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R.M. Erwin

Publications and source records attributed to R.M. Erwin.

85 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS1983

Organochlorine residues in common tern eggs from nine Atlantic coast colonies, 1980

In 1980, 178 Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) eggs were collected in nine colonies from Rhode Island to North Carolina and were analyzed for organochlorines. DDE and PCBs were detected in most of the eggs. Mean concentrations of DDE and PCBs differed among colonies and seemed related to local contamination. Concentrations of DDE and PCBs in Common Tern eggs were well below those reported to have adverse effects in this species. In one colony, eggs of known laying sequence were collected. First, second, and third eggs in the clutch did not differ significantly from one another in shell weight, shell thickness, and concentration of DDE or PCBs.

Colonial Waterbirds↗
USGS1982

Estimating reproductive success in colonial waterbirds: An evaluation

To estimate reproductive success in a population one ideally would like to determine the number of young fledged per nesting female. However, this is difficult because often (1) the adults are not individually marked, (2) the colony is not visited daily, and (3) the investigator is unable to monitor all young until they fledge. If adults are unmarked and successful renesting occurs, reproductive success will be underestimated. If a colony is not visited daily and nests are initiated and lost between visits, reproductive success will be overestimated. The Mayfield method is one approach to overcoming this latter problem. Finally, nestling colonial birds are often able to move away from the nest site well before fledging and thus avoid being detected. To overcome this problem capture-recapture methods and enclosures have been used. In this paper we discuss these limitations and evaluate methods of dealing with them.

Colonial Waterbirds↗
USGS1982

Observer variability in estimating numbers: An experiment

Census estimates of bird populations provide an essential framework for a host of research and management questions. However, with some exceptions, the reliability of numerical estimates and the factors influencing them have received insufficient attention. Independent of the problems associated with habitat type, weather conditions, cryptic coloration, ete., estimates may vary widely due only to intrinsic differences in observers? abilities to estimate numbers. Lessons learned in the field of perceptual psychology may be usefully applied to 'real world' problems in field ornithology. Based largely on dot discrimination tests in the laboratory, it was found that numerical abundance, density of objects, spatial configuration, color, background, and other variables influence individual accuracy in estimating numbers. The primary purpose of the present experiment was to assess the effects of observer, prior experience, and numerical range on accuracy in estimating numbers of waterfowl from black-and-white photographs. By using photographs of animals rather than black dots, I felt the results could be applied more meaningfully to field situations. Further, reinforcement was provided throughout some experiments to examine the influence of training on accuracy.

Journal of Field Ornithology↗
USGS1981

Censusing wading bird colonies: An update on the 'flight-line' count method

1. Thirteen mixed-species heronries (10 in Florida, two in Virginia, one in North Carolina) were studied in 1980 as part of a project begun in 1979 aimed at evaluating the 'flight-line' census method..2. Standardized counts of Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Louisiana and Little Blue Herons flying to and from the nesting colony were made for three hr periods, followed by a nest count of the colony. 3.Significant differences were found in the flight rates (number of birds per nest x hour) of the four species at the Chincoteague colony. However, when Cattle Egrets and Louisiana Herons were compared at all 13 colonies, their respective flight rates were in opposite rank to those at Chincoteague. Colony differences, then, may mask species differences. 4. A linear regression model showed a strong fit (R2=0.92) between the hourly flight number (3 hr means) and the nest number, but point estimates (single colony) had very large confidence limits. A given colony might be over-or underestimated by a factor of 2, using the regression equation as a predictive model. 5. A more appropriate application of the method would be to determine regionwide (e.g., state), rather than colony-specific, population estimates. 'Total' estimates for all (n= 13) colonies were within 10% of the actual nest number.

Colonial Waterbirds↗
USGS1981

Common tern colonies along the mid-Atlantic coast. I. Nestling chronology

1. Sixteen Common Tern colonies in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina were studied from May through July 1980 by four investigators. Nests were marked during egg laying and were monitored every 5-7 days until fledging of young. 2. Results from 1980 indicate that ambient temperature differences in the four study areas account for differences in the onset of egg laying with North Carolina and Virginia colonies beginning 12-16 days before New Jersey and Rhode Island birds. Temperature alone, however, does not seem to have a significant effect on either median egg-laying dates or total duration of the season. 3. The low frequency of late-season nesting was not correlated with colony size or success of peak nests in 1980, but renesting (or late nesting) in all study areas was rare because of the benign weather conditions during the spring. Similarly, no significant correlation was found between success of nests and colony size.

Colonial Waterbirds↗
USGS1981

Birds

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Book chapter↗
USGS1981

Colony site dynamics and habitat use in Atlantic coast seabirds

Seabird colony sizes and movements were documented in the DelMarVa coastal region in 1976-1977 and in New Jersey in 1978-1979. Most colonies were found on marsh and dredge deposition islands and on barrier island beaches. For the "traditionally" beach-nesting Herring Gull, Common Tern, and Black Skimmer, larger, more stable colonies were found on barrier beaches than on marsh islands. In marsh habitats, rates of colony-site change of marsh-nesting Forster's Tern and Laughing Gulls were similar to those of the former beach nesters. Several adaptations have evolved in marsh specialists to cope with a high risk of reproductive failure due to flooding, but both Herring Gulls and Common Terns also appear to be very adaptable in nesting under various habitat conditions. New colonies and those abandoned between years may be pioneering attempts by younger or inexperienced birds, because they are often smaller than persistent colonies, although patterns differ among areas and habitats. Colony-site dynamics are complex and result from many selective factors including competition, predation, physical changes in site structure, and flooding. The invasion of Herring Gulls into marshes along the mid-Atlantic coast has had an impact on new colony-site choice by associated seabirds. Calculating colony-site turnover rates allows for comparisons among species, habitats, and regions and may give useful insights into habitat quality and change and alternative nesting strategies.

The Auk↗