Seabird colony registry and atlas for the southeastern U.S.
No abstract available.
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina↗
Geology topics
L.M. Ferguson
Publications and source records attributed to L.M. Ferguson.
Health assessments of brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) nestlings from colonies in South Carolina and Georgia, U.S.A.
Health evaluations of brown pelican ( Pelecanus occidentalis ) nestlings from three colonies along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States were performed in 2005, 2007, and 2008. The primary objective of this study was to establish baseline data for hematologic, biochemical, and serologic values from a relatively healthy population of free-living pelicans during early chick development. Relationships among health variables and colony site, ectoparasite infestation, sex, and body condition index were also evaluated. Reference intervals are presented for health variables, including novel analytes for the species, as well as a comparison of these results with previously published values for wild pelicans. No significant relationships were found between health variables and nestling sex or body condition; however, differences between colony sites and the presence of ectoparasites were detected. The inclusion of health assessments as a regular component of management programs for seabirds can provide data to better understand the effect to species of concern when drastic changes occur to the population and its environment.
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine↗
Longterm trends in nest counts of colonial seabirds in South Carolina, USA
We analyzed temporal and spatial trends in annual nest counts of Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), Royal Terns (Sterna maxima), and Sandwich Terns (Sterna sandvicensis) throughout South Carolina from 1969 through 2005. There was an increase in the number of active pelican nests from 1969 through the mid 1980s, although this was followed by a steady decline that continued through 2005. Numbers of Royal Tern nests have declined during the study period, especially since 1990. In contrast, annual counts of active Sandwich Tern nests remained relatively stable through the mid 1980s, then increased substantially and have since remained stable. During the early years of the study, a greater proportion of nests from each species occurred on colonies within the Cape Romain region, although this distribution appears to have shifted with a greater proportion of nests now occurring along the southern coast. At the statewide level and at each of the primary colonies, we observed a positive correlation in counts of Brown Pelican and Royal Tern nests. Mechanisms underlying the observed trends are unclear. We suggest that priorities for research include (1) determination of diet and foraging locales for all three species, (2) impacts of ectoparasites on condition and survival of pelican chicks, and (3) metapopulation structure of all three species. Management activities should focus primarily on protection of colony sites.
Waterbirds↗
Reddish Egret extends its breeding range along the North American Atlantic coast into South Carolina
We report the northernmost breeding record of the Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) along the North American Atlantic Coast. Nesting activity was first seen in late May 2004, and on 6 July 2004 a nest was discovered with two young chicks on Marsh Island, a barrier island located within Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina, USA. Reddish Egret nestlings were last observed within 1 m of the nest on 30 July 2004. This represents a northward extension of ca. 450 km in the breeding range of this species and, for the U.S. Atlantic Coast, the only recorded instance of nesting north of Florida.
Waterbirds↗