Zoology Commons^™

2005 (17th) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The functions and methods of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union (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 updated two times (NOU Records Committee 1997, 2004).

The "Official List" has been appended fifteen times: (Mollhoff 1989; Grenon 1990, 1991; Gubanyi 1996a, 1996b, 1996c; Brogie 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005; Jorgensen 2001, 2002, …

Nou 2006 107th Annual Meeting At Ponca State Park

Nebraska Bird Review

The 107th Annual Meeting of the NOD was held in the new Missouri River Resource and Education Center in Ponca State Park on May 19-21. Although the weather ranged from hot and windy on Friday to steady rain on Saturday morning to cool and breezy on Sunday, the 80+ attendees accumulated a list of 159 species. Warbler diversity was disappointing, but shorebirds were abundant.

On Friday evening, a program on the Galapagos Islands was presented by Dr. Paul Johnsgard, Linda Brown, Dr. Josef Kren and Allison Johnson. Each of the four recounted an aspect of their 2005 trip to the …

A Book-Collector's Guide To Roger Tory Peterson, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

One of the major disappointments of my youth was that I grew up without access to a real field guide to birds. My early years were spent in a small North Dakota village that lacked a library, and my only reference book on birds was a badly-tattered copy of a badly-illustrated 1912 book that my mother had grown up with, Chester A. Reed's Birds of Eastern North America. However, in 1939 a very kind aunt gave me a still-cherished copy of the Macmillan edition of Audubon's Birds of America as a Christmas present. With its hundreds of wonderful color …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review

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 Mary Lou Pritchard, NOU Librarian, c/o University of Nebraska State Museum, W-436 Nebraska Hall Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): …

Spring Field Report, March-May 2006, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Introduction

As many of you know, the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) has changed some generic names and rearranged the taxonomic order for shortbirds in the expanded genus Tringa and for the terns. This Spring Report uses the new taxonomic order.

Observers (thank you, I think!) submitted a huge amount of data that I distilled for this report; I entered more than 3,500 sightings into my database, which allows for a comprehensive overview of what birds were doing this spring.

As has been the case the last few years, there were several record or near-record early arrival dates, some requiring documentation …

The Nebraska Bird Review (June 2006)- Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

Spring Field Report, Mar. - May. 2006 by W. Ross Silcock...............38

A Book-collector's Guide to Roger Tory Peterson
by Paul A. Johnsgard...............61

NOU Annual Meeting at Ponca State Park, May 19-21...............64

2005 (17th) Report of the NOU Records Committee
compiled by Mark A. Brogie...............69

Subscription and Organization Information...............75

An Experimental Approach To Modeling The Strength Of Canine Teeth, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The strength of canine teeth in several carnivores is found through direct fracture experiments. The average forces required to break the canines of adult animals are coyote 1170 N, red fox 533 N, bobcat 737 N and raccoon 512 N. Stresses created in teeth at the breaking load are predicted by finite-element analysis and beam theory. The ultimate tensile stress sustainable in these teeth is 338 MPa in adult animals. The large pulp cavity in the canines of young animals significantly weakens the bases of their teeth (by about 25%), but as the animal ages the pulp cavity decreases and …

A Comparison Of The Imapct Of Environmental Stressors On Blood Parameters Of Captive Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina), Maura Allard

Senior Honors Projects

Little research has been established in determining blood chemistry values for harbor seals in Alaska. It has been suggested that various environmental factors can influence the blood chemistry values due to temperature, day length, precipitation, constraint and diet amongst other variables. Currently there are no guidelines for veterinarians and rehabilitators to refer to when analyzing blood chemistry values for sick animals. The hope for this research is that it will aide in establishing guidelines for specific circumstances due to environmental stressors. It is hoped that in the future, this study will be used to create values for which veterinarians can …

Rapid Assimilation Of Yolk Enhances Growth And Development Of Lizard Embryos From A Cold Environment, Melissa Ann Blake

