Ornithology Commons^™

The Study Of Relatedness And Genetic Diversity In Cranes, George F. Gee, Herbert C. Dessauer, Jonathan Longmire, W. Elwood Briles, Raymond C. Simon

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is responsible for recovery of endangered species in the wild and, when necessary, maintenance in captivity. These programs provide an immediate measure of insurance against extinction. A prerequisite inherent in all of these programs is the preservation of enough genetic diversity to maintain a viable population and to maintain the capacity of the population to respond to change. Measures of genetic diversity examine polymorphic genes that are not influenced by selection pressures. Examples of these techniques and those used to determine relatedness are discussed. Studies of genetic diversity, electrophoresis of blood proteins, relatedness, …

The Costs Of Female Choice In A Lekking Bird, Robert M. Gibson, Gwendolyn C. Bachman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

We investigated the costs of active female choice in sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, a lekking species in which females make repeated, lengthy visits to leks to assess males before mating. Several potential costs were measured by monitoring changes in hens' ranging behavior, time budgets, and encounter rates with predators when they visited leks. Two costs were identified: hens moved further per day and encountered golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, more frequently when visiting leks. However, extra travel due to visiting leks increased predicted daily energetic expenditure by only about 1%, and the risk of predation by golden eagles over …

1991 (Fourth) Report Of The Nou Records Committee

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the NOU Records Committee (hereinafter, "the committee") have been described previously (NBR 54:72-4).

This report includes accounts of records evaluated by the committee in the last year, covering mostly records with accession numbers 247-94. All records mentioned here are available to interested persons at the NOU archives at the University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln.

STATE LIST

Errors made in this section of the third report of the committee should be corrected as follows:

• the genus of Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is Nyctanassa

• the specific epithet of American Pipit is rubescens.

With this …

Addition To Fall 1991 Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

ADDITION TO FALL 1991 OCCURRENCE REPORT

The following rows were inadvertently omitted from the table on page 77 of the September NBR.

Eastern Phoebe:
Holt- Mr 28 Je 16
Knox- Ap 14 Je 9
York
Polk- Mr 31 S
Cuming
Saunders Mr 30 Je 29
Lancaster Mr 24 S
Dakota Ap 19 My 11
Washington
Douglas/Sarpy My 29 Je 6
Cass Mr 20 Je 30

Say's Phoebe:
Holt
Knox
York
Polk
Cuming
Saunders
Lancaster Ap 13
Dakota
Washington
Douglas/Sarpy My 23
Cass

Book Reviews From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1991), Lysbeth Benkert

Nebraska Bird Review

BOOK REVIEWS

John Terborgh. Where Have All The Birds Gone? Princeton: Princeton U P, 1989. 186 pp. + bibliography + index.

John Terborgh's 1989 book Where Have All the Birds Gone? attempts to explore why the population of migratory birds in the United States has dropped so drastically during this past century and what can be done to better monitor and document possible causes of their disappearance. Over the course of his study, Terborgh covers three major areas of the United States. Beginning with the Chesapeake Bay area, he takes a close look at the declining populations of waterfowl; …

Notes From The Editor From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1991), Rosalind Morris

Nebraska Bird Review

Index and Notes. An index for Volume 59 of The Nebraska Bird Review will be forthcoming in a later issues as will some notes submitted by NOU members which were not included here. I thank all for their contributions.

The 1991 Census Of Least Terns And Piping Plovers In Nebraska, John G. Sidle, Erika C. Wilson, John Dinan, Jeanine Lackey, Greg Wingfield, Barbara K. Good

Nebraska Bird Review

We counted least terns (Sterna antillarum) and piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) in Nebraska during June and July, 1991. This undertaking was part of an international effort to census the threatened piping plover throughout Canada and the United States. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (1988) has called for the censusing of piping plovers every five years to monitor the status of the species and to gage the effectiveness of recovery efforts. This first international census of the piping plover has been organized by the USFWS's Great Lakes/Northern Great Plains Piping Plover recovery team. The census …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1991 #2)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologist’s Union, Inc. as its official journal and sent to all members who are not arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on a calendar year basis only) are $12.50 per year in the United States, $15.00 per year in Canada and Mexico, and handled on a case-by-case basis for all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, $5.00 elsewhere. Orders for back issues of the Review should be sent to Thomas E. Labedz, NOU Librarian, W 436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, …

Wpa News 34 (1991), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (November 1991), number 34

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Nebraska Bird Review Whole Issue (September 1991) 59(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Editor's Message 54

