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Grouse And Quails Of North America — Frontmatter, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Table of Contents:

List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction

1 Evolution And Taxonomy, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

The modern array of grouse-, quail-, and partridge-like species occurring in North America is the result of three processes: evolution and speciation within this continent, range expansion or immigration from Central America and Eurasia, and recent introductions by man. The last category accounts for the presence in North America of the chukar and gray partridges, which are both natives of Europe or southern Asia and typical representatives of the quail-like and partridge-like forms that have extensively colonized those land masses. It is still necessary to account for the presence of the nine or so species of grouse-like forms that are …

2 Physical Characteristics, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

All of the grouse, quails, and introduced partridges of North America share a number of anatomical traits which provide the basis for their common classification within the order Galliformes. Among these are the facts that they all have fowl-like beaks and four toes. In all the North American species the hind toe is elevated and quite short, thus is ill-adapted for perching. There are always ten primaries, thirteen to twenty-one secondaries, and twelve to twenty-two tail feathers (rectrices). Aftershafts on the contour feathers are well developed, especially in the grouse, and true down feathers are infrequent. A large crop is …

3 Molts And Plumages, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

An understanding of the molts and plumages of the quails and grouse is of great importance to the applied biologist, for they provide clues that are valuable for determining age and sex of individual birds without resorting to internal examination. They thus offer a means of analyzing wild populations as to sex and age composition, which are basic indices to past and potential reproductive performances and probable mortality rates. Additionally, molts and plumages are generally speciesspecific traits, which have resulted from pressures of natural selection over a long period of time in a particular habitat and climate. The ecology of …

4 Hybridization, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

The study of hybridization between species, under either natural or artificial conditions, provides information of value for a variety of reasons. In general, it may be expected that the incidence of crossbreeding between populations existing under natural conditions will be related to their nearness of relationship, and information of taxonomic interest may be obtained from such study. Furthermore, the relative survival and fertility of the resulting hybrids should provide an indication of the degree of genetic difference between the parental types, and thus genetic information may be available through experimental hybridization studies. Hybrids provide favorable material for studying the chromosomal …

5 Reproductive Biology, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

The reproductive potentiaI of animal species is a compound result of numerous behavioral and physiological characteristics, most of which can be considered species-typical. These include such things as the time required to attain reproductive maturity, the number of nesting or renesting attempts per year once maturity is attained, the number of eggs laid per breeding attempt, and the number of years adults may remain reproductively active. These traits place an upper limit on the reproductive potential of a species, which is never actually attained. Rather, the actual rate of increase will only approach the reproductive potential, being limited by such …

6 Population Ecology And Dynamics, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Like other animals, grouse and quail exist as natural populations dependent upon particular habitats and vary in population density between the absolute minimum populations that have permitted past survival to fairly dense populations that may approach or even temporarily exceed the carrying capacity of the habitat. Each species may also have an upper limit on the density of the population, or a saturation point, which is independent of the carrying capacity of the habitat but is determined by social adaptations. Within the population as a whole, individual birds or coveys may have home ranges, geographical areas to which their movements …

7 Social Behavior And Vocalizations, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

One of the most complex and fascinating aspects of grouse and quail biology is their social behavior, particularly that related to reproduction. Natural selection in the quail group has seemingly favored the retention of a monogamous mating system with the associated advantages of maintaining the pair bond through the breeding season. This system allows the male to participate in the protection of the nest, possibly participate in incubation, and later care for the brood. It also provides the possibility, if not the frequent actuality, that the male might undertake the entire incubation or rearing of the first brood, while the …

8 Aviculture And Propagation, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

The rearing of grouse and quail for enjoyment, profit, or stocking in the wild has been an important aspect of grouse and quail biology. The very presence of chukar and gray partridges in North America, the occurrence of ruffed grouse in Newfoundland and Nevada, the presence of bobwhites, scaled quail, and California quail in Washington, and many other examples are ample testimony to the potential value of careful propagation and release programs. Between 1938 and 1968 a total of 110,663 bobwhites, 18,136 other native quails, 7,977 grouse, and 50,568 chukar partridges were released under Pittman-Robertson programs in the United States …

9 Hunting, Recreation, And Conservation, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

There can be little doubt that the grouse and quail provide the most important and most popular targets for more than ten million small-game hunters every year in North America (National survey, 1965). In much of the southeast, to go "bird" hunting simply means a day in pursuit of bobwhites, and likewise in New England "pa'tridge" hunting is regarded as the premier sport of all upland game hunting. These two species, the bobwhite and ruffed grouse, in 1970 were hunted in forty-seven states and eight provinces and are without question the most important of all North American upland game species …

10 Sage Grouse, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte) 1827
Other vernacular names: Sage hen, spiny-tailed pheasant, sage cock, sage chicken
Range: From central Washington, southern Idaho, Montana, southeastern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and western North Dakota south to eastern California, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado, and southeastern Wyoming

