Ornithology Commons^™

Annual Meeting At Norfolk

Nebraska Bird Review

Sixty-six members and guests were in attendance for the 112th Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, held at the Lifelong Learning Center at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. The meeting was organized by Dave Heidt.

Field trips were led by Mark Brogie, Bill Flack, Dave Heidt, Jan Johnson, Wayne Mollhoff, Don and Janis Paseka, and Duane Wolff. Destinations included the Norfolk cemeteries, Ta-Ha-Zouka Park, Yellowbanks WMA, Olson Nature Preserve, wet meadows along Beaver Creek in Boone Co., Hackberry Creek WMA, Grove Lake WMA, the Plainview sewage lagoon, northern Knox Co., Buckskin Hills WMA, Ponca SP, Elk Point Bend WMA, …

Botteri's Sparrow (Peucaea Botterii) Occurs In Northern Coahuila, Mexico, Paul Van Els, Ricardo Canales-Del-Castillo, John Klicka

Ornithology Program (HRC)

Botteri’s Sparrow (Peucaea botterii) occurs widely in the shrub-grasslands of southern North America. We report a breeding population of the species in the Sierra de la Encantada of northern Coahuila, Mexico, ~80 km from the Big Bend area of Texas and >300 km from the nearest previously known breeding range in southern Coahuila and central Chihuahua. We captured three individuals, which show a mostly gray dorsal coloration, suggestive of the texana subspecies, occurring from southern Texas to northern Veracruz. The exact affinity of the northern Coahuila population still needs to be ascertained. The presence of Botteri’s Sparrow in northern Coahuila …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 87, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Historical And Contemporary Processes On Phylogeographic Structure And Genetic Diversity In The Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis Cardinalis, Brian T. Smith, Patricia Escalante, Blanca E. Hernandez-Banos, Adolfo G. Navarro-Siguenza, Sievert Rohwer, John Klicka

Ornithology Program (HRC)

Background

Earth history events such as climate change are believed to have played a major role in shaping patterns of genetic structure and diversity in species. However, there is a lag between the time of historical events and the collection of present-day samples that are used to infer contemporary population structure. During this lag phase contemporary processes such as dispersal or non-random mating can erase or reinforce population differences generated by historical events. In this study we evaluate the role of both historical and contemporary processes on the phylogeography of a widespread North American songbird, the Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis …

Effects Of Gypsy Moth Outbreaks On North American Woodpeckers, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters, Andrew M. Liebhold

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We examined the effects of the introduced gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) on seven species of North American woodpeckers by matching spatially explicit data on gypsy moth outbreaks with data on breeding and wintering populations. In general, we detected modest effects during outbreaks: during the breeding season one species, the Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), increased over pre-outbreak levels, while during the winter one species, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), increased and one, the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), decreased from pre-outbreak levels. Responses following outbreaks were similarly variable, and in general we were unsuccessful …

Formation Of Intercellular Junctions During Secondary Neurulation In The Tail Bud Region Of Developing Chick Embryos, Selena Mae Losee

Honors Program Theses

During secondary neurulation, the tail bud of the developing chick embryo undergoes a transition from unorganized mesenchymal cells to a structured epithelial tube. Cells undergoing this process must polarize and then assemble specific molecules that allow them to create intercellular junctions. Intercellular junctions contribute to the cells' ability to adhere, communicate with each other, or block the movement of molecules between neighboring cells. Previous studies have suggested cell-to-cell junctions play an important role in cavitation of the tail bud and in organizing the lumina that form. This study aimed to determine if tight junctions and gap junctions develop in this …

Agricultural Conservation Buffers For Breeding Grassland Birds In Eastern Mississippi, Heidi Lynn Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Periodic disturbance in CP33 habitat buffers is required to maintain early-successional plant communities for grassland birds. However, effects of disturbance on habitat suitability and nesting success of grassland birds are unknown. Furthermore, the grassland bird community and reproductive performance in CP33 habitat buffers may be influenced by the landscape context (e.g., edge habitat, surrounding land cover). My objectives for this study were to determine how periodic disturbance and the agricultural landscape mosaic influence the breeding grassland bird community in buffers, and how these same factors influence grassland bird nesting success and density in buffers. Data collected during line-transect surveys conducted …

