IMPLANTING INTRAABDOMINAL RADIOTRANSMITTERS WITH EXTERNAL WHIP ANTENNAS IN DUCKS

We developed and evaluated a surgical procedure for implanting intra-a bdominal radiotransmitters with external whip antennas in captive mall ards (Anas platyrhynchos). Transmitters were implanted in the abdomina l cavity and the antennas exited through the caudal abdominal wall and skin. Birds with implanted transmitters developed mild to moderate lo calized air sac reactions. These reactions involved adhesions of the r ight anterior abdominal air sac to the liver with contractions around the transmitters and antenna catheters. The adhesions were reinforced by a proliferation of connective tissue and lined by multinucleated gi ant cells (foreign body reaction). Casual observation indicated that n either behavior nor activity of the birds was altered by the histologi cal reaction to the transmitter implant. No increase in systemic lesio ns (particularly liver or kidney) could be correlated with the histolo gical reactions. Our evaluations indicate that the procedure is a reli able method for radiomarking ducks and the technique has been successf ully used in 2 field studies.