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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
USGS1972

Proceedings of the eighty-ninth stated meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union

The Eighty-ninth Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union was held 30 August-3 September 1971 at Seattle, Washington, under the sponsorship of the University of Washington. Business sessions and social activities were held in the Student Union Building and the University Tower Hotel; papers sessions were held in the Student Union Building. Day-long field trips were taken to Mount Rainier and to the Deception Pass-Fraser River area. Two-day field trips were offered on the weekends preceding and following the meeting, to the coastal area near Westport with an all-day pelagic trip, and to the Olympic Peninsula, respectively.

The Auk↗
USGS1972

Egg measurements for three endangered species

From 1967 through 1969, external dimensions of the eggs of three endangered species of birds were measured. Included were 33 eggs of the Whooping Crane ( Grus americana ), 158 eggs of the Aleutian Canada Goose ( Branta canadensis leucopareia ), and 809 eggs of the Masked Bobwhite Quail ( Colinus virginiana ridgwayi ). In the literature, there are only scattered reports of small samples of Masked Bobwhite Quail and Whooping Crane eggs and, to the best of our knowledge, no measurements of Aleutian Canada Goose eggs have been reported. The information presented herein is intended to augment knowledge of these three threatened forms of North American wildlife. We wish to thank members of the staff of the Endangered Wildlife Re- search Program for assistance in gathering the data.

The Auk↗
USGS1972

Copulation by California condors

Koford (Res. Rept. No. 3, Natl. Audubon Soc., 1953) observed sexual display among California Condors ( Gymnogyps californianus ) on more than 30 occasions, yet only once did he see what he thought was copulation. Some of the displays he watched were quite intricate, with considerable posturing and "male" aggression, but no such activity preceded this copulation. The birds sat several feet apart for over 1 hour, then one climbed onto the other's back, staying there 1/2 minute and flapping gently at the apparent moment of coition. Afterward they sat quietly 1/2 hour before flying away. This led Koford to state (p. 79) that "possibly in Gymnogyps copulation is not immediately preceded by display." We have records of 8 California Condor copulations, 5 of which are similar to that described above. The three other occasions began similarly, with the birds sitting quietly, but then the "male" displayed briefly before the "female" with wings half spread and head drooping forward. This elicited no apparent response, but the male immediately walked behind and mounted the female. The apparent moment of coition was accompanied by gentle wing flapping in all instances.

The Auk↗
USGS1975

Notes on winter feeding behavior and molt in Wilson's phalaropes

Wilson's Phalaropes, Steganopus tricolor , migrate in late summer from the prairie regions of North America to their wintering grounds in the highlands of Peru and the inland and coastal waters of Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina (Holmes 1939, Meyer de Schauensee 1970). Reports on these birds from their wintering habitat are few. This paper describes numbers, feeding behavior, and molt of Wilson's Phalaropes wintering in a freshwater marsh in central Argentina. Fieldwork in Argentina was conducted by the senior author. The junior author analyzed molt patterns of birds collected there and added data he collected in North Dakota in 1968 and 1969.

The Auk↗
USGS1974

Prolonged incubation behavior by a marbled godwit

On 9 May 1972 I flushed a Marbled Godwit ( Limosa fedoa ) from a nest containing four eggs in a large field of mulched wheat stubble in northwestern Stutsman County, North Dakota. I revisited the nest on 31 May and on 7, 9, 12, 15, 16, 20, and 21 June, and found an incubating adult on the nest during all visits except 21 June. Another adult was seen near the nest site only on 9 May. On 12 June the eggs looked rotten, and the incubating bird seemed to have a crippled leg. On 21 June Ring-billed Gulls ( Larus delawarensis ) destroyed the eggs.

