Zoology Commons^™

Evidence For Air Movement Signals In The Agonistic Behaviour Of A Nocturnal Arachnid (Order Amblypygi), Roger D. Santer, Eileen A. Hebets

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Many arthropods possess filiform hair sensilla (termed trichobothria in arachnids), which are extremely sensitive detectors of medium particle displacement. Electrophysiological evidence in some taxa suggests that these sensilla can detect air particle displacements resulting from intraspecific communication signals. However, it has not yet been shown for any species that the air particle displacements detected by the filiform hairs are themselves perceived as a ‘signal’ (i.e. that individuals make behavioural decisions based upon the responses of these organs to the displays of conspecifics). We investigate the agonistic behaviour of the whip spider Phrynus marginemaculatus and the role of its trichobothria in …

Geographic Distribution: Osteopilus Septentrionalis (Cuban Treefrog). Usa: Florida: Bradford Co., Linda S. Stevenson, Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

OSTEOPILUS SEPTENTRIONALIS (Cuban Treefrog). USA: FLORIDA: B IlAI)flOIlD Co.: Starke. 703 South Orange Street (29.940 15"N, 82. 11532S'W; WGS84) . 12 December 2009. Linda S. Sleven son. Verified by Melvin P. Gra.mke. Florida Museum of Natural History. University of Florida. UF 162973. First county record (Meshaka et al. 2004. The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. Krieger Publ. Co., Malabar, Florida; Somma 2009. In Nonindigenous Aq uatic Species. USGS: hI rp: II nas.e r.usgs.gov I q ue ries! FactSheet. asp?specieslD=57). One adult collected from inside a mailbox on wall of a residence. Individ ual O. septentrionalis have been sighted at …

Use Of Nape Tags For Marking Offspring Of Precocial Waterbirds, Todd W. Arnold, Daizaburo Shizuka, Bruce E. Lyon, Jeffrey T. Pelayo, Katherine R. Mehl, Joshua J. Traylor, Wendy L. Reed, Courtney L. Amundson

Papers in Ornithology

Individualized markers that allow organisms to be identified without recapture are invaluable for studies of survival, movement, and behavior. Nape tags consisting of brass safety pins with unique combinations of two or three colored plastic beads were used to mark 5,868 American Coot (Fulica americana) chicks and 331 Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), 157 King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) and 664 White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca deglandi) ducklings. These markers allowed for documentation of parent-offspring interactions, post-hatching survival, brood movements and brood-mixing behaviors. Nape tags were inexpensive, easy to make, easy to observe with binoculars …

Systematic Revision Of The Northern Short-Tailed Shrew, Blarina Brevicauda (Say), Wm. David Webster, Nancy D. Moncrief, Jerry R. Choate, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Short-tailed shrews, genus Blarina, are common inhabitants of a variety of terrestrial habitats in most of eastern North America. Of the 4 species currently recognized, the northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda (Say, 1823), is the most widely distributed, occurring from southern Canada southward to the central Great Plains and the Appalachian Mountains into Georgia and Alabama and along the East Coast as far south as southeastern North Carolina. It has been more than 65 years since geographic variation within this species has been studied. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to examine geographic variation in Blarina brevicauda and …

Regulated Commercial Harvest To Manage Overabundant White-Tailed Deer: An Idea To Consider?, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Charles W. Anderson, Timothy R. Van Deelen, David Drake, W. David Walter, Stephen Vantassel, Scott E. Hygnstrom

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Declines in hunter recruitment coupled with dramatic growth in numbers of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have challenged our ability to manage deer populations through regulated hunting. We review the efficacy of current regulated hunting methods and explain how they are unable to reduce deer numbers sufficiently in some environments. Regulated commercial harvest would provide an additional tool to help state wildlife agencies manage overabundant populations of white-tailed deer. We outline potential means to govern regulated commercial deer harvest and explain how it is compatible with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. We identified several benefits, including reduced …

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

Is Orthoptera Abundance And Distribution Across A Small Grassland Area Affected By Plant Biomass, Plant Species Richness, And Plant Quality?, Caitlin Falcone

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The choice of a specific microhabitat represents a compromise among a number of different factors organisms use to monitor habitat suitability. Grassland vegetation structure can vary widely along environmental gradients over a relatively small area. This vegetation structure can have a large influence on habitat selection by grasshoppers (Orthoptera). However, it is not clear which vegetation characteristics are most important in determining grasshopper abundance. We found that plant biomass, plant species richness, and plant quality all have an effect on grasshopper abundance and distribution. We observe that these affects vary both within and among the two years of data collection. …

Communication For Mate Selection In Anurans: Dominant Frequency Versus Snout-Vent-Length, Shari Jean Kunert

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

No abstract provided.

