Blood samples from 145 Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax, BCNH) chicks (mean age 3 weeks) were taken from four island colonies (Goose (2004), Canarsie Pol (2005), Hoffman (2004 and 2005) and North Brother (2004 and 2005)) in New York Harbor in 2004 and 2005 to establish baseline health reference ranges for this species and to compare health indices of birds reared on different is...

The Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax is widespread across the Palaearctic region though its population has decreased during the last century (Cramp & Simmons, 1977). In the Iberian Peninsula it has a threatened status (Blanco & González, 1992) and its reproduction is concentrated in no more than thirty colonies in the North, Northeast and Southwest (Palacios, 1997). Currently, population estim...

The avian family Ardeidae comprises long-legged freshwater and coastal birds. There has been considerable disagreement concerning the intrafamilial relationships of Ardeidae. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) was used as a marker for the identification and phylogenetic analysis of avian species. In the present study, we analyzed the COI barcodes of 32 species from 17 genera bel...

During 1997 we evaluated reproductive success in colonial water birds nesting in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), Texas, and correlated success with concentrations of contaminants in eggs. We also measured steroid hormones and gonadosomatic index (GSI) as biomarkers of endocrine effects in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Nest and fledging success of green herons (Butorides virescens) and grea...

The breeding success of a double-brooding colony of Boat-billed Herons Cochlearius cochlearius was studied in pasturelands of Costa Rica. Mean clutch size in the first clutches (2.9 eggs/nest) was higher than in second and repeat clutches (2.3 eggs/nest). Breeding success was similar in the first attempt and second attempts (20.7% and 21.7%, respectively). In both attempts earlier nests enjoyed...

Fishes are delicious. At least herons, kingfishers, mergansers, and all marine birds seem to think so. Marine mammals seem to think so. Minks and bears seem to think so. The big fishes themselves concur. As a taxonomic group, fishes face one of the most diverse arrays of predators imaginable. Threat comes from below and from above, during the day and at night, and at almost all stages of life. ...