The Auk↗
USGS1974

Breeding red-winged blackbirds in captivity

Ability to establish and maintain self-sustaining breeding colonies of captive Red-winged Blackbirds ( Agelaius phoeniceus ) would facilitate long-term studies designed to develop methods for alleviating blackbird depredations as well as provide basic life history data. To be most useful, the colonies should be established in pens near laboratory facilities; this frequently involves putting colonies in unnatural nesting habitat. This paper describes a 5-year effort at Gainesville, Florida, to induce captive Red-wings, most of them taken from the wild as nestlings and then hand-reared in our laboratory, to breed regularly under such conditions. Except for an undocumented report of two young fully reared at the London Zoo in 1913 (Prestwick per. comm.), captive Red-wings have not been induced to breed successfully under avicultural conditions. In 1969, captive Red-wings, wild-trapped as adults, were induced to breed and to rear young successfully in large pens over normal marsh and hayfield nesting habitat in Ohio (Jackson pers. comm.). Earlier, a pair of Red-wings that had been caught as adults and kept together for a year hatched two young in a 40- X 20- X 6-foot cage in Massachusetts (Wetherbee 1960, Wilson Bull. 74: 90), but the nestlings died soon after hatching.

The Auk↗
USGS1974

Everglade kites feed on nonsnail prey

The Everglade Kite ( Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus ) of Florida has been called snail hawk or snail kite because it was thought to feed exclusively on the soft parts of the freshwater apple snail ( Pomacea paludosa ) (Nicholson 1926, Howell 1932, Bent 1937, Snyder and Snyder 1969). Furthermore, the other three subspecies of this wide-ranging Neotropical raptor (Friedmann 1950) are known to feed only on species within the genus Pomacea (Haverschmidt 1962, 1970; Brown and Amadon 1968). We report here two different instances of kites feeding on nonsnail prey in Florida

The Auk↗
USGS1974

Record confirmed of Bahama woodstar in Florida

We reported a Bahama Woodstar ( Calliphlox evelynae ) at Lantana, Florida, 26 August through 13 October 1971 (1972, Amer. Birds 26: 52). At that time, there was reservation by some about the identification. Colored slides taken of the bird at roost were subsequently examined by James Bond and Frank B. Gill, who confirmed the initial identification. This is the first record of this species in the United States.

The Auk↗
USGS1975

Reproductive biology of the band-tailed pigeon in Colorado and New Mexico

Band-tailed pigeons ( Columba fasciata ) occur in two major populations in western North America, a coastal population ( C. f. monilis ) and an interior population ( C. f. fasciata ) (A.O.U. 1957). The interior population inhabits portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Texas, and the highlands of Mexico. This pigeon is one of several species of birds in western North America that show unseasonal and variable nesting periods (see Ligon 1971). Active nests have been found in some portion of the species' range in every month of the year (Swarth 1900, Thayer 1909, Stephens 1913, Lamb 1926, Abbott 1927, Vorhies 1928, Neff 1947, MacGregor and Smith 1955). Although several studies of the breeding biology of the Band-tailed Pigeon have been made on the Pacific coast population (Glover 1953, MacGregor and Smith 1955, Houston 1963, March and Sadleir 1970, Zeigler 1971) few studies have been done of the interior population (Fitzhugh 1970). The breeding cycle of the interior population is poorly understood, although many observations of individual nests have been reported (Neff 1947, Fitzhugh 1970). The purpose of this study was to document the gonadal cycles of free-living Band-tailed Pigeons in Colorado and New Mexico and to study the species' photoperiod responses. From this information we have attempted to explain the normal breeding cycle of the pigeon and to explain its occasional unseasonal breeding.

The Auk↗
USGS1977

Report of the American Ornithologists' Union Committee on Conservation, 1976-77. The recovery team-recovery plan approach to conservation of endangered species; A status summary and appraisal

The U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-205) identifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), under authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior, as the lead agency charged with the conservation of most endangered species in the United States. Some marine species are the responsibility of the Secretary of Commerce, and the responsibility for marine turtles is shared. In 1972 the USFWS sent preliminary instructions to certain field researchers to develop a unified coordinated plan for the recovery of the species they were working with. These were the precursors of recovery teams and recovery plans. The plans, and the teams to draft and help implement them, became one significant means of fulfilling the USFWS' obligations under the Endangered Species Act, particularly Sections 6 and 7, which deal with state and interagency cooperation.

