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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #152358
Title: REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL MOVEMENTSOF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS CAPTURED NEAR SOUTHEASTERN AQUACULTURE

Author
item KING, T - USDA/WS/NWRC
item DORR, B - USDA/WS/NWRC
item WERNER, S - USDA/WS/NWRC
item Radomski, Andrew

Submitted to: The Wildlife Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2003
Publication Date: 9/15/2003
Citation: KING, T., DORR, B., WERNER, S., RADOMSKI, A.A. REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL MOVEMENTSOF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS CAPTURED NEAR SOUTHEASTERN AQUACULTURE. THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY. 2003. p.151.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Interior population of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) has increased dramatically since the late 1970's. Within the last decade, the number of cormorants wintering in the delta region of Mississippi has nearly tripled. During the last 25 years, aquaculture production (primarily channel catfish) in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi has also dramatically increased. Cormorants, and several other fish-eating birds, take advantage of this abundant and readily accessible food source. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and understand the regional and continental movements of cormorants. Therefore, we initiated a multi-year study to monitor the movement patterns of cormorants captured near catfish production areas in the southeastern United States. From October through March 1999-2001, we equipped 56 Double-crested Cormorants with 45 gram (n = 29 in 1999-2000) or 30 gram SiV (n = 26 in 2000-2001) Microwave PTT-100 transmitters in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Although this study is ongoing, some preliminary analyses have been completed. During spring and fall migration, it was not unusual for these birds to travel >400 km in 48 hr. In general, the summer ranges of these cormorants encompassed the Great Lakes and portions of Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Vermont in the United States and Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec in Canada. The summer ranges of cormorants captured in Alabama were from the Great Lakes eastward to Lake Champlain. Cormorants captured in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi spent their summers in the Great Lakes, Manitoba, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ontario. These data show that Double-crested Cormorants that winter near southeastern aquaculture have a broad summer and breeding distribution. These data also indicate that cormorants remained near areas of intensive aquaculture during the winter months.