Zoology Commons^™

Spring Field Report, March–May 2009, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

The most obvious pattern this spring was early arrivals, especially among the shorebirds. Dunlin arrived record early, and 5 other species were close to record early dates. However, warblers, sparrows, and buntings were pushing early dates and Brown-headed Cowbird was early in numbers.

Winter finches were scarce except for Pine Siskin, which was present in good numbers, although breeding evidence was nonexistent.

Glossy Ibis continued in numbers as did easterly Lazuli Buntings. Nesting was confirmed at a new location for Red-shouldered Hawk; this is currently the only known active site in the state.

It was a great spring for genuine …

Nebraska Bird Review (June 2009) 77(2), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Spring Field Report, March–May 2009 ... 46

Annual Meeting at York ... 69

On-line Studies on Nebraska Ornithology by P. A. Johnsgard ... 78

2008 (20th) Report of the NOU Records Committee ... 80

Subscription and Organization Information ... 91

Annual Meeting At York

Nebraska Bird Review

Eighty-four members and guests were in attendance at the 110th Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union in York on May 15–17, 2009.

Field trips were led by Joel Jorgensen, Ross Silcock, Kent Skaggs, Mary Bomberger Brown, and Clem Klaphake to North Lake Basin, Hidden Marsh, the Geneva cemetery, Harvard Marsh, and other sites in the Eastern Rainwater Basin. Mary Brown also took a small group to her Piping Plover and Least Tern study locations along the Platte River.

Our Friday evening speaker was Dan Kim, who gave us an account of work he has done with the Whooping Crane …

On-Line Studies On Nebraska Ornithology, Paul A. Johnsgard

Nebraska Bird Review

In recent years the University of Nebraska has been developing a DigitalCommons Internet library (http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/) that is freely available online, and that includes publications in the humanities and sciences. The DigitalCommons is a national online digital library that serves as a repository for scholarly publishing. It is a collection of a university's scholarly effort that preserves and makes accessible information via the Internet that is produced by that institution. It may include preliminary or final copies of journal articles, theses, dissertations, conference proceedings, books, or other scholarly materials. The University of Nebraska has been an active participant in this national …

Subscription And Organization Information [June 2009]

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 University of Nebraska State Museum, W-436 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514.

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

The Taming Of The Cat, Carlos A. Driscoll, Juliet Clutton-Brock, Andrew C. Kitchener, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

This article discusses research into the evolution of domesticated cats, which is complicated by the fact that they do not appear to serve humans. Although several species are morphologically similar, genetic research focusing on mitochondrial DNA and genetic microsatellites found that domesticated cats descended from F. sylvestris lybica. Archaeological research indicating cats came to live with humans as the prevalence of house mice in agricultural settlements increased is noted. Insets: The House Cat's Ancestor; Early Domestication; From Wild to Mild; The Truth about Cats and Dogs

Temporal Shifts In Demography And Life History Of An Anadromous Alewife Population In Connecticut, Justin P. Davis, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Populations of anadromous alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are declining throughout much of their range, particularly in southern New England where fishery moratoriums have recently been instituted in three states. The alewife run at Bride Brook, a coastal stream in East Lyme, Connecticut, was studied from 2003-06 to assess shifts in demography and life history. Annual censuses of abundance, along with sampling for size, age, and spawning history structure were conducted. These data were compared to similar data in 1966-67 at this site. Recent alewife runs at Bride Brook featured lower abundance and younger, smaller fish that were less likely to be …

Do Hypothermic Tissue Tolerances Limit Torpor Expression?, Clark J. Cotton, Henry J. Harlow

Biology Faculty Publications

1. Arrest temperatures and Q₁₀ values for extensor digitorum longus (EDL), soleus, trabecula, and jejunum muscle twitch strength, contraction time, and 0.5 relaxation time were calculated for a deep torpor hibernator, white-tailed prairie dog (WTPD) (Cynomys leucurus), a shallow torpor hibernator, black-tailed prairie dog (BTPD) (Cynomys ludovicianus), and a non-hibernator, lab rat (Rattus norvegicus) to test the hypothesis that tissue temperature tolerances limit the depth of expressed torpor.

