Western Birds Journal

Volume 23, No. 1

Published January 1, 1992

Issue description

Volume 23, number 1 of Western Birds, published 1992

Articles

  1. Cover image V23(1)

    JONATHAN L. ATWOOD (Author)

    A MAXIMUM ESTIMATE OF THE CALIFORNIA GNATCATCHER’S POPULATION SIZE IN THE UNITED STATES

    The California Gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica, was recently recognized as a species distinct from the widespread Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, P. melanura, of the southwestern desert regions of the United States and Mexico (Atwood 1988, American Ornithologists’ Union 1989). Although California Gnatcatchers are distributed throughout much of Baja California, the northernmost subspecies, P. c. californica, now occurs only in remnant fragments of coastal sage scrub habitat from Los Angeles County, California, south to El Rosario, Baja California (Atwood 1991).

  2. Cover image V23(1)

    GUSTAVO D. DANEMANN, JUAN R. GUZMAN POO (Author)

    NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF SAN IGNACIO LAGOON, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO

    Little information is available on the avifauna of San Ignacio Lagoon. The only published accounts dealing specifically with this area are those of Huey (1927), who visited the lagoon over 60 years ago, and Bancroft (1927), who mentioned this area as breeding ground for the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and some species of waterbirds. As far as we know, the only other ornithological research there is that of Reither man and Storrer (1981), who studied the Osprey population of Ballena Island from 1980 to 1983.

    During 1988 and 1989, Danemann (1991) spent 117 days at San Ignacio Lagoon, studying primarily the community ecology of birds breeding on Ballena Island. Here we summarize observations recorded during those visits.

  3. Cover image V23(1)

    M. RALPH BROWNING (Author)

    GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN HIRUNDO PYRRHONOTA (CLIFF SWALLOW) FROM NORTHERN NORTH AMERICA

    The number of subspecies recognized in Hirundo pyrrhonota Vieillot (Cliff Swallow) from Alaska, Canada, and the northern contiguous United States ranges from one (Peters 1960) to three (e.g., Jewett et al. 1953, Oberholser 1974). Most sources (e.g., American Ornithologists’ Union [A.O.U.] 1957, Behle 1976) recognize two subspecies: hypopolia Oberholser, 1920, breeding from central Alaska to the central Great Basin, and two disjunct populations of nominate pyrrhonota, breeding on the west coast and east of the Rocky Mountains. Although various authors have reported measurements of wing chord, they have not provided quantitative data for other plumage characters, and they disagree in the characterizations and ranges of the subspecies they recognize. Because of this, I reviewed the geographic variation among the northern populations.

  4. Cover image V23(1)

    STEVE N. G. HOWELL, SOPHIE WEBB (Author)

    NOTES: SOUTHERNMOST RECORDS OF WESTERN AND YELLOW-FOOTED GULLS

    On 27 April 1988 we visited the coastal lagoons at La Ventosa, 5 km east of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico. Scanning through a flock of about 800 Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) and 200 Franklin’s Gulls (L. pipixcan) we were surprised to see two adult Yellow-footed Gulls (L. livens). While we were watching these, a third large dark-backed gull flew over us and landed in the flock. As it appeared smaller, slighter, and paler-backed than the Yellow-footeds, the possibility of a Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. fuscus) crossed our minds. Closer examination, however, showed this bird to be a Western Gull (L. occidentalis). We approached the gulls to within 50 m and watched them at rest and in flight over the course of three hours. The following descriptions are taken from our field notes.

  5. Cover image V23(1)

    WAYNE C. WEBER, JOHN IRELAND (Author)

    NOTES: TIDEWATER BREEDING RECORDS OF THE WESTERN GREBE NEAR VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

    The Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) is a widespread breeding species in North America, nesting from south-central British Columbia and south-eastern Manitoba south to Mexico (American Ornithologists’ Union 1983). This note reports two apparent breeding records near Vancouver, British Columbia, which we believe represent the first breeding records for this species on tidewater.

    On 29 August 1986, Ireland observed an adult Western Grebe with two small downy young in the brackish marsh off the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Westham Island, British Columbia, at the mouth of the Fraser River. The chicks were seen subsequently on several dates during the following week, together with up to 130 adult Western Grebes that were summering in the area. Migrant Western Grebes do not begin arriving in the Vancouver area until mid- to late September.

