An invasive prey provides long-lasting silver spoon effects for an endangered predator.

The natal environment can have long-term fitness consequences for individuals, particularly via 'silver spoon' or 'environmental matching' effects. Invasive species could alter natal effects on native species by changing species interactions, but this potential remains unknown. Using 17 years of data on 2588 individuals across the entire US breeding range of the endangered snail kite (), a wetland raptor that feeds entirely on snails, we tested for silver spoon and environmental matching effects on survival and movement and whether the invasion of a non-native snail may alter outcomes.

Health evaluation of western arctic King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis).

The western arctic population of King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis) has declined by >50% in recent years. A health assessment was conducted for adult King Eiders breeding on the north slope of Alaska, USA, to evaluate body condition (n=90, 2002-2006) and baseline biochemical and hematologic values (n=20-30, 2005-2006). Body condition for males and females was excellent.

King eiders use an income strategy for egg production: a case study for incorporating individual dietary variation into nutrient allocation research.

The use of stored nutrients for reproduction represents an important component of life-history variation. Recent studies from several species have used stable isotopes to estimate the reliance on stored body reserves in reproduction. Such approaches rely on population-level dietary endpoints to characterize stored reserves ("capital") and current diet ("income").

Using an algorithmic model to reveal individually variable movement decisions in a wintering sea duck.

1. Many migratory birds are assumed to remain fairly stationary during winter. However, recent research indicates that mid-winter movements are evident in a variety of bird species, and the factors causing individuals to move are poorly understood.

Coupling contaminants with demography: effects of lead and selenium in Pacific common eiders.

We coupled intensive population monitoring with collection of blood samples from 383 nesting Pacific common eiders (Somateria mollisima v-nigrum) at two locations in Alaska (USA) from 2002 to 2004. We investigated annual, geographic, and within-season variation in blood concentrations of lead and selenium; compared exposure patterns with sympatrically nesting spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri); and examined relationships with clutch size, egg viability, probability of hatching, and apparent survival of adult females. Lead concentrations were elevated in 3.