Life Sciences Commons^™

Eumops Perotis, Troy L. Best, W. Mark Kiser, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Eumops perotis is the largest bat in the United States. The greater mastiff bat resembles other North American free-tailed bats, but is distinguished from other molossids by its large size and lack of long guard hairs on the rump (Barbour and Davis, 1969). E. perotis has the thinnest dentary of any Eumops (Freeman, 1981a).In the United States, E. perotis can be separated from E. underwoodi by its larger size (forearm is 73-83 mm in E. perotis and 65-77 mm in E. underwoodi), darker color, and lack of long guard hairs on the rump. The ears are longer (36-47 mm …

Nebraska Bird Review (December 1996) 64(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November 1996 … 106

Observers for Fall Field Report … 129

Whooping Crane Sightings, August–December 1996 … 129

Notes on Bird Sightings in Nebraska … 130

1995 (Seventh) Report of the NOU Records Committee … 132

Book Review … 138

Index to Volume 64 (compiled by R. G. Cortelyou) … 139

"Notes On Bird Sightings In Nebraska," From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1996)

Nebraska Bird Review

House Finches. This species has been appearing at my backyard feeders, 10 to 30 feet from our window, for several years, increasing in number each year. They came nearly every day in 1996 except during a period that I associate with post-breeding molt. Numbers varied from one to a maximum of 17 at one time, with 11 counted for the 1996 Christmas Bird Count. We commonly use 7-8 power binoculars to look for a rare Purple Finch. House Finches are noticeably smaller than House Sparrows and slightly larger than American Goldfinches, and feed with both species.

Males have varied in …

Whooping Crane Sightings, August-December 1996, Steven Anschutz

Nebraska Bird Review

Based on observations of the breeding grounds during the summer of 1996, about 170 Whooping Cranes were expected to arrive at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas during the fall. The first arrival (two birds) was confirmed on 23 October. A total of 158 birds (143 adults/subadults and 15 young) were wintering at Aransas 1996-97. As of 16 January 1997, six adults and eight subadults, of the number anticipated, had not arrived at the refuge.

The first recorded dates for confirmed observations of migrating Whooping Cranes were 2 August in Canada and 22 September in the United States. The …

1995 (Seventh) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Joseph A. Gubanyi

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the NOU Records Committee are described in its bylaws (NOU Records Committee 1986). The committee's purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. The official list of birds was last published in 1988 (NOU Records Committee 1988), and has been appended five times (Mollhoff 1989, Grenon 1990, 1991, Gubanyi 1996a, 1996b).

This report includes accounts submitted during the calendar year 1995 and covering records with accession numbers 396-450, 480-490. All records mentioned here will be available to interested persons at the …

Index From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1996)

Nebraska Bird Review

INDEX TO VOLUME 64

Alexander, George 25. 33. 34 Irene 25, 33, 34

Alfred, Norris 34 Allen, Betty 25, 82 Reid 25

Another Common Crane in Nebraska
with a Summary of North
American Records 80

....

Yellowlegs, Greater 50, 85, 94, 113
Lesser 50, 85, 94, 113

Yellowthroat, Common 63, 88, 101, 123

Zwink, Duane 24

Masthead And Table Of Contents From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1996) 64(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Fall Field Report, August-November 1996 ... 106

Observers for Fall Field Report ... 129

Whooping Crane Sightings, August-December 1996 ... 129

Notes on Bird Sightings in Nebraska ... 130

1995 (Seventh) Report of the NOU Records Committee ... 132

Book Review ... 138

Index to Volume 64 (compiled by R. G. Cortelyou) ... 139

"Book Review," From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1996) 64(4), Hazel Scheiber

Nebraska Bird Review

This book contains 18 essays based on observations Miss Sherman made on a farm in northeastern Iowa six miles west of the Mississippi River, near McGregor. The essays were given at meetings of scientific societies (she belonged to 15) or were published in their journals, and included such titles as "Feeding Winter Birds" and "Experiments in Feeding Hummingbirds During Seven Summers." She was recognized for her knowledge of birds, and her forceful and pungent wit.

Miss Sherman was born on the Iowa farm in 1853 and died there in 1943. She was an artist and teacher for the first 20 …

Fall Field Report, August-November 1996, W. Ross Silcock, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

This fall we received numerous excellent reports from which to compile this summary. Most parts of the state are covered, except the southwest and north central, although many observers at least pass through those areas. A note about details on unusual observations. The new NOU Field Card, which can be ordered by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the NOU Librarian, Univ of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514, indicates species that need complete documentations, mostly casual and accidental species. However, we realize that information about early and late migration dates, and rarity in the west or east is not …