11 Blue Grouse, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Dendragapus obscurus (Say) 1823
Other vernacular names: dusky grouse, fool hen, gray grouse, hooter, mountain grouse, pine grouse, pine hen, Richardson grouse, sooty grouse.
Range: From southeastern Alaska, southern Yukon, southwestern Mackenzie, and western Alberta southward along the offshore islands to Vancouver and along the coast to northern California, and in the mountains to southern California, northern and eastern Arizona, and west central New Mexico

12 Spruce Grouse, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Dendragapus canadensis (Linnaeus) 1758 [also Canachites canadensis]
Other vernacular names: Black partridge, Canada grouse, cedar partridge, fool-hen, Franklin grouse, heath hen, mountain grouse, spotted grouse, spruce partridge, swamp partridge, Tyee grouse, wood grouse.
Range: From central Alaska, Yukon, Mackenzie, northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, and Cape Breton Island south to northeastern Oregon, central Idaho, western Montana, northwestern Wyoming, Manitoba, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, Michigan, southern Ontario, northern New York, northern Vermont, northern New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia

13 Willow Ptarmigan, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus) 1758 Other vernacular names: Alaska ptarmigan, Alexander ptarmigan, Allen ptarmigan, Arctic grouse, red grouse (Scotland form), Scottish grouse, white grouse, white-shafted ptarmigan, willow grouse, willow partridge.
Range: Circumpolar. In North America from northern Alaska, Banks Island, Melville Island, Victoria Island, Boothia Peninsula, Southampton Island, Baffin Island, and central Greenland south to the Alaska Peninsula, southeastern Alaska, central British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, central Ontario, central Quebec, and Newfoundland

14 Rock Ptarmigan, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Lagopus mutus (Montin) 1776
Other vernacular names: Arctic grouse, barren-ground bird, Chamberlain ptarmigan, Dixon ptarmigan, Nelson ptarmigan, Reinhardt ptarmigan, rocker (in Newfoundland), snow grouse, Townsend ptarmigan, white grouse.
Range: Circumpolar. In North America from northern Alaska, northwestern Mackenzie, Melville Island, northern Ellesmere Island, and northern Greenland south to the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak Island, southwestern and central British Columbia, southern Mackenzie, Keewatin, northern Quebec, southern Labrador, and Newfoundland (A. 0 . U.)

15 White-Tailed Ptarmigan, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Lagopus leucurus (Richardson) 1831
Other vernacular names: Snow grouse, snow partridge
Range: From central Alaska, northern Yukon, and southwestern Mackenzie south to the Kenai Peninsula, Vancouver Island, the Cascade Mountains of Washington, and along the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia and Alberta south to northern New Mexico

16 Ruffed Grouse, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Bonasa umbellus ( Linnaeus) 1776
Other vernacular names: birch partridge, drummer, drumming grouse, long-tailed grouse, mountain pheasant, partridge, pine hen, pheasant, tippet, white-flesher, willow grouse, wood grouse, woods pheasant.
Range: Resident in the forested areas from central Alaska, central Yukon, southern Mackenzie, central Saskatchewan, central Manitoba, northern Ontario, southern Quebec, southern Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia south to northern California, northeastern Oregon, central Idaho, central Utah, western Wyoming, western South Dakota, northern North Dakota, Minnesota, central Arkansas, Tennessee, northern Georgia, western South Carolina, western North Carolina, northeastern Virginia, and western Maryland. Recently introduced in Nevada and Newfoundland

17 Pinnated Grouse, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Tympanuchus cupido ( Linnaeus) 1758
Other vernacular names: prairie chicken, prairie cock, prairie grouse, prairie hen

SUBSPECIES
T. c. cupido (Linnaeus): Heath hen or eastern pinnated grouse. Extinct since 1932. Formerly along the East Coast from Massachusetts south to Maryland and north central Tennessee.
T. c. pinnatus (Brewster): Greater prairie chicken. Currently limited to several small isolated populations in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois and to the grasslands of extreme southern Manitoba, northwestern Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and western Missouri.
T. c. attwateri Bendire: Attwater prairie chicken. Currently limited to a few isolated populations along the coast of …

18 Sharp-Tailed Grouse, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Tympanuchus phasianellus (Linnaeus) 1858
Other vernacular names: Brush grouse, pintail grouse, prairie grouse, prairie pheasant, sharptail, speckle-belly, spike-tail, spring-tail, whitebelly, white-breasted grouse.
Range: Currently from north central Alaska, Yukon, northern Mackenzie, northern Manitoba, northern Ontario, and central Quebec south to eastern Washington, extreme eastern Oregon, Idaho, northeastern Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, and in the Great Plains from eastern Colorado and eastern Wyoming across Nebraska, the Dakotas, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan.

