Animal Sciences Commons^™

Phylogeography And Genetic Ancestry Of Tigers (Panthera Tigris), Shu-Jin Luo, Jae-Heup Kim, Warren E. Johnson, Joelle Van Der Walt, Janice S. Martenson, Naoya Yuhki, Dale Miquelle, Olga Uphyrkina, John M. Goodrich, Howard Quigley, R. Tilson, Gerald Brady, Paolo Martelli, Vellayan Subramaniam, Charles Mcdougal, Sun Hean, Shi-Qiang Huang, Wenshi Pan, Ullas K. Karanth, Melvin Sunquist, James L. D. Smith, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Eight traditional subspecies of tiger (Panthera tigris), of which three recently became extinct, are commonly recognized on the basis of geographic isolation and morphological characteristics. To investigate the species' evolutionary history and to establish objective methods for subspecies recognition, voucher specimens of blood, skin, hair, and/or skin biopsies from 134 tigers with verified geographic origins or heritage across the whole distribution range were examined for three molecular markers: (1) 4.0 kb of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence; (2) allele variation in the nuclear major histocompatibility complex class II DRB gene; and (3) composite nuclear microsatellite genotypes based on 30 loci. Relatively …

Nou 2004 Fall Field Days

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Field Days were held at the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey on September 24-26, 2004. Thirty-nine NOU members and friends were in attendance for a weekend of excellent weather and birding. Field trips, led by Dave Heidt, Robin Harding and Lanny Randolph, targeted the lakes in various counties to the north and west of Halsey, where a good variety of waterfowl was seen. Highlights included Trumpeter Swans, 11 species of ducks, White-faced Ibis in Grant Co., a Golden Eagle in Thomas Co., 16 species of shorebirds, 5 warbler species and 12 species of sparrows.

Addendum To Greater Snow Goose Article

Nebraska Bird Review

Addendum to Greater Snow Goose Article

In "The Greater Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens atlanticus) in Nebraska" by W. Ross Silcock, published in the Sept. 2004 issue of The Nebraska Bird Review, we failed to credit Randy Buettner of Grand Island, who made the original observation of the Greater Snow Goose and provided the specimen, which was obtained in Clay Co. and is shown in the photo, to William Lemburg.

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review December 2004 Volume 72 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Lou Pritchard, NOU Librarian, c/o University of Nebraska State Museum, W- 436 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588- 0514.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year …

The 2002 Nebraska Nest Report, Wayne Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

In contrast to last year, with "the winter that wouldn't end," this breeding season began with a "spring that wouldn't begin." The winter was mild and uneventful, but although the spring was neither cold nor stormy, the usual warm-up did not come, and when the weather finally warmed in May, it brought no moisture. The resulting drought was worst in the west and southwest, areas that had already been abnormally dry for several years. In mid-June in the southern Panhandle, many ranchers were still feeding hay to the cattle because the grass simply did not grow. The dry conditions surely …

Lake Mcconaughy And Nebraska Piping Plover Recovery Goals, Mark M. Peyton

Nebraska Bird Review

Since 1992 the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (Central) has protected and monitored nesting Piping Plovers along the shore of Lake McConaughy (Keith County, Nebraska). Over those 13 seasons, Central monitored 849 Piping Plover nests and documented the successful fledging (successful fledging is defined as a chick at least 24 days old, or one observed flying) of 1,237 Piping Plover chicks (Table 1), making Lake McConaughy one of the most productive nesting areas for Piping Plovers in Nebraska. The following is a documentation of the contributions of Lake McConaughy to the recovery goals for Piping Plovers in Nebraska. …

Fall Field Report, August-November 2004, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The fall season is a mix of summer, fall migration, and winter. Thus there are breeding records of interest, such as Mississippi Kites nesting at Red Cloud, only the 2nd known location in Nebraska, and only the 3rd documented breeding record for Northern Parula, despite its common summer residency. Fall migration generates early arrival dates, high counts, and late departure dates, the last seemingly more numerous as our average temperatures increase. Included in the late departure category were several late shorebirds, Great Egret and White-faced Ibis, and even the latest ever Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Counts of interest were 3000 Double-crested …

The Nebraska Bird Review Whole Issue December 2004 Volume 72 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Addendum to "The Greater Snow Goose in Nebraska" ........... 130

Fall Field Report, August - November 2004
by W. Ross Silcock ................................................... 130

Lake McConaughy and Nebraska Piping Plover Recovery Goals
by Mark M. Peyton .................................................. 148

2002 Nebraska Nest Report by Wayne Mollhoff ...................... 153

Does Birding Have a Future? by Rick Wright ........................ 159

In Memory of Dr. Roger Sharpe ............................................ 164

NOU Fall Field Days 2004 Halsey ........................................... 165

Index to Volume 72 .............................................................. 169

Subscription and Organization Information ............................ 179

Does Birding Have A Future?, Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Does birding have a future?

