were in this category during take-off. On …

Efficacy Of Aircraft Landing Lights In Stimulating Avoidance Behavior In Birds, Bradley F. Blackwell, Glen E. Bernhardt

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

A potential non-lethal technique to reduce bird-aircraft collisions, aircraft-mounted light, has been considered for nearly 3 decades, but has received no formal research as to its efficacy. We tested the hypothesis that during daylight hours birds exposed to an approaching vehicle exhibiting pulsing landing lights would react more quickly than birds experiencing an on-coming vehicle with non-pulsing (steady) or no lights (control). We used the Pulselite^TM system (Precise Flight, Inc., Bend, Oregon, USA), an early recognition lighting system that allows an aircraft pilot to pulse the landing, taxi, or forward-facing recognition lights, and 2 General Electric sealed-beam 250-W aircraft …

Management Of Rodent Populations At Airports, Gary W. Witmer, Jessica Dewey

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Birds pose serious hazards at U.S. airports. Raptors are hazardous to aircraft safety due to their size, hunting behavior, and hovering/soaring habits. Abundant food sources, open space, and availability of perches at or near airports contribute to ideal hunting opportunities for many raptors. The ability to directly manage raptor populations is limited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Reduction of small mammal populations at an airport may decrease raptor populations in the area and therefore, reduce the risk that raptors pose to aircraft. Rodents can be managed by population management or by habitat management. Reduction of small rodent populations can …

Efficacy Of Translocation Of Red-Tailed Hawks From Airports, Laurence M. Schafer, John L. Cummings, John A. Yunger, Kirk E. Gustad

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Raptor translocation from airport environments is a management strategy that has been recommended and used in attempts to reduce aircraft strikes. However, supportive data are lacking about optimal translocation distance and direction, return rate, post-translocation fate and overall efficacy of the technique. We conducted a study from 1 December 1999 to 28 February 2002, which included satellite telemetry, to address these issues of raptor translocation at a Midwest Airport. Two hundred and fourteen red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) were translocated to 12 sites in Illinois, between 59 and 242 km from the airport. Thirty-four after-hatch-year (AHY) individuals were fitted …

Attracting Arctic Foxes To Relocate A Gull Colony At Keflavik International Airport (Poster), Pall Hersteinsson, Gundmundur Orn Jonsson

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) colony at Keflavik International Airport has grown from around 1,000 pairs in 1975 to over 20,000 pairs in the early 1990s and to around 30,000 pairs in 2000. The colony is considered a serious hazard to both military and civil air traffic. The population of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus), the only predator in Iceland capable of preying on these gulls, was very small in this area from the late 1950s until the mid-1980s. A decade ago we noted that the location of the colony had shifted away from an arctic …

Identification Of Batstrikes (Poster), Suzanne C. Peurach

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Identification of fragmentary evidence such as hairs, bones, and claws that have been recovered from United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft has been undertaken by the Biological Survey Unit (USGS) for the last 5 years. The results of these investigations may be useful in preventing future damaging batstrikes. Examination of batstrikes may also provide valuable information to the scientific research community about patterns in bat migration, flight altitudes, and times of flight. Positive identifications are made by comparing unknown samples with the collection of museum specimens housed in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Macroscopic characters such as …

Status Of North American Canada Goose Populations (Poster), John L. Seubert

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

North American Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations continue to increase, causing potentially greater hazard to aviation. There is greater interest by biologist and aviation interests in monitoring the status of these populations because of the increasing number of Canada goose strikes to aircraft. Waterfowl in North America are managed in four administrative flyways – the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific. Goose numbers in these flyways are based on mid-winter or breeding period counts. The Canada goose count for North America in 2000 was 5,728,000—61% were the large resident geese. The resident component of the population has increased more …

Animal Ambush At The Airport: The Extent And Nature Of Non-Bird Wildlife Strikes With Civil Aircraft, Usa, 1990-2001 (Poster), Sandra E. Wright, Richard A. Dolbeer

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

Birds have long been recognized as a serious threat to aviation safety. However, other wildlife (mammals and reptiles) can also have a serious impact on aircraft. From 1990-2001, 1,029 strikes to civil aircraft involving wildlife other than birds were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Deer (522) and coyotes (115) were the most commonly struck wildlife. Other non-bird species struck included rabbits, woodchucks, turtles, alligators, and iguanas. Whereas 14% of bird strikes resulted in aircraft damage and 9% had a negative effect on the flight, 47% of strikes with other wildlife caused damage and 33% had a negative effect …

Implementation Of Gis Technology To Detect Wildlife Hazards At Airports, Michelle L. Gray

2002 Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada, 4th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA

The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for displaying spatial data is a well established technique widely used by many professions, especially natural resources. Environmental and engineering departments at many civil and military airports also use GIS to aid in planning new construction and future development. These same techniques can be applied at airports to create maps that visually portray the occurrence and location of wildlife hazardous to aircraft. At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, USDA Wildlife Services uses this technology to analyze and display wildlife activity on grid maps. Wildlife observations are maintained in a database …