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Review Of Nest Records Of Nebraska Birds By Wayne J. Mollhoff, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This book summarizes a lifetime of investigation of Nebraska’s breeding birds by Wayne Mollhoff. Even though I say the book summarizes a lifetime of investigation, I would not be surprised if Wayne resurfaces in a few years with a follow-up of some sort, intrepid investigator that he is. Over the years Wayne has spent innumerable days in the field climbing trees in full forestry gear, wading and kayaking marshes and rivers, hiking over prairies, and bushwhacking through dense forests (there are still a few in Nebraska). But this isn’t the totality of Wayne’s talents; he is a determined researcher with …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 89 Number 4, December 2021

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August - November 2021 by W. Ross Silcock

Book Review: Nest Records of Nebraska Birds by Wayne J. Mollhoff Reviewed by W. Ross Silcock

Northern Saw-whet Owl Autumn Migration in Eastern Nebraska: Results from a Three-year Banding Study by Stephen J. Brenner and Joel G. Jorgensen

Mute Swan Observation at Gavins Point Dam Area, Cedar/Knox Co., Nebraska by Caleb Strand and Mark A. Brogie

Book Review: The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist's Guide to Nebraska by Paul Johnsgard, Reviewed by Ruth Stearns

Index to Volume 89

Subscription and Organization Information

Mute Swan Observation At Gavins Point Dam Area, Cedar/Knox Co., Nebraska, Caleb Strand, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) considers Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) to be Accidental in Nebraska (NOURC 2017) with only two accepted records. A review of Mute Swan status in the Midwest and Nebraska, how individual records in Nebraska are evaluated to determine wild provenance, and a review of Nebraska reports can be found in “The Mute Swan in Nebraska: History and Current Status” (Brogie et al. 2016).

The following is an account of the third NOURC accepted record for Mute Swan in Nebraska. On 11 June 2021 we observed two sub-adult Mute Swans on Lake Yankton, Cedar County, …

Fall Field Report, August-November 2021, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

INTRODUCTION Recent years have seen increasing reports of birds lingering quite late, and this fall was no exception. Notable groups exhibiting tardy departures were shorebirds and vireos. Tardy shorebirds were record late Solitary Sandpipers, near-record late Dunlin, and late Long-billed Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Wilson’s Phalarope. Among the vireos, all regular species were at least tardy; record late was a Red-eyed Vireo, a Warbling Vireo was record late for the Panhandle, and a Blue-headed Vireo was second latest on record. Record late was a Barn Swallow, and a Mountain Bluebird was record late in …

Duet Phonology And Syntax Of The Red-Crowned Parrots In South Texas, Abigail Pozulp

Theses and Dissertations

Bird behavioral interaction systems show a preference for temporal precision. This preference is exemplified in the way many species avoid masking of vocal signals. Antiphonal duetting in songbirds suggest that overlapping notes are a sign of poor temporal coordination which can signify a weak pairbond, a possible cue for conspecifics seeking to usurp territories or mates. However, parrots (Psittacidae) are accomplished yet understudied duetters in nature. I recorded antiphonal duets produced by a wild population of red-crowned parrots (Amazona viridigenalis) in Brownsville, Texas. Temporal and acoustic variation of signals was assessed within and across a sample of mated …

Home Range Dynamics And Juvenile Dispersal Of Gray Hawks In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Michael Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Using GPS-GSM transmitters I determined when 14 juvenile Gray Hawks (Buteo plagiatus) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas fledged from their natal areas and how far they traveled once they dispersed. These transmitters also allowed me to calculate home range sizes for 22 adults. Additionally, with the GPS-GSM transmitters and 15 VHF transmitters, I discovered that adult Gray Hawks in the study area remained in their territories year-round. Home range sizes were calculated using the minimum convex polygon estimator, the estimation of kernel home-range, and the estimation of kernel Brownian bridge home-range. The same three methods allowed me …

Brood Abundance And Invertebrate Availability In Crop-Dominated Landscapes In The Prairie Pothole Region, Catrina V. Terry