A Re-Evaluation Of Hotspot Settlement In Lekking Sage Grouse, Robert M. Gibson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Recent analyses of avian leks have come to conflicting conclusions concerning the role of male settlement on female traffic hotspots. This issue was re-examined in the sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, using data on prenesting movements of radio-tagged females and the dispersion of lekking males collected during a 10-year field study. As expected with hotspot settlement, leks were preferentially located in areas through which females traveled between wintering and nesting ranges before mating. In addition, the distribution of males among leks was related proximately to variation in numbers of females visiting each lek during the mating period and ultimately to …

Estimation Of Direct And Maternal Breed Effects For Prediction Of Expected Progeny Differences For Birth And Weaning Weights In Three Multibreed Populations, F. A. Rodriguez-Almeida, L. Dale Van Vleck, K. E. Gregory

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Direct and maternal breed effects on birth and 200-d weights were estimated for nine parental breeds (Hereford [H], Angus [A], Braunvieh [B], Limousin [L], Charolais [C], Simmental [S], Gelbvieh [G], Red Poll [R], and Pinzgauer [P]) that contributed to three composite populations (MARC I = ¼B, ¼C, ¼L, ⅛H, ⅛A; MARC II = ¼G, ¼S, ¼H, ¼A; and MARC III = ¼R, ¼P, ¼H, ¼A). Records from each population, the composite plus pure breeds and crosses used to create each composite, were analyzed separately. The animal model included fixed effects of contemporary group (birth year-sex-dam age), proportions of individual and …

Comparison Of Circulating Concentrations Of Reproductive Hormones In Boars Of Lines Selected For Size Of Testes Or Number Of Ovulations And Embryonal Survival To Concentrations In Respective Control Lines, D. V. Mariscal, P. L. Wolfe, E. G. M. Bergfeld, A. S. Cupp, F. N. Kojima, K. E. Fike, T. Sanchez, M. E. Wehrman, R. K. Johnson, R. J. Kittock, J. J. Ford, J. E. Kinder

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to determine whether circulating concentrations of gonadotropins and gonadal hormones of boars were altered as a result of selection of pigs for size of testes or for embryonal survival and(or) number of ovulations. Included in Exp. 1 and 2 were boars with the greatest estimated paired weight of testes (TS) and boars from a control (C) line. Concentrations of FSH were similar (P > .10) in boars from the TS and C lines. In Exp. 3, 4, and 5, circulating concentrations of FSH and 17β-estradiol (E₂) were evaluated in neonates, during pubertal …

Fish & Wildlife News: October 1996

Fish and Wildlife News

Contents:
Putting Refuges on the Map: Service Celebrates National Wildlife Refuge Week
Statement by President Clinton on Signing the “Mollie Beattie Wilderness Area Act”
Service Mussels Forward with Ecosystem Approach to Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Service Helps Dedicate Illinois Wetland as 15th Wetland of International Importance
Service Proposes Youth Waterfowling Day; Approval of Bismuth-Tin Sho
Seven Departments Agree to Bolster Recreational Fisheries
Talented Toddler Takes Trout at Alaska “Kids Fishing Day”
Service Urges Boaters to “Pump and Dump”
Lions and Tigers and . . . Snakes–– O’Hare Exhibit Educates Travelers About Illegal Wildlife
Wolves Thriving in Yellowstone, No New Introductions …

Collision Course: The Hazards Of Lighted Structures And Windows To Migrating Birds, Lesley J. Evans Ogden

Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP)

The collision of migrating birds with human-built structures and windows is a world-wide problem that results in the mortality of millions of birds each year in North America alone. Birds killed or injured at such structures are due to two main factors. The first of these is the lighting of structures at night, which “traps” many species of nocturnal migrants. The second factor contributing to the hazard is the presence of windows, which birds in flight either cannot detect, or misinterpret. In combination, these two factors result in a high level of direct anthropogenic (human-caused) mortality. Bird mortality at human-built …

A Review Of The Status Of Limnodromus Griseus, The Short-Billed Dowitcher, In Nebraska, Joel Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

The two North American dowitchers are notoriously difficult to distinguish from each other. This is not only true of field observations, but there are several instances where a specimen identified as one species was found to be the other upon review. Limnodromus scolopaceus, the Long-billed Dowitcher, has always been considered the common dowitcher in Nebraska, while Limnodromus griseus, the Short-billed Dowitcher, is less common. Confusion about identification and the lack of consistent, well-documented records have caused the status of L. griseus in Nebraska to be a matter of speculation.

Taxonomy of dowitchers was for some time confused. Studies …

Summer Field Report, June-July 1996, W. Ross Silcock, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

Starting with this report, Joel Jorgensen will write the reports for sub-passerines. Hopefully this will help with timeliness, especially in getting reports to the Regional Editor for Audubon Field Notes. It is a long process writing up especially the Spring and Fall reports, given the excellent number received.

