Misplaced Pages

#106893

63-520: Wildlife in and around the river includes alligators, herons , manatees , dolphins, and fish such as bass, bluegill , catfish, and gar . Bull sharks are occasionally found in the brackish water near its low-lying outlet. The river includes the Upper Manatee River Canoe Trail for paddlers. The Manatee River has a watershed that is approximately 362 square miles (940 km). Lake Manatee , an artificial reservoir ,

126-574: A "siege". The word heron first appeared in the English language around 1300, originating from Old French hairon, eron (12th century), earlier hairo (11th century), from Frankish haigiro or from Proto-Germanic *haigrô , *hraigrô . Herons are also known as shitepokes / ˈ ʃ aɪ t p oʊ k / , or euphemistically as shikepokes or shypokes . Webster's Dictionary suggests that herons were given this name because of their habit of defecating when flushed. The 1971 Compact Edition of

189-473: A definition similar to "all theropods closer to birds than to Deinonychus ", with Troodon being sometimes added as a second external specifier in case it is closer to birds than to Deinonychus . Avialae is also occasionally defined as an apomorphy-based clade (that is, one based on physical characteristics). Jacques Gauthier , who named Avialae in 1986, re-defined it in 2001 as all dinosaurs that possessed feathered wings used in flapping flight , and

252-883: A great impact on the environment of the Manatee River and its watershed. With the increased development of the area surrounding the Manatee River, the water quality within the River has decreased. The use of organic pesticides is a rising fear in the ecological communities. The uprooting of the forested wetlands and uplands has caused excess nutrients to build up in the Bill Evers Reservoir. Also, in both reservoirs there have been increased levels of lead, zinc, and copper. [REDACTED] Media related to Manatee River (Florida) at Wikimedia Commons Heron 18 extant, see text Cochlearidae Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in

315-442: A group called Paraves . Some basal members of Deinonychosauria, such as Microraptor , have features which may have enabled them to glide or fly. The most basal deinonychosaurs were very small. This evidence raises the possibility that the ancestor of all paravians may have been arboreal , have been able to glide, or both. Unlike Archaeopteryx and the non-avialan feathered dinosaurs, who primarily ate meat, studies suggest that

378-405: A part of a larger cycle of life and death. Bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves ( Latin: [ˈaveːs] ), characterised by feathers , toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart , and a strong yet lightweight skeleton . Birds live worldwide and range in size from

441-677: A royal decree of James VI (1566–1625) of Scotland . The OED speculates that shiterow is a corruption of shiteheron . Another former name was heronshaw or hernshaw , derived from Old French heronçeau . Corrupted to handsaw , this name appears in Shakespeare 's Hamlet . A possible further corruption took place in the Norfolk Broads, where the heron is often referred to as a harnser . The herons are medium- to large-sized birds with long legs and necks. They exhibit very little sexual dimorphism in size. The smallest species

504-406: A sister group, the order Crocodilia , contain the only living representatives of the reptile clade Archosauria . During the late 1990s, Aves was most commonly defined phylogenetically as all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of modern birds and Archaeopteryx lithographica . However, an earlier definition proposed by Jacques Gauthier gained wide currency in the 21st century, and

567-514: A study of little egrets and cattle egrets in India, the majority of the colonies surveyed contained both species. Nesting is seasonal in temperate species; in tropical species, it may be seasonal (often coinciding with the rainy season) or year-round. Even in year-round breeders, nesting intensity varies throughout the year. Tropical herons typically have only one breeding season per year, unlike some other tropical birds which may raise up to three broods

630-717: A time, sometimes for years, and rarely for life. Other species have breeding systems that are polygynous (one male with many females) or, rarely, polyandrous (one female with many males). Birds produce offspring by laying eggs which are fertilised through sexual reproduction . They are usually laid in a nest and incubated by the parents. Most birds have an extended period of parental care after hatching. Many species of birds are economically important as food for human consumption and raw material in manufacturing, with domesticated and undomesticated birds being important sources of eggs, meat, and feathers. Songbirds , parrots, and other species are popular as pets. Guano (bird excrement)

