Poultry or Avian Science Commons^™

"1983 Christmas Count," From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1984) 52(1)

Nebraska Bird Review

Ninety-two species (nine less than last year) were reported on the 1983 Christmas Count, and three species (compared to one last year) were reported as present during the count period but not recorded on the count day on any count. The same eight localities reported both years. Two additional races (a Harlan's Hawk on the Tri-state count is not shown separately) were reported, the same as last year. Thirteen species were reported on all the counts this year, compared to sixteen last year. The total individual count this year was 43,652; in 1982 it was

"Book Review," From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1984) 52(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

Cranes of the World, Paul A. Johnsgard, 258 pp. 8 1/2 x 11, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, bibliography, indexed, hardbound, $37.50.

The Sandhill Crane, the Whooping Crane, and the Eurasian (Common) Crane, in that order, receive the most attention in the species accounts in this book, reflecting the relative amounts of information available in the literature. Luckily, those are the three cranes which have been recorded in Nebraska (and North America), and so are of most interest to us. The book discusses cranes in general under the following headings: Classification and Evolution, Individualistic and Social Behavior, Vocalizations, Ecology and …

1983 (Twenty-Sixth) Fall Occurrence Report, From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1984) 52(1)

Nebraska Bird Review

1983 (TWENTY -SIXTH) FALL OCCURRENCE REPORT

Two hundred sixty-two species, from 10 locations, are listed in this report. Comparable figures for previous years are 269 species from 10 localities in 1982, 277 species from 14 localities in 1981, and 218 (and a possible Veery) from 12 localities in 1980.

The information is presented in a rough west (left) to east (right) order, with locations of about the same longitude listed with the northernmost first. Two dates indicate the first and last records for the period. The symbols are:

JI, Au, Sp, Ot, No, and Dm for the months.

P to …

"Notes," From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1984) 52(1).

Nebraska Bird Review

CORRECTION TO NBR 51:86 (CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW'S NEST) The upper picture in "A New Nesting Species for Nebraska" is inverted, and the picture captions were omitted. The upper picture shows the "nest" with a hatchling in front and to the right of the egg; the lower picture shows the adult.

AND TO NBR 51:96 (HOUSE FINCH NEST). The first date should be 24 April, not 24 May.

Record Count For Whooping Cranes On The Platte River

Nebraska Bird Review

Since 1942, there have been eight confirmed Whooping Crane (Grus americana) sightings on the Platte River (Whooping Crane Recovery Team. 1983. List of confirmed whooping crane migration sightings of the Wood Buffalo - Arkansas population. U.S. Fish and Wild\. Serv., Washington, D.C. 18 pp.). The largest number of birds on the Platte was five although seven were seen flying along the Platte near Kearney in April 1980. On 27 October 1983, five adult Whooping Cranes were reported feeding in an idle cornfield 3.5 mi. NE of Denman in Hall County and later, these 5 individuals were observed landing …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 1984) 52(1), Whole Issue.

Nebraska Bird Review

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Treasurer's Report 2

1983 (Twenty-sixth) Fall Occurrence Report 3

1983 Christmas Count 13

Book Review 18

Record Count for Whooping Cranes on the Platte River 19

Location and Habitat Size of Lakes in the Nebraska Sandhills Utilized by Trumpeter Swans 19

Notes 22

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1983) 51(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc. as its official journal and sent free to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $7.00 per year in the United States and $9.00 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $2.25 each, postpaid.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only); Student, $3.00; Active. $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining. $20.00; Life, $100.00.

