Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Developing Bird-Strike Risk Assessment Models For Open-Water Restorations, Justin D. Hart, Alison Colyer, John R. Allan

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Mineral extraction sites that are restored to open water can increase bird-strike risk if they are planned near airports. This can generate conflict between the minerals industry and safeguarding authorities. To help resolve this potential conflict, it would be useful to predict how new restorations affect local water-bird populations so that mineral deposits can be exploited and restored in safeguarded zones without compromising flight safety. Bird abundances and movements at new restorations can be estimated with statistical models that use the environmental characteristics of restoration schemes as predictor variables. These models can improve guidance in safeguarding, provided that they comprise …

The Cost Of Fear, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I hope that someday, we will be able to quantify the lost-opportunity costs associated with human–wildlife conflicts. Until that day, I hope that wildlife biologists and other people who help to make air travel safer have the satisfaction of knowing that what they do is important. They help people live better, safer, and more enjoyable lives. I cannot think of a higher calling than that. In tribute to them, I am pleased that this issue of Human–Wildlife Conflicts features several articles on the topic of bird–aircraft collisions. These include studies examining techniques that can reduce the danger of bird–aircraft collisions …

Setting Research Priorities At Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center, Richard L. Bruggers

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As director of the Wildlife Services’ National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), I frequently have been asked how the NWRC determines, prioritizes, and implements its research agenda. To answer this question, I will start by giving both a historical overview and an update of the NWRC. The mission of the NWRC is to provide science-based tools and information to resolve human–wildlife conflicts.

Birds And Aircraft—Fighting For Airspace In Ever More Crowded Skies, Richard A. Dolbeer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This special issue of Human–Wildlife Conflicts (HWC) was conceived 1 year ago by Bird Strike Committee–USA (BSC–USA) and the Berryman Institute. Our premise was that the collision of aircraft with birds (bird strikes) and other wildlife is a growing problem about which the general public and most scientists and wildlife biologist know very little. Furthermore, although considerable work has been done to mitigate the risks caused by bird strikes, there have been few peer-reviewed publications of these research and management efforts. Thus, our 2 goals were to (1) educate the broad readership of HWC about the growing safety and economic …

Survival And Productivity Of A Low-Density Black Bear Population In Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Roger A. Baldwin, Louis C. Bender

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) has supported a small black bear (Ursus americanus) population of low productivity. Increased visitor use of the park and development around its periphery could lead to a reduction in population viability of RMNP’s bear population or could increase the potential for human–bear conflict. Therefore, we investigated contemporary survival and productivity parameters for RMNP’s black bear population from 2003 to 2006 and compared these values to historic levels (1984–1991) and population means throughout the western United States to clarify the current status of RMNP’s bear population. The contemporary black bear population showed signs of …

In The News, Joe N. Caudell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bird dogs of a different feather-- A report from the website of 10 Connect News of Tampa, Florida, reported that a bird-chasing border collie, a breed of dog, is being used to harass birds at airports. The dog is just 1 part of MacDill Airforce Base’s safety management program to reduce damage at airfields.

Recent bird strikes from around the world--Bucharest, Romania, Denver, Colorado, Rome, Italy

Pilot lands plane in Hudson River--One of the most widely-reported recent birdstrike disasters occurred on January 15, 2009, in New York City. The incident involved US Airways Flight 1549 with 155 people on board. …

Personal And Corporate Liability In The Aftermath Of Bird Strikes: A Costly Consideration, Larry A. Dale

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This paper details liability issues inherent in bird–aircraft collisions (bird-strike) incidents at airports and discusses how airport managers and operators must strive to conduct accurate assessments and develop and implement an effective wildlife management plan. Such efforts are mandated by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, and failure to follow them may result in loss of human life and property, as well as large financial penalties for managers and operators and adverse media attention and public criticism for the airport authority.