693-583: A variety of live aquatic prey. Their diet includes a wide variety of aquatic animals, including fish, reptiles, amphibians , crustaceans , molluscs , and aquatic insects. Individual species may be generalists or specialize in certain prey types, such as the yellow-crowned night heron , which specializes in crustaceans, particularly crabs . Many species also opportunistically take larger prey, including birds and bird eggs, rodents, and more rarely carrion . Even more rarely, herons eating acorns, peas, and grains have been reported, but most vegetable matter consumed

SECTION 10

#1732776568107

756-549: A westerly direction towards the Gulf of Mexico and southern Tampa Bay. Two major river systems make up the Manatee River Watershed — Braden River and Manatee River. These two rivers have been impounded to create two reservoirs for potable supply — Ward Lake (also known as Bill Evers Reservoir) and Lake Manatee Reservoir. Ward Lake is located upstream on the narrow, winding Braden River. This reservoir, built in

819-522: A year. Courtship usually takes part on the nest . Males arrive first and begin the building of the nest, where they display to attract females. During courtship, the male employs a stretch display and uses erectile neck feathers; the neck area may swell. The female risks an aggressive attack if she approaches too soon and may have to wait up to four days. In colonial species, displays involve visual cues, which can include adopting postures or ritual displays, whereas in solitary species, auditory cues, such as

882-411: Is absent. Generally, herons lay between three and seven eggs . Larger clutches are reported in the smaller bitterns and more rarely some of the larger day herons, and single-egg clutches are reported for some of the tiger herons. Clutch size varies by latitude within species, with individuals in temperate climates laying more eggs than tropical ones. On the whole, the eggs are glossy blue or white, with

945-402: Is accidental. The most common hunting technique is for the bird to sit motionless on the edge of or standing in shallow water and to wait until prey comes within range. Birds may either do this from an upright posture, giving them a wider field of view for seeing prey or from a crouched position, which is more cryptic and means the bill is closer to the prey when it is located. Having seen prey,

1008-521: Is generally long and harpoon-like. It can vary from extremely narrow, as in the agami heron , to wider as in the grey heron . The most atypical heron bill is owned by the boat-billed heron , which has a broad, thick bill. Herons' bills and other bare parts of the body are usually yellow, black, or brown in colour, although this can vary during the breeding season. The wings are broad and long, exhibiting 10 or 11 primary feathers (the boat-billed heron has only nine), 15–20 secondaries, and 12 rectrices (10 in

1071-429: Is harvested for use as a fertiliser. Birds figure throughout human culture. About 120 to 130 species have become extinct due to human activity since the 17th century, and hundreds more before then. Human activity threatens about 1,200 bird species with extinction, though efforts are underway to protect them. Recreational birdwatching is an important part of the ecotourism industry. The first classification of birds

1134-622: Is located about midway in the river's course. The lower part of the river below the dam is an estuary , with Bradenton and smaller settlements located along its banks. The river's main tributary is the Braden River , which runs through the communities of River Club and Lakewood Ranch . The Manatee River watershed lies in the Tampa Bay sector of Manatee County. The watershed covers approximately 360 sq mi (930 km). The Manatee River headwaters flow 45 mi (72 km) in

1197-503: Is not considered a direct ancestor of birds, though it is possibly closely related to the true ancestor. Over 40% of key traits found in modern birds evolved during the 60 million year transition from the earliest bird-line archosaurs to the first maniraptoromorphs , i.e. the first dinosaurs closer to living birds than to Tyrannosaurus rex . The loss of osteoderms otherwise common in archosaurs and acquisition of primitive feathers might have occurred early during this phase. After

1260-500: Is now regarded as a member of the Ardeidae. Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks , ibises , spoonbills , and cranes , they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down . Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, while others, notably the bitterns, use reed beds . A group of herons has been called