2. There were no temperature tolerance differences between the tissues of the two species of hibernators. Both hibernating species had arrest temperatures and Q_{10 …}

Endurance And Exercise Physiology In Urosaurus Ornatus: Sex And Morph Differences?, Elizabeth Christine Foulkes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Locomotory performance has been the focus of many ecological and evolutionary studies, and lizards have been a model system. While several studies have demonstrated interspecific differences in performance, few have examined intraspeciflc variation in performance and the suites of underlying physiological traits in tree lizards ( Uro.,·aurns ornatus) a species with alternative reproductive tactics that show variation in spatial use patterns. To assess the functional ecology of movement behaviors of male morphs and or females, I examined variation in exertion, plasma metabolites, plasma steroid hormones, and muscle fiber types in ornate tree lizards ( Urosaurus ornalus). In my study population, …

The Effects Of Dolphin Education Programs On Visitors' Conservation-Related Knowledge, Attitude And Behavior, Lance Joseph Miller

Dissertations

Zoological institutions typically exhibit dolphins in educational programs such as dolphin shows and interaction programs. The goal of these programs is to entertain visitors while increasing their conservation-related knowledge, attitude and behavior towards dolphins and the marine environment. The purpose of the current study was to examine dolphin shows and interaction programs in terms of their effectiveness in meeting these goals. A multi-institutional study was conducted at six different facilities throughout the United States. A repeated measures design was used to examine the knowledge, attitude and behavior of visitors before, immediately after and three months following participation in dolphin shows …

Taxonomic Revision Of Species Of The Genus Monoecocestus (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), Terry R. Haverkost

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

My dissertation research is an important contribution to the taxonomy of anoplocephalid cestodes. Almost all research conducted for these chapters was done by staining, mounting, and measuring anoplocephalid cestodes from the Bolivian Biodiversity Survey conducted in Bolivia from 1984-2000. These specimens were collected and processed in the field and deposited in the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. I was particularly interested in species of the genus Monoecocestus Beddard, 1914 that parasitize caviid and sigmodontine rodents. In all instances, the material studied has lead to the description of new species or the redescription of existing species of Monoecocestus. In …

Mate-Odour Identification By Both Sexes Of Evarcha Culicivora, An East African Jumping Spider, Fiona R. Cross, Robert R. Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Evarcha culicivora is an unusual salticid spider because each sex actively courts the other and both sexes make distinctive mate-choice decisions. Here we use olfactometer experiments for investigating the ability of each sex to identify potential mates on the basis of odour alone. Test spiders spent more time in the vicinity of opposite-sex conspecific source spiders, regardless of whether or not these source spiders had previously mated, when the alternatives were conspecific individuals of the same sex, juveniles or a control (no odour source). This trend held regardless of the test spider's and source spider's age after reaching maturity and, …

Distribution And Site Selection Of Le Conte's And Crissal Thrashers In The Mojave Desert: A Multi-Model Approach, Dawn Marie Fletcher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Information on the distribution and habitat requirements of a species are critical components to the development of meaningful conservation plans. Such knowledge, however, is particularly difficult to obtain for species that are elusive and occur at low densities, such as the Le Conte's ( Toxostoma lecontei ) and Crissal (Toxostoma crissale ) thrashers. In association with a regional conservation plan, I evaluated the distribution and habitat selection of these thrashers within Clark County, Nevada in the eastern Mojave Desert. I used a call-broadcast approach to sample 432 stratified random locations, detecting Le Conte's thrashers at 45 locations and Crissal …

Mangrove-Exported Nutrient Incorporation By Sessile Coral Reef Invertebrates, Elise F. Granek, Jana E. Compton, Donald L. Phillips

