Zoology Commons^™

The Ultraviolet Birds Of Nebraska, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

That the visual range of at least some birds extends into the ultraviolet region has been known since the early 1970s, when it was first discovered in hummingbirds and pigeons. The ultraviolet region is that energy consisting of light waves shorter than Violet, and thus beyond human perception. Although UV perception has long been recognized to occur in many insects and other invertebrate groups, scientists had doubted that either birds or mammals have this ability. Instead, it was generally assumed that the vertebrate cornea provides a protective block to ultraviolet waves, perhaps because UV energy can do damage to the …

Summer Field Report, June To July, 1999, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

First of all, I want to thank Joel Jorgensen for helping write these reports for the last few years. Joel has decided to spend his limited free time on Records Committee matters; he is currently Chairman. Over the last few years, Joel has made significant contributions to Nebraska ornithology, particularly through his! meticulous counts of shorebirds in the Rainwater Basin.

This season proved interesting in terms of ranges of breeding birds, as discussed in the accounts. See, for example, Little Blue Heron, the dOWitchers. Black-billed Magpie, White-breasted Nuthatch, Sedge Wren, and the towhees. There seems to be an increasing number …

Table Of Contents And Masthead, From Nebraska Bird Review (September 1999) 67(3)

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 (June 1999) 67(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March to May 1999 ... 42

Species Accounts ... 44

Book Review by Linda R. Brown of Swallow Summer ... 71

Neotropic Cormorant at Sutherland Reservoir ... 72

NOU Fall Field Days Count, 1998; May NAMC Count, 1999 ... 73

Clark’s Nutcracker at Lake McConaughy ... 79

Roseate Spoonbill in Otoe County ... 80

Red-throated Loon at Lake McConaughy ... 81

Two Poems by Don Welch and Drawings by Mark Sanders ... 82

Table Of Contents And Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review June 1999

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; …

Book Review: "Swallow Summer" By Charles R. Brown, Linda R. Brown

Nebraska Bird Review

Swallow Summer is a first-person, day-to-day account of Charles and Mary Bomberger Browns' fourteenth field season studying Cliff Swallows in western Nebraska. This story also concerns the three bright undergraduate field assistants who shared the experience of the summer of 1995. Charles communicates their discoveries of Cliff Swallow colony behavior in an everyday conversational manner. It was easy for me to catch the excitement they feel in "discovering the questions." I felt their wonder when as this very cold late breeding season slowly progressed, these researchers discovered that indeed many of the swallows were not breeding at all. This rather …

Clark's Nutcracker At Lake Mcconaughy, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 1 November 1998 I observed a Clark's Nutcracker along the north shore of Lake McConaughy in Keith County. Specifically, the bird was along the road of the Cedar Vue Recreation Area, just east of the main boat ramp. I studied and photographed the bird from 11:32 to 11:50 a.m. I was driving along the entrance road to Cedar Vue when I spotted a bird perched in a dead tree. As I approached the tree, I was thinking about stopping when the bird suddenly took flight. The flight silhouette resembled that of a flicker, although the undulating flight and slower …

Neotropic Cormorant At Sutherland Reservoir, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 2 May, 1998, I observed a Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) at Sutherland Reservoir in Lincoln County, Nebraska. When I arrived at the lake, I noticed a large number of gulls and cormorants resting on some dead logs near the northwest end of the lake. I scanned the cormorants several times and kept returning to one cormorant that seemed smaller than the nearby Double-crested Cormorants. The bird was sleeping, so size was the only mark I could see well. I studied the bird from 1:54 to 2:20 p.m. I estimated the body was at least 25% smaller than …

Nou Fall Field Days Count, 1998; May Namc Count, 1999

Nebraska Bird Review

The NOU count during Fall Field Days, October 16 through 18, focused on areas in and around the Nebraska National Forest and includes reports from 5 counties: Forest, Blaine, Brown, Cherry, and Thomas. This year's species count, owing in part to inclement weather, registered only 92, far behind the previous year's NOU Fall Field Days record of 122 species.

The North American Migration Count (NAMC) for Pierce County is also included in this report. A total of twelve people in five parties took part in this year's count. The count registered one hour walked and 380 miles covered in 43.5 …

Red-Throated Loon At Lake Mcconaughy, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 8 May 1998 I observed a Red-throated Loon at Lake McConaughy in Keith County, Nebraska. I was scanning Arthur Bay when I spotted a small loon swimming with several Western Grebes. I immediately recognized the bird as a Red-throated Loon in basic plumage. I studied and photographed the bird from 2:25 to 3:13 p.m. The bird was slightly larger and shorter-necked than a Western Grebe. The plumage was quite plain. The throat, cheek, foreneck, and underparts were white. The forehead, crown, nape, mantle, and wings were dark gray with a few pale spots on the mantle. The bill was …