Highlights in this report are rare loons at Lake McConaughy, three reports of Clark's Grebe, King Rail in Seward Co, Sandhill Cranes in Clay Co, Mountain Plovers in Kimball Co, easterly reports of Black-necked Stilt, first breeding record for Wilson's Phalarope in the Rainwater Basin, Brown Creeper in Sarpy Co, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1996) 64(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

A Review of the Status of Limnodromus griseus, the Short-billed Dowitcher, in Nebraska ... 74

A Late Baird’s Sandpiper in Keith County ... 79

Another Common Crane in Nebraska with a Summary of North American Records … 80

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Annual Meeting 18 May 1996 ... 82

NOU and NAMC Spring Bird Counts May 1996 ... 83

Table of Bird Species Observed during NOU Annual Meeting 17–19 May 1996, and NAMC 11 May 1996 in Two Counties ... 84

Summer Field Report June–July 1996 ... 90

Observers for Summer Field Report … 103

A Late Baird's Sandpiper In Keith County, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 23 December 1994, Gordon Brown and I were walking the North Platte River below Keystone Dam as part of the Lake McConaughy Christmas Bird Count (CBC). At approximately 8:30 a.m. MST, about 0.5 mi below the dam, we observed a group of 8 Killdeer and a smaller shorebird, which we immediately recognized as a "peep." We studied the bird for about 30 minutes at distances as close as 40 feet and then returned in the afternoon to photograph it. The size and black legs immediately eliminated Least Sandpiper, and the dark rump eliminated White-rumped Sandpiper. The remaining possibilities were …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Annual Meeting 18 May 1996, Robin Harding

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1997 Annual Meeting will be held jointly with the South Dakota and Iowa Ornithologists' Unions in South Sioux City, NE 16-18 May.

Neal Ratzlaff, President, reported on several items. Funds are being sought to publish the Breeding Bird Atlas for Nebraska. The new NOU Field Cards of Nebraska Birds are ready for distribution. The Wildlife Diversity Funding Initiative is on hold because some companies are afraid of increasing their prices. NOU members were encouraged to urge Cabela's to support the Initiative. [See NBR 63 (3) 1995, p. 91 for details.]

A request was received from Fermata, Inc., which has …

Another Common Crane In Nebraska With A Summary Of North American Records, Gary Lingle

Nebraska Bird Review

On 30 March 1996 around 1000 h CST, Bob Janssen and Jim Williams of Minnetonka, Minnesota, discovered a Common Crane (Grus grus) feeding in corn stubble with a flock of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) in Section 34 T9R10 Hall County, Nebraska. The Commom Crane associated with the Sandhill Cranes, which were at peak numbers in the Platte River valley. Later that day, several observers, including myself, witnessed the bird in section 32 about 500 yards away, where it mingled with a few hundred Sandhill Cranes. The difficulty in seeing this bird was illustrated by the fact …

Masthead And Table Of Contents Nebraska Bird Review 64(3) September 1996

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

A Review of the Status of Limnodromus griseus, the Short-billed Dowitcher, in Nebraska ……………..74

A Late Baird’s Sandpiper in Keith County ……………..79

Another Common Crane in Nebraska with a Summary of North American Records…………….. 80

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Annual Meeting 18 May 1996…………….. 82

NOU and NAMC Spring Bird Counts May 1996…………….. 83

Table of Bird Species Observed during NOU Annual Meeting 17-19 May 1996, and NAMC 11 May 1996 in Two Counties…………….. 84

Summer Field Report June-July 1996 ……………..90

Observers for Summer Field Report ……………..103

Nou And Namc Spring Bird Count, May 1996

Nebraska Bird Review

Bird species seen in a Nebraska five-county area during the Annual Meeting of the Nebraska ornithologists' Union 17-19 May, are presented in Table 1 on pages 84-90. The total count was 161 species.

The table also includes data for the North American Migration count on 11 May in two Nebraska counties, Boone (compiler: Wayne Mollhoff, Ashland), and Sarpy (compiler: Betty Grenon, Bellevue). Observations in Boone Co. were made between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. with two observers for 6 hours and one observer for 3 hours. They covered 3 miles on foot for 6 hours and 40 miles by car …

A Recent Record Of Mountain Lion In Nebraska, Hugh H. Genoways, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

On the morning of November 10, 1991, a deer hunter in the Pine Ridge area of extreme northwestern Nebraska shot a young female mountain lion (Gertzen, 1991, Omaha World-Herald, November 15, Sunrise ed. p. 17sf; Henion, 1991, Omaha World-Herald, November 15, Metro ed. p. 17). Although mountain lions (Felis concolor) were part of the original mammalian fauna of Nebraska (Jones, 1949, J. Mammal. 30: 313; 1962, Bull Univ. Nebraska State Mus. 4: 87-100; 1964, Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. 16: 1-356), the species has been considered to be extirpated from the state. The most recent record that …

