Western Birds Journal

Volume 41, No. 2

Published April 1, 2010

Issue description

Volume 41, number 2 of Western Birds, published 2010

Articles

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    H. DOUGLAS PRATT, MARJORIE FALANRUW, MANDY T. EPTISON, ALAN OLSEN, DONALD W. BUDEN, PETER CLEMENT, ANURADHA GUPTA, DALE R. HERTER, DAVID KLAUBER, PAUL PISANO, DANIEL S. VICE, GARY J. WILES (Author)

    NOTEWORTHY BIRD OBSERVATIONS FROM THE CAROLINE AND MARSHALL ISLANDS 1988-2009, INCLUDING FIVE NEW RECORDS FOR MICRONESIA

    We evaluate previously unpublished or semi-published reports of 61 migratory, 3 resident, and 1 failed introduced species or subspecies of birds in Micronesia from a variety of sources. These include first (or first confirmed) Micronesian records of the Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), American Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus), Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox scutulata), Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis), and Scaly Thrush (Zoothera dauma); second regional reports of the Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), Rufous Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx hyperythrus), Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), and White-throated  Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus); and many firsts for major islands, island groups,  and islands within groups including 13 first (or first confirmed) and 7 second records  for Yap, 11 first and 8 second records for Palau, 7 firsts for Pohnpei, 1 for Kosrae,  1 for Kwajalein, and a second for Majuro. We report several occurrences as first for  their season and other significant bird observations that help to establish patterns in  the region. We question published sight records of the asian House Martin (Delichon  dasypus).

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    CHARLES D. HATHCOCK, LESLIE A. HANSEN, DAVID C. KELLER (Author)

    OCCUPANCY OF HABITATS BY MEXICAN SPOTTED OWLS IN RELATION TO EXPLOSIVE NOISE AND RECREATIONAL ACCESS AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY

    We examined 15 years of presence/absence data on the Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) at Los Alamos National Laboratory in seven areas managed as Spotted Owl habitat and affected by two types of anthropogenic disturbances: human recreation and relatively frequent but brief impulse noises caused by explosives. On the basis of the percent of years each area was occupied (the occupancy rate), the type of disturbance had an apparent effect on habitat occupancy. The rate of occupancy of Spotted Owl habitat within 2.4 km of firing sites with restricted access was 31% while in habitat >2.4 km from firing sites in which recreational access was allowed it was 7%. These results suggest that the Spotted Owl’s use of habitat at Los Alamos is not adversely affected by noise generated during explosives tests but may be adversely affected by recreational access.

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    ALEXANDER L. BOND, IAN L. JONES (Author)

    A BROWN HAWK-OWL (NINOX SCUTULATA) FROM KISKA ISLAND, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA

    On 1 August 2008 Bond found the carcass of an unidentified owl at Sirius Point, Kiska Island, in the Rat Island group of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska (52° 08′ N, 177° 36′ E, Figure 1), in Glen Larry canyon between two lava flows. Within that canyon, dead birds (mostly auklets, Aethia spp.) had been found frequently in a low area, possibly because of CO or CO₂ gas seeping from the more recent lava flow. The owl carcass was photographed in camp (Figures 2 and 3), but it was in poor condition and was not preserved. Some time later, upon returning from the field, Jones examined the photographs and identified the carcass as that of a Brown Hawk-Owl (Ninox scutulata).

     
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    DEBBIE J. HOUSE, DOUG WILLICK, ROBERT L. McKENNAN (Author)

    LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS NEST IN CISMONTANE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

    The Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) is an uncommon resident of arid regions from California east to Texas and south to Nicaragua (Short 1971, AOU 1998). Although in Baja California the Ladder-backed Woodpecker occurs along the northwest coast at least as far as La Bufadora, 15–20 km southwest of Ensenada (Erickson and Howell 2001), its California distribution is transmontane (i.e., inland of the Transverse and Peninsular ranges), extending north to the desert slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada (Garrett and Dunn 1981). Cismontane (coastal slope) breeding has recently been documented in Miller Valley in southeastern San Diego County and from Damerson Valley of north-central San Diego County to Aguanga in adjacent Riverside County; these small valleys support many elements of desert biota (Unitt 2004). Occupied habitats in California typically include desert slopes vegetated with Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) or Desert Agave (Agave deserti), desert washes and arroyos, riparian oases, and occasionally pinyon–juniper woodland. Ladder-backed Woodpeckers nest in both the live and dead wood of a variety of trees, including cottonwoods (Populus spp.) and willows (Salix spp.), in the trunks of the Joshua Tree, or in the dead flowering stalks of other species of yucca or agave (Grinnell and  Miller 1944, Lowther 2001, Unitt 2004, McKernan unpubl. data).

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    JEANNE M. FAIR, LAURA K. MARSH (Author)

    MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD NESTING IN AN ARROYO BANK IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

    The breeding range of the Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) extends from central Alaska along the eastern slopes of the coast ranges to northwestern California, the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California, and the Davis Mountains of western Texas (Power and Lombardo 1996). Breeding Mountain Bluebirds typically occupy open woodland or edge habitat with exposed perches and fairly sparse ground cover (Pinkowski 1979). They are attracted to burned areas, particularly those with dead trees and/or snags (McClelland et al. 1979, Hutto et al. 1992).

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    JAAN LEPSON (Author)

    BOOK REVIEW: The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status

    The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands is the magnum opus of Robert L. Pyle, the grand old man of Hawaiian birding, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 84. The monograph was started with the assistance of his family and finished by his son Peter Pyle, also a well-known birder and ornithologist. In keeping with Bob’s generous spirit and his boundless encouragement of Hawaiian birding and conservation (which touched me personally when I was still in high school), the Pyles decided to publish this monograph online to maximize its availability and utility. It will also be available as a DVD from Bishop Museum Press.

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    JAAN LEPSON (Author)

    BOOK REVIEW: A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hawai'i: the Main Islands and Offshore Waters

    Hawaii is high on most birdwatchers’ lists of places to visit. Birds come both for the spectacular radiation of its endemic land birds—in particular, the Hawaiian honeycreepers, for which it is justly famous—and for its wide assortment of tropical seabirds and introduced species from around the world. Beyond exciting birds, the Aloha State offers abundant scenic and cultural attractions that nonbirding family members will enjoy.

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    STEPHEN M. FETTIG, NANCY S. COX, STEVEN W. COX, RAYMOND L. VANBUSKIRK, MICHAEL O. HILCHEY (Author)

    FEATURED PHOTO - DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE WINTER PLUMAGES OF THE BLACK AND GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES IN NEW MEXICO

    Many observers find the identification of rosy-finches (Leucosticte spp.) difficult, in part because the birds’ high-elevation and remote breeding habitats provide few opportunities for comparison of the three North American species. In winter, distinguishing the rosy-finches in mixed flocks can be a further challenge because the birds’ seemingly restless nature often permits only brief views of individuals. Here we address differences between the wide-ranging interior form of the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (L. tephrocotis tephrocotis) and the Black Rosy-Finch (L. atrata), which can be difficult to distinguish because both typically have broad silver-gray superciliary stripes and hind crowns. The Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (L. australis) and the Gray-crowned can also be confused when the former shows some silver-gray above and behind the eyes, but that is a subject for another paper.