Roseate Spoonbill In Otoe County, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 5 August 1997, W. Ross Silcock and I were birding the heron roost at the Waubonsie Wildlife Area in Fremont County, Iowa. We were hoping to see the Roseate Spoonbill I found there on 4 August (see Dinsmore 1998), and thought there might be a chance it would fly into Nebraska upon leaving the roost. At 5:53 a.m., the bird left the roost. It flew directly over us (in Iowa) and headed to the north with a Great Egret. We continued to watch the bird as it gained altitude and was joined by a second Great Egret. The birds …

Spring Field Report, March To May 1999, W. Ross Silcock, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

This spring proved an exciting season for several reasons. For warbler fans, it described a dream with lots of birds to look at and a rather incredible species count (for anywhere) of no fewer than 381 Many "eastern" warblers were found westward, especially at "islands" of habitat such as the Geneva Cemetery and similar spots just beyond the western edge of the original eastern woodland region, as well as the Panhandle. For rarity counters, spring included no fewer than 4 first state records: Glossy Ibis, Gray Flycatcher, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Brambling. We make here a special note that the …

Two Poems: The Hawk [And] Baltimore Oriole, Don Welch, Mark Emil Sanders

Nebraska Bird Review

The Hawk

Baltimore Oriole

Analysis Of Intraguild Predation With A Consideration Of Adaptive Foraging, Toshinori Okuyama

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Identification of interactive units in food webs is particularly important in population and community ecology. Intraguild predation has gained much attention recently with the recognition of its prevalence in the field, although its significance has not been fully studied. Nature contains much more complex interactions than a simple food chain. Yet, much theory still focuses on the trophic levels connected in a single linear chain. In this thesis, I study intraguild predation including the consideration of animal behavior whose importance is also often neglected in population and community ecology.

First, the concepts of intraguild predation and animal behavior are introduced. …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 1999) 67(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Winter Field Report, December 1998–February 1999 ... 2

Species Accounts ... 4

Two Winter Records of Pacific Loons at Lake McConaughy ... 16

The 1998–99 Nebraska Christmas Bird Count Summary ... 17

Common Crane in Central Platte Valley, Nebraska, March 1999, and a Discussion of Prior North American Records ... 28

Cooperative Whooping Crane Tracking Project (August 1998–January 1999) ... 30

Two Poems by William Kloefkorn ... 35

The Age of Birds in Nebraska by Paul A. Johnsgard ... 37

Common Crane In Central Platte Valley, Nebraska, March 1999, And A Discussion Of Prior North American Records, W. Ross Silcock, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

On 5 March 1999, a report appeared on the listserver of a Common Crane sighted at 2:30 p.m. that day by Tammy VerCauteren (fide Paul Tebbel) about 2 miles east of Lowell Road in southeastern Buffalo County. The next morning, WRS drove to the location. After about 2 hours of searching, he refound the Common Crane at 8:57 a.m. among Sandhill Cranes about 50 meters south of Elm Island Road at a spot 2 miles east of Lowell Road. It was refound by SJD at 11:00 a.m. on March 9 northeast of the junction of roads X and 41 in …

Cooperative Whooping Crane Tracking Project (August 1998-January 1999)

Nebraska Bird Review

Between 1977 and 1988, 132 juvenile whooping cranes were color-marked on the breeding grounds; of these 37 were accounted for during the winter of 1998-99. Five color-marked cranes were observed during the fall migration. All sightings of color-marked cranes during migration are maintained at the Grand Island office.

One hundred eighty-one cranes began the 1998 spring migration. Forty-nine nests were confirmed on the breeding grounds. Forty-seven chicks were located during June surveys, and the surveys during August determined that at least 24 chicks were surviving. Under optimum conditions about 2,054 birds were expected to arrive at Aransas last fall. The …

The 1998-99 Nebraska Christmas Bird Count Summary, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1998-99 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) period included eight counts in Nebraska. Counts were scattered statewide, but most effort was in the eastern half of the state. I know of at least one additional count (Branched Oak Lake) that was run this year, but not submitted.

In the following discussion, I have attempted to discuss what I believe are the more important aspects of this year's CBC period. This includes my general impressions about some of the commoner species, mention of rarities, notable misses, and other topics.

The Age Of Birds In Nebraska, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

Let each mile of highway I-80 represent a million years. That way, 1/2 mile represents 500,000 years, 1/10 mile = 100,000 years, 1/100 mile (52 feet) = 10,000 years; 1/1000 mile (5.2 feet) = 1,000 years, and 6 inches = 100 years. A decade (ten years) equals about a half-inch. It is 450 miles from the 60th St. on-ramp to I-80 in Omaha to the westernmost exit at the Wyoming border. These 450 million years encompass most of the time that evidence of life has been found on earth, but the earth itself is more than four billion years old, …

Two Poems, William Kloefkorn

Nebraska Bird Review

Counting the Cows

Geese

Two Winter Records Of Pacific Loons At Lake Mcconaughy, Stephen J. Dinsmore

Nebraska Bird Review

Pacific Loons are rare migrants in Nebraska, with most of the recent records coming from the western half of the state. Many of the recent records are from Lake McConaughy in Keith County and from Lake Minatare in Scotts Bluff County. Most records are from fall in the short period between 20 October and 20 November. There is a single spring record from April, 5 summer records in the period June to August (all but one from western Nebraska), and a few fall records outside the peak period. The latest fall record from Nebraska is 9 December. In this note, …

Winter Field Report, Dec 1998-Feb 1999, W. Ross Silcock, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

First we want to correct a rather obvious error in the Summer Field Report. We reported 3 pairs of Cordilleran Flycatchers at Neale Woods at the eastern edge of the state, which would be a remarkable range expansion. These birds were actually in Monroe Canyon, Sioux Co, where they were supposed to be. Another error involved 5 Brewer's Sparrows we said were in Sioux Co; these were actually Brewer's Blackbirds.

