Eider (Somateria mollissima) Science Article 6 abstract In the present study we have made observations of eye closure duration of Common Eider Somateria mollissima in the field, to determine the amount of time devoted to sleep during the incubation period, both in breeding and non-breeding females. Breeding females started to incubate with a higher level […]
Category: Anseriformes
Nesting success of common eiders Somateria mollissima as influenced by nest-site and female characteristics in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence
Eider (Somateria mollissima) Science Article 3 abstract In the common eider Somateria mollissima as well as in many other bird species, nesting success has been associated with female reproductive characteristics and predator accessibility to the nest site. In this study, we tested the following predictions on nesting common eiders: 1) female and nest-site characteristics are […]
Local movements, home ranges and body condition of Common Eiders Somateria mollissima wintering in Southwest Greenland.
Eider (Somateria mollissima) Science Article 8 abstract We examined local movements, home ranges and body condition of wintering Northern Common Eiders Somateria mollissima borealis in Southwest Greenland from late winter until spring migration in 2000 and 2001. At key marine habitats at coastal areas and in the inner fjord system of Nuuk, we implanted 33 […]
The cost of mate guarding in the Common Eider
Eider (Somateria mollissima) Science Article 9 abstract Amale biased sex ratio in Finnish Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) results in unmated males interacting with eider pairs. We quantified the effects of mate guarding on other behaviors.Matedmales spent less time feeding and performed fewer dives than unmatedmales in 2003, but not in 2004.Acoldwinter in 2003 implies that […]
Parental care influences the feeding behaviour of female eiders Somateria mollissima
Eider (Somateria mollissima) Science Article 1 abstract We compared the feeding behaviour of lone tenders, multi-female tenders and postbreeding, non-tending eider females Somateria mollissima in the northern Baltic. Few prey species are available for eiders in the Baltic; in the non-breeding season adults prefer blue mussels Mytilus edulis, whereas small ducklings feed primarily on gammarids […]
Variation in egg size of Common Eiders
Eider (Somateria mollissima) Science Article 4 abstract Egg size of Eiders Somateria mollissima was studied in the colony on Vlieland, The Netherlands, during six consecutive years. Mean length and breadth of 2476 eggs was 77.84 and 51.25 mm, respectively. Mean volume measured of 1882 of these eggs was 104.03 cm-3. A large variation in egg […]
Egyptian Geese Alopochen aegyptiacus moulting on Dassen Island, South Africa
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) Science Article 1 abstract Egyptian Geese have increased in numbers in the Western Cape in recent decades, and they are considered agricultural pests in the Swartland region, the grain-producing area on the mainland adjacent to Dassen Island (Hockey et al. 1989). It is possible that traditional moult sites on the mainland […]
Distribution and behaviour of Common Scoter Melanitta nigra relative to prey resources and environmental parameters
Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Science Article 1 abstract Offshore wind farms are proposed around the coast of the UK and elsewhere in Europe. These sites tend to be located in shallow coastal waters that often coincide with areas used by over-wintering Common Scoter Melanitta nigra. A large-scale study was undertaken to ascertain the relationship of […]
Seasonal Enumeration of Fecal Coliform Bacteria from the Feces of Ring-Billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) and Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Science Article 1 abstract Water suppliers have often implicated roosting birds for fecal contamination of their surface waters. Geese and gulls have been the primary targets of this blame although literature documenting the fecal coliform content of these birds is quite limited. To determine the actual fecal coliform concentrations of these […]
Parasitic egg laying in canvasbacks: frequency, success, and individual behavior.
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) Science Article 1 abstract Time-lapse photography and frequent nest checks conducted at Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) nests revealed a high frequency of intraspecific parasitic egg laying. At least 36% of completed Canvasback clutches were parasitized by other Canvasbacks, and at least 9.7% of all Canvasback eggs were laid parasitically during the three-year study. […]