Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

Nebraska Bird Review (December 2000) 68(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August–November, 2000 ... 142

Species Accounts ... 144

First Record of an Arctic Tern for Nebraska ... 176

Mist Netting at Oliver State Recreation Area ... 177

Ecogeographic Aspects of Greater Prairie-Chicken Leks in Southeastern Nebraska ... 179

Index [for Volume 68: 1–4] ... 184

Ecogeographic Aspects Of Greater Prairie-Chicken Leks In Southeastern Nebraska, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

An analysis of the distribution of 104 Greater Prairie-chicken leks in Pawnee and Johnson counties indicates that the birds favor using those mile-square sections having no more than two dwellings per section, ones that are located at least two miles from the nearest town, and at least a half-mile from the nearest lek. Relationships with the nearest water were not clear, but most leks were located at least a half-mile from it, perhaps reflecting a general avoidance of heavy cover during the display season.

Subscription And Organization Information [December 2000]

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): $14.00 in the United States; $18.00 for all foreign countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, and $5.00 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Prichard, NOU Librarian, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.

Memberships in NOU (on a calendar year basis only): Active, $15.00; Sustaining, $25.00; Student, $10.00; Family Active, $20.00; Family Sustaining, $30.00; …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 2000) 68(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report ... 106

Species Accounts ... 107

Review of the Breeding Status of Pinyon Jay in Nebraska ... 126

Book Review [Birds of the Untamed West by James E. Ducey] ... 131

Historic Birds of Lincoln's Salt Basin Wetlands and Nine-Mile Prairie ... 132

Virginia's Warblers in Kimball County ... 137

Subscription And Organization Information [September 2000]

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): $14.00 in the United States; $18.00 for all foreign countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, and $5.00 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Prichard, NOU Librarian, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.

Memberships in NOU (on a calendar year basis only): Active, $15.00; Sustaining, $25.00; Student, $10.00; Family Active, $20.00; Family Sustaining, $30.00; …

Nestling Tree Swallow (Tachycineta Bicolor) Diets In An Upland Old Field In Western Michigan, Matthew E. Johnson, Michael P. Lombardo

Peer Reviewed Publications

We collected and identified 1852 prey items from 89 boluses delivered to 62 nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at 14 nests in an upland old field in western Michigan. We found that 90.8% of nestling diets was insects from the Orders Diptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera. We also found clam and snail shells in boluses. Over the most common brood sizes of 4-6 nestlings, brood size was inversely proportional to the number of items per bolus delivered to nestlings although mean dry and mean organic weight of boluses did not differ. Bolus composition was not influenced by weather …

Subscription And Organization Information [June 2000]

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): $14.00 in the United States; $18.00 for all foreign countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, and $S.OO elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Prichard, NOU Librarian, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514. Memberships in NOU (on a calendar year basis only): Active, $15.00; Sustaining, $25.00; Student, $10.00; Family Active, $20.00; Family Sustaining, $30.00; …

Nebraska Bird Review (June 2000) 68(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Review of the Breeding Status of Lewis's Woodpecker in Nebraska ... 50

Spring Field Report, March to May 2000 ... 55

Species Accounts ... 57

NOU Spring Count ... 81

Yellow-billed Loon at Lake McConaughy ... 88

A Century of Breeding Birds in Nebraska ... 89

Tufted Duck at Lake Ogallala: First Record for Nebraska ... 102

Subscription And Organization Information [March 2000]

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): $14.00 in the United States; $18.00 for all foreign countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $4.00 each, postpaid, in the United States, and $5.00 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Mary Prichard, NOU Librarian, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514. Memberships in NOU (on a calendar year basis only): Active, $15.00; Sustaining, $25.00; Student, $10.00; Family Active, $20.00; Family Sustaining, $30.00; …

Winter Field Report, December 1999 To February 2000, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This rather mild season stood out for its wintering waterfowl, most obviously at Keystone L, where Stephen Dinsmore counted an amazing 22 species of waterfowl on 29 January. Check the species accounts for the incredible wintering numbers; species were topped by Nebraska's first Tufted Duck, and assorted other goodies, such as 5 Barrow's Goldeneyes, Waterfowl, loons, and grebes also rewrote the midwinter record book, including no fewer than 3 Red-necked Grebes, Some interesting wintering birds also appeared at Harlan Co Res,

Other interesting winter records, some no doubt due to the mild fall, included Greater Yellowlegs at two locations, Franklin's …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 2000) 68(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

A Summer Survey of the Birds at Two Eastern Nebraska Wetlands ... 2

First Record of a Brambling for Nebraska ... 8

Winter Field Report, December 1999 to February 2000 ... 9

NOU Fall Field Days Count, 1999 ... 26

The 1999–2000 Nebraska Christmas Bird Count ... 30

Black-throated Gray Warbler at Oliver Reservoir ... 46

Gray Flycatcher at Oliver Reservoir ... 46

Index To Volume 68

Nebraska Bird Review

Index

Feasibility Of Inducing Overlap Immunologic Competence In Gallinaceous Birds With Ascardia Dissimilis And A. Galli, Julie Hamilton, Thomas A. Yazwinski