A Mississippi Kite In Hall County, Nebraska, Gary Lingle, Kari L. Haugh, Lee Morris, Babs Padelford, Loren Padelford

Nebraska Bird Review

The Mississippi Kite (lctinia mississippiensis) is considered extremely rare in Nebraska, with only 8 spring records and 2 fall records (Johnsgard, P.A., 1980, A revised list of the birds of Nebraska and adjacent Plains States, Occasional papers of the N.O.U., No.6, Lincoln, Nebraska, 114 pp.). On 10 July 1983, at 12:30 CDT, we sighted an adult Mississippi Kite circling above a flooded native hay meadow on Shoemaker Island, Hall Co. (Sec. 1, T9N R11W). The bird was identified by its frosted head and secondaries, pearly gray back and underside, and black retrices. It is believed this Kite was …

Index To Volume 51

Nebraska Bird Review

Index A-Z

8 pages

Pine Siskin Nests At Wayne State College, A. Jewell Schock

Nebraska Bird Review

On 29 April 1976 I observed a number of Pine Siskins in the elm and blue spruce trees on the Wayne State College campus, Wayne, Nebraska. They were actively flying back and forth between the trees so I could not determine the exact number of them, but they would have numbered less than a dozen.

On 30 April I saw that a Pine Siskin appeared to be building a nest in a blue spruce tree, about five feet above the ground. I continued to watch from a safe distance for the next few days. By 5 May the nest appeared …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (December 1983) 51(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

A New Nesting Species for Nebraska ... 86
Book Reviews ... 87
A Second Black-shouldered Kite in Nebraska,
with Notes on Its Food Habits ... 88
Pine Siskin Nests at Wayne State College ... 89
1983 Fall Field Day ... 89
A Mississippi Kite in Hall County, Nebraska ... 90
Notes ... 91
Index of Volume ... 97

1983 Fall Field Day

Nebraska Bird Review

There were 55 who registered for the 1983 Fall Field Day, 24/25 September 1983, at the 4-H Camp at Halsey National Forest. With the benefit of good weather they tallied 94 species on or near the Forest, and a party that went up US 83 as far as the North Loup added 10 more (marked [N]), and 2 or 3 unidentified species of shore birds. The Scott's Oriole, near Wauneta, was selected as the best of the birds submitted for consideration, with the Black-necked Stilt, near Gothenburg, and the Glossy Ibis, at Lincoln, tied for second. After the slide show …

A New Nesting Species For Nebraska, Gary Lingle

Nebraska Bird Review

The Chuck-will's widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) is considered a highly local but regular migrant and presumed summer resident in Nebraska. Although it is known to breed in Kansas and Oklahoma, there were no nest records for Nebraska (Johnsgard, 1980). Egg dates for Kansas range from 21 April to 31 May (Johnsgard, 1979). On 4 June 1983 a Chuck-will's widow's nest with 2 eggs was discovered in a bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)–red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) woodland at Camp Merrill, Saunders Co. (Sec 29 T17N RSW), approximately 6 miles southeast of Linwood (Janett Waever, pers. comm.) The …

"Book Reviews" From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1983) 51(4), Rusty Cortelyou

Nebraska Bird Review

Book Reviews

Bird Conservation: No.1, Stanley A. Temple, Editor, 148 pp. 6 x 9, The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wis. No index, paper. $12.95

The Care and Breeding of Seed-eating Birds, Finches and Allied Species - Doves, Quail and Hemipodes. Jeffery Trollope, 336 pp. 5¾ x8¾, Blandford Press, England, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., New York, bibliography, indexed, hardbound, $17.95.

Birds of North America, Expanded, Revised Edition Robbins, Bruun, and Zim, illustrated by Singer. 4½ x 7½, 360 pp. Golden Press, New York. $7.95 softcover, $10.95 hardcover.

Dues Are Due!

Nebraska Bird Review

N.O.U. dues are on a calendar year basis, and in case you haven't already done so, sit right down and send your check, payable to N.O.U., to Mrs. Jack Shafer, RR2, Box61, Wood River, Nebraska 68883. The rates are: Student, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active $10.00; Family Sustaining $20.00; Life, $100.00

1984 Annual Meeting will be in Chadron on 19 and 20 May. Mark your calendar!

A Second Black-Shouldered Kite In Nebraska, With Notes On Its Food Habits, Gary Lingle, Kari L. Lingle