1323-516: Is synonymous to Avifilopluma. † Scansoriopterygidae † Eosinopteryx † Jinfengopteryx † Aurornis † Dromaeosauridae † Troodontidae Avialae Based on fossil and biological evidence, most scientists accept that birds are a specialised subgroup of theropod dinosaurs and, more specifically, members of Maniraptora , a group of theropods which includes dromaeosaurids and oviraptorosaurs , among others. As scientists have discovered more theropods closely related to birds,

SECTION 20

#1732776568107

1386-645: Is unclear at the moment, and molecular studies have so far suffered from studying only a small number of taxa. Especially among the subfamily Ardeinae, the relationships are very inadequately resolved. The arrangement presented here should be considered provisional. A 2008 study suggests that this family belongs to the Pelecaniformes . In response to these findings, the International Ornithological Congress reclassified Ardeidae and their sister taxa Threskiornithidae under

1449-535: Is used by many scientists including adherents to the PhyloCode . Gauthier defined Aves to include only the crown group of the set of modern birds. This was done by excluding most groups known only from fossils , and assigning them, instead, to the broader group Avialae, on the principle that a clade based on extant species should be limited to those extant species and their closest extinct relatives. Gauthier and de Queiroz identified four different definitions for

1512-400: Is usually considered the dwarf bittern , which measures 25–30 cm (10–12 in) in length, although all the species in the genus Ixobrychus are small and many broadly overlap in size. The largest species of heron is the goliath heron , which stands up to 152 cm (60 in) tall. All herons can retract their necks by folding them into a tight S-shape, due to the modified shape of

1575-515: The Pacific reef heron , both dark and light colour morphs exist, and the percentage of each morph varies geographically; its white morphs only occur in areas with coral beaches. The herons are a widespread family with a cosmopolitan distribution . They exist on all continents except Antarctica and are present in most habitats except the coldest extremes of the Arctic, extremely high mountains, and

1638-669: The Tiaojishan Formation of China, which has been dated to the late Jurassic period ( Oxfordian stage), about 160 million years ago. The avialan species from this time period include Anchiornis huxleyi , Xiaotingia zhengi , and Aurornis xui . The well-known probable early avialan, Archaeopteryx , dates from slightly later Jurassic rocks (about 155 million years old) from Germany . Many of these early avialans shared unusual anatomical features that may be ancestral to modern birds but were later lost during bird evolution. These features include enlarged claws on

1701-651: The grey heron is mostly sedentary in Britain, but mostly migratory in Scandinavia. Birds are particularly inclined to disperse widely after breeding, but before the annual migration, where the species is colonial, searching out new feeding areas and reducing the pressures on feeding grounds near the colony. The migration typically occurs at night, usually as individuals or in small groups. The herons, egrets and bitterns are carnivorous . The members of this family are mostly associated with wetlands and water and feed on

1764-575: The only known living dinosaurs . Likewise, birds are considered reptiles in the modern cladistic sense of the term, and their closest living relatives are the crocodilians . Birds are descendants of the primitive avialans (whose members include Archaeopteryx ) which first appeared during the Late Jurassic . According to recent estimates, modern birds ( Neornithes ) evolved in the Late Cretaceous and diversified dramatically around

1827-493: The paleognath Lithornis vulturinus . In Buddhism, a heron symbolizes purity, transformation and the wisdom of the Buddha. In addition, as a bird that transcends elements – on the earth, in the water and in the air – the heron symbolizes the expansion of awareness and the ubiquity of consciousness. In some Native American cultures, this bird symbolizes renewal, rejuvenation and rebirth – an ever present reminder that we are all

1890-515: The stripe-backed bittern ( Ixobrychus involucris ) were nested with members of the genus Botaurus . Hruska and collaborators resurrected the genus Calherodius Peters , 1931 to contain two night herons (the white-backed night heron and the white-eared night heron ) that were previously placed in Gorsachius . The western cattle egret ( Bubulcus ibis ) was embedded in the genus Ardea . The eastern cattle egret ( Bubulcus coromandus )

1953-447: The 1930s, covers 255 acres (103 ha) and is responsible for the majority of the water for the city of Bradenton. The Lake Manatee Reservoir is located upstream on the Manatee River. This reservoir, built in 1967, is a 1,174 acres (475 ha) artificial reservoir used as Manatee County's primary water supply. The Manatee River Watershed has three different physiographic locations: plains, lowlands, and uplands. These locations cause

