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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
USGS1987

Avian habitat relationships in pinyon-juniper woodland

Habitat relationships of breeding birds were examined in northwestern Colorado in pinyon-juniper ( Pinus edulis-Juniperus osteosperma ) woodland and in openings where most overstory trees had been knocked down by anchor chaining. Vegetation characteristics and physical habitat features were measured in 233 0.04-ha circular plots around singing males of 13 species of birds from 15 May to 15 July 1980. Thirteen-group discriminant function analysis ordinated bird species along three habitat dimensions described by (1) canopy height; (2) slope, shrub size, and shrub species diversity; and (3) percentage canopy cover, large tree density, distance from a habitat edge, litter cover, and green cover. Woodland, open-area, and intermediate edge species were clearly segregated along the first discriminant axis, and species' associations with shrubs, inclination, ground cover, and edges were revealed by the ordinations along the second and third discriminant axes. Two-group discriminant analyses comparing occupied and available plots identified additional and more specific habitat associations. For example, Hermit Thrushes ( Catharus guttatus ) were associated with mature forested habitats and forest interiors, Virginia's Warblers ( Vermivora virginiae ) favored steep, oak-covered draws, Rock Wrens ( Salpinctes obsoletus ) selected areas where percentage log cover and small tree density were high, and Dusky Flycatchers ( Empidonax oberholseri ) preferred shrubby slopes with scattered large trees near woodland edges.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1988

Book review of Wildlife 2000: Modeling relationships of terrestrial vertebrates, edited by J. Verner, M.L. Morrison, and C.J. Ralph

"Wildlife 2000" is the proceedings of a conference held 7-11 October 1984, near Lake Tahoe, California, the objective of which was to present an up-to-date synthesis of models that predict the responses of wildlife to habitat change. This extremely attractive, well-produced volume has been well received by the wildlife management profession; the editors received an outstanding publication award from The Wildlife Society for this publication. The accolades are deserved. The symposium was purposely integrated in terms of research and management perspectives. Each of the six sections is summarized by both research and management points of view. A majority of the 60 papers presented deal with birds. Although many chapters require a strong quantitative background, especially in multivariate statistics, many others do not. When one compares this publication with previous habitat-modeling symposia proceedings, one realizes what a superior contribution "Wildlife 2000" is, and how incredible far wildlife-habitat modelers have come in a short time. There are very few redundant papers of "nonpapers" in this volume. The wide array of modeling procedures, statistical methods, and computer software developed and used by the authors is impressive; we have indeed learned how to build models. Whether or not we have learned how to build good models is another question.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1988

Conservation of North American rallids

The Rallidae are a diverse group in their habitat selection, yet most North American species occur in or near wetlands As a consequence, most species are subject to habitat enhancement or perturbation from waterfowl management programs. The overall effects of these management programs relative to rallid conservation have been assessed for few species, and there is a need for synthesis of such information. In the cases of some species or raves, population status is not known, and suggested directions for conservation and management are needed. Rare, endangered, or status undetermined species or races often occur in areas where related species are classified as game birds, and the effects of such hunting on rarer forms are not known. Their generally secretive nature, the endangered status of several races and populations, and continued loss of habitat and threats to present habitat, warrant an examination of the conservation status of the North American taxa in this group. In 1977, a committee of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies summarized available information on management and biology of American Coots ( Fulica americana ), rails, and gallinules in North America (Holliman 1977). That summary was intended to provide relatively complete information on conservation of these species, and also to provide guidance for research within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) Accelerated Research Program for Webless Migratory Shore and Upland Game Birds (ARP). Subsequently, a number of rallid studies were funded under this program. The program was eliminated in 1982, following substantial research activities on North American rallids. Since the demise of the ARP, additional research on rallids in North America has focused on an area the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies report failed to cover in detail--that of endangered rallids in the U.S. and their possessions. Most of these studies have been of threatened and endangered taxa in western coastal marshes. This report updates and summarizes information on North American rallids since the ARP report and identifies the major conservation problems of this group with the intent of focusing future efforts on these priority issues. Consideration of island forms occurring within U.S. possessions is beyond the scope of this report, mainly because of the special conservation problems associated with their insular distribution. The major topics include habitat requirements, effects of habitat and hunting management techniques currently practiced on wetland areas, and conservation of endangered and threatened populations. Research needs are identified. Habitats of the American Coot are similar to those of several waterfowl species, and the biology of coots is considered only as it is typical of rails in general.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1990

