Responses of Raptorial Birds to Low Level Military Jets and Sonic Booms

The following is a summary of the possible negative effects of the study stimuli on nesting raptors: (1) direct interruption of behavior leading to exposure of eggs or young to inclement weather, (2) physiological stress of parents or young leading to reduced reproductive performance, (3) eyrie aban...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ellis, David H.
Other Authors: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ORACLE AZ INST FOR RAPTOR STUDIES
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1981
Subjects:
Acoustics
*BREEDING
*BIRDS
*SONIC BOOM
ADVERSE CONDITIONS
ARIZONA
RESPONSE(BIOLOGY)
NESTING(ANIMALS)
LOW ALTITUDE
JET AIRCRAFT NOISE
REPRODUCTION(PHYSIOLOGY)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STRESS(PHYSIOLOGY)
MILITARY AIRCRAFT
ENDANGERED SPECIES
FALCONS
BIRDS OF PREY
RAPTORS
Eyrie
peregrine falcon
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA108778
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA108778
Description
Summary:The following is a summary of the possible negative effects of the study stimuli on nesting raptors: (1) direct interruption of behavior leading to exposure of eggs or young to inclement weather, (2) physiological stress of parents or young leading to reduced reproductive performance, (3) eyrie abandonment (immediate and long term), (4) accidental death of young prematurely fledging when startled, and (5) other short-term behavioral responses. The goals of this study were to determine which if any of the possible adverse responses described above were operative in the case of peregrines nesting in Arizona. The approach was to experiment first with surrogate species and thereby minimize the possibility of disrupting Peregrine Falcon breeding efforts. By using a broad range of surrogate species, we also hoped to determine if any of these species were hypersensitive. The objective in many of the experiments was to simulate a worst case situation (i.e., booms louder and oftener than would be expected and repeated passes with aircraft oftener and closer than would be expected even in extreme conditions in the wild). The rationable behind this approach was as follows: if severe behavioral response could not be generated in the worst case experiments, then we could logically conclude that responses to less intense stimuli would be less severe. Results of the 1980-1981 Joint U.S. Air Force-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Study.

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