Nebraska Bird Review

On 31 August 1983 at about 1200 h COT, the junior author discovered a Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) on Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, Nebraska, perched in a plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides). The senior author visited the site at 1800 h COT and observed the bird in the same tree, with a 25x spotting scope. It was perched on a dead limb and was carefully observed for 15 min. The next day, 1 September, we visited the area at 1200 hand observed the Kite. We carefully noted plumage and soft parts coloration as follows: eye …

"Notes," From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1983) 51(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

CORRECTIONS TO NBR 51:18. On line 8 of page 18 of the March 1983 Bird Review the number of parties for North Platte should be 3, rather than 30. At the bottom of the page, the Olivaceous Cormorant was taken at Sutherland, Lincoln County (Lincoln was left out).

MORE ON THE A.O.U. CHECKLIST. The 6th Edition of the A.O.U. Checklist has been released, and some of the loose ends in the previous report on it (NBR 50:74) can now be tied up. The Crested Tinamou (no Elegant) is listed in Appendix D - introduced species, either not established or …

1983 (Fifty-Eighth) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred eighty-eight species are listed in this report, plus 2 possibles, from 13 locations. The comparable figures for 1982 are 287 from 15 locations; 1981 298 from 12; and 1980 298 from 14.

The symbols used in the tabulation are:

Ja, Fe, Mr, Ap, My, and Je for the months

1 column heading for the Northwest Edge

2 column heading for Lower Southwest Corner.

3 column heading for Otoe Co.

b and B see Lower Southwest Corner

c and C see Lower Southwest Corner

h and H see Lower Southwest Corner

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1983) 51(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent free to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $7.00 per year in the United States and $9.00 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $2.25 each, postpaid.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Student, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be remitted to the Treasurer, Mrs. Jack Shafer, RR2, Box 61, Wood …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (September 1983) 51(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1983 (Fifty-eighth) Spring Occurrence Report ...................66

Book Reviews ...................78

An Analysis of Winter Long·eared Owl Pellets from Lancaster County. Nebraska ...................79

Notes ...................82

"Notes," From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1983) 51(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

LATE WOOD DUCK BROODS. I don't know if weather affected the nesting of some Wood Ducks or not, but 8 August (1982) seems a little late for baby woodies. At the Iowa Settling Pond, there were two hens with new families; one hen had two ducklings that were about 5 to 6 days old, and another hen had a brood that was only a few hours out of the nest. The Wood Duck raises but one brood in a season in any part of its wide range, according to Bent, and has always been considered and early nester. I searched …

"Book Reviews," From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1983) 51(3)

Nebraska Bird Review

Book Reviews

Wading Birds of the World, Eric and Richard Soothill. 334 pp., 6 x 9½, Blandford Press, England, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., New York. Hardbound, indexed, $29.95.

The North American Black Duck (Anas rubripes); A Case Study of 28 Years of Failure in American Wildlife Management, John W. Grandy, Supplement to International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems, 4(4)1983. Washington, D.C.

The Bird Identification Calendar 1984, the Stephen Greene Press, Brattleboro, VT, 14 pp., 12¼ x 11, $6.95.

"The Eighty-Second Annual Meeting," From Nebraska Bird Review (June 1983) 51(2).

Nebraska Bird Review

The official registration for the eighty-second Annual Meeting, held in Lincoln 20-22 May 1983, was 55. There was the usual slide show and get-together on Friday night, field trips Saturday morning (with demonstrations of bird banding), Saturday afternoon after the meeting, and Sunday morning. The practice of having talks was revived: Mark A. Brogie, Wayne, gave an illustrated talk on "Distribution of Birds of the Niobrara" and James Ducey, Omaha, did the same for "Breeding Status of the Interior Least Tern in Nebraska" before the business meeting. All officers were re-elected: Mrs. Ruth C. Green, Bellevue, President; Gary Lingle, Grand …

Spring And Summer Birds Of The Niobrara Valley Preserve Area, Nebraska: An Annotated Checklist, Mark A. Brogie, Michael J. Mossman

Nebraska Bird Review

The Niobrara Valley Preserve occupies an area of approximately 22,000 ha in north-central Nebraska and includes parts of Brown, Cherry, and Keya Paha counties. This area was purchased in 1980 by the Nature Conservancy because of the unique co-occurrence of habitat types such as ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest, eastern deciduous forest, northern forest (represented by white birch, Betula papyrifera), mixed grass prairie, sandhills prairie, and tallgrass prairie all existing within a proximity of 1.5-3 km.