Manatee River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-433: The 5.5 cm (2.2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) common ostrich . There are over 11,000 living species and they are split into 44 orders . More than half are passerine or "perching" birds. Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds . Wings, which are modified forelimbs , gave birds

2079-521: The IOC lists 74 heron species, divided into 18 genera. Other prehistoric and fossil species are included in the respective genus accounts. In addition, Proherodius is a disputed fossil which was variously considered a heron or one of the extinct long-legged waterfowl , the Presbyornithidae . It is only known from a sternum ; a tarsometatarsus that had been assigned to it actually belongs to

2142-557: The Oxford English Dictionary describes the use of shitepoke for the small green heron of North America ( Butorides virescens ) as originating in the United States, citing a published example from 1853. The OED also observes that shiterow or shederow are terms used for herons, and also applied as derogatory terms meaning a thin, weakly person . This name for a heron is found in a list of game birds in

2205-480: The ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds , including ratites , penguins , and diverse endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds , have further evolved for swimming. The study of birds is called ornithology . Birds are feathered theropod dinosaurs and constitute

2268-428: The appearance of Maniraptoromorpha, the next 40 million years marked a continuous reduction of body size and the accumulation of neotenic (juvenile-like) characteristics. Hypercarnivory became increasingly less common while braincases enlarged and forelimbs became longer. The integument evolved into complex, pennaceous feathers . The oldest known paravian (and probably the earliest avialan) fossils come from

2331-509: The birds that descended from them. Despite being currently one of the most widely used, the crown-group definition of Aves has been criticised by some researchers. Lee and Spencer (1997) argued that, contrary to what Gauthier defended, this definition would not increase the stability of the clade and the exact content of Aves will always be uncertain because any defined clade (either crown or not) will have few synapomorphies distinguishing it from its closest relatives. Their alternative definition

2394-407: The bitterns). The feathers of the herons are soft and the plumage is usually blue, black, brown, grey, or white, and can often be strikingly complex. Amongst the day herons, little sexual dimorphism in plumage is seen (except in the pond-herons); however, for the night herons and smaller bitterns, plumage differences between the sexes are the rule. Many species also have different colour morphs . In

2457-526: The cervical vertebrae, of which they have 20 or 21; the neck is retracted during flight, unlike most other long-necked birds. The neck is longer in the day herons than the night herons and bitterns. The legs are long and strong, and in almost every species are unfeathered from the lower part of the tibia (the exception is the zigzag heron ). In flight, the legs and feet are generally held in a horizontal position, pointing backwards. Toes are long and thin, with three pointing forwards and one backwards. The bill

2520-517: The deep booming of the bitterns, are important. The exception to this is the boat-billed heron, which pairs up away from the nesting site. Having paired, they continue to build the nest in almost all species, although in the little bittern and least bittern , only the male works on the nest. Some ornithologists have reported observing female herons attaching themselves to impotent mates, then seeking sexual gratification elsewhere. The nests of herons are usually found near or above water. Although

2583-433: The driest deserts. Almost all species are associated with water; they are essentially non-swimming waterbirds that feed on the margins of lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and the sea. They are predominantly found in lowland areas, although some species live in alpine areas, and the majority of species occur in the tropics. The herons are a highly mobile family, with most species being at least partially migratory ; for example,

Manatee River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-665: The earliest members of Aves, is removed from this group, becoming a non-avian dinosaur instead. These proposals have been adopted by many researchers in the field of palaeontology and bird evolution , though the exact definitions applied have been inconsistent. Avialae, initially proposed to replace the traditional fossil content of Aves, is often used synonymously with the vernacular term "bird" by these researchers. † Coelurus † Ornitholestes † Ornithomimosauria † Alvarezsauridae † Oviraptorosauria   Paraves Most researchers define Avialae as branch-based clade, though definitions vary. Many authors have used