The Auk↗
USGS1977

Effects of tide cycles on habitat selection and habitat partitioning by migrating shorebirds

We studied assemblages of feeding shorebirds in three intertidal habitats on the coast of New Jersey during August to document how species segregate spatially both among and within habitats and to determine the effects of tidal cycles on these patterns. The habitats were a sandy beach facing the ocean proper (outer beach), a sandy beach on the mainland side of a barrier island (inner beach), and a small mudflat adjacent to a Spartina alterniflora salt marsh. We were able to identify several microhabitats on the outer beach and mudflat. Most species fed in more than one habitat, but only two, Charadrius semipalmatus and Calidris canutus , used all three habitats regularly. Within habitats, most species exhibited strong preferences for the wettest areas, but we found differences among species in degrees of preference. The least amount of partitioning occurred on the inner beach, where birds crowded into a small zone near the water's edge and had frequent agonistic encounters suggesting intense competition. Shorebird feeding activity was partly a function of tide time: each habitat had a characteristic temporal pattern of use by shorebirds related to tide time rather than diel time; within habitats, we found species-characteristic feeding activity rhythms that were also a function of tide time. Feeding by most species peaked during the first 2 hours after low tide on the outer beach and mudflat. The results are discussed in terms of feeding strategies and interspecific competition.

The Auk↗
USGS1978

Variation in reproductivity with age in the brown pelican

About 10% of the Brown Pelicans breeding in South Carolina are in immature plumage. In comparison to adult breeders, immatures nested later, laid a smaller clutch, nested more frequently in low ground that was flooded, lost a larger proportion of nestlings, and produced fewer downy young per nest. Factors such as experience in breeding and fishing success probably influence reproductive success of pelicans of various ages.

The Auk↗
USGS1978

Prealternate molt in nuthatches

Nuthatches of the genus Sitta constitute one of the passerine groups in which prealternate (prenuptial) molt is generally believed not to occur. Dwight (1900: 298) discussed this genus with the family Paridae and stated: "All the members of this family have only the annual moult. They are peculiar in assuming a juvenal plumage closely resembling the pale nuptial plumage which results from extreme fading of the winter dress." Witherby (in Witherby et al. 1938: 244) remarked that in S. europaea the summer plumage is attained by abrasion rather than by molt. Following Dwight's analysis, Bent (1948) recorded that the prenuptial molt did not occur in S. carolinensis or S. canadensis . Although Norris (1958: 246) found several females of S. pygmaea that were replacing feathers in the nuchal region in March and April, he regarded this as a regrowth of feathers lost in social interactions rather than as prealternate molt; the replacement of contour feathers "over nearly every part of the body" in early April by one female of that species was considered to be "an aberrant instance of prenuptial molt." Norris (op. cit.) stated categorically that "There is no prenuptial molt in Sitta pusilla ." For most species in the genus, however, I have been unable to find any statement, even a negative one, concerning the occurrence of this molt. On the other hand, there is a partial prealternate molt in the seasonally dimorphic Tichodroma muraria , usually considered a member of the family Sittidae but in a different subfamily.

The Auk↗
USGS1982

Variability in nest survival rates and implications to nesting studies

We used four reasonably large samples (83-213) of Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) and Blue-winged Teal ( A. discors ) nests on an interstate highway right-of-way in southcentral North Dakota to evaluate potential biases in hatch-rate estimates. Twelve consecutive, weekly searches for nests were conducted with a cable-chain drag in 1976 and 1977. Nests were revisited at weekly intervals. Four methods were used to estimate hatch rates for the four data sets: the Traditional Method, the Mayfield Method, and two modifications of the Mayfield Method that are sometimes appropriate when daily mortality rates of nests are not constant. Hatch rates and the average age of nests at discovery declined as the interval between searches decreased, suggesting that mortality rates were not constant in our samples. An analysis of variance indicated that daily mortality rates varied with the age of nests in all four samples. Mortality was generally highest during the early laying period, moderately high during the late laying period, and lowest during incubation. We speculate that this relationship of mortality to nest age might be due to the presence of hens at nests or to differences in the vulnerability of nest sites to predation. A modification of the Mayfield Method that accounts for age-related variation in nest mortality was most appropriate for our samples. We suggest methods for conducting nesting studies and estimating nest success for species possessing similar nesting habits.