LSU Master's Theses

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is the most important region for ducks in North America, producing over half the ducks on the continent, and it is a priority landscape for wetland and grassland conservation. Agricultural expansion has changed the PPR, and the majority of grasslands and potholes have been converted into row-crops. The loss of nesting habitat has directly caused nest success to decline. Most of the remaining wetlands are surrounded by row-crops, and are considered lower quality because they receive runoff of sediment and chemicals, which may decrease primary forage for young ducklings as well as inhibit wetland vegetation. …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 97, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

The Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Informing Wetland Management With Waterfowl Movement And Sanctuary Use Responses To Human-Induced Disturbance, Fiona Mcduie, Austen A. Lorenz, Robert C. Klinger, Cory T. Overton, Cliff L. Feldheim, Joshua T. Ackerman, Michael L. Casazza

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Long-term environmental management to prevent waterfowl population declines is informed by ecology, movement behavior and habitat use patterns. Extrinsic factors, such as human-induced disturbance, can cause behavioral changes which may influence movement and resource needs, driving variation that affects management efficacy. To better understand the relationship between human-based disturbance and animal movement and habitat use, and their potential effects on management, we GPS tracked 15 dabbling ducks in California over ~4-weeks before, during and after the start of a recreational hunting season in October/November 2018. We recorded locations at 2-min intervals across three separate 24-h tracking phases: Phase 1) two …

The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist’S Guide To Nebraska, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book includes the locations, descriptions, and points of biological, historical, geological, or paleontological interest of nearly 350 sites in Nebraska, most of which are free to access. Its 53,000 words include accounts of 9 state historical parks, 8 state parks, 2 national forests, 2 national monuments, and 7 national wildlife refuges as well as 181 wildlife management areas, 56 waterfowl production areas, and 54 state recreation areas. It also includes 48 state and county maps, 18 drawings, 33 photographs, and nearly 200 literature citations.

doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1305

Diversity Of Tetrabothriidae (Eucestoda) Among Holarctic Alcidae (Charadriiformes): Resolution Of The Tetrabothrius Jagerskioeldi Cryptic Species Complex: Cestodes Of Alcinae—Provides Insights On The Dynamic Nature Of Tapeworm And Marine Bird Faunas Under The Stockholm Paradigm, Eric P. Hoberg, Kaylen Marie Soudachanh

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

We begin resolution of the Tetrabothrius jagerskioeldi–species complex with descriptions of Tetrabothrius alcae n. sp. based on numerous specimens, primarily in murres (species of Uria), from the greater North Pacific basin and Tetrabothrius sinistralis n. sp. based on cestodes in guillemots (species of Cepphus) from the central Bering Sea and West Greenland. These tetrabothriids are characterized, among 44 species of Tetrabothrius in avian hosts, by attributes of the scolex, male and female organ systems, structure and dimensions of the vitelline gland, numbers of testes, configuration of the genital atrium, genital papillae and the male and female atrial …

Investigating The Impact Of Land Use On Avian Diversity And Abundance In Areas Surrounding Mabamba Swamp, Uganda, Sydney Marie Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of wetland-adjacent land use on avian species richness and abundance areas surrounding Mabamba Swamp, Uganda. Four types of land use were investigated: Eucalyptus plantations, wetland-edge agricultural fields, residential areas, and mature secondary forests. A total of 40-morning point counts were conducted for ten days in late November and late December of 2021. One-way ANOVA tests and Tukey’s HSD tests revealed significant differences in mean avian richness and abundance between all sites except residential areas and Nkima Forest. Additionally, Nkima Forest was found to contain the most number of specialist …

Bird Diversity In The Ecuadorian Chocó: A Proposal For Avitourism In Villaflora And Manduriacu Reserve, Elizabeth Kroger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ecuador is rich in avifauna, and the Chocó bioregion of Northwestern Ecuador is a hotspot for bird endemism and diversity. However, many rare and beautiful species are threatened by human activities such as logging and mining. It is essential that communities are able to find alternative solutions that bring economic benefits and improve public health. Avitourism is an economically beneficial and environmentally friendly solution. This study examined avifaunal biodiversity in Villaflora and Manduriacu Reserve, a small town in the cloud forest of the Chocó region. Point counts on pre-existing trails were used to assess bird communities as well as search …