Burrowing Owl And Other Migratory Bird Mitigation For A Runway Construction Project At Edwards Afb, Amber L. Hoen, Mark Hagan, Mark Bratton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) scheduled the construction of a runway in the spring of 2007. The runway would be in an area that contained migratory birds and their habitat. The construction project would be near Edwards AFB main runway and had the potential not only to impact species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), including the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), but also to increase bird and wildlife–aircraft strike hazards in the active flightline areas. To discourage nesting in the project area, reduce the potential for bird and wildlife–aircraft strikes, and maintain compliance with federal environmental …

A Decade Of U.S. Air Force Bat Strikes, Suzanne C. Peurach, Carla J. Dove, Laura Stepko

Human–Wildlife Interactions

From 1997 through 2007, 821 bat strikes were reported to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Safety Center by aircraft personnel or ground crew and sent to the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for identification. Many samples were identified by macroscopic and or microscopic comparisons with bat specimens housed in the museum and augmented during the last 2 years by DNA analysis. Bat remains from USAF strikes during this period were received at the museum from 40 states in the United States and from 20 countries. We confirmed that 46% of the strikes were caused by bats, but we …

Molt Migration By Giant Canada Geese In Eastern South Dakota, Charles D. Dieter, Bobby J. Anderson

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We captured giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) in 7 counties in eastern South Dakota during the summer molting period, 2000–2003. We attached very high frequency (VHF) transmitters to 150 adult female geese with brood patches, and leg bands to 3,839 geese. We documented molt migrations using VHF telemetry and indirect band recovery at locations north of South Dakota. Telemetry of radio-collared female geese during the breeding season indicated that 56% of nonbreeders, 81% of unsuccessful breeders, and 19% of successful female breeders embarked on a molt migration. Five of 34 geese that underwent molt migrations moved to …

Forensic Bird-Strike Identification Techniques Used In An Accident Investigation At Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, 2008, Carla J. Dove, Nor Faridah Dahlan, Marcy Heacker

Human–Wildlife Interactions

On March 4, 2008, a Cessna Citation 1 (Model 500) crashed in a wooded area near Wiley Post Airport, Oklahoma, killing all 5 people on board. This paper describes the detailed forensic methods and expertise used by the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Lab to identify the bird that caused this bird-strike incident. We used standard methods of whole-feather analysis, microscopic examination, and DNA barcoding in this case to identify American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) as the bird species involved in this fatal crash. We also report the importance of proper field investigation and evidence collection for accurate results, …

Using Wedelia As Ground Cover On Tropical Airports To Reduce Bird Activity, Michael A. Linnell, Michael R. Conover, Tim J. Ohashi

Human–Wildlife Interactions

aircraft collisions (i.e., bird strikes) are a major problem at airports worldwide, often because birds are attracted to airfields to feed on seeds, insects, or rodents that abound in the grassy areas near runways and taxiways. We compared an alternative ground cover, wedelia (Wedelia trilobata), to existing vegetation (control plots) on the airfield at Lihue Airport, Kauai, Hawaii, to determine if bird populations on the airport could be reduced by eliminating their forage base. We studied wedalia because it is a low-growing plant that did not need mowing, was easily established in plots, and out-competed other plants, resulting …

Coexisting With Cougars: Public Perceptions, Attitudes, And Awareness Of Cougars On The Urban-Rural Fringe Of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Clarisse Thornton, Michael S. Quinn

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Interactions between humans and cougars (Puma concolor) have been steadily increasing over the past 20 years largely due to human encroachment into cougar habitat and an increase in the human population. We determined the attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions toward cougars by residents in the urban-rural fringe of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, an area populated by both cougars and humans. We sent a survey to a stratified, random sample of 1,508 residents. Survey analysis included a potential for conflict index (PCI) to help provide quantitative direction for future cougar management. We analyzed and tested for differences among 7 variables: livestock …

Bird Strikes And The Courts: The Antonov Case, Valter Battistoni

Bird Strike Committee-USA/Canada Joint Annual Meeting: 11th (2009)

At the 4th Bird Strike Committee USA – Canada Joint Meeting (2002), I presented a paper more or less with the same title as this one, called “The Genoa Case”. I thought it would have been useful for such an international audience to know the outcome, at first degree level, of the first Italian civil lawsuit for damage compensation following a multiple bird strike with ingestion that occurred at Genoa airport in 1989.