[Book review] No Woman Tenderfoot by Harriet Kofalk

The subject of this biography, identified in the subtitle “Florence Merriam Bailey, Pioneer Naturalist,” was truly a remarkable ornithologist. The bibliography of her writings, included in the book, lists more than 130 articles, a major portion of which were based on her own field work in what was then the wild and unsettled west. Among the titles are the acclaimed “Handbook of Birds of the Western united States,” published in 1902, and the monumental “Birds of New Mexico,” which appeared in 1928. Her contributions were recognized by her colleagues who elected her as a “Fellow” of the American Ornithologists’ Union in 1929 and three years later awarded her its prestigious Brewster Medal.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1993

Reproductive ecology of Dusky Flycatchers in western Montana

Breeding ecology of Dusky Flycatchers ( Empidonax oberholseri ) was studied in western Montana from May-August 1974. Dusky Flycatchers were monogamous and single-brooded although some pairs made renesting attempts after first nests failed. Length of the reproductive cycle for first nesting attempts, from arrival on the breeding grounds to fledging, was about 70 days. All nests were placed in shrubs, primarily ninebark ( Physocarpus malvaceus ) and Rocky Mountain maple ( Acer glabrum ), and were an average of 150 cm above the ground. Females incubated a clutch with an average of 4.0 eggs for 15-16 days, and the average nestling period was 17.5 days. Both sexes fed nestlings and fledglings, but only females brooded nestlings. Egg survival was 63.8%, hatching success was 95.4%, and nestling survival was 61.9% for an overall probability of 0.376 percent that an egg produced a fledgling. Predation was the major cause of nest failure. Dusky Flycatchers reared an average of 1.9 fledglings/pair.

Montana↗
USGS1993

Changing nest placement of Hawaiian Common Amakihi during the breeding cycle

We studied the nesting behavior of the Common Amakihi ( Hemignathus virens ) from 1970-1981 on the island of Hawaii to determine if the species alters nest placement over a protracted 9-month breeding season. Birds preferentially chose the southwest quadrant of trees in which to build nests during all phases of the breeding season. It appeared that ambient temperature (Ta) was a contributing factor to differential nest placement between early and late phases of the annual breeding cycle. When Ta is low during the early (December-March) breeding period, Common Amakihi selected exposed nesting locations that benefitted them with maximum solar insolation. However, in the later phase of the breeding period (April-July) when Ta was much higher, renesting birds selected nest sites deeper in the canopy in significantly taller trees. This is one of the few documented examples in which a species changes location of nest during a breeding season, thus allowing exploitation of temporally differing microclimatic conditions.

Hawaii↗
USGS1994

Migrating shorebirds and habitat dynamics at a prairie wetland complex

We examined the responses of migrating shorebirds to habitat dynamics in a wetland complex on the Great Plains during 1989-1992. Availability of habitat was variable within and between seasons, but fluctuations in habitat were dampened when wetlands were considered as a complex rather than individually. Shorebirds exhibited an ability to colonize available habitat opportunistically, to occupy wet mud/shallow water habitat that became available during their residency period regardless of wetland history, and to use wet mud/shallow water habitat almost immediately upon its appearance. We found a significant relation between number of shorebirds and the area of wet mud/shallow water habitat, regardless of dramatic changes in habitat. Management for continental stopover sites for shorebirds requires the maintenance of complexes of potential habitat to assure resource alternatives for birds as local conditions vacillate.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1993