Now this might seem an odd question, even an absurd question, to pose to an audience like this, and the answer might seem obvious. How could birding not have a future when we, all of us, are birders who bird, and when survey after recent survey assures us that our numbers are growing, our diversity increasing, and our economic and ethical contributions to American society ever more conspicuous. Does birding have a future? The simple answer is yes.

That's the simple answer. The more interesting answer is yes-yes, but. Yes, birding has a future, but …

In Memory Of Dr. Roger Sharpe

Nebraska Bird Review

In Memory of Dr. Roger Sharpe

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union member, author and educator Roger Sharpe passed away on June 27, 2003. He is survived by his wife Beverly, three daughters and one son.

Dr. Sharpe was born on March 31, 1941. His Ph.D. was in Vertebrate Zoology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He was an instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 1968 until his retirement in 2000. He was a professor of ornithology, environmental biology and conservation biology, and he began and continued to coordinate the Environmental Studies Program there.

Dr. Sharpe also originated an …

Index To Volume 72

Nebraska Bird Review

Index to Volume 72 (10 Pages)

Adams, Betty 27

Aechmophorus sp. 154

Alexander,
George 27
Irene 27

Allen, Jerry 79

American Ornithologists' Union 108, 125

Amiotte, Sue 79

Andes-Georges, Linda 40

Anhinga 67, 114

Ani, Groove-billed 67, 118

Aransas N.W.R. 45

Archilochus sp. 62

Arizona 138

Armknecht, Henry 5,27,40

Armstrong, Mark 27,40,79

Avocet American 45, 70, 83, 116, 137, 153, 166

...

Zonotrichia leucophrys,
eucophrys 56
oriantha 56

Wetland And Nest Scale Habitat Use By The Four-Toed Salamander (Hemidactylium Scutatum) In Maine, And A Comparison Of Survey Methods, Rebecca J. Chalmers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conserving amphibian populations requires knowledge of a species and its habitat relationships. The four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) is listed as Special Concern in Maine and 11 additional states and provinces, Threatened in Illinois, and Endangered in Indiana (Appendix A). Little is known of H. scutatum ecology despite the species' extensive range. Infrequent sightings of H. scutatum throughout its range may indicate either low numbers or that the species' behavior make detection difficult. Records for H. scutatum in Maine existed from only 32 sites before my study, and the total number of occurrences of this species in Maine is …

The Florida Bonneted Bat, Eumops Floridanus (Chiroptera: Molossidae): Distribution, Morphometrics, Systematics, And Ecology, Robert M. Timm, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

A review and reappraisal of bats of the genus Eumops (Chiroptera: Molossidae) reveals that considerable geographic variation is present in the bonneted bat, E. glaucinus; it is a complex consisting of >1 species. Bonneted bats in Florida are significantly larger than those in all other populations, and have proportionally shorter and deeper basisphenoid pits, the glenoid fossa is broadly triangular with rounded apices, and bacular shape differs from that in other populations. Additionally, bonneted bats in Florida have a broader palate than bats from populations in South America. Given these differences, the correct name for both Pleistocene and Recent …

In Memory Of Clyde E. Johnson- September 2004

Nebraska Bird Review

Long-time NOU member Clyde Johnson passed away on May 4, 2003. He is survived by his wife Emma, who now resides in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Clyde and Emma lived in Omaha, where Clyde was employed as an insurance agent. They made numerous birding trips to Central America, Europe and Asia. Few other details of his life are available, which is quite likely just the way Clyde wanted it. Although Clyde was quiet about his personal life, he was well known among NOU members for his contributions of time, enthusiasm and money to the organization.

Clyde and Emma joined the NOV in …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review- September 2004

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $15 in the United States, $18 in Canada and $30 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5 in Canada, and $8 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Lou Pritchard, NOU Librarian, c/o University of Nebraska State Museum, W-436 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 685880514.

Menlberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): …

The 2001 Nebraska Nesting Report, Wayne Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

The spring of 2001 will likely be remembered as the winter that wouldn't end, especially in central and western Nebraska. The last remnants of roadside snowbanks remained in the east until 10 April, but the last blizzard closed down the Panhandle on 21-22 April, and the last appreciable snowfall there was on 19 May. None of these dates represent late records, but are remarkably later than average for the past 10-15 years, and seemed especially burdensome following the long cold winter and the remarkably early spring the previous year.

While I recognize the danger inherent in making generalizations when working …

The Greater Snow Goose (Chen Caerulescens Atlanticus) In Nebraska, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Recently, Mr. William Lemburg of Cairo, Nebraska, in a letter to the Editor of the Nebraska Bird Review, noted the following: "I have a friend who does quite a bit of goose hunting. He remarked to me that during the spring snow goose season, he occasionally shoots an extra-large Snow. Thinking that maybe a few Greater Snows that winter along the Atlantic Coast may end up in the Central Flyway, I asked him to save the head of one if he bagged one the following season. This is about five years ago. The following season he did get one. …

The Official List Of The Birds Of Nebraska: 2003

Nebraska Bird Review

The Official List of the Birds of Nebraska was last published in 1997 (NOU Records Committee 1997). That list included 427 species whose occurrence in Nebraska had been documented to the satisfaction of the NOU Records Committee at that time, following the sequence and nomenclature as outlined by the American Ornithologists' Union (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003). The present list includes 447 species based initially on Bray et al. 1986, and subsequently all changes to the Official List of the Birds of Nebraska as determined by the NOU Records Committee (Mollhoff 1987, 1989; …

Nebraska Bird Review Whole Issue September 2004 Volume 72 Number 3

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Summer Field Report, June - July 2004
by W. Ross Silcock ...........................78

Birds of Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center - 1999-2004
by Kevin Poague ...........................94

In Memory of Clyde E. Johnson ...........................98

The 2001 Nebraska Nesting Report by Wayne J. Mollhoff ...........................99

The Greater Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens atlanticus)
in Nebraska by W. Ross Silcock ............................104

The Official List of the Birds of Nebraska: 2003
by Mark A. Brogie ...........................108

Subscription and Organization Information ...........................127

Birds Of Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center - 1999-2004, Kevin Poague

Nebraska Bird Review

In the summer of 1998, Audubon Nebraska, a state office of the National Audubon Society, purchased the 610-acre O'Brien Ranch located three miles south of Denton, Nebraska. The site, now called Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center (SCPAC), will be devoted to prairie education and restoration. The Center's size expanded to 626 acres in 2000 when the Wachiska Audubon Society bought an adjacent 16-acre property on the northwest comer of the section.

Historically, most of the ranch was never farmed, probably because of its hills and the large number of glacial boulders present in the soil. It is one of the …

Summer Field Report, June-July 2004, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The coverage of the state by observers who report their sightings, mostly to the listserv NEBirds, is very good relative to their rather low number. Even so, there are parts of the state that are only recently revealing their secrets. Extensive work in the Panhandle in the late 1990s, including mist-netting by Steve Dinsmore, showed that several western species are regular migrants through that part of the state, and similar extensive coverage of waterbirds and shorebirds at Lake McConaughy yielded similar valuable information, following the pioneering efforts there by Dick Rosche. This report contains many references to another interesting area …

Historical Biogeography Of The Woodchuck (Marmota Monax Bunkeri) In Nebraska And Northern Kansas, Zachary P. Roehrs, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Discusses the historical biogeography of the Woodchuck (Marmota monax bunkeri) in Nebraska and northern Kansas.

First paragraph:

Jones et al. described the western limit of Marmota monax in the United States as the eastern edge of the northern Great Plains in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Mengel introduced the idea of the Great Plains grasslands as a barrier to contact between birds of eastern and western North American forests. In his studies of bird biogeography on the Platte River, Knopf reported that this barrier has eroded with development of riparian forests along river courses of the Great …

A New Species Of Oryzomys (Rodentia: Muridae) From An Isolated Pocket Of Cerrado In Eastern Bolivia, Daniel M. Brooks, R. Julieta Vargas M., Teresa Tarifa, Hugo Aranibar, José Manuel Rojas

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Reliable characterization of a species is an essential step toward eventual reconstruction of phylogenetic alliances among related taxa (Musser et al. 1998). Although characterization of species within the genus Oryzomys has met with some confusion in the past, significant work has taken place to help better define specific limits within this group (Musser et al. 1998; Bonvicino and Moreira 2001; Langguth and Bonvicino 2002).