19 Tree Quails, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Includes:
Long-tailed Tree Quail, Dendrortyx macroura (Jardine & Selby) 1828
Bearded Tree Quail, Dendrortyx barbatus (Gould) 1846
Buffy-crowned Tree Quail, Dendrortyx leucophrys (Gould) 1844

20 Barred Quail, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Philortyx fasciatus ( Gould) 1844
Other vernacular names: Banded quail, Chorrunda, Codorniz listada.
Range: Resident in semiarid tropical scrub of the Pacific slope from southwestern Jalisco to southeastern Guerrero, and inland to Morelos and Puebla, Mexico.

21 Mountain Quail, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Oreortyx pictus (Douglas) 1829
Other vernacular names: Cordoniz de Montana, mountain partridge, painted quail, plumed quail, San Pedro quail.
Range: Resident in the western United States from southern Washington and southwestern Idaho east to Nevada and south to Baja California. Also introduced in western Washington and western British Columbia (Vancouver Island). Introduced but of uncertain status in western Colorado

22 Scaled Quail, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Callipepla squamata (Vigors) 1830
Other vernacular names: Blue racer quail, blue quail, Cordorniz Azul, Codorniz Escamosa, cottontop quail, Mexican quail, scaled partridge, top-knot quail, Zollin.
Range: From southern Arizona, northern New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and southwestern Kansas south to central Mexico. Introduced into central Washington and eastern Nevada.

23 Elegant Quail, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Callipepla douglasii (Vigors) 1829
Other vernacular names: Benson quail, Codorniz Gris, crested quail, Douglas quail, Lesson quail, Yaqui quail.
Range: Western Mexico from Sonora and Chihuahua to Nayarit and Jalisco

Grouse And Quails Of North America, Paul A. Johnsgard

Grouse and Quails of North America by Paul A. Johnsgard

Nearly all of the gallinaceous birds that are native to North America are included in two taxonomic groups, the grouse-like species of the subfamily Tetraoninae, and the quail-like species of the subfamily Odontophorinae. The former represent a temperate and subarctic group of about sixteen species which collectively have a widespread distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, and over half of which are found in North America. The latter group is a strictly Western Hemisphere assemblage that collectively includes about thirty species, almost half of which occur north of the Mexico-Guatemala border. Most of the remaining quails are tropical forest birds of …

Effects Of Gregariousness, Conspicuousness, And Novelty On Blue Jay (Cyanocitta Cristata) Learned Avoidance And Stimulus Generalization Of Unpalatable Prey, Joyce M. Dykema

Avian Cognition Papers

I examined a variety of factors hypothesized to be important in the evolution and maintenance of aposematism. Aposematism occurs when prey individuals advertise their toxic or otherwise aversive nature to potential predators via evolved conspicuous signals. I conducted three experiments in which blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were allowed to search a printed grayscale pixilated background for grayscale pixilated moths in an open room. I manipulated moth appearance and food reward, and recorded jay predation on the varying moth stimuli. In my first experiment, I repeated Alatalo & Mappes’ (1996) study examining the effects of prey gregariousness, or grouping, …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Treasurer's Report, December 31, 2007

Nebraska Bird Review

One-page spreadsheet constituting the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union treasurer's report at year end (December 31) of 2007. The grand total is $56,601.74.

Nebraska Bird Review (March 2008) 76(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Editor's Note ... 2

Winter Field Report, Dec. 2007-Feb. 2008 by W. Ross Silcock ... 2

2007-2008 Christmas Bird Counts in Nebraska ... 16

First Report of Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) Breeding in the Nebraska Panhandle Region by Wayne J. Mollhoff, Joseph Gubanyi, and Mark A. Brogie ... 32

[Photographs page: Least Bittern, Pomarine Jaeger, Wood Stork, and White-winged Dove] ... 38

First Nebraska Record for the Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) and a Review of Regional Records by Sarah E. Rehme, Thomas E. Labedz, Don and Janis Paseka ... 39

NOU Annual Treasurer's Report for 2007 …

First Nebraska Record For The Royal Tern (Sterna Maxima) And A Review Of Regional Records, Sarah E. Rehme, Thomas E. Labedz, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

On the afternoon of 8 Sept 2007, Don and Janis Paseka discovered a large tern on the causeway that separates Lake North from Lake Babcock, north of Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska. The causeway consists of a road next to Lake North and a low cement wall next to Lake Babcock. They observed the tern at approximately 1630 CDT standing on the low wall, on the west side of the causeway. The tern remained standing on the wall as they drove to within 15 feet and photographed it. The tern was standing with its wings drooping (Photo 1), and the fact …

Winter Field Report, December 2007 To February 2008, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This winter in Nebraska was much colder on average than the few previous winters, not so much because of low temperatures, but a lack of warmer days. This kept water bodies frozen most of the winter, with far fewer than usual midwinter water-bird records. Surprisingly, though, passerines, including some surprises, were able to brave the coolness. Notable were three species of wood-warblers; although Yellow-rumped Warblers winter to some extent in the southeast, 9 of the 21 total February records for the species have come in the last two winters. The others were not unprecedented for Nebraska, and are known to …