2709-403: The exception being the large bitterns, which lay olive-brown eggs. Analyses of skeletons, mainly skulls , suggested that the Ardeidae could be split into a diurnal and a crepuscular / nocturnal group which included the bitterns. From DNA studies, and from skeletal analyses that focussed more on bones of the body and limbs, that two-group division has been revealed to be incorrect. Rather,

2772-586: The family Ardeidae , with 74 recognised species , some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus Botaurus are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron , or zigzag bittern, in the monotypic genus Zebrilus , form a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. Egrets do not form a biologically distinct group from herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks. The classification of

2835-468: The feet are used to flush out hidden prey. The wings may be used to frighten prey (or possibly attract it to shade) or to reduce glare; the most extreme example of this is exhibited by the black heron , which forms a full canopy with its wings over its body. Some species of heron, such as the little egret and grey heron, have been documented using bait to lure prey to within striking distance. Herons may use items already in place, or actively add items to

2898-451: The first avialans were omnivores . The Late Jurassic Archaeopteryx is well known as one of the first transitional fossils to be found, and it provided support for the theory of evolution in the late 19th century. Archaeopteryx was the first fossil to display both clearly traditional reptilian characteristics—teeth, clawed fingers, and a long, lizard-like tail—as well as wings with flight feathers similar to those of modern birds. It

2961-424: The head is moved from side to side, so that the heron can calculate the position of the prey in the water and compensate for refraction , and then the bill is used to spear the prey. In addition to sitting and waiting, herons may feed more actively. They may walk slowly, around or less than 60 paces a minute, snatching prey when it is observed. Other active feeding behaviours include foot stirring and probing, where

3024-480: The individual heron/egret species is fraught with difficulty, and no clear consensus exists about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, Ardea and Egretta . Similarly, the relationships of the genera in the family are not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered to constitute a separate monotypic family, the Cochlearidae or the boat-billed heron ,

3087-450: The nests of a few species have been found on the ground where suitable trees or shrubs are unavailable, they are typically placed in vegetation. Trees are used by many species, and here they may be placed high up from the ground, whereas species living in reed beds may nest very close to the ground. Though the majority of nesting of herons is seen in or immediately around water, colonies commonly occur in several cities when human persecution

3150-620: The order Pelecaniformes instead of the previous order of Ciconiiformes . The cladogram shown below is based on a molecular phylogenetic study of the Ardeidae by Jack Hruska and collaborators published in 2023. For several species these results conflict with the taxonomy published online in July 2023 by Frank Gill , Pamela Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC). The least bittern ( Ixobrychus exilis ) and

3213-402: The outermost half) can be seen in the evolution of maniraptoromorphs, and this process culminated in the appearance of the pygostyle , an ossification of fused tail vertebrae. In the late Cretaceous, about 100 million years ago, the ancestors of all modern birds evolved a more open pelvis, allowing them to lay larger eggs compared to body size. Around 95 million years ago, they evolved

SECTION 50

#1732776568107

3276-536: The previously clear distinction between non-birds and birds has become blurred. By the 2000s, discoveries in the Liaoning Province of northeast China, which demonstrated many small theropod feathered dinosaurs , contributed to this ambiguity. The consensus view in contemporary palaeontology is that the flying theropods, or avialans , are the closest relatives of the deinonychosaurs , which include dromaeosaurids and troodontids . Together, these form

3339-435: The river itself includes manatees , alligators , and various types of fish. The Manatee River Estuary is widely used for commercial fishing . Everything from finfish and invertebrates to bait and food shrimp is harvested from its waters, therefore, many commercial fishing regulations apply. As the name would suggest, there are also many manatees found within the river. These mammals prefer warm water so they move throughout

3402-510: The river to contain areas that are as varied as hardwood swamps, mesic flatwoods, coastal lowlands, and marshes. The highlands include areas with scattered bushes, pine trees, and oak trees. The soil in the highlands tends to be moderately well drained. The marshes and swamps have very poorly drained soil and tend to have water-tolerant grasses. The uplands consist of flatwoods which have poorly drained soils. These areas contain saw palmettos and slash pines . Wildlife that can be found within

