An evaluation of winter roost harassment for dispersing double-crested cormorants away from catfish production areas in Mississippi
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Published source details
Mott D.F., Glahn J.F., Smith P.L., Reinhold D.S., Bruce K.J. & Sloan C.A. (1998) An evaluation of winter roost harassment for dispersing double-crested cormorants away from catfish production areas in Mississippi. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 26, 584-591.
Published source details Mott D.F., Glahn J.F., Smith P.L., Reinhold D.S., Bruce K.J. & Sloan C.A. (1998) An evaluation of winter roost harassment for dispersing double-crested cormorants away from catfish production areas in Mississippi. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 26, 584-591.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Disturb birds at roosts Action Link |
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Disturb birds at roosts
A controlled experiment over three winters in the vicinity of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus rearing ponds in the Mississippi delta region, USA (Mott et al. 1998), found that the number of double-crested cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus on or near fish ponds was reduced by approximately 70% following a winter of extensive harassment at roosts. Catfish farmers within an area of intensive roost harassment also reported a reduction in fish predation by cormorants. Significantly fewer cormorants used intensely harassed night roosts than less intensely harassed or roosts that were not harassed. Pyrotechnics (designed to scare birds) were fired at roosting cormorants and those flying towards the roost during the two hours before sunset. Cormorants were counted on or near ponds and comparisons made between intensely harassed, less intensely harassed and non-harassed roost sites.
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