Dues and Subscription Information 54

Some Birds of the Pony Lake Area of the Eastern Sandhills, Nebraska 55

CNPPD Winter Eagle Survey 58

A Nesting Report of a Wilson's Phalarope in Lancaster County 59

Spring 1991 Whooping Crane Report 61

Grants for Nongame Wildlife Research in Minnesota 62

Spring 1991 Occurrence Report 63

Notes 98

Book Reviews 100

Wpa News 33 (1991), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (August 1991), number 33

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Mate Choice In Lekking Sage Grouse Revisited: The Roles Of Vocal Display, Female Site Fidelity, And Copying, Robert M. Gibson, Jack W. Bradbury, Sandra L. Vehrencamp

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In lekking sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), females exhibit relatively unanimous mate choice for particular males, but a satisfactory explanation for this unanimity has been elusive. We present analyses of mating distributions from two leks over 4 years that provide evidence for female choice based on differences in vocal display performance of males, the locations at which hens mated in the previous year, and the choices of other females (copying). The unanimity of female choice varied markedly among leks and years in correlation with changes in the mean numbers of hens that mated at the same time and hence …

Black-Bellied Plover In Buffalo County

Nebraska Bird Review

On May 9, 1991, while doing a weekly least tern and piping plover survey, we observed two Black-bellied Plovers (Pluvialis equatarola). The birds were observed foraging along the shoreline of a sandpit near Elm Creek, Nebraska.

Wpa News 32 (1991), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (May 1991), number 32

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Nebraska Fauna: American White Pelican, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

Few birds are more familiar to the average person than are white pelicans, but few Nebraskans also realize that thousands of these birds migrate through the state every year, and hundreds stop over to spend the summer on some of our larger lakes and reservoirs. No pelicans breed in Nebraska, but the nearest breeding area is only a short distance north of us, at LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge, near Martell, South Dakota. Since it requires three--or more probably four--years for white pelicans to become sexually mature, many of the immature birds simply stop off in Nebraska rather than completing their …

Editor's Note, Ray Korpi

Nebraska Bird Review

I am pleased to announce that Rosalind Morris of Lincoln will serve as the editor of The Nebraska Bird Review for 1992. Dr. Morris brings many years of birding experience to the Review and will do a fine job. Dr. Morris officially takes over the editorship on January 1, 1992.

Until that time, I will continue to serve as editor of the NBR. I will consider submissions for the December issue up until November 27, 1991 (the day before Thanksgiving). After that date, those wishing to contribute articles and notes to the NBR should mail them to Rosalind Morris, 3018 …

Eagles

Nebraska Bird Review

For the past three years, the Central Nebraska Public Power District has operated an Eagle Viewing Center at our J-2 Hydropower plant south of Lexington, and this past year below Kingsley Dam on Lake Ogallala.

The following are some results recorded at the sites:

At J-2 Hydroplant:

January 1990-0bservations were recorded on 23 days. 263 birds were sighted for a daily average of 11.4 per day. The highest count was 20 birds on January 2.

February 1990-0bservations were recorded on 15 days. 28 birds were sighted for a daily average of 1.9 per day. The highest count was 16 birds …

A Nesting Report Of A Wilson's Phalarope In Lancaster County, Larry Einemann

Nebraska Bird Review

Only once before has a nesting record of Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) been reported in Lancaster County. This report is in The Nebraska Bird Review, December 1985. Employees of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission discovered two fledglings at a site in the northeast part of the county at 98th and Ashland Road. The two fledglings were found in a wet meadow. They were accompanied by two male and one female phalaropes. The sighting was made on 13 June 1985.

On 7 June 1991 I visited Arbor Lake, a recently purchased salt marsh about one mile north …

Some Birds Of The Pony Lake Area Of The Eastern Sandhills, Nebraska, James E. Ducey, Jerry Schoenenberger

Nebraska Bird Review

A partial survey was made of the bird life in the vicinity of Pony Lake, located about 15 miles south of Newport, in portions of sections 17-20, T28N, RI7W, Rock County.

Pony Lake was reportedly named according to a legend from "early days" when a native American was thrown and killed on its banks by a wild pony (Perkey, 1982). Originally Pony Lake was reported to be 20 feet deep (lake history based on conversations and observations of Jerry Schoenenberger). In the late 1800s, possibly 1900-1910, a town site was platted on the southwest corner of the lake. Construction included …

Spring 1991 Whooping Crane Report

Nebraska Bird Review

The following is a synopsis of the report from the U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service with regard to Whooping Crane sightings from Spring 1991. The report consists of confirmed, probable, and unconfirmed sightings during the season. These terms are defined in NBR 56:79.

