Western Birds Journal

Volume 11, No. 3

Published July 1, 1980

Issue description

Volume 11, number 3 of Western Birds, published 1980

Articles

  1. Cover image V11 (3)

    John Davis, Walter D. Koenig, Pamela L. Williams (Author)

    BIRDS OF HASTINGS RESERVATION, MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

    The Hastings Natural History Reservation was established in October 1937 as a field station of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), University of California, Berkeley. At that time, Jean M. Linsdale of the Museum staff became the first resident director and initiated a program of research and instruction. Human disturbance to the land was kept to a minimum, a policy which continues to be enforced.

    Since the beginning of the Reservation's history, at least one ornithologist has been permanently resident, and a large file of records and field notes on the avifauna has been compiled. Contributors to this file include Reservation and Museum staff members, students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and members of visiting classes.

  2. Cover image V11 (3)

    Sanford R. Wilbur (Author)

    THE LEAST BELL'S VIREO IN BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

    The Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) has been recorded as a breeding species in California and in Baja California, Mexico, south to about latitude 30°N (AOU 1957). Recent field work has shown this vireo to be rare or absent from about two-thirds of its former breeding range in California (Goldwasser et al. 1980), so it seemed desirable to make a preliminary survey of its status in Mexico.

    A review of literature and museum records, along with consultations with ornithologists, resulted in the identification of 14 Mexican locations where Least Bell’s Vireos had been seen or collected during the breeding season (April–July), and that probably represented breeding localities (see Figure 1 and Appendix).

    During 19–23 June 1980, Keith Axelson and I visited eight of those localities to see if vireos were present. We also checked for vireos in potential habitat en route. Because habitat loss and degradation and brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are implicated in the decline of the Bell’s Vireo in California (Goldwasser et al. 1980), we made a preliminary assessment of these factors.

  3. Cover image V11 (3)

    G. Vernon Byrd, Daniel D. Gibson (Author)

    DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION STATUS OF WHISKERED AUKLET IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA

    The little-known Whiskered Auklet (Aethia pygmaea) occurs only in the Aleutian (Figure 1), Commander, and Kuril Islands of the North Pacific. In the Aleutian Islands, it occurs from Unimak Pass to the Near Islands (Kessel and Gibson 1978), but the only documented nesting records are from Umnak Island (R.J. Gordon in litt.), Chagulak Island (Murie 1959), Atka Island (Turner 1886), and Buldir Island (Knudtson and Byrd, in press).

    This paper summarizes new information on the distribution of Whiskered Auklet in the Aleutian Islands and provides a significantly higher estimate of the minimum population.

  4. Cover image V11 (3)

    Bruce G. Marcot, Randy Hill (Author)

    FLAMMULATED OWLS IN NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA

    Habitat selection and distribution of the Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus) in California is incompletely known. Grinnell and Miller (1944) noted only two locations in the northeastern part of the state. Johnson and Russell (1962) provided records of at least 33 individuals in seven additional northeastern California locations.

    The most comprehensive survey to date has been by Winter (1974), reporting 59 specimen and 89 sight records since 1860 in California. Two of the records Winter reported for the northwestern portion of the state are from Humboldt County, and five are from Trinity County.

  5. Cover image V11 (3)

    BILL HARRINGTON-TWEIT (Author)

    FIRST RECORDS OF THE WHITE-TAILED KITE IN WASHINGTON

    The range and population size of the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) have been increasing in western North America and Central America since the late 1940s (Eisenmann 1971). This expansion was evident in Oregon in the 1970s, as kites became established residents at several Rogue and Willamette Valley locations (American Birds Regional Editor's files). The first breeding record for the state was obtained at Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Benton County, in 1977 (Henny and Annear 1978).

  6. Cover image V11 (3)

    ASA CLIFFORD THORESEN (Author)

    DIURNAL LAND VISITATIONS BY RHINOCEROS AUKLETS

    Scott et al. (Western Birds 5:13-20, 1974) reported the range expansion and diurnal activity of Rhinoceros Auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) on the coasts of Oregon and California in recent years. Diurnal activity has been noted on the Farallon Islands, California, and at Sea Lion Caves, Oregon. In this latter location, they have been seen carrying fish into the cave indicating that they were feeding young during daytime.
    My ornithology students from Walla Walla College Marine Biological Station, Anacortes, Washington, and I observed a Rhinoceros Auklet associating on rocks, and flying circles, with Tufted Puffins (Lunda cirrhata). On 23 June 1977, a single auklet came to Williamson Rocks, Rosario Strait, Washington, while our boat was anchored close to shore. It entered a burrow and remained there for at least 10 minutes. The auklet then emerged to rest on the rocks for another 30 minutes or more until a Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) landed nearby.
    Visits to the location were made at least three times a week after the first sighting. The single auklet was always present and usually came to land while I observed other alcids.

  7. Cover image V11 (3)

    BENEDICT C. PINKOWSKI (Author)

    PYGMY NUTHATCH FEEDS MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD NESTLINGS

    Instances of adults of one avian species unilaterally feeding the young of another species have been reported for a variety of passerines (Powell 1946, Logan 1951, Eddinger 1970, Moore 1973). This unusual behavior sometimes occurs following a recent nesting failure by the feeding adults (Lack 1946:87, Norris 1958, Skutch 1976:370), but there are also reported nest failures caused by errors in feeding (Williams 1942). Documentation of whether a nest failure precedes or follows a feeding error requires knowledge of the nesting histories of all birds involved in an interspecific feeding, and these histories are often unknown.

  8. Cover image V11 (3)

    MARTIN K. McNICHOLL (Author)

    SONGS OF MACGILLIVRAY'S AND TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS IN COASTAL BRITISH COLUMBIA

    Intraspecific variation in bird song has received considerable investigation in recent years (e.g. Borror 1961, Armstrong 1973, Falls and Brooks 1975, Adkisson and Conner 1978, Lein 1978). In this note, I comment on the use of two distinct song types by each of two species of wood warbler (Parulidae) on Vancouver Island and adjacent mainland British Columbia, and discuss these song types in relation to known types of intraspecific variation. Individual variation within a particular song type has been demonstrated for many species and appears to be important in facilitating individual recognition (see references in Falls and McNicholl 1979). Such variation within a given type of song will not be addressed in this note.