Scott C. Barras

The impacts of many species of piscivorous birds on aquaculture are well documented in the southeastern United States; however, specific studies of black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) in these areas are lacking. Because black-crowned night herons opportunistically exploit abundant food resources and inhabit an important catfish production area, we initiated a study to assess their use of and potential impacts on a catfish aquaculture facility. We conducted a biweekly survey October 2004-September 2006 on Harvest Select Farms near Inverness, Mississippi, to quantify year-...

During winters 1990-1992, we manipulated food availability 5%-20% less than that of ad libitum feeding for captive groups of wild-strain North American wood ducks (Aix sponsa) to test effects of increasing levels of food restriction on prebasic molt of females. Birds fed ad libitum and 5%-15% restricted diets exhibited a protracted molt (>90 days) of low intensity. Most females fed a 20%-restricted diet did not initiate molt until resumption of ad libitum food availability. We hypothesize that a 20% restriction exceeds a threshold in food availability and possibly body condition needed...