Western Birds Journal

Volume 10, No. 3

Published July 1, 1979

Issue description

Volume 10, number 3 of Western Birds, published 1979

Articles

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    DAVID G. AINLEY, BILL MANOLIS (Author)

    OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE MOTTLED PETREL

    The Mottled Petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata) is much reduced from its former numbers. Due to the clearing of forests and predation by introduced mammals, it no longer breeds on the two main islands of New Zealand but is now restricted to a few islands south and east of the South Island, principally the little ones near Stewart Island and the Snares Islands (Warham et al. 1977). Its confinement to so few sites led these authors to express concern for the future of the species. They went on to summarize what is known of the species’ terrestrial (i.e., breeding) biology. Here we summarize information on its oceanic distribution.

    We report for the first time several occurrences of Mottled Petrels in California and Washington, and summarize some recent records from other areas along the North American Pacific Coast. We also summarize the diffuse literature and unpublished observations on its oceanic occurrence, and from this establish its oceanic range and seasonal movements.

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    DEBORAH DAVIS (Author)

    MORNING AND EVENING ROOSTS OF TURKEY VULTURES AT MALHEUR REFUGE, OREGON

    The tendency of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) to perch at some particular site other than the overnight roost, both in morning and evening, appears to be predictable and universal within the species. As with many components of Turkey Vulture behavior, very similar behavior is shown by the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus; Koford 1953) and the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus; McGahan 1972). At a large roost in southeastern Oregon, I observed the arrival and departure times of Turkey Vultures, and their movements to and from different perching sites.

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    BART CORD, JOSEPH R. JEHL, JR. (Author)

    DISTRIBUTION, BIOLOGY, AND STATUS OF A RELICT POPULATION OF BROWN TOWHEE (Pipilo fuscus eremophilus)

    The Inyo Brown Towhee (Pipilo fuscus eremophilus) is a relict population of a species that was formerly widespread in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico (Davis 1951). A member of the Crissalis group of subspecies, eremophilus became restricted to mountain areas in the northern Mojave Desert as a result of climatic changes beginning in the Pliocene (Davis 1951). Currently it is known only from the Argus Range of Inyo County, California (Cord and Jehl 1978, contra AOU 1957) (Figure 1). The nearest neighboring population, P. f. carolae (formerly kernensis) occurs 65 km due west in the Walker Basin of the southern Sierra Nevada.

    Like all other races of P. fuscus, eremophilus is considered resident (Davis 1951). It was described by Van Rossem (1935) on the basis of specimens he collected at Mountain Spring (1400 m) and Lang Spring (1830 m) in the southern Argus Range, and from a single specimen taken by F. Stephens at “Searle’s Garden” (Fisher 1893).

    Because of its limited and largely inaccessible range, which is rarely visited by ornithologists, very little is known about the biology, requirements, or population size of this isolated desert dwelling race. We attempted to gather such data at the request of the Desert Land Plan staff of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

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    JOHN K. ADAMS, VIRGIL E. SCOTT (Author)

    NOTES: TIMBER HARVEST MODIFICATION AROUND AN ACTIVE OSPREY NEST

    Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) are generally found along seacoasts and on or near large bodies of inland waters. They frequently nest in areas where timber is harvested. It is important to know something about tolerance to timber harvest activities, especially during the nesting season.

    Management suggestions for this bird range from merely leaving the nest tree unmolested (Melo 1975), to not cutting within 100 to 150 m of an Osprey nest during non-nesting periods and no closer than 0.4 km to an active Osprey nest (Lind 1976). Melo (1975) reported a successful Osprey nest where nesting had begun in 1975 before timber harvest started. Timber harvest operations came within 30 m of the nest snag and the only special treatment was not to fell the nest snag or to “brush” the snag with felled trees. The nest was not occupied in 1976 although Ospreys did construct a nest nearby (Melo pers. comm.). Ospreys returned in spring of 1977 and nested at the site of the 1975 nest.