Later on, in 2004, I was entrusted by ENAC (Italian CAA) to support the Agency’s defence as a technical consultant in a new lawsuit regarding another multiple …

Refuge Update – September/October 2009, Volume 6, Number 5

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:

Mystery of the Dying Cormorants Why did hundreds of Brandt’s cormorants wash up on the shores of central California? Page 5

FOCUS: Ambassadors in the Community Refuges are good neighbors whether they are playing softball, turning landfills into salt marshes or inspiring young people. Pages 8–15

Around the Refuge System Can a variation on a kids’ game keep elk from devouring bird and fish habitat? Pages 20–22

Biofuels: Cultivating Energy, Not Invasive Species, Invasive Species Advisory Committee

National Invasive Species Council

Biofuels: Cultivating Energy, not Invasive Species, approved by ISAC on August 11, 2009

ISSUE

To provide alternatives to petroleum-based energy, the United States government has mandated a greater proportion of plant-based biofuels be integrated into its energy portfolio. However, certain plant species being proposed for biofuel production in the United States are invasive species or are likely to escape cultivation and become invasive. United States Executive Order (EO) 131121 defines invasive species as “alien [non-native] species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health” and states: “Each Federal agency whose actions …

Refuge Update – July/August 2009, Volume 6, Number 4

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Way Beyond the Boundaries
Follow That Bird – at 4 a.m.
Pilots over the Refuge

Lead Detection In Water: Using Hydroxyapatite And Atomic Absorption, Nicolas Cantarero

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Hydroxyapatite is a mineral that is very inexpensive, easily made, and binds well to lead. In this procedure its application will be paired with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Flame AA) to detect lead concentrations in water to ppb levels. While ppb concentrations of lead are too dilute to produce a response from the Flame AA by using Hydroxyapatite to concentrate lead molecules from a larger volume and dissolving the Hydroxyapatite into a smaller volume it may be able to produce a response. The method could provide an inexpensive, efficient, and accurate way to detect lead concentrations to the ppb level …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 25, Number 2 (July 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

Piroplasmosis Hits Missouri Horses

Cytauxzoon felis in Wild Felids

SCIF & Mossy Oak Fund HD Research

Hardware Disease in a Key Deer

Wildlife Poisoning in Kansas

Swine Brucellosis Infects Hog Hunters

SCWDS Personnel Changes

NWHC Has New Director

New USDI Publication on Bats Recent SCWDS Publications Available

Markov Chain Estimation Of Avian Seasonal Fecundity, Matthew A. Etterson, Richard S. Bennett, Eric L. Kershner, Jeffery W. Walk

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Avian seasonal fecundity is of interest from evolutionary, ecological, and conservation perspectives. However, direct estimation of seasonal fecundity is difficult, especially with multi-brooded birds, and models representing the renesting and quitting processes are usually required. To explore the consequences of modeling decisions on inference about avian seasonal fecundity, we generalize previous Markov chain (MC) models of avian nest success to formulate two different MC models of avian seasonal fecundity that represent two different ways to model renesting decisions and breeding cessation. We parameterize both Markov chains (regular and absorbing) for two species (Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, and Dickcissel, Spiza …

Refuge Update – May/June 2009, Volume 6, Number 3

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:
Recovering the New England Cottontail
FOCUS..Ready for Tomorrow
Build It and They Will Come
CARE: Restoring America’s Wildlife Refuges

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

NOTES

1 Definitions

• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals.

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards.

• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is …

Estimating The Effects Of Detection Heterogeneity And Overdispersion On Trends Estimated From Avian Point Counts, Matthew A. Etterson, Gerald J. Niemi, Nicholas P. Danz

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Point counts are a common method for sampling avian distribution and abundance. Although methods for estimating detection probabilities are available, many analyses use raw counts and do not correct for detectability. We use a removal model of detection within an N-mixture approach to estimate abundance trends corrected for imperfect detection. We compare the corrected trend estimates to those estimated from raw counts for 16 species using 15 years of monitoring data on three national forests in the western Great Lakes, USA. We also tested the effects of overdispersion by modeling both counts and removal mixtures under three statistical distributions: …

Scwds Briefs: Volume 25, Number 1 (April 2009), Gary L. Doster , Editor, Scwds Briefs, Michael J. Yabsley

Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study: Publications

Table of Contents:

USDA Seeks Comments on New CWD Rule

Some of the Intricacies of CWD

3rd International CWD Symposium

White Nose Syndrome Update

Wildlife Poisoning in Kansas

Salmonellosis in Your Backyard

Trichomonosis in Songbirds

Dr. Al Franzmann

Staff & Student Recognition

House Cats As Predators In The Australian Environment: Impacts And Management, Christopher R. Dickman

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This paper provides an overview of the predatory activities of the house cat (Felis catus) in Australia, focusing principally on the interactions of domestic and stray cats with native species of prey. Like their free-living, or feral, counterparts, domestic cats take a broad range of prey, with small mammals, birds, and human-derived foods forming the bulk of the diet. Domestic and stray cats have contributed to declines of suburban populations of eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) and superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) in Victoria, Australia. The effects of cats on prey communities remain speculative. In …

External Characteristics Of Houses Prone To Woodpecker Damage, Emily G. Harding, Sandra L. Vehrencamp, Paul D. Curtis

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Woodpecker (Picidae spp.) damage to houses and buildings is a widespread and locally severe problem, yet the probability and type of damage has never been quantified and related to home characteristics. Woodpeckers excavate holes in homes for a several reasons, mainly for building nest and roost cavities, drumming, and foraging for insects. We examined the external characteristics of houses that were contributing factors in attracting woodpeckers to bore holes in house siding and trim. From March 2001 through April 2002, we surveyed 1,185 houses in the town of Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York. Of the houses visited, 33% had …

Exotic Species And Monkey Paws, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Society is divided over the question of how exotic species should be managed. As an example, consider the attitude of U.S. citizens toward 1 exotic species, mute swans (Cygnus lotor), which were imported from Europe. These birds have much going for them. Their bright, white plumage, their eagerness to swim our way for bread, and their prominence in legends has allowed them to conquer our hearts (Conover and McIvor 1993). Yet, many ecologists, wildlife biologists, and avid birders argue that we should spend time and money to eradicate mute swans from the U.S. because they are an exotic …

In The News, Joe N. Caudell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Deer hunters may shoot feral hogs (New Jersey)
Exotic species threaten Texas horned lizard
Several servals on the loose (PA, GA, WA, MI, MO, IL)
Brown tree snake causes printer paper jam
Guam ravaged by variety of invasive species: brown tree snake, rhinoceros beetle, salamander (Eurycea sp.) and a garter snake (Thamnophis sp.)
Humans stand up for themselves during bear attacks: Eagle River, Alaska, Cooper Landing, Alaska, & Logan, Utah.
The invasive monk parakeet is causing problems in Edgewater, NJ.
Starlings in Indianapolis & the Vatican

The Eradication Of Invasive Mammal Species: Can Adaptive Resource Management Fill The Gaps In Our Knowledge?, Sugoto Roy, Graham C. Smith, James C. Russell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Invasive alien species (IAS) threaten global biodiversity; they are the major cause of species extinction on offshore islands. Management of IAS requires data on the ecology of species in their new environment, how these species respond to management, and how these processes interact. Often, however, there is a paucity of information on key biological parameters that are critical to making management decisions. We sent a questionnaire to professionals and organizations managing invasive species and asked the respondents to prioritize a list of information they required to carry out eradication of invasive species. We analysed responses to assess the level of …

Deterring Cliff-Swallow Nesting On Highway Structures Using Bioacoustics And Surface Modifications, Jaclyn S. Conklin, Michael J. Delwiche, W. Paul Gorenzel, Robert W. Coates

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) are migratory birds that breed in colonies and frequently nest on highway structures. Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, swallows in their active nests cannot be harmed by nesting-control methods. This causes problems and delays in maintenance of structures by divisions of many departments of transportation. We evaluated 2 aversion strategies, bioacoustic deterrents and surface modifi cations, for their effect on cliff swallow nesting behavior. The bioacoustic deterrents consisted of sonic devices that broadcast 8 unique recordings of alarm and distress calls of cliff swallows. We made surface modifications, mounting high-density …