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Chickens and turkeys are routinely infected with the roundworms Ascaridia galli and A. dissimilis, respectively. The current study was conducted to gather basic information on these worms and to determine whether heterologous infections (chicken worms in turkeys and turkey worms in chickens) would be successful. Chickens and turkeys were obtained at day of hatch, brooded to 7 days of age, and placed in pens (25/pen) according to infection as received at 7 days of age: homologous, heterologous and control (no infection). Bird weights, mortalities, and feed efficiencies were monitored for 3 weeks postinfection, at which time all birds were killed …

Reproductive Behavior Of The Emu, Reema A. Persad, Douglas James, Nicholas B. Anthony

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Members of a flock of male and female emus were observed in an ethological experiment designed to investigate trends in reproductive behavior exhibited during the North American mating season, which lasts from October to mid-March. Observations were made at dawn, noon, and dusk from December 1999 to mid-March 2000, and the only behaviors that were consistently expressed during these times were pecking, strutting, exclusive, and male and female sexual activities (defined in text). Though statistical significance was found between male strutting behavior and female sexual activity in the December observation period, no overall significance or significance at other observation periods …

Livability Of Leghorn Balut Embryos Stored Under Varying Temperatures And Storage Times, Joyce Jong, F. Dustan Clark

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Baluts are fertile chicken or duck eggs that have been incubated and removed from the incubator prior to hatching for consumption. Chicken eggs are incubated for 11 to 14 days and duck eggs are incubated for 16 to 20 days. Baluts have an extremely specialized consumer market, with the majority of its consumers of Filipino decent. Current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations for the storage of baluts prior to sale is 7.2ºC, the same as for infertile commercial table eggs. Consumer preference is to purchase live baluts for consumption. Since exposure to 7.2ºC causes embryo mortality within 8 hours of …

Book Review: Birds Of The Untamed West. The History Of Birdlife In Nebraska, 1750 To 1875 By James E. Ducey, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Those with an interest in the birds of the Great Plains will be familiar with Jim Ducey's Nebraska Birds: Breeding Status and Distribution, published in 1988. I was amazed then by Jim's diligence in searching a wide range of sources and compiling an exhaustive list of Nebraska breeding records organized by county. Jim's new book, Birds of the Untamed West, reflects the same dogged pursuit of obscure sources unavailable to most of us and compilation of the results. If you expect such a compilation to be dry and boring, you will be pleasantly surprised, especially if you are …

Review Of The Breeding Status Of Pinyon Jay In Nebraska, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

The Rev. J,M. Bates (1900) was the first tQ suggest breeding by Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) in Nebraska when he reported, "Breeding at Holly, Sheridan Co., north of Rushville, July 15, '97." While he gave us no indication of what he saw, the date cited in the report, 15 July, should raise a cautionary flag, since by that date the young are normally 2 months past fledging and would be free-flying and moving about with the flock.

In discussing birds which breed in the state, Bruner (1901) placed the species in Part II of the list, along with …

Summer Field Report, June And July 2000, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

I wish to remind observers to report dates of breeding evidence, such as nests with eggs and adults feeding fledglings. There is surprisingly little known about these things for Nebraska's breeding birds, even the common ones. Please report these regardless of the season!

This summer produced many interesting sightings; we'll lead off with significant breeding records: Snowy Plover provided a 2nd state breeding record; Black-necked Stilt a first for Keith Co; Acadian Flycatcher first for Thurston Co; Summer Tanager first for Otoe Co; and Eurasian Collared-Dove 3rd nesting locality, at Elmwood.

Late spring migrants included a record late Tennessee Warbler …

Virginia's Warblers In Kimball County, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Joe Fontaine

Nebraska Bird Review

This fall 2000 season was marked by a very westerly flavor to the passerine migration with many sightings of western warblers, vireos, and flycatchers in western Nebraska. Most notably, Townsend's Warblers and Cassin's Vireos were seen in good numbers. Additionally, three sightings of Virginia's Warbler and five of Dusky Flycatcher added to the excitement. In this note, we report this fall's sightings of Virginia's Warbler and comment on the status of this species in Nebraska.

On 26 August 2000, Dinsmore observed a Virginia's Warbler (Vermivora virginiae) along the north side of Oliver Reservoir. He studied the bird at …

Black-Throated Gray Warbler At Oliver Reservoir, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 1 May 1999, I was birding a point along the north shore of the lake when I encountered as small. flock of Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers. At approximately 8:06 a.m. I was working my way through the flock when I heard a different chip note. The bird was feeding in a nearby tree, and I immediately recognized it as a male Black-throated Gray Warbler. I was able to study the bird at close range until 8:16 a.m. The bird was roughly the size of an Orange-crowned Warbler and was noticeably smaller and shorter-tailed than a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The head …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting Report, 1999

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Fall meeting took place once again at the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey between October 8 and 10. The following table represents the count, 108 species in all, for the five areas listed. As usual, the counts for Thomas and Blaine counties exclude the National Forest land in both counties.