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Selection for rapid growth in cold environments results in a geographic pattern known as countergradient variation. The eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, exhibits countergradient variation in growth rate across latitudinal clines. In a common-garden experiment, S. undulatus embryos from cold environments grew more efficiently than embryos warm environments, even when the energetic contents of eggs were equalized. To examine the physiological mechanisms of higher growth efficiency, I measured the energetics of embryos during the first 49 days of incubation. Specifically, I recorded body mass, residual yolk, total respiration, and developmental stage for embyos from two populations (Virginia and South Carolina). …

2005-06 Cbc Site Data

Nebraska Bird Review

2005-06 CBC Site Data

Date, Species, Individuals, Observers, low temp, high temp, sky, rain, snow

Ames
Beaver Valley
Branched Oak/Seward
Calamous/Loup
Crawford
Desoto-Boyer
Grand Island
Harrison-Sioux Co.
Lake McConaughy
Lincoln
Norfolk
Omaha
Ponca S.P.
Scottsbluff

Total

Additional observer numbers at Beaver Valley, Grand Island, Lake McConaughy and Lincoln are feeder watchers.

2005-06 Christmas Bird Counts In Nebraska

Nebraska Bird Review

For the first time this year, two additional counts, Ames and Harrison Sioux Counties, were reported, bringing our total to 14 counts. The all-time high numbers reached for several species this year need to be regarded in light of that fact. We tend now to have more counts, more counters, and more hours spent counting than ever before. While this is a good thing, it is useful to remember that counting more birds does not in this case mean that there are necessarily more birds present. A look at the effort data, such as number of birds per party hour, …

Corrections To 2004-05 Christmas Bird Counts

Nebraska Bird Review

Corrections to 2004-05 Christmas Bird Counts

A Winter Wren was incorrectly shown as having been seen on the 2004 Scottsbluff count. This should have been a Marsh Wren. Additionally, a Purple Finch was seen during count week at Scottsbluff.

Recent Changes In Winter Bird Numbers At Lincoln, Nebraska, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

In 1998 I summarized historic Christmas Bird Count data for Lincoln and Scottsbluff (Johnsgard, 1998), since these two sites provide the longest continuous count records for any Nebraska locations. Eight more years of data have since accumulated, during which there has been an increasing awareness of the perceived effects of global warming (Inkley, 2004) on bird populations. The purpose of this paper is to compare the data for the past eight years (1998-2005) with earlier counts for Lincoln, two of which were first performed in the early 1900's, but which have been conducted in unbroken sequence since 1947. These data, …

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union Treasurer's Report, December 31, 2005

Nebraska Bird Review

Treasurer's Report December 31, 2005

Winter Field Report, December 2005 To February 2006, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The traditional mid-summer and midwinter "windows" wherein migrants were rarely detected have closed markedly in the last few years. The midwinter window is closing; where it once was around 20 Dec-20 Feb it is now more like 5 Jan-to Feb. Many waterfowl were found in midwinter this season, and migrants such as Bluewinged Teal and Sandhill Crane appeared very early this spring. Similarly early were Turkey Vulture and Lincoln's Sparrow. In light of waterbirds lingering late in fall, markedly lower numbers of Western Grebes were a surprise.

Exotics were widely-reported; one, Pink-footed Goose, could possibly be a vagrant wild bird, …

The Nebraska Bird Review (March 2006)- Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Table of Contents

NOU Annual Treasurer's Report for 2005......................2

Winter Field Report, Dec. 2005- Feb. 2006 by W. Ross Silcock......................4

Recent Changes in Winter Bird Numbers at Lincoln, Nebraska
by Paul A. Johnsgard......................16

Corrections to 2004-2005 Christmas Bird Count data......................23

2005-2006 Christmas Bird Counts in Nebraska......................23

Subscription and Organization Information......................35

The Distress Calls Of Leptodactylus Chaquensis Cei, 1950 And Leptodactylus Elenae Heyer, 1978 (Anura: Leptodactylidae), José M. Padial, Rafael O. De Sá, Ignacio De La Riva

Biology Faculty Publications

We describe the distress calls of Leptodactylus chaquensis and Leptodactylus elenae. They each consist of a single, long, tonal sound with complex harmonic structure and complex frequency modulation. The distress calls of both species are different from their respective advertisement calls. Moreover, there are also clear interspecific differences. Harmonic frequencies in L. elenae are higher, there are fewer emphasized harmonics and the call is shorter and repeated at a higher rate (sometimes paired) than the call of L. chaquensis. Call duration, call rate, and position of the dominant harmonic change with the strength of the stimulus that the …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Peter M. Grant

