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Title: Field techniques and methods of data collection used in studies of wood storks of the Birdsville Colony and swamps of the Savannah River Plant

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6500961

The United States population of Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) has been declining over the last 50 years, although there has been disagreement as to the magnitude of the decrease. In 1984, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the US breeding population as endangered. In that year the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory began an extensive research program on the breeding biology and foraging ecology of Wood Storks of the Birdsville colony in Millen, Jenkins county, east-central Georgia, USA. The SREL Wood Stork program was designed to evaluate the importance of foraging habitat on the Savannah River Plant to storks, and to design and develop management plans for artificial foraging ponds at the National Audubon Society's Silver Bluff Plantation Sanctuary. It was necessary to develop an understanding of the general foraging ecology of the birds, and to understand their forage needs during the breeding season. We have summarized the methods that we developed during this program as an aid to researchers studying storks or other wading birds. Although the methods described here were designed to answer questions important to our program, we hope that they are general enough to be helpful to others. Some of the methods were designed in 1983, during a preliminary part of the study. All the methods have evolved during the program, improving from our experience. Many people have been involved in the study and all have contributed to the methods and their improvement.

Research Organization:
Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC (USA). Div. of Stress and Wildlife Ecology
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-76SR00819
OSTI ID:
6500961
Report Number(s):
SREL-34; ON: DE89007938
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English