Repair of a Tibiotarsal Fracture in a Pomeranian Goose ( Anser anser) With a Locking Plate.

A 2-year-old Pomeranian goose ( Anser anser) weighing 8.1 kg was examined because of non-weight-bearing lameness of the right limb. A closed, transverse, diaphyseal fracture of the distal third of the right tibiotarsus with a craniolateral displacement of the distal fragment was diagnosed radiographically. Surgery under general anesthesia was performed to repair the fracture with a 14-hole, 2.7-mm locking plate fixed with 6 screws in a bicortical manner. Two days later, the bird was fully weight-bearing on the leg. Radiographs performed 4 and 8 weeks after surgery showed good healing of the affected bone with an appropriate callus formation bridging the fracture line. Sixteen weeks after surgery, the patient was readmitted because of lameness exhibited while staying outside exposed to subzero (°C) temperatures. On the basis of this finding, heat conduction was postulated as the possible cause of lameness because it disappeared after implant removal. To the best our knowledge, this case represents the first report of a surgical repair of a tibiotarsal fracture with a locking plate in waterfowl.

ASSESSMENT OF THE RATES OF INJURY AND MORTALITY IN WATERFOWL CAPTURED WITH FIVE METHODS OF CAPTURE AND TECHNIQUES FOR MINIMIZING RISKS.

Swan pipes, duck decoys, cage traps, cannon netting, and roundups are widely used to capture waterfowl in order to monitor populations. These methods are often regulated in countries with national ringing or banding programs and are considered to be safe, and thus justifiable given the benefits to conservation. However, few published studies have addressed how frequently injuries and mortalities occur, or the nature of any injuries. In the present study, rates of mortality and injury during captures with the use of these methods carried out by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust as part of conservation programs were assessed. The total rate of injury (including mild dermal abrasions) was 0.42% across all species groups, whereas total mortality was 0.1% across all capture methods. Incidence of injury varied among species groups (ducks, geese, swans, and rails), with some, for example, dabbling ducks, at greater risk than others. We also describe techniques used before, during, and after a capture to reduce stress and injury in captured waterfowl. Projects using these or other capture methods should monitor and publish their performance to allow sharing of experience and to reduce risks further.

MORTALITY PATTERNS IN ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN GEESE (NENE; BRANTA SANDVICENSIS).

Understanding causes of death can aid management and recovery of endangered bird populations. Toward those ends, we systematically examined 300 carcasses of endangered Hawaiian Geese (Nene; Branta sandvicensis) from Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Kauai between 1992 and 2013. The most common cause of death was emaciation, followed by trauma (vehicular strikes and predation), and infectious/inflammatory diseases of which toxoplasmosis (infection with Toxoplasma gondii) predominated. Toxicoses were less common and were dominated by lead poisoning or botulism. For captive birds, inflammatory conditions predominated, whereas emaciation, trauma, and inflammation were common in free-ranging birds. Mortality patterns were similar for males and females. Trauma predominated for adults, whereas emaciation was more common for goslings. Causes of death varied among islands, with trauma dominating on Molokai, emaciation and inflammation on Kauai, emaciation on Hawaii, and inflammation and trauma on Maui. Understanding habitat or genetic-related factors that predispose Nene (particularly goslings) to emaciation might reduce the impact of this finding. In addition, trauma and infection with T. gondii are human-related problems that may be attenuated if effectively managed (e.g., road signs, enforcement of speed limits, feral cat [Felis catus] control). Such management actions might serve to enhance recovery of this endangered species.

Successful management of simple fractures of the femoral neck with femoral head and neck excision arthroplasty in two free-living avian species.

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and a Canada goose (Branta canadensis) were evaluated for unilateral pelvic limb lameness. Physical examination findings and results of diagnostic imaging revealed femoral neck fractures in both birds. Both birds were treated with a femoral head and neck excision arthroplasty. The affected legs were not immobilized, and the birds were encouraged to use the legs immediately after surgery to encourage formation of a pseudoarthrosis. Within 2 weeks, both birds were using the affected limb well enough to be either successfully released or transferred to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Femoral head and neck excision arthroplasty without immobilization of the limb is recommended for managing avian femoral neck fractures, especially in free-ranging species in which a rapid and complete or near complete return to function is vital for survival in the wild.

Mortality of geese as a result of collision with the ground.

Two incidents are reported in which groups of migrating wild geese were found dead in agricultural fields in southern Manitoba during spring. In each case, the birds died overnight and poisoning was suspected; however, the birds had lesions of severe traumatic injury. The first incident, in 1985, involved about 150 lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens caerulescens); the second, in 2003, involved 62 Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Both incidents occurred on dark, moonless nights. One possible explanation is that the birds became disoriented in a manner analogous to spatial disorientation described in aircraft pilots and flew as a flock directly into the earth. In the first incident, geese might have been frightened by sonic booms from aircraft; in the second, there was a thunderstorm with strong gusty winds in the area.