Ornithology Commons^™

The Secretive Shorebirds: Nebraska’S Phantom Migrants, Paul A. Johnsgard

Paul Johnsgard Collection

Much less apparent and well known than the annual crane migration is Nebraska’s role in the spring and fall migrations of shorebirds such as sandpipers, plovers, curlews and godwits. These migrations are inconspicuous, in part because of the fact that most long-distance shorebird flights occur at night. Shorebirds also never migrate in the enormous flocks that are so typical of geese and cranes, and their flights are usually unaccompanied by loud calls. Yet, they are massive if nearly invisible migrations, involving over 30 species and an estimated 200,000–300,000 birds. Many of the species travel from South American wintering grounds, and …

Wpa News 87 (2011), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Springr 2011), number 87

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Isolation By Distance Explains Genetic Structure Of Buggy Creek Virus, A Bird-Associated Arbovirus, Abinash Padhi, Amy T. Moore, Mary Bomberger Brown, Jerome E. Foster, Martin Pfeffer, Charles R. Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Many of the arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) show extensive genetic variability and are widely distributed over large geographic areas. Understanding how virus genetic structure varies in space may yield insight into how these pathogens are adapted to and dispersed by different hosts or vectors, the relative importance of mutation, drift, or selection in generating genetic variability, and where and when epidemics or epizootics are most likely to occur. However, because most arboviruses tend to be sampled opportunistically and often cannot be isolated in large numbers at a given locale, surprisingly little is known about their spatial genetic structure on the local …

A Late-Season Breeding Record For The Summer Tanager In Nebraska, Eric C. Hopps

Nebraska Bird Review

The breeding range of the Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) is well documented and expands across the southern U.S. extending northward to New Jersey and west along and south of the Great Lakes to the eastern edge of the Great Plains (Terres 1991; Robinson 1996). In Nebraska the species is generally confined to the Lower Missouri and Platte River Valleys where it occurs locally (Sharpe et al. 2001). Because the species exists in relatively low numbers across southeastern Nebraska, there are few breeding and nesting records for the state. Fewer than 10 breeding records, including one historical account have …

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’S Report, December 31, 2010

Nebraska Bird Review

One-page spreadsheet constituting the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union treasurer's report at year end (December 31) of 2010. The grand total is $56,740.04.

Book Review [Of Wild Birding Colorado: The Big Year Of 2010], W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska birders might remember seeing reports posted to NEBirds a few years back by Cole Wild, a native Coloradan whose mother's family is from Nebraska. Cole took up birding at age 19, spurred by an earlier high school environmental science class that required identification of 100 species of birds. As with many of us, a brightly plumaged bird, in this case a Western Tanager, resulted in "the birdwatching gene" in Cole suddenly being "switched to the ON position." Soon after, Cole went on a "what the heck, I'll try it" field trip to see a Kelp Gull at Loveland Reservoir …

2010–2011 Christmas Bird Counts, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

Fourteen Christmas Bird Counts were held in Nebraska in the 2010–2011 season. The Branched Oak–Seward count was canceled due to weather, but in comparison to last year, the weather was generally dry, mild, and cooperative. Even though open water was limited, the species associated with water were well represented, resulting in the highest total number of species (149) ever, easily topping the previous high count of 138 in 2001. In all, 17 species set new high counts, 5 tied previous highs, and the amazing Brown-headed Nuthatches stayed in Lincoln and were counted for the first time in Nebraska.

Twelve species …

Winter Field Report, December 2010 To February 2011, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This winter was pretty much a rerun of last, although perhaps not as severe; I could have used last winter's Introduction again. If there was an overall theme, it would be the widespread occurrences of species that would not be expected to linger into late December and January. Several species of waterbirds, notably Blue-winged Teal, scoters, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, and Homed and Red-necked Grebes were in this category. Large numbers of Western Grebes were still at Lake McConaughy in early January, and surprisingly late individuals of Black-crowned Night-Heron and Plegadis ibis were located. Mourning Doves were in good numbers …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 2011) 79(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’s Report, December 31, 2010 ... 2

Color Photo Section ... 3

Winter Field Report, December 2010 to February 2011 ... 7

2010–2011 Christmas Bird Counts ... 20

A Late-Season Breeding Record for the Summer Tanager in Nebraska ... 33

Book Review: Wild Birding Colorado: The Big Year of 2010 ... 37

Book Review: The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America ... 38

Color Photo Section ... 39

Subscription and Organization Information ... 43

Color Photo Section [March 2011, Pp. 3–6]

Nebraska Bird Review

Peregrine Falcon, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Sedge Wren, Spotted Towhee (p. 3); Northern Harrier, Long-eared Owl, Mississippi Kite (p. 4); Loggerhead Shrike, Snow Bunting, Piping Plover, Green Heron (p. 5), Ring-billed Gull with Ross’s Gull, Ross’s Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Lesser Black-backed Gull (p. 6).