The USFWS states that 135 Whooping Cranes began the spring migration, compared to 142 in 1990. This drop of seven birds represents the first population decrease since 1981. Most confirmed sightings en route to Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, were made between April 14 and April 23. Overcast skies and low visibility delayed the usual early April …

Announcements And Corrections In Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Bird Review

GRANTS FOR NONGAME WILDLIFE RESEARCH IN MINNESOTA

Corrections

Sighting Information And Analysis

Nebraska Bird Review

Rather than do a county-by-county analysis as has been done in the past, since this count starts a new year, I thought I would comment on the sightings presented using both information provided by the observers and appropriate reference materials. This current report only documents those species which are listed by the Records Committee as needing documentation, or those which merit comment due to significant out-of-range or out-of-season status. A more thorough study, including nesting information provided by the reporters, will appear in the next NBR.

Pileated Woodpecker Responds To Owl Tape [Notes], Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

Suspecting the Pileated Woodpecker (Drycopos pileatus) first reported in fall 1990 might still be present, I spent much of a late March visit to Nebraska in Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy County, looking and listening for the bird without success. Late on the morning of March 26, 1991, Tanya Bray, Babs Padelford, and I wele at the mouth of Handsome Hollow in Fontenelle Forest, the site of the most recent observations. Seeing and hearing nothing we played the recorded song of Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio), hoping to attract passerines. Within seconds, a female Pileated Woodpecker flew silently from …

Spring 1991 Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

For the first six months of 1991, 301 species were reported from 34 counties. This compares with 290 species from 13 occurrence report and 17 "spot check" locations covering 30 counties in 1990; 289 from 20 report locations in 36 counties in 1989; and 306 from 28 report locations involving 34 counties. The tables which follow represent 22 of these counties in 21 columns (Douglas and Sarpy listed together as has become the custom), and additional species lists from 11 counties are also provided.

Cuming County Banding Records, Mabel Ott

Nebraska Bird Review

For the past 14 out of 16 years I have banded at a farm northeast of Beemer, Cuming County, for 2 to 4 days in late May. Last year (1990), Memorial Day weekend, 222 birds of 43 species were banded.

Book Reviews, R. G. Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

Frank Graham, Jr., with Carl W. Buchmeister. The Audubon Ark: A History of the National Audubon Society. 336 pp., bibliography, index. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. $29.95.

Connie Toops. The Enchanting Owl. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press. 128 pp., bibliography, index, 100 color photographs. $27.95 hardcover, $17.95 softcover.

Grouse News 1-10 (1991-1995), World Pheasant Association International, Diana Lovel

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

Issue 1 (March 1991)

Editorial, Diana Lovel

Tetraonid study register and abstracting function

Decline of black grouse, Egbert Strauss

Work at Grimso, Jon Swenson

Grouse: Captive breeding and reintroductions, Lain Valentine

How effective is the release of captive bred capercaillie? David Baines

Size of display grounds of capercaillie, E. Viht

New capercaillie research in Scotland, David Baines

Radiotracking of reintroduced black grouse abstract, Stefan Hövel, Sepp Bauer, and Egbert Strauss

Dogs can't find my ptarmigan, David Hancock

Red grouse: The north of England 1990, David Newborn

A second workshop on black grouse, David Baines

Obituary, in memory of Oleg Ismailovich …

The Cracid Newsletter 1(1)-5 (1991-1997), Iucn, Birdlife International, Wpa Cracid Specialist Group

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

Volume1, Number 1 (Autumn 1991)

Editors: Angela Schmitz and Richard Buchholz

Status of the highly endangered white-winged guan Penelope albipennis, Victor Raul Diaz Montes

Formation of the WPA-ICBP-SSC-IUCN Cracidae Specialist Group

Cracidae Specialist Group Policy Statement

CSG Action Plan, 1990-1995

Cracid news from around the world: Central America, South America, Europe, and USA

Volumen 2, Numero 2 (Junio 1993)

Editores: Angela Schmitz and Richard Buchholz

Primer intento de introducción de un crácido en peligro, Geer Scheres

El pavon Oreoplasis derbianus protegido y desprotegido, Fernando González García

Técnicas demográficas de posible uso en crácidos, David B. McDonald

Noticias desde el …

Wpa News 31 (1991), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (January 1991), number 31

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Index To Volume 58 (December 1990)

Nebraska Bird Review

Index

A-Z

9 pages