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Taxonomy Of Short-Tailed Shrews (Genus Blarina) In Florida, Russell A. Benedict, Hugh H. Genoways, Jerry R. Choate

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Three nominal taxa of short-tailed shrews historically were recognized in Florida: Blarina carolinensis carolinensis in the north, Blarina carolinensis peninsulae on the southern peninsula, and Blarina carolinensis shermani in the vicinity of Fort Myers. The taxonomy of these shrews is complex, and researchers have suggested they may represent one, two, or even three species. To assess relationships among these taxa, we measured eight cranial characters on 363 specimens from Florida and used discriminant function analysis to characterize the mensural features of reference samples and to assign unknown specimens to a particular taxon. The reference sample of shermani averaged 7.8% larger …

Bats Of Antigua, Northern Lesser Antilles, Scott C. Pedersen, Peter A. Larsen, Hugh H. Genoways, Kevel Lindsay, Matthew Morton, Rick Adams, Vicki J. Swier, Jon Appino

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

No comprehensive survey of the chiropteran fauna of the Antillean island of Antigua has been undertaken in the past. Seven species of bats have been reported in the literature from the island previously, but these have appeared in scattered reports. The first report of bats from Antigua was by Allen (1 890) when he reported a single specimen of Noctilio leporinus and two of Artibeus jamaicensis obtained during an ornithological survey of Antillean islands. Subsequent collections of bats on Antigua were incidental to herpetological work or paleontological surveys of Antiguals limestone cave systems. We found 138 voucher specimens from Antigua …

Assessment Of Anadromous Alewife And Blueback Herring Populations In Connecticut Coastal Streams And Connecticut River Tributaries, Justin P. Davis, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis) occur in anadromous populations that have a largely overlapping distribution from Florida to Newfoundland (Loesch 1987). Anadromous populations of these species are commonly collectively referred to as “river herring”. Adults inhabit coastal shelf waters until sexual maturity is reached at age 3-5 (Neves 1981). Sexually mature individuals make spawning migrations, commonly referred to as “runs”, into freshwater systems during spring months (Loesch 1987). Spawners can survive and return to spawn in subsequent years (Mullen et al. 1986). Juveniles reside in freshwater for 3-7 months, at which time they undertake a gradual migration …

Prevalence And Serovars Of Salmonella In The Feces Of Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In Nebraska, David G. Renter, David P. Gnad, Jan M. Sargeant, Scott E. Hygnstrom

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

To determine the prevalence and serovars of Salmonella in free-ranging deer, we cultured feces from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested by hunters during a regular firearm season in southeastern Nebraska (USA). We recovered Salmonella from 5 (1%; 95% confidence interval: 0.37– 2.20%) of 500 samples and identified four different Salmonella enterica serovars [Litchfield (1), Dessau (1), Infantis (2), and Enteritidis (1)]. Although the prevalence of Salmonella in free-ranging deer appears to be low, the serovars recovered are known to be pathogenic to humans and animals.

Status Survey Of The Peppered Shiner, Notropis Perpallidus Hubbs And Black, In Arkansas And Oklahoma, Henry W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The peppered shiner, Notropis perpallidus Hubbs and Black, is a small, silvery, upland stream fish found only in southwestern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. This fish species was studied from 1999-2001 to determine its distribution, habitat, and conservation status. A total of81 collections was made during the 2-year study; however, only 17 specimens were collected. The present distribution of the peppered shiner in Arkansas and Oklahoma is described as well as the conservation status of this cyprinid in both states.