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coastal mangrove forests were historically considered as a source of organic matter (OM) for adjacent marine systems due to high net primary production; yet recent research suggesting little uptake through the food web because of low nutritional quality, challenges the concept of trophic linkage between mangrove forests and coral reefs. To examine the importance of mangrove forests to coral reef nutrient availability, we examined sessile reef-forming invertebrate consumers including hard corals, sponges, a bivalve mollusc, polychaete annelid and tunicate, and potential sources of OM (decaying mangrove leaves, microalgae, macroalgae, and seagrass) in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Using stable isotope analyses …

A Survey Of Bats In Northern Trinidad Late In The Rainy Season, Keith Geluso, Mary J. Harner, Cliff A. Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Located off the northeastern coast of Venezuela, Trinidad is a small tropical island with a rich diversity of bats. Although 66 species have been documented, few inventories have pub¬lished information on community structure of bats in the diverse habitats of the island. Here we report on composition, abundance, and natural history of species captured primarily in the Northern Range at the end of the rainy season (late December–early January). We captured 789 individuals representing 30 species in six families, including 672 bats in nets at ground level and 117 associated with roosts. Our capture rates in ground-level mist nets were …

Differential Use Of Agricultural Fields And Rangeland Nesting Habitat By Mccown’S Longspur (Calcarius Mccownii) And Chestnut-Collared Longspur (Calcarius Ornatus) In Western Nebraska, Larry Snyder, Bartholomew L. Bly

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan (NNLP) lists both McCown's Longspur and Chestnut-collared Longspur as Tier I and Tier II species of conservation concern, respectively (Schneider et al. 2005). McCown's Longspur is listed as a Tier I species (highest conservation priority) in Nebraska because of regional population declines (Schneider et al. 2005), and because it is also listed on the Partners in Flight WatchList (Fitzgerald and Pashley 2000). The breeding distribution of McCown's Longspur in Nebraska is suggested to be the westernmost counties of the Panhandle (With 1994), although limited information on the breeding ecology of this species exists for Nebraska. …

Subscription And Organization Information [March 2009]

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): …

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’S Report, December 31, 2008

Nebraska Bird Review

One-page spreadsheet constituting the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union treasurer's report at year end (December 31) of 2008. The grand total is $57,072.48.

Winter Field Report, December 2008 To February 2009, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This was one of the more "normal" winters for some time; I base this conclusion on the lack of unusually early or late dates or exceptional counts, as well as the lack of rarities. Although there were 11 species of gulls reported, perhaps we have become jaded by the gull extravaganza that is Lake McConaughy. It was a great winter for Common Redpolls and Snow Buntings as well, which was welcome as these birds do not appear in any numbers most winters. Perhaps the only group of birds that exhibited consistent aberration from the "norm" (I prefer "average") was the …

Nebraska Bird Review (March 2009) 77(1), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Treasurer’s Report, December 31, 2008 ... 2

2008–2009 Christmas Bird Counts in Nebraska ... 3

Winter Field Report, December 2008 to February 2009 ... 18

Differential Use of Agricultural Fields and Rangeland Nesting Habitat by McCown's Longspur (Calcarius mccownii) and Chestnut-Collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) in Western Nebraska ... 35

75 Years Ago in The Nebraska Bird Review ... 42

Subscription and Organization Information ... 43

2008-2009 Christmas Bird Counts In Nebraska

Nebraska Bird Review

Thirteen Christmas Bird Counts were held in Nebraska in the 2008–09 season, one less than last year. (Beaver Valley was not run this year.) This year fewer participants (184, the fewest since 2000) found more individual birds than last year (146,635 vs 133,106) but fewer species (126, the fewest since 2000).

Temperatures were about like last year, with an average high of 29°F. Most counts reported some snow cover, frozen still water, and some open running water. On the day of the Branched Oak–Seward count, a balmy 51°F was recorded in Lincoln shortly after midnight. By afternoon, the temperature had …

75 Years Ago In The Nebraska Bird Review

Nebraska Bird Review

The following [General Notes] [are] from the Nebraska Bird Review of January 1934 (Volume 11, No. 1), which was sent then, as it is now, to all members of the NOU not in arrears for dues, which in 1934 were $1.00 per year.