Status and population trends of Hawaii's native waterbirds, 1977-1987

Status and population trends of Hawaiis ’ native waterbirds were examined from 1977 through 1987. Waterbird population fluctuations were analyzed in relation to rainfall and land use dynamics. Numbers of Hawaiian Duck (Koloa) ( Anus wyvilliana ) and Hawaiian Common Moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis ) appeared stable over time; however, surveys were limited. Increase in Black-crowned Night-Heron ( Nycticorux nycticorux ) abundance appeared linked to expansion of aquaculture, particularly on Oahu, and not to climatic events. Annual rainfall patterns help explain and predict population fluctuations and anomalous distribution patterns involving Hawaiian American Coots ( Fulica americana alai ), moorhens, and Hawaiian Black-necked Stilts ( Himantopus mexicanus knudseni ). Coot, stilt, and moorhen populations fluctuated with climatic events, and intraisland dispersal to ephemeral wetlands occurred. Stilts exhibited regular inter-island migratory behavior, but coots dispersed in relation to major rainfall events. Seasonal fluctuation recorded for coots by past observers is the result of survey techniques not accounting for seasonal dispersal patterns.

Hawai'i↗
USGS1979

Nesting ecology of Arctic loons

Arctic Loons were studied on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, from the time of their arrival in May to their departure in September, in 1974 and 1975. Pairs arrived on breeding ponds as soon as sufficient meltwater was available to allow their take-off and landing. Loons apparently do not initiate nests immediately after their arrival, even when nest-sites are available. Delayed egg-laying may be dependent on a period of yolk formation. Delaying yolk formation until after arrival on nest ponds is an adaptation by loons to the variable time suitable habitat becomes available for nesting. Predation of eggs by Glaucous Gulls, Long-tailed and Parasitic jaegers and foxes varied in relation to the location of the nest-site, and the availability of alternate prey. Hatching success was the lowest recorded for Arctic Loons (5%) in 1974, when eggs of both loons and Cackling Geese were taken in large numbers by predators. Hatching success increased to 32% in 1975 when an abundance of tundra voles was observed. No loon eggs hatched after the hatching of the Cackling Goose eggs when this alternate prey was no longer available. Nests destroyed by foxes were predominantly along shorelines, and those by gulls and jaegers were predominantly on islands. Nest-site selection by Arctic Loons may reflect an adaptive response to varying selective pressures by their predators.

Alaska↗
USGS1979

Pomarine jaeger preys on adult black-legged kittiwake

On 5 June 1977, while on a cruise in the decomposing pack ice in the Bering Sea, we observed a light phase Pomarine Jaeger ( Stercorarius pomarinus ) attack, kill and feed on an adult Black-legged Kittiwake ( Rissa tridactyla ), 1 of approximately 10 individuals within 20 m of the ship's stern. We did not observe the birds until 1 min after the initial attack and do not know if the kittiwake was sitting or flying. No food was visible in the kittiwake's bill at the start of our observations nor was it observed regurgitating its stomach contents after the attack. During the first 5 min the kittiwake managed to become airborne a number of times but the jaeger maintained its hold and forced it back to the water. After 5 min the jaeger began to submerge the kittiwake's head, still holding it by the neck. Because of the kittiwake's struggling, the jaeger was unable to hold it under for more than 5 sec at a time. For the next 15 min it continued to submerge the victim's head, lift it out of the water, and then submerge it again. When it held the kittiwake under water, it kept both feet on its lower neck; this may have helped keep the head submerged. In the last 5 min of this activity, when the kittiwake offered little resistance, the jaeger occasionally used only its feet to push it under water. Other kittiwakes remained in the area, a few swimming within 2 m of the 2 birds. No attempt was made to mob the jaeger.