Match–Mismatch Regulation For Bluegill And Yellow Perch Larvae And Their Prey In Sandhill Lakes, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Richard S. Holland

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Food availability may regulate fish recruitment, both directly and indirectly. The availability of zooplankton, especially to newly hatched larvae, is thought to be crucial to their early growth and survival. We examined stomach contents of larval bluegill Lepomis macrochirus and yellow perch Perca flavescens in Pelican Lake and Cameron Lake, Nebraska, in 2004 and 2005. We also determined zooplankton availability and calculated prey selection using Chesson’s a. In addition, we investigated potential match–mismatch regulation of recruitment from 2004 to 2008. Bluegill positively selected copepod nauplii and Bosmina spp., and yellow perch often selected copepods. Abundant zooplankton populations were available for …

Multi-Scale Perspectives On Paddlefish Populations: Implications For Species Conservation And Management, Brenda M. Pracheil

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Order of fishes containing paddlefish and sturgeon has been named the most endangered group of organisms on the planet by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Population trajectories of paddlefish, whose native range is entirely encompassed within the United States of America, are currently unknown, although the IUCN has considered them to have a high extinction risk in the wild. The declaration of the vulnerability of paddlefish to extinction, coupled with the global plight of other sturgeon species create urgency to establish population and species-level population trajectories. Moreover, this declaration creates a great need for swift management …

Factors Influencing Long-Term Population Dynamics Of Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana): Evidence Of An Allee Effect, Justin D. Hoffman, Hugh H. Genoways, Rachel R. Jones

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Populations of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are subjected to multiple forms of density-dependent and density-independent regulation. Little is known about the combined effects of these variables across multiple populations throughout the landscape. The objectives of this study were to examine long-term trends in density and recruitment in pronghorn and to assess how different forms of regulation influence these trends. We used multiple density-dependent and density-independent explanatory variables in a model selection process to explain variation in pronghorn density and July fawn : doe ratios from 1955 to 1993 in 4 pronghorn management units in Nebraska. We also investigated levels …

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 …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 2010) 78(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Summer Field Report, June–July 2010 ... 86

My Life in Biology: Paul A. Johnsgard ... 103

A Review of Modern Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Nesting Records and Breeding Status in Nebraska ... 121

Subscription and Organization Information ... 127

Bats Of The Grenadine Islands, West Indies, And Placement Of Koopman's Line, Hugh H. Genoways, Gary G. Kwiecinski, Peter A. Larsen, Scott C. Pedersen, Roxanne J. Larsen, Justin D. Hoffman, Mark De Silva, Carleton J. Phillips, Robert J. Baker

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Almost nothing is known concerning the chiropteran fauna on the Grenadine Islands, a chain of islands between St. Vincent and Grenada located near the southern end of the Lesser Antilles. Previously, only a single species—Glossophaga longirostris—had been reported from the Grenadines. Our research, conducted on 4 occasions over the period of 1980 to 2006, provided museum vouchers and genetic specimens for the addition of 4 other species to the known fauna of these islands—Noctilio leporinus, Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus schwartzi, and Molossus molossus. The Grenadines, being situated between St. Vincent and Grenada, occupy an important zoogeographic position. …

Annual Meeting At Chadron

Nebraska Bird Review

Sixty-seven members and guests were in attendance at the 111th Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union held at Camp Norwesca on May 14–16, 2010. The Camp Norwesca campus, located just south of Chadron State Park, proved to be an excellent birding location, providing good views of Evening Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills. Evening Grosbeaks were also found at Chadron State Park and at Beaver Wall in Sheridan Co.

Field trips were led by Wayne Mollhoff, Kathy DeLara, Ann Duey, Alice Kenitz, and Bruce and Donna Walgren. Rain on Saturday morning caused some last-minute changes to the trip itineraries. Among the …

Correction [June 2010]

Nebraska Bird Review

Correction: The name of the photographer of the Great Blue Heron nest on page 5 of the March 2010 issue of the Nebraska Bird Review was inadvertently omitted. The photo was taken by Edward Tickle.

Subscription And Organization Information [June 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 …

English And Scientific Alpha Code For The Birds Of Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

Alpha codes, abbreviations of common or scientific bird names, have long been used by ornithologists. The U.S. Bird Banding Laboratory's employment of alpha codes has become an integral part of large ornithological programs across the United States and Canada. Rather than using the full English or scientific name of a bird species, alpha codes allow quicker data entry and can also help to cross-reference other data.

The content of this article is a list of alpha codes, current through the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds, Seventh Edition (1998), its following supplements (AOU: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, …

An Unfortunate Name—With A Nebraska Twist, Rick Wright

Nebraska Bird Review

The past days have seen an amusing conversation about bird names conducted on the online discussion group NEBirds—just the sort of thing to get us through these dog-day afternoons of August. The scientific name of the Paltry Tyrannulet, a tropical flycatcher, is Zimmerius vilissimus, the genus so named by Melvin Traylor after American ornithologist John Todd Zimmer, who had a Nebraska connection through the university and State Museum in Lincoln. Combining the bird’s specific epithet from 1859—long preceding the new genus name of 1977—resulted in an English meaning of the entirety as “the very contemptible Zimmer.” Not what Traylor …

Spring Field Report, March 2010 To May 2010, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

There was much of interest this spring. Early and late dates, early breeding, even a few rarities, are scattered through the species accounts. A few highlights are mentioned here. Mark Brogie found 6 species of Gallinaceous birds in one hour in Knox Co—quite a feat. Glossy Ibis reports continue to increase, and Mississippi Kites were found in new areas. Cranes made news: a leucistic Sandhill, another Common, and good numbers of Whoopings. Piping Plovers may be spreading out a bit, given the disappearance of the expanses of sand at L McConaughy, and amazing finds are being made by the team …

Nebraska Bird Review (June 2010) 78(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Correction ... 38

Spring Field Report, March 2010 to May 2010 ... 38

Annual Meeting at Chadron ... 63

An Unfortunate Name—With a Nebraska Twist ... 68

English and Scientific Alpha Codes for the Birds of Nebraska ... 70

Subscription and Organization Information ... 83