This confluence of habitat types, in conjunction with the area's central geographic setting, creates a significant zone of sympatry among eastern, …

"Notes," From Nebraska Bird Review (June 1983) 51(2).

Nebraska Bird Review

SANDHILL CRANE TRIP. About 30 or so went out to the blind on the Mormon Island Crane Meadows before dawn on 2 April. But not enough before dawn to allow the last of the party to see the Sandhill Cranes before they took off from their roost in the river. But all could see in the sky the huge flocks that took off from other sections of the river. Some went back to the blind before the Cranes came in to roost that night and got to see them settle in for the night. Many other birds were seen from …

Additions To 1982 Occurrence Reports

Nebraska Bird Review

ADDITIONS TO 1982 OCCURRENCE REPORTS

Information on sightings at the North Platte NWR in 1982 provide some additions to the species reported in the Scotts Bluff column, and some expansion of the dates, for both spring and fall reports, and some additions to the state list for the fall report. The North Platte NWR information has been included in the Scotts Bluff column for the last few years. Sherry McCoy was the reporter, and Kevin Brenner, Dan Walsworth, Jim McCole and Mike McCoy were the additional observers.

Spring 1982. The additional species reported were: Common Loon, Ap 16; American White …

Whole Issue Nebraska Bird Review (June 1983) 51(2)

Nebraska Bird Review

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Eighty-second Annual Meeting ................................................ 26

1982 Nebraska Nesting Survey ................................................... 26

Select Birding Areas of the Niobrara River Region .................................. 33

A 1903 Birding Expedition in Cherry County, Nebraska ............................. 35

Notes on the Birds of the Lower Niobrara Valley in 1902 ............................ 37

as Recorded by Myron H. Swenk Spring and Summer Birds of the Niobrara Valley Preserve Area, ...................... 44

Nebraska: An Annotated Checklist Breeding Status of Selected Bird Species in the Niobrara Valley ...................... 51

Preserve Area, Nebraska Some Birds of Anderson Bridge Wildlife Management Area in ........................ 62

Cherry County, Nebraska Additions …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (June 1983) 51(2)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent free to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $7.00 per year in the United States and $9.00 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $2.25 each, postpaid.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Student, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00); Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should be remitted to the Treasurer, Mrs. Jack Shafer, RR2, Box 61, Wood …

Breeding Status Of Selected Bird Species In The Niobrara Valley Preserve Area, Nebraska, Michael J. Mossman, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

INTRODUCTION

The Niobrara Valley Preserve is located in north-central Nebraska and includes a variety of relatively undisturbed grassland, woodland, and wetland habitats. The diversity of habitats, in conjunction with the area's central geographic location near the 100th meridian, results in a diverse avifauna with many species and subspecies occurring at or near the western, eastern, southern, or northern edge of their breeding ranges. Several pairs of sibling species and subspecies are found here within their narrow band of sympatry. The breeding list of the Preserve and environs includes at least 105 species (Brogie and Mossman 1983), several of which are …

1982 Nebraska Nesting Survey, Esther V. Bennett

Nebraska Bird Review

Data on the 1982 nesting season in Nebraska were received from 24 observers, reporting on 106 species from 40 counties. Counties in the tabulation are listed in a west to east order, with the northernmost of approximately equal locations given first. Numbers represent Nest Record Cards; C represents Cowbird eggs found in other nests; E represents eggs observed; F represents carrying food; M represents carrying nesting material; N represents nests observed for which no Nest Record Card was submitted; and Y represents young observed.

Fifty-three species were reported on 335 North American Nest Record Cards; in addition, out-of-state nests were …