The Wilson Bulletin↗
USGS1983

Nestling growth relationships of brown-headed cowbirds and dickcissels

Data on nestling growth of brood parasites and their hosts are surprisingly few in the literature, Even the Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater ), whose host relations have been studied in some other respects, has not been studied in any detail from this standpoint. This is particularly regrettable because the lack of host specialization and high incidence of multiple parasitism in this species recommend it for intensive studies of parasite-host growth relationships. Isolated or fragmentary records of growth in cowbirds are available in Friedman (The Cowbirds, C. C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1929), Pickwell (Trans, Acad. Sci. St. Louis 27:1-160, 1931), Herrick Wild Birds at Home, Appleton-Century, New York, New York, 1935), Nice (Trans. Linn. Soc. N.Y. 4, 1937; Wilson Bull. 51:233-239, 1939), Mayfield (The Kirtland's Warbler, Cranbrook Inst, Sci., Illinois, 1960), and Nolan (Ornithol, Monor, No. 26. 1978). Hann (Wilson Bull. 49:145-237. 1937) illustrated the growth of five cowbirds raised in three nests of the Ovenbird ( Seiurus aurocapillus ), Norris Wilson Bull, 59-83-103, 1947) provided data for five individuals raised by different host species, and Scott (Wilson Bull, 91:464-466, 1979) presented pooled growth data for nine individuals raised by three different host species. King (Auk 90:19-34, 1973) measured the growth of Shiny Cowbirds ( Molothrus bonariensis ) in nests of Rufous-collared Sparrows ( Zonotrichia capensis ) and found that broods of two cowbirds grew at a substantially slower rate than broods of one, He suggested that Z. capensis could rear a maximum of two cowbirds or four sparrows, or an equivalent combination. In 1974 collected data on the growth relationships of Brown-headed Cowbirds and Dickcissels ( Spiza americana ) in prairie habitat in eastern Kansas (Konza Prairie Research Natural Area). The intensity of cowbird parasitism in this study was extremely high - I found nests containing as many as nine cowbird eggs and three host eggs, More than one cowbird was evidently laying in many of the nests, behavior that may present some intricate evolutionary problems with respect to clutch-size manipulation by cowbirds. Fifty-nine of 65 nests were parasitized 91%, and the mean number of cowbird eggs per parasitized nest was 3.1 (SD 1.74). Dickcissels raised up to five young in mixed broods of various composition. Brood composition at fledging in 27 successful nests (42% of the total) averaged 1.6 Dickcissels and 1.3 cowbirds.

Kansas↗
USGS1987

Did the 1982-1983 El Niño-Southern Oscillation Affect Seabirds in Alaska?

The causes and effects of the oceanographic and atmospheric phenomena known as El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have been studied intensively in recent years (Cane 1983, Rasmusson and Wallace 1983, Barber and Chave 1983, Cane and Zebiak 1985). ENSOs occur at semiregular intervals of 3-4 years, and the stronger events have important biological consequences, including reduced breeding success and survival of seabirds in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Boersma 1978, Barber and Chavez 983, Schreiber and Schreiber 1984, Duffy 1986). The ENSO event of 1982-1983 was perhaps the strongest of this century Cane 1983), and there is evidence that seabird populations as far north as the Oregon coast (42-46'N) were adversely affected (Hodder and Graybill 1985, Bayer 1986). Here I examine evidence for similar effects on seabirds along the Alaskan coast.

Alaska↗
USGS1992

Breeding distribution of the Black Turnstone

Eighty-five percent of the world population of Black Turnstones ( Arenaria melanocephala ) nest on the central Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 65% concentrated in a narrow band of salt grass, graminoid, and dwarf shrub meadows within two km of the coast. An estimated 61,000 to 99,000 birds (95% CI), with a point estimate of 80,000 birds, breed on the central delta. About 15,000 others nest elsewhere in Alaska. Abundance varies among habitats and with distance from the coast. On the central delta, highest breeding densities occur in coastal salt grass meadows (1.11 ± 0.16 birds · ha-1) and lowest densities occur on dwarf shrub mat tundra (0.04 ± 0.04 birds · ha-1). Breeding densities in mixed graminoid and dwarf shrub meadows decline significantly with distance from the coast, decreasing abruptly from 0.75 ± 0.11 birds · ha-1 within the first two km to 0.09 ± 0.03 birds · ha-1 farther inland. Although salt grass meadows constitute only 5% of the coastal lowlands, they support 25% of the population.

The Wilson Bulletin↗