Life Sciences Commons^™

Aspects Of The Nesting Ecology Of Least Terns And Piping Plovers In Central Nebraska, Craig A. Faanes

Papers in Ornithology

Breeding habitat of the least tern is made up primarily of coastal beaches and inland river sandbars. Populations of the interior (Sterna antillarum athalassos) and east coast (S. a. antillarum) subspecies are now declining (Marshall et al. 1975, Duffy 1977, Jernigan et al. 1978) and the western subspecies (S. a. browni) is endangered (Wilbur 1974). Although coastal populations have received considerable attention (Wolk 1974, Atwood et al. 1977, Blodgett 1978), little research has been conducted on the interior race (Hardy 1957, Downing 1975).

The piping plover inhabits river sandbars and sand beaches and, like …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (December 1983) 51(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

A New Nesting Species for Nebraska ... 86
Book Reviews ... 87
A Second Black-shouldered Kite in Nebraska,
with Notes on Its Food Habits ... 88
Pine Siskin Nests at Wayne State College ... 89
1983 Fall Field Day ... 89
A Mississippi Kite in Hall County, Nebraska ... 90
Notes ... 91
Index of Volume ... 97

A New Nesting Species For Nebraska, Gary Lingle

Nebraska Bird Review

The Chuck-will's widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) is considered a highly local but regular migrant and presumed summer resident in Nebraska. Although it is known to breed in Kansas and Oklahoma, there were no nest records for Nebraska (Johnsgard, 1980). Egg dates for Kansas range from 21 April to 31 May (Johnsgard, 1979). On 4 June 1983 a Chuck-will's widow's nest with 2 eggs was discovered in a bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)–red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) woodland at Camp Merrill, Saunders Co. (Sec 29 T17N RSW), approximately 6 miles southeast of Linwood (Janett Waever, pers. comm.) The …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 59, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1983) 51(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent free to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $7.00 per year in the United States and $9.00 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $2.25 each, postpaid.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Student, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be remitted to the Treasurer, Mrs. Jack Shafer, RR2, Box 61, Wood …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 59, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Wpa News 3 (1983), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (August 1983), number 3

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Breeding Status Of Selected Bird Species In The Niobrara Valley Preserve Area, Nebraska, Michael J. Mossman, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

INTRODUCTION

The Niobrara Valley Preserve is located in north-central Nebraska and includes a variety of relatively undisturbed grassland, woodland, and wetland habitats. The diversity of habitats, in conjunction with the area's central geographic location near the 100th meridian, results in a diverse avifauna with many species and subspecies occurring at or near the western, eastern, southern, or northern edge of their breeding ranges. Several pairs of sibling species and subspecies are found here within their narrow band of sympatry. The breeding list of the Preserve and environs includes at least 105 species (Brogie and Mossman 1983), several of which are …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (June 1983) 51(2)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent free to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $7.00 per year in the United States and $9.00 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $2.25 each, postpaid.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Student, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00); Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be remitted to the Treasurer, Mrs. Jack Shafer, RR2, Box 61, Wood …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 59, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Nest Success And Nesting Habits Of Eastern Kingbirds And Other Flycatchers, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Patterns of nest placement and its relationship to nest success in the Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) were studied in populations breeding in New York and Kansas. Data were augmented with information on nest placement in other open-nesting tyrannids in order to examine the hypothesis that these flycatchers place their nests chiefly so as to conceal them from predators. Nesting success was significantly greater in New York than in Kansas but was relatively high in both populations, as is apparently true of North American breeding flycatchers in general. Geographic variation in nest placement in the Eastern Kingbird was relatively small and …

Wpa News 2 (1983), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (May 1983), number 2

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Clutch Size In The Eastern Kingbird: Factors Affecting Nestling Survival, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Observational and experimental procedures were used to evaluate the potential importance of brood size and weather on the evolution of clutch size in the Eastern Kingbird. Modal clutch size was three eggs, yet broods of four were most productive. Nestling size varied inversely with brood size, so that "nestling quality" was lower in broods of four than in broods of three. Asymptotic weight of nestlings in broods of three was directly and significantly correlated with ambient air temperature, followed by hatch order. Because larger broods were being fed during a period of relatively cool and wet weather, the effects of …

Breeding Success And Nest Site Characteristics Of The Western Bluebird On Parrett Mountain, Marcia Diane Sims

Dissertations and Theses

The lack of suitable nest sites may be a limiting factor for Western Bluebird populations inhabiting the upper Willamette Valley. Nest box trails have been established on the hills surrounding the Portland metropolitan area. Since their placement, approximately 25% of the boxes available have been used by Western Bluebirds as nest cavities. This study was undertaken to identify factors which might determine the selection of a nest box by Western Bluebirds and the subsequent nest success or failure.

