Custer, T. W., Osborn, R. G., and Stout, W. F., 1980, Distribution species abundance
and nesting site use of Atlantic coast colonies of herons and their allies: The Auk, v.
97, no. 3, p. 591-600.

Abstract:

In 1975 and 1976, 8 teams of investigators located 262 colonies of nesting herons
and their allies along the Atlantic coast from Florida to Maine [USA]. Fourteen
species [Ajaia ajaja, Plegadis falcinellus, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ardea herodias,
Eudocimus albus, Egretta thula, Hydranassa tricolor, Bubulcus ibis, Casmerodius
albus, Butorides striatus, Florida caerulea, Dichromanassa rufescens, Nyctanassa
violacea and Mycteria americana] were found in Florida, numbers decreasing to 7 in
Maine. Colonies censused in the extreme south and north of the study area were
lower in number of species and number of adults than those in the intermediate area.
More than 90% of the colony sites surveyed in 1975 were active in 1976. The total
number of nesting adults per colony, number of species per colony and number of
nesting adults of each species per colony in 1976 were significantly correlated with
their respective values for 1975. Abandoned and new colonies may be satellites of
nearby reused colonies; they had fewer individuals and species than reused colonies
and were closer to reused colonies than reused colonies were to each other. [This
study was part of an attempt to examine colonially nesting herons as biological
indicators of environmental quality.]

Keywords: 

Maine, Florida, USA, Nycticorax-nycticorax, Ardea-herodias, Eudocimus-albus,
Bubulcus-ibis, Egretta-thula, Hydranassa-tricolor, Casmerodius-albus,
Butorides-striatus, Florida, Caerulea, Dichromanassa-rufescens,
Nyctanassa-violacea, Mycteria-americana, Plegadis-falcinellus, Ajaia-ajaja,
Environmental quality