Historic And Contemporary Trends Of The Conservation Reserve Program And Ring-Necked Pheasants In South Dakota, Christopher R. Laingen

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Over the past century, the interactions between agricultural land use and government cropland retirement programs have affected pheasant population change. Two government land retirement programs that returned croplands to grasslands, Soil Bank in the 1960s and the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), help to illustrate these connections. From 2007 to 2010, South Dakota lost 41% of its CRP lands and experienced an 18% decline in pheasants per mile. However, because of where CRP expirations have occurred and where pheasant populations are found, some regional variability is seen. Western South Dakota (Region 1) had an 80% increase in pheasants per mile …

Review Of Whooping Crane: Images From The Wild. By Klaus Nigge., Paul Johnsgard

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

When asked to review this book I hadn't yet heard of it or its author, a wildlife photographer well known in his native Germany and the author of four photographic books published there, so I was eager to read it. The book is visually impressive, measuring 11" x 12", making it a true coffee-table production. Inside is a well-written 2S-page "primer" on whooping cranes by Krista Schlyer dealing with cranes in myth and legend, crane vocalizations and displays, and breeding biology. She also provides a brief survey of the whooping crane's population history, its near brush with extinction, and the …

Review Of Raptors Of New Mexico. Edited By Jean-Luc E. Cartron., Brian Millsap

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

As a raptor specialist, I eagerly look forward to the publication of state and regional books on birds of prey, typically rich with hard-to-find locally flavored information on distribution and biology. With the publication of Raptors of New Mexico, my home state has joined the ranks of the handful of states blessed with such volumes, and in fine form. This is an impressive work both in size and content, but the first thing anyone will notice are the photographs-hundreds, most top-notch, many capturing moods, scenes, and places unique to New Mexican raptors. In many ways the book is a showcase …

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 …

Vocalization Behavior Of The Endangered Bahama Oriole (Icterus Northropi): Ontogenetic, Sexual, Temporal, Duetting Pair, And Geographic Variation, Valerie A. Lee

Faculty Works

Many birds communicate via a diverse set of vocalizations, but the contexts, roles, and structure of their varied songs and calls may change with age, differ between sexes, and vary temporally and geographically. In New World orioles, most tropical species exhibit the ancestral states of sexual monochromatism (both sexes have similar plumage) and monovocalism (both sexes sing and often duet together), whereas migratory temperate species tend toward dichromatism (males brightly colored and females drab) and divocalism (males sing almost exclusively). In this study, I examined the vocalizations of the Bahama Oriole, a non-migratory, monochromatic species, to learn where it fits …

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, …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 87, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Cowbird Parasitism On Yellow-Throated Warblers At Starved Rock State Park, Illinois, Usa, Joseph Traina

Faculty Publications & Research

An adult yellow-throated warbler (Dendroica dominica) was observed feeding a fledged brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) on July 1, 2010 at the Beehive Overlook at Starved Rock State Park (LaSalle County, Illinois, USA). Food in the form of captured insects was brought to the young cowbird five times during a period of approximately 15 minutes.

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 …

Modeling Habitat Associations For The Common Loon (Gavia Immer) At Multiple Scales In Northeastern North America, Anne Kuhn, Jane Copeland, John Cooley, Harry Vogel, Kate Taylor, Diane Nacci, Peter V. August

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Common Loon (Gavia immer) is considered an emblematic and ecologically important example of aquatic-dependent wildlife in North America. The northern breeding range of Common Loon has contracted over the last century as a result of habitat degradation from human disturbance and lakeshore development. We focused on the state of New Hampshire, USA, where a long-term monitoring program conducted by the Loon Preservation Committee has been collecting biological data on Common Loon since 1976. The Common Loon population in New Hampshire is distributed throughout the state across a wide range of lake-specific habitats, water quality conditions, and levels of …