The breeding biology of Western Bluebirds using the nest box trail located on Parrett Mountain, Oregon in 1979 was investigated. Breeding season, …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 59, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Cranes Of The World [Complete Work], Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes are a group of birds that can lift the human spirit as few other wild animals can do; their great size, marvelous soaring abilities, humanoid traits such as "dancing," and penetrating voices, all strike deep into the human psyche and forcefully remind us of the beauty and mystery of the natural world around us. We cannot lose even a single species of crane without seriously rendering our own existence that much poorer. It is in that spirit that I decided to write the present book, which I hope will be of value to ecologists, ethologists, conservationists, aviculturalists, and anyone …

Optimal Foraging Theory And The Psychology Of Learning, Alan Kamil

Avian Cognition Papers

The development of optimization theory has made important contributions to the study of animal behavior. But the optimization approach needs to be integrated with other methods of ethology and psychology. For example, the ability to learn is an important component of efficient foraging behavior in many species, and the psychology of animal learning could contribute substantially to testing and extending the predictions of optimal foraging theory.

Nest Site Selection By The Red-Tailed Tropicbird, Larry Clark, Robert Ricklefs, Ralph Schrieber

Larry Clark

-Red-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) nest under shrubs in loosely associated groups on Christmas Island, Central Pacific Ocean. Aggressive interactions among adults at nest sites are high; yet, large areas of superficially similar habitat contain no tropicbird nests at all. We compared physiognomic features of nest sites with those of two sets of randomly generated "nest sites" by discriminant function analysis. Of those variables measured, the number of stems within a nest space and the amount of peripheral cover influenced the tropicbirds' choice of nest sites. Differences among localities existed. Areas where tropicbirds nested had shrubs with few stems and more …

Hybridization & Zoogeographic Patterns In Pheasants, Paul A. Johnsgard

Paul Johnsgard Collection

A review of interspecific pheasant hybrids as reported in the literature reveals a relatively high rate of hybridization in captivity but a low rate of hybridization in the wild. All of the 91 known hybrid combinations have been reported from captivity, and three of these combinations have also been reported from the wild. All of the latter involve species pairs of known close relationships (red and gray junglefowl, kalij and silver pheasant, and white and blue eared pheasant), suggesting that reproductive isolating mechanisms in the pheasants are much more effective under natural conditions than are those of grouse, a group …

Scaring Of Carrion Crows (Corvus Corone Corone) By Species-Specific Distress Calls And Suspended Bodies Of Dead Crows, Luzia Naef-Daenzer

Bird Control Seminars Proceedings

In Switzerland, carrion crows can cause considerable damage to sprouting corn fields when feeding on the germinated corn. I tried to evaluate a method to prevent these damages. The use of species-specific distress calls, for the first time described by Frings and Jumber (1954), seemed to be the most promising method. Agronomes and biologists have applied it in field studies to several different bird species causing damage in agriculture and on airports (e.g., Gramet, 1962; Brough, 1968). However, the literature either describes single actions or several different scaring devices being used together. To be able to judge the method, quantitative …

Avian Use Of Nest Boxes In Minnesota Farmstead Shelterbelts, Richard H. Yahner

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

A study of nest box use from November through August by birds in Minnesota farmstead shelterbelts was initiated subsequent to a two-year study showing that cavity-dependent species were absent from shelterbelts during winter and spring. The purpose of the study was to determine use of nest boxes by birds in shelterbelts otherwise devoid of cavities for roosting and nesting purposes. Fifteen of 22 boxes (68%) were used as nest sites in spring and summer by house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and black-capped chickadees (Parus atricapillus). Neither nested In the shelterbelts before the nest boxes were available. Red-breasted nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) roosted …

Mate And Nest-Site Fidelity Among Tree Swallows In Central Minnesota, Carol Fiedler, Alfred Grewe

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Movement of tree swallows (lridoprocne bicolor) between successive breeding sites and pair bond formation was analyzed from data collected between 1965 and 1978 in central Minnesota. A lasting pair bond did not seem to exist between breeding pairs. The majority of the breeding pairs were found to separate after one year. Those that did remate usually did so in the same or an adjacent nest box. Age and reproductive success did not appear to affect whether a pair remated or divorced. Movement of the male and female the year following their mating did seem to be a factor. Males tended …

Cranes Of The World: Australian Crane (Grus Rubicundus), Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

Other Vernacular Names:
Brolga, Native companion (Australia); Grue d'Australie (French); Australischer Kranich (German); Goshu zuru (Japanese); Australiyka zhuravl (Russian); Grulla Australiana (Spanish).

