Division of Bird Habitat Conservation

Body Condition of Waterfowl Harvested on the Upper Gulf Coast of Texas, 1986-2000. 2001. Haukos, David A., Neaville, Jim E., and Myers, James E. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 2, Migratory Bird Office. 8.5 x 11, soft cover, 61 pages.

Abstract: Body condition is an indication of nutrient reserves (fat, protein) available to wintering waterfowl to meet current and future energy needs. There are numerous interaction stress factors that may affect body condition of wintering waterfowl including food availability, habitat quality and quantity, weather, molt, courtship and pair formation, harvest, and disturbance. There is a lack of understanding of temporal and spatial variability in body condition within and among waterfowl populations during winter. From 1986-2000, 9,521 birds of 25 waterfowl species were measured (wing chord, body mass, body length, and wing span) at hunter-check stations on the upper Gulf Coast of Texas. . . .

To request a copy, contact Dee Captain (dee_captain@fws.gov). Include the name of the book, your name, and mailing address.


Migration of Birds, Circular 16. Lincoln, Frederick C., revised by Peterson, Steven R., revised by Zimmerman, John L. 1998. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 6 x 9, soft cover, 113 pages.

Preface: Frederick C. Lincoln’s Migration of Birds was published in 1935. Lincoln’s writing style effectively communicated the wonders of bird migration to a wide audience, both young and old, experienced observers of birds as well as the simply curious. Indeed the demand for this little book was so great that it was revised in 1950 and soon was out of print again. In 1979, Steven R. Peterson developed a second revision, adding additional examples and presenting an understanding of bird migration that reflected current research. . . .

In this present revision by John Zimmerman, large sections of the text have remained unchanged from the previous revision or only slightly modified to make the discussion compatible with current understanding. The geographic emphasis of Lincoln and the wealth of pertinent examples added by Peterson have been maintained. I have made substantial changes, however, in sections dealing with the evolution of migration, stimulus for migration, orientation and navigation and the influence of weather. I have also changed the emphasis of the final section to reflect current concerns. . . . — John Zimmerman, 1998

To request a copy, contact Dee Captain (dee_captain@fws.gov). Include the name of the book, your name, and mailing address.

Wetland Use by Waterbirds That Winter in Coastal Texas, Information and Technology Report 8, September 1996. Anderson, James T., Tacha, Thomas C., Muehl, George T., and Lobpries, David. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Service. 1996. 8.5 x 11, soft cover, 40 pages.

Abstract: Wetland use and selection by species of waterbirds (shorebirds, wading birds, gulls, terns, grebes, cormorants, and pelicans) between the Rio Grande and Galveston Bay in coastal Texas were studied during September and November of 1991-92 and during January and March of 1992-93. Based on a stratified (by dominant land use) random sample of 64.75-ha plots, 88 species of waterbirds using wetlands were observed. Ranks of density and proportion of feeding birds indicated that cormorants and pelicans preferred wetlands with less than 30% vegetation. Gulls, terns, and skimmers, preferred certain types of estuarine and lacustrine wetlands with less than 30% vegetation, especially estuarine subtidal rock bottom rubble types. Grebes and rails selectively used palustrine aquatic-bed rooted vascular and unconsolidated bottom mud wetland types. Herons, egrets, and bitterns preferred certain types of lacustrine and estuarine wetlands. Shorebirds used estuarine intertidal wetlands. Waterbird management should focus on 26 of the 82 wetland types that we prioritize in coastal plains of Texas. Management should focus on protecting, enhancing, or restoring complexes of various wetland types, especially estuarine aquatic-bed and intertidal unconsolidated substrate types.

To request a copy, contact Dee Captain (dee_captain@fws.gov). Include the name of the book, your name, and mailing address.

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