Several contributors now report to us by email. We urge observers to forward their email addresses; if we have questions on their reports, communication would be easy! Reports and comments …

Table Of Contents And Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (March 1999) 67(1)

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; …

Experimental Infections Of Muskoxen (Ovibos Moschatus) And Domestic Sheep With Umingmakstrongylus Pallikuukensis (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae): Parasite Development, Population Structure, And Pathology, Susan J. Kutz, Eric P. Hoberg, Lydden Polley

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Three captive muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) were successfully infected with third-stage larvae of Umingmakstrongylus pallikuukensis digested or emerged from the slugs Deroceras reticulatum and D. laeve, for the first time completing the life cycle of this parasite under experimental conditions. The course of parasite development and patency was followed for 26 months post infection (p.i.) using fecal examinations and radiography. The prepatent periods in two of the muskoxen were 91 and 95 days and the patent period in one extended for 23 months. Larval production peaked 13–14 months p.i. On postmortem of two of the muskoxen at months …

Recent Northern Records Of The Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypodidae) In Nebraska, Patricia W. Freeman, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Examination of the distribution of nine-banded armadillo in Nebraska reveals that these animals may be entering the state from two directions. The animals in Chase, Dundy, and Furnas counties appear to be closely associated with the Republican River and its tributaries and probably reached the state along these riparian habitats from northwestern Kansas and northeastern Colorado. Records in the central and eastern part of Nebraska are not closely tied to one river system. For the specimen from Ord to have followed watercourses, it would have needed to follow the Big or Little Blue rivers, crossed to the Platte River, and …

Index [For Volume 66]

Nebraska Bird Review

Alexander, G. 26

Alexander, I. 26

Allen, A. A. 68

Allen, B. 27, 60, 61, 110

Alt, J. 8

Amiotte, S. 27

Armstrong, M. 60

Aversa, T. 158

Avocet, American 39, 90, 128

1997 (9th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the NOU Records Committee are described in its bylaws (NOU Records Committee 1986). The committee's purpose is to provide a procedure for documenting unusual bird sightings and to establish a list of all documented birds for Nebraska. THE OFFICIAL LIST OF THE BIRDS OF NEBRASKA was first published in 1988 (NOU Records Committee 1988) and has been appended seven times (Mollhoff 1989, Grenon 1990, 1991, Gubanyi 1996a, 1996b, 1996c, Brogie 1997). An update of THE OFFICIAL LIST OF THE BIRDS OF NEBRASKA was last published in 1997 (NOU Records Committee 1997).

This report includes all …

Bird Banding Notes From Ruth Green, Ruth Green

Nebraska Bird Review

On 29 April 1998, while working with school children from the Chadron Public Schools, Ruth banded a Pine Siskin at Nebraska's Chadron State Park, Dawes County. Approximately seven and a half months later, on 12 December, this same bird was recovered beneath a feeder in Springfield, Oregon. The Pine Siskin was dead, perhaps a victim of disease sweeping the siskin population on the West Coast. This particular occurrence is noteworthy for the distance traveled both west and north.

The Summer Tanager pictured below was also banded by Betty. She banded the AHY-F (After Hatching Year, Female) Summer Tanager on 10 …

In Memorium: Harvey L. Gunderson, Thomas E. Labedz

Nebraska Bird Review

In Memorium: Harvey L. Gunderson

Dear Fellow Birders,

It is with deep regret that I inform you of the death of Harvey L. Gunderson on Tuesday, 23 February, 1999, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Harvey was born in Gary, Minnesota, on 11 June, 1913, and went On to become Associate Director Of the University Of Nebraska State Museum. Along the way, Harvey received a Bachelor’s Degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, a Master's Degree from the University Of Minnesota and a Ph.D. from the University Of Michigan.

Harvey was a member Of American Society of Mammalogist (Harvey wrote a text book for …

Fall Field Report, August To November 1998, W. Ross Silcock, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

Larry Einemann kindly pointed out that in the Spring Report all his sightings from Pioneer's Park should have been attributed to Wilderness Park at Pioneer's Boulevard (in Lincoln). Larry noted that Pioneer's Park is a manicured Lincoln city park which is not good for birds except for in the vicinity of the embedded Chet Ager Nature Center. This was my (WRS) error; personally I have trouble even finding the Wilderness Park entrances, let alone naming them properly!

Another correction! John Sullivan pointed out that the 2 Summer Tanagers at Indian Cave SP on 10 August, 1997, were not his sighting. …