Raptor Mortality Due to Drowning in a Livestock Watering Tank

Craig, Tim; Powers, Leon R.

doi:10.2307/1367706

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., kills more birds annually (at least 328/yr: Overing 1938) than do most scientists; should we therefore dismantle the Washington Monument? The number of birds killed by museum scientists each year is closer to that killed accidentally by fishing lines and lures (Nickell 1964, Sallee 1978, Bartel 1984, kite strings (Evrard 1985), bird-feeders (Brittingham and Temple 1988), livestock water tanks (Craig andPowers 1976, Chilgren 1979), or human-provided nest material (Fillmore andTitman 1977, Jackson 1981) than it is to the number killed by commonplace, daily human activities. To a bird, it makes no difference whether it was killed deliberately by a museum scientist or accidentally by a window, vehicle, fishing line, or kite string, regardless of the moral predilections of the perpetrator.…”

Section: Moral Objectionsmentioning

confidence: 93%

The importance of continued collecting of bird specimens to ornithology and bird conservation

Remsen¹

1995

Bird Conservation International

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SummaryBecause museum scientists and conservationists are natural allies in the struggle to preserve biodiversity, conflict over the legality, morality, and value of collecting scientific specimens is counterproductive. Modern bird specimens contain a variety of data, summarized briefly herein, that are applied to numerous questions concerning the biology of birds, many of which have direct and often critical relevance to conservation. In particular, continued collecting of specimens has been shown to be critical in determining species-level classification in birds; unless species limits are established correctly, conservation priorities cannot be established reliably. Objections to collecting specimens are summarized and discussed. Calculations are presented to show that the effect of collecting specimens on most bird populations is insignificant. Moral objections to collecting specimens seem to reflect a lack of awareness of the extent and causes of natural mortality, as well as a failure to recognize the magnitude of unintentional mortality inflicted on bird populations by routine human activities. The reason why more specimens are needed than currently exist in museum collections is that most existing specimens lack the data needed for most kinds of modern analyses, and even common species are represented by inadequate samples for research. Reasons are given for why equivalent data cannot be obtained solely from living birds that are subsequently released. Objecting to collecting specimens because it sets a bad example for developing countries trying to establish an environmental ethic is counterproductive in that it draws attention away from the fundamental units of concern for conservation biology: the population, and the habitat that supports it. Biological specimens differ from some other scientific specimens (e.g. archaeological) in that they are renewable resources whose removal does not deplete a country's national heritage. Misconceptions about museum scientists and their motives are discussed. Regarding collecting permits, recommendations are presented concerning (1) numbers of specimens, (2) percentage of specimens left in the host country, (3) species composition, (4) deposition of specimens, and (5) processing permit applications. Regulating agencies are often overly enthusiastic in restricting scientific collecting, which is the only kind of mortality that is so highly controlled and yet from which bird species might derive benefit, whereas the same or sister agencies often permit and even encourage activities that are responsible for massive mortality in bird populations. Given that (1) the goal of scientists, conservation agencies, and governments is protection of populations, not individual birds; (2) scientific collecting has no measurable impact on the vast majority of bird populations; (3) scientific specimens represent an important source of information on bird biology and conservation; and (4) existing scientific collections are largely inadequate for answering many questions that could ...

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Section: Moral Objectionsmentioning

confidence: 93%

The importance of continued collecting of bird specimens to ornithology and bird conservation

Remsen¹

1995

Bird Conservation International

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“…Eagles may drown in water troughs for livestock after becoming immersed and unable to fly or climb out of the steep-sided structures (Craig and Powers, 1976;Bedrosian and others, 2019;Katzner and others, 2020b). Drowning risk can be reduced by fitting troughs with escape ramps, keeping water levels high, or draining troughs when livestock are removed from the area (Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2012; Kauffman and others, 2019).…”

Section: Grazingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Murphy¹,

DeLong²,

Igl³

et al. 2023

Professional Paper

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“…Water provided for cattle is usually in either above ground metal or fiberglass tanks that can hold 4.5–31.4 m 3 of water, or in dug out earthen ponds, and filled from wells by wind- or solar-powered pumps (). Houston (1996) noted raptors may drink and bath at stock tanks, and Craig and Powers (1976) suggested tanks may be attractive to raptors if they congregate prey species. However, in the context of raptors, stock tanks are primarily known as a source of drowning mortality (Craig and Powers 1976, Whaley 1986, Mundy et al 1992, Anderson et al 1999), which may be a conservation concern for Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) and Golden Eagles (Russell and Franson 2014, US Fish and Wildlife Service 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Water Use by Raptors in the Southern Great Plains

Boal

Bibles

Gicklhorn

2023

Journal of Raptor Research

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There is a paucity of data evaluating water use by raptors. Although raptors are believed to satisfy their water requirements through metabolic processes, they are known to experience reduced reproductive success during periods of drought, and there is evidence of water being important for site occupancy in arid landscapes. Several raptor species have a seasonal or year-round presence in west Texas, a drought-prone, semi-arid region of the Southern Great Plains. We examined species-specific timing of free water use by common raptors in this region, and examined environmental conditions associated with water use. We collected 4549 camera trap-days of data across 4 yr at ten human-made water sources placed for cattle. We recorded 14 species of raptors among the 1177 detections of raptors visiting water sources; of these, 1084 raptors (92.1%) perched at tanks, and 93 (7.1%) flew by tanks. Of the raptors that perched at tanks, 63.5% drank and 20.8% both bathed and drank. Barn Owls (Tyto alba; 35.6%), Swainson's Hawks (Buteo swainsoni; 32.0%), and Northern Harriers (Circus hudsonius; 21.0%) were the predominate species detected. Visits by Northern Harriers and Swainson's Hawks increased with increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation. Visits by Barn Owls increased with increasing drought severity. Further, detections per 100 trap-days increased substantively across our 4-yr study period during which the region experienced one of the worst droughts on record. Although our data do not demonstrate these raptors require free water, they do reveal an increasing use of free water in relation to hotter and drier conditions. How this influences survival and reproduction remains unknown, but may become a pressing question because current climate models predict the study area will experience increases in heat and decreases in precipitation.

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Raptor Mortality Due to Drowning in a Livestock Watering Tank

Cited by 11 publications

References 5 publications

The importance of continued collecting of bird specimens to ornithology and bird conservation

The importance of continued collecting of bird specimens to ornithology and bird conservation

The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Patterns of Water Use by Raptors in the Southern Great Plains

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