Open AccessThe American Coot (Fulica americana) on the Hanford Site Part 1: Nesting Biology
Author(s) -
R.E. Fitzner,
R.G. Schreckhise
Publication year - 1979
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/1069240
Subject(s) - wildlife refuge , nesting (process) , anas , habitat , ecology , nest (protein structural motif) , biology , hanford site , waterfowl , typha , avian clutch size , hatching , wildlife , wetland , fishery , radioactive waste , reproduction , biochemistry , chemistry , materials science , nuclear chemistry , metallurgy
The nesting biology of the American coot was studied on low-level radioactive waste ponds located on the Hanford DOE Site and on control ponds located in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Washington from 1974 through 1976. The objective was to discover any differences in the nesting biology of the birds which could be attributed to the low-level radioactive wastes present in the Hanford DOE Site ponds. Coots nesting on the Hanford ponds and those nesting on the wildlife refuge were found to have similar nesting habits. Nesting habitats were similar for coots from both the control ponds and those exposed to radionuclides; all coots selected habitats in which the water level was moderate to shallow, and stable. Emergent aquatic plants such as cattail (Typha latifolia) and bulrush (Scirpus acutus) were characteristic of both habitats. There were no apparent differences in nesting chronology between birds from the different study sites; nests containing eggs were found from April through mid-June on most ponds. Clutch size showed no significant differences. The average number of eggs per nest for all ponds was 6.7. Egg and chick weights and percent hatching success were similar among coots from both study sites. Feeding habits of the coots from the two sites did show some differences. However, this is probably related to the availability of food items in each pond