Early this week the US Fish and Wildlife Service's principal contact, Jan Miller, received an emergency message from Dr Yuki Watanabe of Japan. Her quick action in getting Dr Wantanabe's message to Patuxent and eventually to Patuxent's Research Veterinarian, Dr Glenn Olsen, resulted in an international collaboration based on Patuxent's extensive research involving crane physiology and Dr Olsen's considerable experience and expertise. A synopsis of the communication follows:
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I am a veterinarian in Japan, and have been treating three red-headed crane chicks which are in coccidioses (DVC) for 40 days. I have been treating them aggressively, using ICF treatment manual. So far I can make them alive, but they have not been eating for over 30 days (I feed them by tube feeding). I need more information about DVC and its prognosis. Do you have any records about the cases of crane chicks that could had been survive by medical treatment? I want to get more treatment details to make our chicks fine again.

Yuki Watanabe D.V.M.

09/30/2002 02:09 PM
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Dr Watanabe,

I would treat the crane chicks with Robenz (made by the Robbins Co.) at the rate of 0.0033% in the food you are feeding them. You should be able to mix this in the formula for tube feeding, as I have done so in the past. Then once the cranes are free of coccidia, or at least the coccidia are in low numbers, you should put the cranes on a diet of pelleted food that has monesin in the pellets at the rate of 90 grams per ton of feed. Sometimes crane chicks, or even older cranes that are being tube fed can be very stuborn and will refuse to eat on their own, ofter for several days. If the cranes are otherwise healthy and in good weight and good condition, I would not be afraid to stop tube feeding and to just give them food to eat on their own. They can easily go 4 days without eating if they are healthy, and I have seen some cranes do this. You say these are chicks, but I am assuming they hatched this spring and are now almost adult size. Adult size cranes can go several days without eating, but they should have the food offered in front of them at all times so they can start eating when they are ready. Try offering them some treats also, if you have not done so. We will give our cranes red berries, blueberries, corn, small minnows or smelt, and even goldfish to encourage them to eat at times.

Atlantic Seaduck Project Website Recently Updated by Research Assistants Lohnes adn Neufeld

The Atlantic Seaduck Project website has recently been updated by research assistant Edward Lohnes, with help from Chris Neufeld. All five surf scoters instrumented in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland in April 2002 are alive and in Canada. All 13 black scoters instrumented on the Restigouche River, New Brunswick in May are alive and in Canada. There doesn't appear to be any sign of movement in a southerly direction, although there have been local movements. Female black scoter # 12 recently moved (hopefully with young) from Manitoba near western Hudson Bay to James Bay. This is the same area where 10 of the 11 male black scoters have been all summer, apparently molting. For more information, point your browser to the following web site:

http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/perry/scoters/default.htm 

Songbird Nest Predation in Managed Bottomland Hardwood Forests Studied by Gannon, Cooper and Patuxent's Moore

Songbird Nest Predation in Managed Bottomland Hardwood Forests: Partners In Flight (PIF) identified retention and expansion of the remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood forest in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley as a priority for bird conservation. However, effects of forest and hydrological management on neotropical migratory songbirds that nest in these seasonally-flooded forests are not well known. Predation is a significant source of mortality for the cavity-nesting Prothonotary Warbler, a PIF species of concern. On a study area in the USFWS White River National Wildlife Refuge, University of Georgia graduate student Jill Gannon found a correspondence between nest depredation events and human-influenced landscape characteristics, principally total area covered by water and placement of forest cuts. The findings suggest that further alterations to the hydrological cycle may increase predation risk for the warbler. Gannon and coauthors Robert Cooper of the University of Georgia and Clinton Moore of USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center presented these preliminary findings at the Third North American Ornithological Conference, 24-28 September 2002 in New Orleans.

Article by Patuxent's Peruach entitled "The Identification of Birdstrike Remains" is Highlighted in US Air Force Flying Safety Magazine

Suzanne Peurach of Patuxent’s Biological Survey Unit at the National Museum of Natural History is featured in the current article of the United States Air Force Flying Safety Magazine. The article is entitled The Identification of Birdstrike Remains. The importance of Suzanne's work on the identification of bat species that collide with U. S. Air Force jets is highlighted on page 8. The magazine is distributed to over 500 U. S. Air Force bases worldwide. Click on the pdf file or web link to view the article on pages 4-8 which describes collaborative work between the U. S. Air Force, Smithsonian Institution, and the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

Patuxent's Robbins Participates in 3rd North American Ornithological Conference in New Orleans 

Dr Chandler Robbins participated in the 3rd North American Ornithological Conference in New Orleans, Sept. 24-29. This conference is sponsored every four years by the American Ornithologists' Union and several other American, Canadian, Mexican, and Caribbean Ornithological Societies. Robbins will be presenting a poster showing changes in breeding bird populations on the Allegheny Plateau based on his study plots of 50 years ago that he and Barbara Dowell re-censused over the past three years. Southern species (titmice, cardinals, Acadian Flycatchers, and others) have moved in, and so have northern species (creepers, kinglets, Winter Wrens, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Myrtle Warblers). Ground- and shrub-nesting Neotropical migrants have declined in the fragmented landscape of the Allegheny Plateau, although a recent paper by Christopher Haney et al. (Condor 103:268-277) showed no corresponding decline in extensive forest in the Southern Appalachians.

