PARENT SESSION
PT11 - PCB Fate & Effects in the Housatonic River
Tuesday, 19 November 2002
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Exhibit Hall
(P695a) Field Evaluation of Density and Productivity of Belted Kingfishers along the Housatonic River.
Henning, Miranda*,1, McClenahan, T2, McKay, K3, Brooks, R4, 1 ARCADIS, Portland, ME, USA2 ARCADIS, Albany, NY, USA3 ., Hampton, IL, USA4 Water’s Edge Technology, LLC, State College, PA, USA
ABSTRACT- Belted kingfishers (Ceryle alcyon) breeding along the Housatonic River were observed in 2001 and 2002 with the objective of determining whether productivity or population density was adversely affected by the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their prey. The study involved: a) identifying active kingfisher burrows along the Housatonic River; b) monitoring breeding pairs from courtship through fledging; c) characterizing the suitability of availability habitat; d) testing whether various measures of habitat and exposure were significant predictors of outcome, hatching success, and/or survival to 26 days; and e) comparing observations to expectations as reported in the scientific literature. The majority of observations were made in 2002; those from 2001 constituted the pilot study. In 2002, ten active kingfisher burrows were identified within foraging distance of the Housatonic River, of which one was destroyed by heavy equipment excavation and three were depredated before young reached 26 days of age. The quality of the foraging habitat was poor early in the 2002 breeding season, but improved as water depth decreased and riffles increased later in the season. The primary factors limiting productivity appear to be depredation, flooding, and disturbance by heavy equipment. Overall, population density and survival rates for the kingfisher population along the Housatonic River appear comparable to those of populations inhabiting rivers where PCBs are not present.
Key words: Housatonic River, Belted Kingfishers, PCB, Field Evaluation