Reintroduction Of The Chinese Tiger, Philip J. Nyhus, Urs Breitenmoser, Ron Tilson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Integrating Fluvial Geomorphology And Stream Ecology: Processes Shaping The Distribution Of Freshwater Mussels In Connecticut, Piyumi T. Obeysekara, Eric T. Schultz, Melinda Daniels, Jason Vokoun

EEB Articles

No abstract provided.

Lithobates Catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) Predation On Cliff Swallows, Mary Bomberger Brown, Charles R. Brown

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

During a 25-year study of Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) in southwestern Nebraska, we observed Lithobates catesbeianus prey on, or attempt to prey on, Cliff Swallows. As we were mist-netting Cliff Swallows at a 10-nest colony on 7 July 1998, a L. catesbeianus attempted to eat a Cliff Swallow that was caught in the net.

Demographics Of A Geographically-Isolated Population Of Threatened Salamander (Caudata: Ambystomatidae) In Central Illinois, Stephen J. Mullin, Sarabeth Klueh

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Amphibian populations that use small isolated wetlands are often small in size, susceptible to stochastic extinction processes, and have little to no contact with other populations. One can ascertain the persistence of such populations only by obtaining data that allow the prediction of future changes in population’s size, and propensity to achieve a sustainable number of individuals. The number of metamorphosing larvae leaving a pond predicts the viability of a salamander population, and thus, the number recruited into the terrestrial adult population. The Jefferson Salamander, Ambystoma jeffersonianum, is a listed threatened species in Illinois, occurring at fewer than 15 ponds …

Behavioral Explanations Underlying The Lack Of Trap Effectiveness For Small-Scale Management Of Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Paul V. Switzer, Patrick C. Enstrom, Carissa A. Schoenick

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Traps containing a combination floral and synthetic pheromone lure are used to monitor and manage Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). One key factor limiting trap effectiveness for beetle control is the "trap spillover" phenomenon, in which the trap attracts beetles without capturing them, resulting in increased damage to surrounding host plants. We investigated the mechanisms underlying trap spillover by conducting two studies in a soybean field in east central Illinois. In the first study, we set up trap stations for 1 d and compared the sex, size, and egg load (for females) of beetles caught in the traps …

Behavioral Explanations Underlying The Lack Of Trap Effectiveness For Small-Scale Management Of Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Paul Switzer, Patrick Enstrom, Carissa Schoenick

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Traps containing a combination floral and synthetic pheromone lure are used to monitor and manage Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). One key factor limiting trap effectiveness for beetle control is the "trap spillover" phenomenon, in which the trap attracts beetles without capturing them, resulting in increased damage to surrounding host plants. We investigated the mechanisms underlying trap spillover by conducting two studies in a soybean field in east central Illinois. In the first study, we set up trap stations for 1 d and compared the sex, size, and egg load (for females) of beetles caught in the traps …

Geographic Distribution: Hemidactylus Mabouia (Wood Slave). Usa: Florida: St. Lucie Co., Louis A. Somma

Papers in Herpetology

FLORIDA: ST. LUCIE County: Fort Pierce, 2100 Elizabeth Avenue (27.40840oN, 80 .34595OW). May 11, 2009. Ken Hibbard. Verified by Kenneth L. Krysko. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. UF 155444. First county record. One adult female; heavily infested with ectoparasitic pterygosomatid mites, collected from a porch screen of a residence at 2200 h. Three other Hemidactylus mabouia were observed at this same locality at 2000 h on May 13, 2009; they are common in sections of the Fort Pierce area. This invasive African species is currently the most widespread and rapidly spreading nonindigenous gecko in southern and central …

On The Monkeys Of The Amazon (1852), Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Russel Wallace Classic Writings

No abstract provided.