—From 1980 to 1998, Washington’s Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) population increased at an annual rate of 10%. Over the same time period, foraging activity of Bald Eagles at marine bird breeding colonies also increased. From 1993 to 2008, we observed foraging-related behavior of Bald Eagles on Violet Point, Protection Island. This island hosts more than 70% of the breeding seabirds in Wa...

There is considerable interest in Armenia toward advancing research and applying evidence-based practice in the treatment of schizophrenia. An area of research that has made little progress is the standardization of reliable and valid tests to measure cognitive functions. The aim of the present study was twofold. The first goal was to adapt the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsyc...

We explored the attachment of an H16N3 influenza virus to human, mallard, and gull tissues using virus histochemistry applied to tissue microarrays and employing human and mallard viruses as references. Of the viruses tested, the H16N3 gull virus most readily attached to the human respiratory tract and eye. These results underscore the need to assess the potential for gull influenza viruses to ...

— As raptor populations recover following the banning of organochlorine pesticide use, there may be consequences for prey populations. While Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) actively prey on Glaucous-winged Gulls and their offspring ( Larus glaucescens ), their presence at colonies and roost sites may also influence reproductive success of gulls by impacting activity budgets. Here we in...

wing to the material differences in the natural and engineered systems, the design of a biological-inspired aircraft possesses considerable challenges to the aircraft designer. The birds employ a structure of hollow bones, flexible joints and muscles, and feathers to morph their wings to suit the desired flight condition. While the aircrafts use the rigid joints and structures to sustain the ae...

In spite of increasing public health concerns about the potential risks associated with swimming in waters contaminated with waterfowl feces, little is known about the composition of the gut microbial community of aquatic birds. To address this, a gull 16S rRNA gene clone library was developed and analyzed to determine the identities of fecal bacteria. Analysis of 282 16S rRNA gene clones demon...

The prevalence of influenza A virus infection, and the distribution of different subtypes of the virus, were studied in 1529 ducks and 1213 gulls shot during ordinary hunting from August to December in two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007, in Norway. The study was based on molecular screening of cloacal and tracheal swabs, using a pan-influenza A RT-PCR. Samples found to be positive for influen...