3465-503: The river towards the warmest areas depending on the season. Around the Manatee River, many species of birds can be found and some, such as the wood stork are listed as endangered species. A few of the birds are considered threatened such as the snowy plover , bald eagle , Florida scrub-jay , and peregrine falcon . Other common birds that can be seen around the Manatee River include cattle egret , white ibis , great blue heron , and yellow-crowned night heron . Human development has

3528-452: The same biological name "Aves", which is a problem. The authors proposed to reserve the term Aves only for the crown group consisting of the last common ancestor of all living birds and all of its descendants, which corresponds to meaning number 4 below. They assigned other names to the other groups.   Lizards & snakes   Turtles   Crocodiles   Birds Under the fourth definition Archaeopteryx , traditionally considered one of

3591-551: The second toe which may have been held clear of the ground in life, and long feathers or "hind wings" covering the hind limbs and feet, which may have been used in aerial maneuvering. Avialans diversified into a wide variety of forms during the Cretaceous period. Many groups retained primitive characteristics , such as clawed wings and teeth, though the latter were lost independently in a number of avialan groups, including modern birds (Aves). Increasingly stiff tails (especially

3654-452: The similarities in skull morphology among certain herons reflect convergent evolution to cope with the different challenges of daytime and nighttime feeding. Today, it is believed that three major groups can be distinguished, which are: The night herons may still warrant separation from the day herons and egrets (as subfamily Nycticoracinae, as it was traditionally done). However, the position of some genera (e.g. Butorides or Syrigma )

3717-439: The success rate of prey capture increased 3.6 times over solitary foraging. While the family exhibits a range of breeding strategies, overall, the herons are monogamous and mostly colonial . Most day herons and night herons are colonial, or partly colonial depending on circumstances, whereas the bitterns and tiger herons are mostly solitary nesters. Colonies may contain several species, as well as other species of waterbirds. In

3780-600: The time of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago, which killed off the pterosaurs and all non- ornithuran dinosaurs. Many social species preserve knowledge across generations ( culture ). Birds are social, communicating with visual signals, calls, and songs , and participating in such behaviour as cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking , and mobbing of predators. The vast majority of bird species are socially (but not necessarily sexually) monogamous , usually for one breeding season at

3843-621: The water to attract fish such as the banded killifish . Items used may be man-made, such as bread; alternatively, striated herons in the Amazon have been watched repeatedly dropping seeds, insects, flowers, and leaves into the water to catch fish. Three species, the black-headed heron , whistling heron , and especially the cattle egret , are less tied to watery environments and may feed far away from water. Cattle egrets improve their foraging success by following large grazing animals, catching insects flushed by their movement. One study found that

SECTION 60

#1732776568107

3906-466: Was developed by Francis Willughby and John Ray in their 1676 volume Ornithologiae . Carl Linnaeus modified that work in 1758 to devise the taxonomic classification system currently in use. Birds are categorised as the biological class Aves in Linnaean taxonomy . Phylogenetic taxonomy places Aves in the clade Theropoda as an infraclass or a subclass, more recently a subclass. Aves and

3969-1125: Was not sampled. The placement of the forest bittern ( Zonerodius heliosylus ) was ambiguous, but the results suggest that it is probably closely related to members of the genus Ardeola rather than to the subfamily Tigriornithinae . Tigriornis – white-crested tiger heron Tigrisoma – tiger herons (3 species) Cochlearius – boat-billed heron Agamia – agami heron Zebrilus – zigzag heron Botaurus – bitterns (14 species of which 1 extinct, includes species formerly placed in Ixobrychus ) Gorsachius – night herons (2 species) Calherodius – white-backed night heron Oroanassa – white-eared night heron Pilherodius – capped heron Syrigma – whistling heron Egretta – herons and egrets (13 species) Nyctanassa – night herons (2 species of which 1 extinct) Nycticorax – night herons (6 species of which 4 extinct) Butorides – herons (3 species) Ardeola – pond herons (6 species) Ardea – herons and egrets (16 species, including cattle egrets) As of August 2024

#106893