First Record Of A Brambling For Nebraska, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 14 April 1999, an unusual bird was reported visiting the feeders of Phyllis and Dean Drawbaugh in Scottsbluff, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. The bird apparently arrived on 13 April immediately after the passage of a cold front with strong northwest winds. On 18 April, the Drawbaughs identified the bird as a female Brambling, and local birders Alice Kenitz and Helen Hughsen confirmed the sighting later that day. On 19 April, I made the trip to Scottsbluff and studied the bird from 7:51-8:55 a.m. in the company of the Drawbaughs, David Ely and Rachel Kolokoff, both of Fort Collins, Colorado. …

Gray Flycatcher At Oliver Reservoir, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Loren Padelford, Babs Padelford

Nebraska Bird Review

On 17 May 1999, we were birding near the main entrance of Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area in Kimball County, Nebraska. At 8:05 a.m. we found a very gray empidonax flycatcher in the scattered trees south of the main entrance. After studying the bird for a few minutes, we concluded that the bird was a Gray Flycatcher. We studied and photographed the bird at close range until we left at 8:55 a.m.

A Summer Survey Of The Birds At Two Eastern Nebraska Wetlands, Kristine T. Phipps

Nebraska Bird Review

This study compares the avian species diversity at two eastern Nebraska wetlands that differ in their relative isolation from an urban environment. Birds were surveyed by the point Count method twice weekly at each site during June of 1998. Diversity was measured using species richness and species evenness. The percentage of bird species observed that depend on wetlands for breeding was also compared.

Results suggest that both species richness and evenness, as determined by the Shannon-Wiener index, were higher at the wetland located in a network of other marsh areas and agricultural land than at the suburban wetland. Immigration of …

The 1999·2000 Nebraska Christmas Bird Count, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1999·2000 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) period included ten counts in Nebraska (Table 2). These counts reported a total of 133 species, a great total for so few counts. Counts were scattered statewide, but most effort was in the eastern half of the state where most of the birders are. The top count this year was Lake McConaughy, where the combination of several lingering rarities, excellent participation, and great count weather led to a new record Nebraska count of 101 species, breaking the old record of 87 species. Other excellent totals were 85 at Harlan County, 84 at Branched Oak-Seward, …

A Century Of Breeding Birds In Nebraska, Jackie Canterbury, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

With the imminent publication of the Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas and the turning of a new millennium, it is perhaps an appropriate time to survey the state of breeding birds in Nebraska. Wayne Mollhoft's summary of the N.O.U.'s Nebraska Breeding Birds Atlasing Project (Mollhoff, 2000) provides important data bases for the latter part of the past century, and the historic overview by James Ducey (1988) offers a useful basis for judging the breeding avifauna of Nebraska from about the beginning of the century. The Biological Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey's (WSGSBRD) annual Breeding Bird Survey data currently …

Nou Spring Count

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU Spring meeting took place from May 19 to 21 in Chadron. Table 1 lists the 165 total species identified in five counties during this period.

A Red Pharlarope was reported in Box Butte Co. by Kathy larson. Details have been submitted to the Records Committee, and the species is not included in this table pending the committee's decision.

Reports for the following species are included in this list with the following comment suggested by W. Ross Silcock:, "No details on 10; rare in this part of NE": Northern Bobwhite, Short-billed Oowitcher, and Field Sparrow.

Review Of The Breeding Status Of Lewis's Woodpecker In Nebraska, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) was first mentioned as a possible breeder in Nebraska by Bruner (1901), who included it in a list of birds that breed in the state. None of the authorities he cited, however, had published conclusive evidence of breeding, and one of them (Bates 1900) cited only a winter record.

The species was mentioned in reports from the University of Nebraska field parties that worked in the Pine Ridge in 1900 and 1901. Crawford (1901) reports the discovery of only a single empty nest, despite weeks of fieldwork concentrated specifically on gathering nesting data on western species …

Tufted Duck At Lake Ogallala: First Record For Nebraska, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 2 December 1999, I was birding at the east end of Lake Ogallala in Keith County. I was scanning the large diving duck flock just above the Keystone diversion dam when I noticed a scaup-like duck with a thin crest. I quickly realized that the bird was a male Tufted Duck. I carefully studied the, bird from 9:32-10:28 a.m. The bird spent all of its time actively foraging with a large flock of Greater and Lesser Scaup. It was approximately the same size as a Lesser Scaup. The head shape was rounded like a scaup, not "peaked" like a …

Spring Field Report, March To May 2000, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This spring was a fairly normal, although I heard comments about warblers being rather tough to find. The reports did confirm that for many of the migrant northwoods species. There were a few rarities, none represented first state records, however. Foremost of these were White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, blue-morph Ross's Goos~, Common Crane, Band-tailed Pigeon, Hammond's Flycatcher, and Black-throated Gray Warbler. The following birds may join these, although each may have fatal flaws, at least in the eyes of the NOURC: Red Phalarope and Slaty-backed Gull. Other interesting sightings included a Mississippi Kite in Lincoln; Gray Partridges in Scotts Bluff …