Guntenspergen Organizes an International Symposium in China on "Wetland Restoration and Management: Addressing Asian Isues through International Collaboration" 

Dr. Glenn Guntenspergen recently organized (Sept 8-18) an International Symposium in Nanjing, China - "Wetland Restoration and Management: Addressing Asian Issues through International Collaboration" at the invitation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nanjing Forestry University. The other members of the conference executive committee included the U.S. Forest Service (Center for Forested Wetlands) and the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian Ecological Research Center). The objective of the conference was to provide a forum for synthesizing existing knowledge about ecosystem processes as a foundation for effective restoration and management of wetlands in Asia. Over 150 participants represented countries throughout Asia, the Pacific, Europe, and NorthAmerica. Dr. Guntenspergen also presented an invited plenary talk on : Decision Support Models to Identify and Prioritize Wetland Restoration Sites. Other Survey scientists attending the meeting included: Dr. Steve Faulkner, Dr. Beth Middleton, Dr. Bobby Keeland, Dr. Virginia Burkett, Dr. Robert Stewart, and Ms. Colleen Charles.

Patuxent Scientists Gustafson, Perry and Peterjohn Attend the North Pacific Migratory Bird Conference in Middlebury, Vermont to Examine Current Level of Cooperation Between US and Russian Ornithologists and to Discuss Future 

Mary Gustafson, Matt Perry, and Bruce Peterjohn attended the North Pacific Migratory Bird Conference in Middlebury, Vermont September 9-13 held by the US FWS Division of International Conservation. This conference was attended by representatives from the USA, Canada, Japan, and Russia. The purpose of the conference was to examine the current level of cooperation between US and Russian ornithologists and discuss future priorities for collaborative work. Twenty Russian ornithologists and an equal number of US ornithologists attended. Ms. Gustafson co-chaired the discussion on the Application of Technologies, including banding and recovery data, satellite telemetry/PTT and radio tracking, databases, and GIS with Dr. Konstantin Litvin from the Moscow Bird Ringing Centre.

Dr Mary Freeman presented an invited paper titled "Conserving stream fishes in a rapidly changing world", coauthored by Dr. Elise Irwin, USGS Alabama Coop Unit, at the symposium "When the water runs dry", described in the Times-Picayune (New Orleans) newspaper on 9/11/02. The symposium was Sept 9-10 in New Orleans LA.

Patuxent Scientists Perry, Lohnes, and Osenton Participate in Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Conference

USGS Science was presented at Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Conference. Efforts are underway in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to protect and restore wetland and riparian habitats which provide vital habitats for living resources. Over 300 resource managers and scientists from across the Nation attended a conference held in Baltimore, Maryland on September 24-26 to present information on watershed conditions, riparian and wetland restoration science, and the tools and techniques for watershed restoration. USGS science presentations include "Interaction of Riparian Forest Buffers and Ground water as it Affects Nitrate Delivery to Streams" (Gary Speiran), and "Wildlife Utilization of Delmarva Seasonally Saturated Coastal Plain Wetlands " (Matt Perry, Ed Lohnes, and Peter Osenton).

John Seginak Presents Lectures at Athens, Georgia Area High Schools

USGS Patuxent scientist John Seginak of the Athens (Ga.) Field Station presented lectures at area High Schools on September 4 and 5. Topics included "Physiological Characteristics as Indicators of Whitetail Deer Herd Conditions and Habitat Quality", "Responsible Deer Management Schemes and Their Influence on Avian Neotropical Migrants and Other Wildlife Species", and "Ethics in Hunting: Are you a Hunter and a Sportsperson, or just a Killer". Mr. Seginak will also be leading Field Trips from Madison County High School to his farm, where students will see first hand different habitat management efforts, and how they have affected the overall habitat of the area. This is the 8th year Mr. Seginak has been requested to speak.

