Category: Ciconiiformes

The voice and first nesting records of the Zigzag Heron in Ecuador

Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) Science Article 1 abstract Recent sightings of the little-known Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulutus) have come primarily from Peru, as reported by Mathews and Brooke (Wilson Bull., 100: 147-148, 1988) and by Davis et al. (Condor, 82:460-46 1, 1980). Neither Hilty and Brown (A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, Princeton Univ. […]

Phylogenetic relationships of the Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) and white-crested Bittern (Tigriornis leucolophus) estimated by DNA-DNA hybridization

Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) Science Article 2 abstract Recently we, acquired DNA of two rare species of heron, the Neotropical Zigzag Heron (Zebrilus undulatus) and the African White-crested Bittern (Tigriornis le colophus). To estimate their phylogenetic relationships to other herons, we compared these species with representatives of the major heron clades using DNA-DNA hybridization. Even […]

Prey Handling in Yellow-crowned Night Herons

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) Science Article 1 abstract Although an extensive literature exists on the foraging ecology of wading birds (reviewed by Kushlan 1978), detailed studies of the Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) are lacking.The yellowcrown is unique among the ardeids in that it specializeson crustacean prey (Palmer 1962, Hancock and Elliott 1978) and […]

ORGANOCHLORINE RESIDUES AND EGGSHELL THINNING IN WOOD STORKS AND ANHINGAS

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) Science Article 1 abstract All 10 Wood Stork eggs collected at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in 1973 contained residues of DDE (geometric mean 4.0 ppm wet weight) and PCBs (1.2 ppm). Nine other organochlorines were found at lower frequencies in the eggs. Eggshells from the recent period were 8.9% thinner […]

Variation of primary production during winter induces synchrony in survival rates in migratory white storks Ciconia ciconia

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Science Article 12 abstract The environmental conditions that migratory birds experience during their stay at different locations throughout the year can have significant impact on the variation of annual survival rates. Because migrants often crowd during non-breeding, environmental conditions can affect survival rates of individuals originating from different breeding populations, thus […]

Development of thermoregulatory ability during ontogeny in the White Stork Ciconia ciconia

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Science Article 1 abstract The development of thermoregulation abilities in White Stork Ciconia ciconia nestlings was examined. Our results showed that body mass, and not age, was the best predictor for thermoregulatory ability despite what was found in passerines. White Stork nestlings did not develop their thermoregulatory abilities abruptly since their […]

Time budget, habitat use and breeding success of White Storks Ciconia ciconia under variable foraging conditions during the breeding season in Switzerland.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Science Article 9 abstract Following its extinction in 1950, the White Stork Ciconia ciconia was reintroduced to Switzerland. We analysed time budget, habitat use and breeding success of 28 breeding pairs at five sites in 1994. At two sites the adults were given extra food daily (SF), at the others no […]

Flight behaviour of White Stork Ciconia ciconia on their migration over southern Israel

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Science Article 8 abstract More than 200 flight paths of White Storks were recorded during spring and autumn 1991/92 at two sites in southern Israel by tracking radar. White Storks did not adapt flight behaviour to maximize cross-country speed as predicted by theory. Gliding airspeed was not adjusted to climb rate […]

Resource-dependent weather effect in the reproduction of the White Stork Ciconia ciconia.

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Science Article 11 abstract Weather affects the breeding success of White Stork Ciconia ciconia, but the effect has not been studied in the context of different food resources or habitat quality. The aim of this study was to determine whether the impact of weather conditions on breeding success was dependent on […]

Migratory orientation of first-year white storks (Ciconia ciconia): inherited information and social interactions

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Science Article 5 abstract We used satellite tracking to study the migratory orientation of juvenile white storks from the population in the Kaliningrad Region (Russia) during their first autumn migration. Two series of experiments were performed. In the first series of experiments, several groups of first-year storks were raised in an […]