Subscription And Organization Information [March 2011]

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 Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household …

Color Photo Section [March 2011, Pp. 39–42]

Nebraska Bird Review

Whimbrel, Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, atypical Ring-necked Pheasants (p. 39); Brown-headed Nuthatch, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Palm Warbler (p. 40); hybrid Black-headed/Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (on nest and on wire) (p. 41), Plegadis sp. Ibis, Cooper’s Hawk, and Black-crowned Night-Heron (p. 42).

Book Review [Of The Stokes Field Guide To The Birds Of North America], Tim Hajda

Nebraska Bird Review

Don and Lillian Stokes are well known for their nature guides that cover a variety of subjects, from hummingbirds and beginner shorebird identification to reptiles and amphibians. Their original pair of Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region and Western Region have remained popular among North American birders since their appearance in 1995. They were illustrated with photographs instead of the traditional paintings used in most field guides. The authors' latest book, The Stokes Guide to Birds of North America is essentially an entirely new and much improved version of these two guides. Instead of being split into two books, …

A Review Of Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Management, Conservation, And Recovery On The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen, Sonya E. Steckler, Melissa J. Panella, W. Ross Silcock

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

SUMMARY

The Lower Platte River in eastern Nebraska provides many resources for wildlife and a variety of stakeholders. This river and its major tributaries contain important nesting habitat for two state and federally-listed bird species, the Interior Least Tern (endangered; Sternula antillarum athalassos) and the Northern Great Plains Piping Plover (threatened; Charadrius melodus). Both species nest on bare or sparsely-vegetated expanses of sand in natural and human-created habitat, which occur in and along river channels; the Lower Platte River system is critical for the survival and recovery of both species.

The Lower Platte River in eastern Nebraska provides …

2011 Interior Least Tern And Piping Plover Monitoring, Research, Management, And Outreach Report For The Lower Platte River, Nebraska, Mary Bomberger Brown, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lauren R. Dinan

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This document reports on our monitoring, research, management, and outreach activities during the past 12 months (2011). We prepared it to inform our partners, cooperating agencies, funding sources, and other interested parties of our activities and to provide a preliminary summary of our results.

The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership (TPCP), based at the University of Nebraska School of Natural Resources, and the Nongame Bird Program (NBP), based at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), work cooperatively on Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover monitoring, research, management, and outreach in Nebraska. While the focus of our work is the …

Aza Galliformes Taxon Advisory Group, Regional Collection Plan, 2nd Edition, 2011-2016, Association Of Zoos And Aquariums

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

AZA Galliformes Taxon Advisory Group, Regional Collection Plan, 2nd Edition, 2011-2016 / Association of Zoos and Aquariums

TAG mission statement

Leadership and TAG structure

History and TAG introduction

TAG definition

TAG objectives

Taxonomy

Space analysis

Species selection criteria

Species selection decision tree

Recommended species summary table

Animal programs summary table

Replacement table

Private sector–TAG relations

Breeding and rearing note

Conservation

Conservation status table

Species profiles by family

Megapodiidae (megapodes)

Cracidae (chachalacas, guans, and curassows)

Meleagrididae (turkeys)

Tetraonidae (grouse)

Odontophoridae (New World quails)

Phasianidae (pheasants and partridges)

Numididae (guineafowl)

Appendices I. Replacement table II. Space survey results III. Management update table …

Annual Review Of The World Pheasant Association, 2010/2011, World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

Overview

Chairman of Trustees' report,Tim Lovel

Treasurer's Report for the year ended April 30, 2011, Jon Riley

Pursuing our charitable objectives,Philip J. K. McGowan

The IUCN-SSC/WPA Galliformes Specialist Group: A global network of technical excellence,Pater J. Garson and Ilse Storch

Captive Management

Tragopan DNA research, Ludo Pinceel

Monitoring the captive population of Salvadori's pheasant, Frédéric Verstappen

Identifying hybrid green peafowl, Jonathan Barton

Highlights from the European Conservation Breeding Group, Keith Chalmers-Watson and Heiner Jackson

Making the Most of Resources: Capacity Building

A flourishing network, Philip J. K. McGowan

Training and capacity-building for surveying Himalayan Galliformes in Pakistan, David Lee

WPA's …

Grouse News 41-50 (2011-2015), Iucn Ssc-Wpa Specialist Group

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

Issue 41 (May 2011)

From the Editor

From the Chair

Conservation News Urgent measures for conservation of the Cantabrian capercaillie Tetrao urogallus cantabricus in its habitat in the Cantabrian mountain range

Research Reports

Effects of large-scale human land use on capercaillie Tetrao urogallus (L.) populations in Finland: A short summary of the PhD thesis

Why the capercaillie population Tetrao urogallus (L.) in the West Carpathians decline?