How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Wales A. Carter, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Kristen J. Demoranville, Abigail E. Frawley, Barbara J. Pierce, Megan Skrip

Biology Faculty Publications

Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build …

Preliminary Checklist Of Avifauna Of Tamanrasset (South Of Algeria) With Two New Records In Algeria, Belkacem Aimene Boulaouad, Ailam Oussama, Telailia Salah, Harzallah Mourad, Ayyach Khaled, Bekkouche Abdelkadir Missoum Mohamed, Soukkou Walid, Boutabia Lamia

Journal of Bioresource Management

Birds constitute a zoological group which is considered to be a good indicator of balance and biological diversity. The aim of this study was to investigate the birds of the region on Tamanresset which is situated in the south of Algeria and has an area of 554.000 km². Direct observations with camera and a pair of binoculars, supported by ornithological surveys carried out by progressive frequently sampling, in each stations of study area, 44 bird species were observed in this region which fall into 12 orders and 24 families. Among these species, 3 new observations recorded for the …

2020 (32nd) Report Of The Nou Records Committee, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

ebraska: 2017” (NOURC 2017).

Nebraska State List: The following includes all revisions made by the American Ornithological Society (Chesser et al. 2020) in 2020 including scientific name changes and taxonomic realignment that affect the current published “Official List of the Birds of Nebraska: 2017” (NOURC 2017, wwwNOUbirds.org). This report includes all accounts submitted during the 2020 calendar year covering 29 records with accession numbers 2258 – 2286.

2020 Additions/Deletions to the “Official List of the Birds of Nebraska”: Two new species were added in 2020.: Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 1. A single bird was photographed (Class 1-P, TL) 26 April …

Black-Throated Gray Warbler In Knox County, Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) considers Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) to be Accidental in Nebraska (NOURC 2017). Silcock and Jorgensen (2020) list a total of seven accepted records with only two occurring in fall: an adult male at the Hyannis Cemetery, Grant Co., 01 Sep 2002 (Brogie 2003) and a female at Oliver Reservoir, Kimball Co., 07 Sep 2001 (Silcock 2001). The following documents the third Nebraska fall record for Black-throated Gray Warbler, the third record east of the Nebraska Panhandle, the first for northeast Nebraska, and the only NOURC accepted record (#2338) in the last decade.

A Brown-Capped Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus) In Sarpy County, Nebraska, W. Ross Silcock, Phil Swanson

Nebraska Bird Review

Beginning 31 May 2021, Phil Swanson captured a series of videos and photos of an apparent family group of Black-capped Chickadees (BCCH). Five birds were seen together through 2 June, 2-4 through 6 June, and 2-3 through 9 June, during which all sightings included begging. Thereafter 1-2 birds per day were seen but without interactions between them. One of the family group had a brown cap (Figures 1, 2), and was presumably a juvenile based on its propensity for begging for food and partial replacement of its greater coverts (Pyle 1997). This condition has been described as “rare” (Sibley 2011), …

Summer Field Report, June-July 2021, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Last summer my opening sentences were: “Overall, this was a fairly routine summer although birders in Nebraska know that ‘routine’ still holds promise of a few happenings out of the ordinary. The summer season primarily examines new breeding records, range expansions, and changes in numbers, up or down.” This summer was also rather routine but had its share of startling events. Foremost among these were only the second colony breeding of American White Pelicans, involving 1200 on nests; two, possibly the same, male Evening Grosbeaks in the southeast; record late by about a month Townsend’s Solitaire; two Lincoln’s Sparrows together …

Diminishing Returns: Results Of Black Rail Surveys In Nebraska, Joel G. Jorgensen, Lauren Greenwalt, Nancy E. Drilling, Caleb Strand, Stephen J. Brenner

Nebraska Bird Review

The uncertain status of the Black Rail in Nebraska is problematic. Different authors have interpreted existing reports differently resulting in varying conclusions about the species’ status. The exercise of deciphering the limited details of existing reports and litigating their credibility is of little value. The Black Rail is now a threatened species and there is almost no published information on whether it occurs regularly in Nebraska. Furthermore, the species has not been searched for in any consistent form or systematic manner. Without information and understanding about the species’ occurrence, taking actions to benefit and protect this species will undoubtedly be …