Predation And Cathemerality. Comparing The Impact Of Predators On The Activity Patterns Of Lemurids And Ceboids., Ian C. Colquhoun

Anthropology Publications

The removal, or absence, of predatory species could be a contributing proximate factor to the rise of primate cathemerality. But predators themselves can also be cathemeral, so cathemerality could well be an evolutionary stable strategy. From a comparative perspective, it appears that the effect of predatory species cannot provide a unitary explanation for cathemerality. Varying distributions and population densities of predators, especially raptors, may be key factors in owl monkey (Aotus) cathemerality, but temperature and lunar cycle variation have also been implicated. In Madagascar, while raptors are potential predators of lemur species, the cathemerality of Eulemur species coincides with that …

Differential Expression Of Immune Response Genes In Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias Jubatus): An Indicator Of Ecosystem Health?, Lizabeth Bowen, Brian Aldridge, Kimberlee Beckmen, Tom Gelatt, Lorrie Rea, Kathy Burek, Ken Pitcher, Jeffrey L. Stott

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Characterization of the polygenic and polymorphic features of the Steller sea lion major histocompatibility complex (MHC) provides an ideal window for evaluating immunologic vigor of the population and identifying emergence of new genotypes that reflect ecosystem pressures. MHC genotyping can be used to measure the potential immunologic vigor of a population. However, since ecosystem-induced changes to MHC genotype can be slow to emerge, measurement of differential expression of these genes can potentially provide real-time evidence of immunologic perturbations. MHC DRB genes were cloned and sequenced using peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes derived from 10 Steller sea lions from southeast Alaska, Prince …

Characterization Of 35 Microsatellite Loci In The Pacific Lion-Paw Scallop (Nodipecten Subnodosus) And Their Cross-Species Amplification In Four Other Scallops Of The Pectinidae Family, Ana M. Ibarra, Jessica Lynn Petersen, Thomas R. Famula, Bernie May

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Four microsatellite-enriched DNA libraries yielded 35 microsatellite loci from 100 primer pairs designed for Pacific lion-paw scallop, Nodipecten subnodosus. The number of alleles ranged from four to 28. Three of the 35 loci were not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibrium was found for one pair of loci. These microsatellites will be used to analyze the population structure of the species in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula to propose management strategies for scallop aquaculture development. Twenty-six primer pairs cross-amplified in Nodipecten nodosus, whereas none (Argopecten ventricosus) or few cross-amplified in the Argopecten species.

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Of The Strawberry River System In North-Central Arkansas, George L. Harp, Henry W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Strav/berry River has been designated an Extraordinary Resource Water, an Ecologically Sensitive Water Body, and a Natural and Scenic Waterway. As such, it is particularly important that the biodiversity of this river system be documented thoroughly. The purpose of this research was to develop a comprehensive list of the aquatic macroinvertebrates of the Strawberry River and its major tributaries. The information was developed from a thorough literature review and by examining specimens housed in various collections of the Arkansas State University Museum of Zoology and collections of the authors. The latter included 9 collections at 4 sites along the …

Status And Distribution Of The Arkansas Darter (Etheostoma Cragini) In Arkansas, Brian K. Wagner, Mark D. Kottmyer

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Arkansas darter, Etheostoma cragini, has an extremely limited distribution in Arkansas and is designated as a andidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. It was first discovered in the state in 1979 in Wilson Spring near Fayetteville and has since been found in4 additional headwater streams in Benton and Washington counties prior to this study. A study in 1997 (bund the species in3 of the 5 historic streams, but one stream yielded only a single individual. This study sought to reassess the status of the 5 historically known populations and sample additional spring-run habitats in the Arkansas River …

Documentation Of The First Known Occurrence Of The Broad-Billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus Latirostris) In Arkansas, Robert H. Doster, Dan Scheiman, E. Pershing Floyd, Kenny Nichols, Ladonna Nichols

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Ichthyofaunal Assemblages In Three Approximate But Ecologically Diverse Streams In Clark County, Arkansas, C. Renn Tumlison, Scott Jordan, Lesley Self, Henry W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Three tributaries to the Ouachita River in eastern Clark County, Arkansas, empty into the river within a collective distance of about 9 km. The streams drain basins derived from the Wilcox formation, partially overlain by terrace and alluvial deposits. Despite their proximity, the streams are very different: L'Eau Frais has a gravel substrate and was recognized by the French as a cool water stream, Tupelo Creek is a bottomland stream from which numerous Water Tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) emerge, and Saline Bayou was named due to its marked salinity. We studied the assemblages of fishes in these 3 very different drainages …