Hazel grouse in open landscapes

Investigating the importance of thermal refugia for white-tailed ptarmigan at the southern extent of their range

Is GPS and satellite telemetry an option for grouse research?

GPS satellite telemetry …

Wpa News 88 (2011/2012), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2011/2012), number 88

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Fall Field Report, August–November 2010, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This was a pretty routine fall for the most part, although there were scattered early and late dates and high counts as in most seasons. Decidedly non-routine, though, was the appearance of two rarities, Ross's Gull and Brown-headed Nuthatch, both enjoyed by many. A surprising 15 gull species were reported, this without much help from L McConaughy! Also notable were the sea-ducks, scoters, and Long-tailed Duck, which were in good numbers.

Tom Labedz, collections manager at the University of Nebraska State Museum, is an excellent source; he contributed greatly to discussions herein on Greater Prairie-Chicken and Fox Sparrow.

A clarification: …

By-Laws Of The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union (Nou) Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

These procedural guidelines, or "by-laws," were revised and approved by the NOURC and the NOU Board of Directors (2010).

Mccook Fall Field Days

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2010 NOU Fall Field Days were held in McCook on September 24–26, and 57 members and friends were in attendance.

Field trip destinations included Medicine Creek Reservoir and points east, led by William Flack; Red Willow State Recreation Area and other Frontier County locations, led by T. J. Walker; and Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area and the Benkelman sewage lagoons, led by Robin Harding and Lanny Randolph. A final tally of 131 species was recorded.

Gerhard Assenmacher, wildlife photographer and conservationist, spoke on Saturday night about his Medicine Creek Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is composed of more than 550 …

Index To Volume 78

Nebraska Bird Review

Adams,

Cody 125

David 125

Akers, Danny 131

Alexander, Irene 26

Allen, Paul 125

Allison, Scott 26

Amadon, D. 69

American Ornithologists' Union 34, 82

Amos, A. F. 33

Andelt, Frank 125

Anderson-Ray, Janet 40

Andresen, Kari 125

Anhinga 70, 162

Ani, Groove-billed 75, 164

Arp, Duane 125

Assenmacher, Gerhard 150

Audubon, John J. 104, 121

Avocet, American 38, 48, 50, 65, 70, 93, 137

Subscription And Organization Information [December 2010]

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 Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household …

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee: A Review Of The First 25 Years (1985–2009), Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The year 2009 marked the 25th year of existence of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (NOURC). Its beginning can be traced to one person—Wayne Mollhoff. Wayne raised the need for a records committee in the spring of 1985 at the NOU Annual Meeting in Gretna, Nebraska. At the general membership meeting, then-president Gary Lingle appointed Wayne to form a committee to establish a Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee. Using procedures from several other states' records committees, Wayne developed a set of operating guidelines or by-laws specific to Nebraska. Further discussion of a records committee continued at the 1985 NOU …

Nebraska Bird Review (December 2010) 78(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November 2010 ... 130

McCook Fall Field Days ... 150

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Records Committee: A Review of the First 25 Years (1985–2009) ... 155

By-Laws of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union (NOU) Records Committee ... 167

Index to Volume 78 ... 171

Subscription and Organization Information ... 183

Subscription And Organization Information [September 2010]

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 Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active Household …

My Life In Biology: Paul A. Johnsgard, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

An autobiographical article by ornithologist Paul A. Johnsgard that spans his early years in North Dakota, undergraduate and graduate studies, his arrival and professional years at the University of Nebraska, his writings and writing influences, artwork, teaching and Cedar Point Biological Station, hunting and photography, conservation, religious beliefs, and numerous writing projects underway.

A Review Of Modern Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) Nesting Records And Breeding Status In Nebraska, Joel G. Jorgensen, Stephen K. Wilson, John J. Dinan, Sarah E. Rehme, Sonya E. Steckler, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Bird Review

The recovery of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in North America during the 20th century is a conservation success story. Once threatened with extinction, the species now is common throughout much of its range (Buehler 2000). Federal and state laws such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544) that were used to protect Bald Eagles and important habitats used by eagles are considered key actions that fostered the species' recovery. In 2007, the Bald Eagle was formally removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species (50 CFR Part 17). The following year, the Bald …

Summer Field Report, June–July 2010, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This summer was marked by continuing high water tables along the Missouri River and good water levels in the eastern Rainwater Basin. As a result, American and Least Bitterns, King Rail, Common Moorhen, and several American Coot nests in Sarpy Co were reported. However, Great and Snowy Egrets were scarce, and Black-necked Stilts were absent from the eastern Rainwater Basin after several good breeding years there.

First breeding records for the state are always exciting; Lesser Goldfinch finally took the plunge this year in Banner Co. Also encouraging were increased reports of Black-billed Cuckoo (9) and both Black-billed Magpie and …