Range:
Resident in grassland habitats in lowland New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, more rarely to southern and southeastern Australia.

Cranes Of The World: 6. Aviculture And Hybridization, Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

The keeping of cranes in captivity, either as pets or as animals to be fattened for the pot, is evidently a very old practice. Captive cranes are depicted on the walls of the Temple of Deir-el-Barari of the Nile Valley, where cranes are shown walking in stately fashion between slaves. Each crane's bill is tied down close to its neck, which would upset its balance and thus prevent it from flying away (Whymper, 1909). Armstrong (1979) noted that cranes were apparently domesticated in ancient Greece, and that Plutarch (c. A.D. 46-c. A.D. 120) mentions the nesting of tame cranes, presumably …

Cranes Of The World: Black-Necked Crane (Grus Nigricollis), Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

Other Vernacular Names:
None in general English use; Grue á cour noir (French); Schwarzhals Kranich (German); Cheniozheuleu zhuravl (Russian); Grulla de cue110 negro (Spanish).

Range:
Breeds from Ladakh east through Tibet (Xizang Zizhiqu) to the Koko Nor Region in eastern Tsinghai (Qinghai), probably mostly between 4,300 and 4,600 meters elevation. Migratory, and reported on migration or during winter from central and eastern Sikang, Yunnan, and Tonkin (Vaurie, 1965). Also winters in small numbers in the southern Himalayas (Bhutan and Frontier Division of Subansiri Pradesh) at elevations of 1,500-3,000 meters (Ali, 1976).

Cranes Of The World: Blue Crane (Anthropoides Paradises), Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

Other Vernacular Names:
Stanley crane; Bloukraan (Afrikaan); Grue bleue (French); Paradieskranich (German); Hagoromo zuru (Japanese); Chetyrekhkrydy zhuravl (Russian); Grulla azul (Spanish); Groote Sprinkhaan-vogel (Boers, Transvaal).

Range:
Resident in the upland interior of South Africa and possibly adjacent Mozambique north almost to the Zambezi, and with a small isolated population near the Etosha Pan of Namibia (South- West Africa).

Cranes Of The World: 5. Comparative Reproductive Biology, Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

The reproductive biologies of cranes are surprisingly similar. All crane species are strictly monogamous, have long pair bonds and a prolonged period of juvenile dependency, and are highly territorial during the breeding season. All cranes also have an extremely limited reproductive potential, resulting from their deferred sexual maturity, low clutch size, and limited renesting tendencies following the loss of a clutch or hatched young.

Cranes Of The World: 0. Contents -- Foreword -- Preface, Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

I. Comparative Biology of Cranes
1. Classification and Evolution / 3
2. Individualistic and Social Behavior / 11
3. Vocalizations / 25
4. Ecology and Population Dynamics / 35
5. Comparative Reproductive Biology / 44
6. Aviculture and Hybridization / 51
7. Endangered Species and Conservation / 60
8. Cranes in Myth and Legend / 70

II. Natural Histories of Individual Crane Species
1. Crowned Cranes / 77
2. Blue Crane / 87
3. Demoiselle Crane / 95
4. Wattled Crane / 121
5. Siberian Crane / 131
6. Australian Crane / 141
7. Sarus Crane / 151
8. White-naped …

Cranes Of The World: 8. Cranes In Myth And Legend, Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

Wherever cranes occur in the world, their stature, intelligence, wariness, and sociality have captured the human imagination and have given rise to a variety of legends, myths, and folktales. Among the best sources of such information for England and southern Europe are the manuscript writings of Edward Topsell (1572-1625), which have been edited and recently republished (1972). Topsell reported that "when fables ruled the world" it was believed that a proud queen of Pygmies named Oenoe or Gerania was turned into a crane by Juno and Diana, because she taught her people to neglect other gods and worship her. Gerania …

Cranes Of The World: 1. Classification And Evolution, Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes of the World by Paul A. Johnsgard

Cranes and their relatives the limpkins and trumpeters are fairly closely related members of the order of birds (Gruiformes) that also includes rails, gallinules, coots, and other marsh-adapted birds. Cranes, limpkins, and trumpeters are usually included within a superfamily, Gruoidea, although at least one recent authority (Cracraft, 1973) has suggested that the three groups all be included within a single family, Gruidae. However, traditionally only the cranes have been included within the Gruidae, and only the cranes will be dealt with in detail in this book. Nevertheless, the limpkins and trumpeters must be considered if the evolution of cranes is …