Western Birds Journal

Volume 34, No. 1

Published January 1, 2003

Issue description

Volume 34, number 1 of Western Birds, published 2003

Articles

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    CHRIS RINTOUL, NILS WARNOCK, GARY W. PAGE (Author)

    BREEDING STATUS AND HABITAT USE OF BLACK-NECKED AVOCETS IN SOUTH STILTS AND AMERICAN SAN FRANCISCO BAY

    In light of recent and proposed restoration projects that will affect bird numbers in San Francisco Bay, California, we assessed the status of breeding populations of the Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) and American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) in South San Francisco Bay in May 2001. We counted 1,184 stilts and 2,765 avocets. Considering only birds observed exhibiting breeding behaviors, our lowest estimates of breeding birds in the South Bay were 270 stilts and 880 avocets, but the true numbers are probably closer to the total number of stilts and avocets actually counted. Our estimates of the breeding population fall within the range of similar estimates from the South Bay 20–30 years ago. We know of no other sites on the Pacific coast of the United States with breeding populations of stilts and avocets whose sizes approach those of the South San Francisco Bay. The greatest numbers of stilts and avocets bred on salt ponds in the South Bay; lesser numbers bred in a combination of fresh and salt marshes. The observed use by stilts and avocets of available habitat differed significantly from expected use. Stilts used tidal marshes and salt ponds approximately in order of availability, whereas avocets made greater use of salt ponds. Within marshes, stilts most often used vegetated areas, followed by mudflat/open-water habitat, whereas for avocets the pattern was reversed. Within salt ponds, both species were most often observed on islands, but their order of use of other microhabitats in salt ponds differed. We observed little use of tidal flats by breeding stilts and avocets.

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    KIMBALL L. GARRET, JOHN C. WILSON (Author)

    REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE: 2001 RECORDS

    In 2001, the California Bird Records Committee reached decisions on 194 records of 66 species, accepting 161 of them. New to California were the Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), and Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus), bringing California's bird list to 619 species, nine of which are not native. Potential first state records of the Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola), Nazca Booby (Sula granti), and Black-backed Oriole (Icterus abeillei) were not accepted—the first on grounds of identification and the latter two because of concerns about natural occurrence.

    Other significant accepted records include California's second Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) and Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris), second and third Greater Shearwaters (Puffinus gravis), and the strongest annual showings in California of the Galapagos/Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia/sandwichensis), Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens), and Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) on record.

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    ROBERT C. DOBBS (Author)

    BEHAVIORAL NOTES ON SOME BREEDING BIRDS IN SOUTHERN UTAH

    Rare or rarely observed behaviors may represent important components of a species’ life history and may provide valuable insight into the evolution and maintenance of behavioral traits. Rare behaviors, however, frequently go undocumented, limiting our ability to fully evaluate the distribution of behavioral traits within a species’ repertoire or among related species. Understanding the frequency of events or traits that have consequences for a bird’s fitness may help clarify their evolution.

    Here, I describe three apparently rare behaviors observed in high-elevation breeding passerines that have been reported only once or never previously in the literature. In particular, I document reuse of a nest site by Western Wood-Pewees (Contopus sordidulus), nest building by a juvenile American Robin (Turdus migratorius), and helping behavior in Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina).

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    SHARON E. LYNN, LISA S. HAYWARD (Author)

    APPARENT DEPREDATION OF CHESTNUT- COLLARED LONGSPUR NESTLINGS BY THE BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD

    The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is an obligate brood parasite that lays eggs in the nests of more than 220 host species (Lowther 1993). Brown-headed Cowbirds typically reduce the reproductive success of their hosts by removing host eggs and producing nestlings that demand extensive care from host parents. Additionally, cowbird eggs require a shorter incubation period than the eggs of many host species (e.g., Briskie and Sealy 1990; Kattan 1995), and incubation of cowbird eggs may disrupt incubation of host eggs (McMaster and Sealy 1998).

    To parasitize a nest successfully, cowbirds must lay eggs in a host’s nest when the host female is laying (or shortly thereafter, if cowbird eggs require a shorter incubation period than host eggs). However, some cowbirds also depredate nests much later in the nesting cycle, presumably to induce renesting (Smith and Arcese 1994; Arcese et al. 1996).

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    Kimball L. Garrett (Author)

    BOOK REVIEWS: Wrens, Dippers and Thrashers

    At that infamous (and apocryphal) meeting in some unnamed British pub a couple of decades back, when the bird families were being divided up for a series of “identification guides” that would change the birding world as we knew it, somebody wandered in late and got a hodgepodge of little gray and brown birds as his assignment.

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    Steve N. G. Howell (Author)

    BOOK REVIEWS: Sibley’s Birding Basic

    Every once in a while a book comes along and you think, “How is it that this wasn’t done before?” Sibley’s Birding Basics(hereafter Basics) is one such book. Its audience is really anyone who looks at birds in the field, beginner or expert—don’t be fooled by the title. Beginners will find huge amounts of useful information to help them improve and refine their skills; experts will be reminded of their learning curves, have some things reinforced, and perhaps think, “Wow, that’s a really good way to think of such-and-such.” Those of us who teach will be in a far better position to help others if we read this book—it cuts to the quick on a wide range of subjects in a clear, easy-going style. As well as good text, the book is liberally illustrated by thoughtful and well-executed sketches and paintings—each worth hundreds of words, if not a thousand each.

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    ROBERT W. DICKERMAN, PAGE DRAPER (Author)

    FEATURED PHOTO: A JANUARY SCARLET TANAGER SPECIMEN FROM NEW MEXICO

    On 4 January 2002, a female-plumaged tanager (Piranga sp.) appeared in the yard of the Draper family in Rio Rancho, Sandoval Co., New Mexico. The bird was seen frequently in the Drapers’ yard, which is heavily planted to attract birds, for five days. It was observed feeding on the berries of Photinia cf. fraseri and on a suet mixture containing mixed birdseed, peanut butter, and Crisco. It regularly used a bird bath and a sunflower-seed feeder in a neighbor’s yard. Draper tentatively identified it as a Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), but an experienced birdwatcher considered it to be a Summer Tanager (P. rubra). Photographs were taken and shown to an ornithologist, who agreed that it was probably a Summer Tanager.