Prediction Of Breeding Values For Tenderness Of Market Animals From Measurements On Bulls, K. L. Barkhouse, L. Dale Van Vleck, Larry V. Cundiff, M. Koohamaraie, D. D. Lunstra, J. D. Crouse

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Data were tenderness measures on steaks from 237 bulls (Group II) slaughtered after producing freezable semen and on 1,431 related steers and heifers (market animals, Group I ) from Angus, Hereford, Pinzgauer, Brahman, and Sahiwal crosses from the Germ Plasm Evaluation project at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. Tenderness was assessed through Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (SF), taste panel tenderness (TPT), marbling score (MS), and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). For all traits, as fraction Bos indicus inheritance increased, implied tenderness decreased. Heritability estimates were generally not significantly different from zero. Genetic correlations generally indicated favorable associations among the traits. The …

Comparison Of Circulating Concentrations Of Reproductive Hormones In Boars Of Lines Selected For Size Of Testes Or Number Of Ovulations And Embryonal Survival To Concentrations In Respective Control Lines, D. V. Mariscal, P. L. Wolfe, E. G. M. Bergfeld, Andrea S. Cupp, F. N. Kojima, K. E. Fike, T. Sanchez, M. E. Wehrman, Rodger K. Johnson, Roger J. Kittok, J. J. Ford, J. E. Kinder

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The objectives of this study were to determine whether circulating concentrations of gonadotropins and gonadal hormones of boars were altered as a result of selection of pigs for size of testes or for embryonal survival and(or) number of ovulations. Included in Exp. 1 and 2 were boars with the greatest estimated paired weight of testes (TS) and boars from a control (C) line. Concentrations of FSH were similar ( P > .10) in boars from the TS and C lines. In Exp. 3, 4, and 5, circulating concentrations of FSH and 17β-estradiol (E₂) were evaluated in neonates, during pubertal …

Female Choice In Sage Grouse: The Roles Of Attraction And Active Comparison, Robert M. Gibson

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Previous studies of female choice in sage grouse Centrocercus urophasianus have implicated both the acoustic quality and repetition rate of the stereotyped strut display as putative cues for female choice. Stages in the choice process at which specific components of male courtship display influence female decisions were investigated using field observations of female premating behavior. Females visited a subset of territorial males and then actively chose one of these as a mate. The order in which males were visited suggested that females searched until an acceptable mate was found, rather than employing a “best-of-n” tactic. Numbers of females visiting a …

Snowy Plovers In The Rainwater Basin, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

While conducting shorebird surveys in the Rainwater Basin of southcentral Nebraska in spring, 1995, I observed two Snowy Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus). Both sightings were on 6 May, one at the Kissinger Basin Wildlife Management Area in Clay County, and the other at Ayr Lake in Adams County.

When I arrived at Kissinger Basin WMA, the weather was poor with steady rain and strong, northeast winds. At 8:15 a.m. I noticed a pale plover feeding on the far side of the wetland. I noted the black bill and legs, dark auricular patch, and slender appearance, and I identified the bird as …

Spring Field Report, March-May 1996, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This was an interesting spring season, with something for everyone. Interesting data in terms of numbers are being produced by the North American Migration Count (NAMC), especially this spring in Sarpy County; examples are 499 Swainson's Thrushes, 76 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, and 118 Black-and-white Warblers, and others. Some species appeared in large numbers such as 5,000 Western Grebes, 16 Clark's Grebes, 10,000 Wilson's Phalaropes, 300 each of Black-bellied Plover and Sanderling, 54 Whimbrels, and two flocks of over 100 Great-tailed Grackles.

Some interesting early and late dates are included in the species accounts, but several observers noted unexpected species such as …

Whooping Crane Sightings During March-May 1996 Migration, Steven Anschutz

Nebraska Bird Review

A peak population of 158 whooping cranes (130 adult/subadult and 28 juvenile) was reported at the Aransas National wildlife Refuge in Texas during the winter of 1995-96. One juvenile was believed to have died between March 17 and 20, so 157 cranes began the spring migration, an increase of 24 birds over 133 in spring, 1995. By April 4, about 82 cranes had begun to migrate, and by April 25, only 9 cranes remained at Aransas. All but 2 of these had migrated by May 3. One of the two cranes migrated sometime after May 22, but the other bird …

Wanted: Information On Cliff Swallow Mortality, Charles R. Brown

Nebraska Bird Review

Cold and rainy weather during late May 1996 caused widespread mortality among Cliff Swallows (Hirundo pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska. Thousands of birds died, and some local populations were reduced by at least half. I am trying to determine the geographic scope of the mortality event. I am also interested in determining how often kills like this occur. If you are aware of mortality among any hirundinids during spring 1996 in the central U.S. or ~ave recollections or records of other major Cliff Swallow die-offs ln any past years, please send details to me at the above address. Phone: …