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    W. Z. LIDICKER, JR., F. C. McCOLLUM (Author)

    NOTES: CANADA GOOSE ESTABLISHED AS A BREEDING SPECIES IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY

    We report here on 20 years of records which establish the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) as a breeding bird in the San Francisco Bay area. In California, this species is generally not considered to breed regularly south of the northeastern corner of the state (Kortright 1943:86, Johnsgard 1975). Occasional breeding records have been recorded for the Lake Tahoe area (Grinnell and Miller 1944), and more recently from Bridgeport Reservoir in Mono County (Gaines 1977:6). Additional instances of breeding are known from a reservoir east-southeast of Marysville, Yuba County (F. Kozlik, Calif. Dept. Fish and Game, pers. comm.). In the spring of 1932 a single pair nested on Crystal Springs Reservoir in San Mateo County (Moffitt 1939). Starting in 1959, however, a breeding colony became established on Brooks Island, Contra Costa County, and has probably bred there every year since that time (2 to 16 adults seen each year).

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    CRAIG A. FAANES, BRUCE A. HANSON, HAROLD A. KANTRUD (Author)

    NOTES: CASSIN’S SPARROW—FIRST RECORD FOR WYOMING AND RECENT RANGE EXTENSIONS

    On 8 June 1978, Faanes observed a male Cassin’s Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) 2.5 km SW of Columbine, Natrona County, Wyoming. Observations were made from 1110–1120. Weather conditions consisted of a clear sky, temperature about 21°C and a light wind. Light conditions allowed for a clear view from 8–10 m.

    When observed, the bird was perched on a Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) shrub. Its song, heard three times, consisted of a high trill, slightly lower at the end. A call note, described as “tsseet,” also was heard. The bird skylarked on several occasions, and upon reaching its zenith, began singing and “parachuting” to the ground, in a manner similar to the flight song of McCown’s Longspur (Calcarius mccownii). This behavior suggested the bird was on a breeding territory, or advertising for a mate.

    Other characteristics of the bird, recorded during the observation, included: medium sized sparrow, similar in size and shape to Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). Bill light gray throughout, broad at the base, and conical. Head slightly rounded in back, with a sloping forehead. Crown mottled gray, with auriculars lighter gray than the remainder of the head. Wings short, rounded and gray, darker than back, with a small yellow area at bend of wing. In flight, outer primaries and coverts dark gray, grading to light gray-brown from the secondaries to the body. Back gray, mottled with brown and with gray extending onto the rump. Underparts uniform gray throughout. The rounded, dark gray tail appeared narrow for the size of the bird.

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    DAVID H. ELLIS, GALE MONSON (Author)

    NOTES: WHITE-TAILED KITE RECORDS FOR ARIZONA

    The first documentation of a White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) in Arizona was obtained when Ellis photographed an adult on 11 August 1978 in the Altar Valley, Pima County. The record was made along the Elkhorn Ranch (Sabino Canyon) road about 5 km west of Arizona Route 286 (31°49′N, 111°27′W). The photograph is on deposit at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, Tucson (No. 13377). The photograph, although not of good quality, shows the following diagnostic features: dark primaries contrasting with light secondaries; dark wrist mark on under wing coverts; light head, tail, and underparts; heavily feathered tibio-tarsus. The dark lesser coverts of the more distant wing are less clear. The general shape of the bird is also characteristic.

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    C. S. LAWSON (Author)

    NOTES: NEVADA RECORDS OF ROSEATE SPOONBILL

    In the summer of 1977 there was a major flight of Roseate Spoonbills (Ajaia ajaja) into the lower Colorado River valley of Arizona and California (Witzeman et al., Am. Birds 31:1171-1176, 1977; McCaskie, Am. Birds 31:1188-1192, 1977). At least 12 individuals reached southern Nevada. The first reported was an immature on 5 June at the sewage ponds of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County (Castetter and Hill, West. Birds in press, 1979).

    On 28 June I collected one of two individuals discovered on 27 June at the Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA), Clark County, by Area Manager Roy Horsely. The specimen was deposited in the University of Nevada, Reno Museum of Biology (UNMB 1838, immature female, ovary 16 × 6 mm, no molt, light fat, weight 307 g). Horsely observed one to two immatures at OWMA intermittently between 28 June and 31 July.