University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Population trends in a Black-crowned Night-Heron colony at Lake Calumet Wetlands.

Marcisz, Walter J.; Levengood, Jeffrey M.; Klement, Allison M.; Kurcz, Margaret A.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/26511

Description

Title
Population trends in a Black-crowned Night-Heron colony at Lake Calumet Wetlands.
Author(s)
  • Marcisz, Walter J.
  • Levengood, Jeffrey M.
  • Klement, Allison M.
  • Kurcz, Margaret A.
Contributor(s)
Warwick, Charles
Issue Date
2005-08
Keyword(s)
  • Black-crowned Night-Herons
  • Nycticorax nycticorax
  • populations
  • Illinois
  • Cook County
  • pollution
  • pesticides
  • Lake Calumet
Abstract
The number of active black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) nesting colonies in Illinois has declined significantly over the past century. Habitat loss/degradation and other factors such as exposure to environmental contaminants and competition for nest sites at established colonies may have contributed to this decline. In this study, we examined recent trends in population levels of Black-crowned Night-Herons nesting at wetlands associated with Lake Calumet in southeastern Chicago, Illinois. The number of black-crowned night herons nesting annually at these wetlands has fluctuated widely over the last two decades. Immigration of herons from riverine colonies may have driven population increases during the mid-1980s and early 1990s. However, this population has remained relatively stable at between 300 and 400 pairs during 1997–2003.
Publisher
Champaign, Ill. : Illinois Natural History Survey
Series/Report Name or Number
Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin; v. 037, no. 04
ISSN
0073-4918
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26511
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2005 University of Illinois Board of Trustees. All rights reserved.

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