The Auk↗
USGS1982

Social organization in a nesting population of eastern willets ( Catoptrophorus semipalmatus )

The breeding ecology of eastern Willets ( Catoptrophorus semipalmatus ) was studied over a 3-yr period in a salt marsh on the Atlantic coast of Virginia. During the study, 171 adults were color-marked. Willets are strictly monogamous and show strong site and mate fidelity from year to year. Normally a pair bond dissolves only after one member dies or fails to return in the spring. With an estimated annual adult mortality of 15%, the average life of a pair bond is 3 yr. The sexes share in most aspects of breeding, including brood-rearing, but females abandon both mate and brood about 2 weeks after the chicks hatch. Males apparently incubate at night and sometimes relieve the female at the nest during the middle of the day. In this area Willets defend separate nesting and feeding territories, though nest-site defense decreases through the incubation period. When mates are lost, males retain their original nesting and feeding territories, while females pair with available mates near their original nesting territory. Females compete for mates, and males select the most aggressive females. Nesting was particularly synchronous in lowland marsh sites, where the onset of egg laying was slightly earlier than in upland sites. Nest density was the highest reported for any scolopacid, and the highest densities were in sites closest to the marsh. Nest spacing is achieved through agonistic behavior, but there is evidence of a counter-tendency leading to nest clumping. Several features of the Willet social system resemble characteristics typical of colonial species of birds. These are discussed along with other aspects of social organization and the selective forces operating on it.

The Auk↗
USGS1982

Reciprocal allopreening in the Brownheaded Nuthatch

In his extensive reviews of allopreening, Harrison (1965, 1969) did not record this behavior for the Sittidae, nor did Kilham (1968, 1972, 1973) mention observing this behavior in either White-breasted ( Sitta carolinensis ) or Red-breasted (S. canadensis ) nuthatches. Norris (1958: 187), however, mentioned the occurrence of allopreening in Brown-headed Nuthatches ( S. pusilia ), in passing. Here we relate our observations of reciprocal allopreening between two Brown-headed Nuthatches.

The Auk↗
USGS1985

Diving depths of four alcids

Incidental catches of 12,243 Common Murres ( Uria aalge ), 875 Atlantic Puffins ( Fratercula arctica ), 36 Black Guillemots ( Cepphus grylle ), and 9 Razorbills ( Alca torda ) were recorded off Newfoundland during the summers of 1980-1982 (26,445 net-days of fishing effort). Most catch occurred in stationary gill nets set on the sea floor at depths of up to 180 m and revealed that murres, Razorbills, puffins, and guillemots can dive to depths of at least 180, 120, 60, and 50 m, respectively. Diving ability appeared to be directly correlated with body size.

Newfoundland↗
USGS1985

Fat deposition and usage by arctic-nesting sandhill cranes during spring

Body weight, fat, and protein levels of arctic-nesting Sandhill Cranes ( Grus canadensis ) were measured at several locations during spring migration and on the breeding grounds. Body weights of adult males and females increased by about 34% (1,129 g) and 30% (953 g) from early March at the Platte River to late April at Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan; average fat content increased from about 250 to 990 g. Rates of weight gain and fat deposition among males and females averaged 25-18 and 16-13 g/day. Body weights and fat content of cranes staging along the North Platte River followed similar patterns and usually were higher than along the Platte River during comparable periods. Fat reserves of paired cranes collected after their arrival at a major breeding ground on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska averaged about 530 g, or about 46% less than peak fat content in Saskatchewan. Patterns of weight increase and fat deposition in cranes during migration were similar to those previously described for northern-nesting geese, except that nutrient storage is not sex specific in cranes. Body protein of adult female cranes did not change significantly during spring migration (P = 0.28). Female cranes allocate less nutrients to clutch formation in proportion to body size than do northern-nesting geese.

The Auk↗