  6. Cover image V23(1)

    JEFFREY G. GROTH (Author)

    NOTES: WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL BREEDING IN SOUTHERN COLORADO, WITH NOTES ON JUVENILES’ CALLS

    From 3 to 11 June 1987 I camped near Spring Creek Pass, elevation 11,100 ft., San Juan Mountains, Hinsdale County, Colorado, to record and collect Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra). The site was in forests dominated by Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii) and Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) with interspersed grassy meadows. Patches of deep snow were present under trees and in shadier areas. The spruces had a heavy crop of cones which were drying and losing seeds. Moderate numbers of Red and White-winged (L. leucoptera) crossbills occurred around the camp. Single individuals and small groups of two to three birds of a single species were most frequent (some larger flocks were noted), and many of the 22 Red Crossbills I collected at this locality were in breeding condition. Pine Siskins (Carduelis pinus) were also conspicuous and performing circular courtship flights in the area. Mixed aggregations consisting of dozens of the three species were seen on some afternoons, with all three species in song. Birds foraged in the spruces and came down to the ground to eat snow and grit.

  7. Cover image V23(1)

    DANIEL M. TAYLOR (Author)

    NOTES: THE STATUS OF THE FRANKLIN’S GULL IN IDAHO

    Observations of Franklin’s Gulls (Larus pipixcan) in Idaho have been limited. This paper summarizes recent published and unpublished records, and shows that this gull has increased in the state. Franklin’s Gull was first recorded in Idaho at Minidoka Dam, Snake River, on 28 July 1910 by Stanley Jewett (Slipp 1942). Through the early 1970s it was recorded from several wetlands in southeastern Idaho, but was known to breed only at Gray’s Lake, Caribou Co., site of a large colony, and at Lake Walcott, Minidoka Co., where about 1000 pairs nested (Burleigh 1972). One bird collected near Lewiston, Nez Perce Co., and two collected near Meridian, Ada Co., furnished the only records outside of southeastern Idaho (Burleigh 1972).

  8. Cover image V23(1)

    EDUARDO PALACIOS, ERIC MELLINK (Author)

    NOTES: BREEDING BIRD RECORDS FROM MONTAGUE ISLAND, NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA

    Early in this century, Leopold (1949) described the Colorado River delta as a wild majestic paradise for wildlife. Since Leopold’s day, the river has been broken up by dams to sustain agricultural and urban development. Despite the area’s previous importance to wildlife, little research has been done there. We know of only a few old works on the ornithology of the area (Murphy 1917, Price 1899, Stone and Rhoads 1905). Therefore, from 0940 to 1200 on 5 June 1991 we made a preliminary reconnaissance of the birds of Montague Island, in the Colorado Delta, Baja California (Figure 1). We focused our effort on Estero del Chayo, a channel cutting into the southern part of Isla Montague. The island is formed by river sediment and has a simple vegetation consisting of saltgrass (Distichlis palmeri) on the banks adjacent to the channels of the estero. Away from the channels, unvegetated dry mudflats dominate. There is an extensive mudflat south of the island.

  9. Cover image V23(1)

    GUY McCASKIE (Author)

    BOOK REVIEW: Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley: Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley. 1991. Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Robert D. Ohmart, William C. Hunter, and Bertin W. Anderson. University of Arizona Press, Tucson. 416 pp., 33 black and white figures and 6 tables. Price: $40.00 clothbound.

    The Colorado River, running from its sources in the Rocky Mountain areas of Wyoming and Colorado to its mouth at the head of the Gulf of California, is the only large body of water passing through the arid areas of southern Nevada, western Arizona, and southeastern California. The flow of this once mighty river is now controlled and managed for human benefit. There is a series of dams, and most if not all of the water is diverted before it reaches the delta. This river has always supported a rich variety of life, but the major changes recently imposed by man have affected, and still are affecting, that life. Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley covers the birdlife along that portion of the river running from Davis Dam in southern Nevada to the Mexican boundary, summarizing the past and present status of the more than 400 species reported from this stretch of the river.