In spite of several recent surveys performed in the eastern Bolivian Panhandle (Emmons 1993; Taber et al. 1997; Brooks et al. 2002), our knowledge of the mammalian fauna in this region is still incomplete, and further …

A Staging Sequence And Analysis Of Growth In Postovipositional Embryos Of Lamprophis Fulignosus, Angela Renee Vogel Rivera

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The brown house snake, Lamprophis fuliginosus, is a small, oviparous snake found throughout much of Africa. This lamprophiine colubrid reproduces rapidly; captive females can lay clutches every three to four months for a sustained period. Thus, L. fuliginosus is an excellent model for developmental studies requiring large numbers of embryos. In addition, the embryos of oviparous species are more suitable for some procedures than are those of viviparous forms. The most widely used system for staging embryonic snakes was developed for the common gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis, a viviparous natricine colubrid (Zehr, 1962). Based on the examination of 135 …

A New Species Of Callulina (Anura: Microhylidae) From The West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, Rafael O. De Sá, Simon P. Loader, Alan Channing

Biology Faculty Publications

The description of the species Callulina kreffti was based on specimens collected in the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Successive collecting has shown this species to be widely distributed through the Eastern Arc Mountains. Advertisement calls from populations in the type locality of Callulina kreffti were compared with calls from populations in the West Usambara Mountains. Analysis of the calls suggested that these two populations of Callulina represent two separate taxa. Subsequent morphological and molecular investigations indicated that these two populations are distinct. Herein, we describe a new Callulina species on the basis of call, morphology and molecular sequences.

A New Toad (Anura: Bufonidae) From Uruguay, Raúl Maneyro, Diego Arrieta, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

A new species of toad is described from small streams in the hills of Cuchilla de Haedo and Cuchilla Grande in northeastern Uruguay. Specimens of the new species were previously mistaken for Bufo arenarum; they differ from B.arenarum by having elongated parotoid glands and reddish-brown parotoid and cephalic crests. A discriminant analysis resulted in three groups corresponding to B. arenarum, Bufo rufus, and the specimens herein described as a new species.

Annual Meeting At Ogallala [June 2004]

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union 2004 Annual Meeting took place at Ogallala on May 14-16, with field trips centering around Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala. A total of 190 species was counted over the weekend. The low water level in Lake McConaughy provided excellent habitat for 21 species of waterfowl, 27 species of shorebirds, including nesting Snowy and Piping Plovers, and a Great Black-backed Gull. More surprising were the 17 warbler species, including Blue-winged, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Palm, Bay-breasted, and Kentucky. The meeting also offered participants the chance to study many eastern and western species pairs, including Rose-breasted and Black-headed …

2003 (15th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

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 the Birds of Nebraska" was first published in 1988 (NOU Records Committee 1988) and an update was published in 1997 (NOU Records Committee 1997).

The "Official List" has been appended thirteen times: (Mollhoff 1989, Grenon 1990, 1991, Gubanyi 1996a, 1996b, 1996c, Brogie 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, Jorgensen 2001, 2002, 2003). This report includes all …

Species For Which The Nou Records Committee Seeks Documentation, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Records Committee has revised the list of accidental or casual species for which the committee seeks documentation as of the end of 2003. This list was last published in 1995 (NBR 63:12-13). The committee seeks documentation on all species with less than regular occurrence in Nebraska, as well as any species occurring out of range or out of season. Changes in this list since 1995 include the addition of new species documented for the state, and the deletion of species upgraded to regular status. Below are listed the species of less than regular occurrence based on the …

Changes To The Bylaws Of The N.O.U. Records Committee

Nebraska Bird Review

Changes to the Bylaws of the N.O.U. Records Committee

The following changes were voted on and approved by the NOURC Board in February of 2004:

Under Section VII. VOTING

Amend Section F to read:

"Members of the committee may vote upon their own records."

Add Section G to read:

"Status of a species can be changed at any time by a two-thirds majority vote of the committee following a petition for change by any member of the committee, such petition to outline the case for the suggested change."'