Patuxent Scientists Hoffman, Vyas and Spann Among Authors of "Effects of Phos-Chek G75-F and Silv-Ex on Developing Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginians)"

Buscemi, D. M., D. J. Hoffman, N. B. Vyas, J. W. Spann, and W. J. Kuenzel. 2002. Effects of Phos-Chek G75-F and Silv-Ex on developing Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 43(3)330-337. Eggs of nesting birds situated in peripheral areas serving as fire breaks are at risk of being sprayed with fire control chemicals. Acute toxicity tests were conducted by immersing northern bobwhite quail eggs for 10 s in different water-based concentrations of Silv-Ex® (SE), a foam-suppressant chemical, and Phos-Chek® G75-F (PC), a fire retardant chemical, on day 4 or day 11 of incubation. An attempt was made to relate the treatment concentrations to the actual field application levels. Mortality appeared higher in most groups exposed on day 11 than on day 4, suggesting that on day 11 the extensive chorioallantoic vascular network permitted greater uptake of chemical. Only 24-60% of the embryos survived to hatch at exposure concentrations of 202, 269, and 454 g/L PC when treated on incubation day 11. At higher concentrations including 681, 956, and 1,211 g/L PC, the compound did not completely dissolve in water and clumped on eggshells, resulting in greater hatching success. Exposures to SE at 100 g/L on incubation day 11 did not significantly affect hatching success of embryos but did significantly reduce the percent hematocrit in blood compared with controls. Incubation day 11 exposure to 202 and 1,211 g/L PC led to a significant increase in plasma aspartate aminotransferase, and day 4 exposure to 1,211 g/L PC resulted in a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase. In addition to elevated liver enzymes, these treatments resulted in a decrease in the number of hepatocyte profiles (1,211 g/L PC at day 4 and day 11) and an increase in hepatocyte size (202 and 1,211 g/L PC at day 11) in hatchlings. A combination of SE and PC was synergistic (202 g/L PC and 50 g/L SE) at day 11 of incubation with respect to decreased hatching success and reduced bone lengths. However, lower concentrations of SE (10 g/L or 30 g/L) combined with 202 g/L of PC appeared antagonistic. This may be due to SE, as a surfactant, altering the ability of PC to penetrate the egg. Our results show fewer adverse effects following exposure to SE than to PC; therefore application of SE may be less harmful to breeding bird populations.

MacKenzie and Kendall Publish Article Entitled: "How Should Detection Probability be Incorporated into Estimates of Relative Abundance?"

MacKenzie, D. I. and W. L. Kendall. 2002. How should detection probability be incorporated into estimates of relative abundance? Ecology 83(9)2387-2393. Determination of the relative abundance of two populations, separated by time or space, is of interest in many ecological situations. We focus on two estimators of relative abundance, which assume that the probability that an individual is detected at least once in the survey is either equal or unequal for the two populations. We present three methods for incorporating the collected information into our inference. The first method, proposed previously, is a traditional hypothesis test for evidence that detection probabilities are unequal. However, we feel that, a priori, it is more likely that detection probabilities are actually different; hence, the burden of proof should be shifted, requiring evidence that detection probabilities are practically equivalent. The second method we present, equivalence testing, is one approach to doing so. Third, we suggest that model averaging could be used by combining the two estimators according to derived model weights. These differing approaches are applied to a mark-recapture experiment on Nuttail's cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus nuttallii) conducted in central Oregon during 1974 and 1975, which has been previously analyzed by other authors.

Scientists Lowe and Day Publish "Metal Concentrations in Zebra Mussels and Sediments from Embayments and Riverine Environments of Eastern Lake Erie, Southern Lake Ontario, and the Niagara River"

Lowe, T. P. and D. D. Day. 2002. Metal concentrations in zebra mussels and sediments from embayments and riverine environments of eastern Lake Erie, southern Lake Ontario, and the Niagara River. 

http://www-afsc.saia.af.mil/magazine/htdocs/fsmfirst.htmArchives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 43(3)301-308. Concentrations of 14 metals were studied in the soft tissues of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and sediments from 16 Great Lakes embayments and riverine environments. Samples were collected in 1993 and 1994 during the early and late autumn period when the body mass of mussels is least affected by reproductive activities. There was a significant difference in geometric mean concentrations of all metals except Cu in mussels sampled from different sites, and there was a significant difference in the geometric mean concentrations of all metals but Cd, Mn, and Zn between years. The higher metal concentrations in mussels from this study were generally similar to those in mussels from contaminated European and U.S. locations, and those with lower concentrations were similar to those from uncontaminated European and U.S. locations. Geometric mean sediment concentrations of all metals differed significantly among sites. Sediment concentrations of metals from some sites were above EPA guidelines for moderately polluted harbor sediments. Sites where zebra mussels had higher concentrations of Al, Cr, and V tended to be the same sites as those where sediment concentrations of these metals were also higher. However, there was not a significant statistical relationship between concentrations of metals in zebra mussels and sediments, except for Mg.

Contact: Dr Peter Lowe 301-497-5705

HiLites Contact: B.H. Powell, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 301-497-5782

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