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Wpa News 98 (2015), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2015), number 98

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Foraging Behavior Of Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus Ustulatus) During Spring Migration Through Arkansas, S. Wiley, R. Kannan, D. A. James, A. Deshwal

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Foraging behavior of Swainson’s Thrushes on spring migration was studied in western Arkansas in the spring of 2013 and 2014. Observations were made in two forested field sites, one of them urban and the other suburban. The former had a significantly higher woody stem area (cm2) than the latter. For each foraging observation, the following three parameters were noted: Foraging Stratum (Ground, Shrub, Sapling, Sub canopy, and Canopy); Foraging Substrate (Ground/Litter, Herb, Foliage, Bark, and Air); and Foraging Maneuver (Glean, Probe, Dive/Glean, Hover, Jump Hover, and Hawking). We tested the hypotheses that these foraging variables differed significantly between the urban …

Red Crossbill Invasion Of Northwestern Arkansas During 2012-2013, K. G. Smith, J. C. Neal, M. A. Young

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

An irruption of Red Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) occurred in primarily northwestern Arkansas starting in November of 2012 and lasting to the end of May of 2013. Based on recordings of call notes, most birds around Fayetteville were Type 2, the large-billed ponderosa pine crossbill, associated with a variety of conifer species. Birds recorded in Carroll County were Type 3, the small-billed western hemlock crossbill, and they were associated with small cones on shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata). One recording was obtained in Fayetteville of Type 5, the lodgepole pine crossbill, only the third recording east of the Great Plains. Crossbills at …

Daily Activity Patterns In Three Migratory Bird Species At A Stopover Site On The Northern Coast Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Lynn Schofield

Masters Theses

CHAPTER I: A Comparison of Diel Movement Patterns in Three Bird Species at a Stopover Site on the Northern Coast of the Gulf of Mexico

During migration, birds require stopover habitats where they stop en route to rest, refuel, and prepare for the next stage of their migration. For songbirds, many short movements made within a stopover habitat are known to be costlier than a single long migratory flight, as it takes a considerable amount of energy to initiate flight. This indicates that migrating birds should strive to balance the energy expenditure made in movement during stopover and energy gains …

Adaptive Significance Of Aberrant Chickadee Song In Illinois, Evan Andrew Glynn

Masters Theses

I studied the behavioral responses of Black-capped (Poecile atricapilus) and Carolina (P. carolinensis) chickadees to playback of Black-capped, Carolina, and aberrant chickadee songs throughout the state of Illinois. These two species are parapatrically distributed throughout the eastern United States, including Illinois. Some areas exist where the ranges of the two species overlap. Individuals in these contact zones often sing aberrant vocalizations. This study focused on the two parental vocalizations (i.e., Black-capped and Carolina song), and two of the most common aberrant vocalizations (the 'Greenville' and 'Vandalia' aberrant dialects), in an attempt to understand the adaptive significance of these aberrant songs. …

Manual For Ageing And Sexing Birds Of Bosque Fray Jorge National Park And Northcentral Chile, With Notes On Range And Breeding Seasonality, Peter Pyle, Andrew Engilis, Douglas A. Kelt

Special Publications of the Museum of Natural Science

Bosque Fray Jorge National Park (hereafter "Fray Jorge") comprises 9,959 ha on the coast of Chile’s Region IV (Coquimbo), approximately 400 km north of Santiago and 100 km south of La Serena (30°41’S, 71°40’W) (Fig. 1). It is a Biosphere Reserve and has been protected from grazing and disturbance since 1941 (Squeo et al. 2004). As such, it is a biotic oasis surrounded by agricultural and increasingly disturbed terrain (Bahre 1979). The climate is Mediterranean, with ca. 130 mm of annual precipitation measured since 1989 at an on-site meteorological station, 90% falling in winter (May-Sept). Summers are warm and dry, …

Manual Para Estimar Edad Y Sexo En Aves Del Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge Y Chile Central, Con Notas Sobre Rangos De Distribución Y Estación Reproductiva, Peter Pyle, Andrew Engilis Jr., Douglas A. Kelt

Special Publications of the Museum of Natural Science

El Parque Nacional Fray Jorge (en adelante "Fray Jorge") comprende 9.959 ha. en la costa de la IV Región de Chile (Coquimbo), a unos 400 km al norte de Santiago y a 100 km al sur de La Serena (30 ° 41'S, 71 ° 40'W) (Fig. 1). Se trata de una Reserva de la Biosfera que se ha protegido del pastoreo y las perturbaciones antrópicas desde 1941 (Squeo et al. 2004). Como tal, es un oasis biótico rodeado de áreas agrícolas cada vez más intervenidas por el hombre (Bahre 1979). El clima es mediterráneo, con 130 mm de precipitación anual, …

Muscle Mass, Wing Morphology, And Related Flight Mechanics In Passeriforme Birds, Bradley Adam Weinstein

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Birds are an interesting field of study for a number of reasons, many of which are related to conflicting evolutionary demands. Birds are required to produce more lift than the downward force of gravity acting upon them. To this end birds have evolved in a number of ways, both in mass reduction and increased lift production. This paper looks into different variables associated with contrasting styles of flight, and how morphological differences allow for these different styles to occur, as well as variables associated with weight minimization.

Female Breakfast Skippers Display A Disrupted Cortisol Rhythm And Levated Blood Pressure, Megan Witbracht, Nancy L. Keim, Shavawn Forester, Adrianne Widaman, Kevin D. Laugero

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Chronic stress and over-activity in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis may link breakfast skipping and poor cardiometabolic health. Missing the first major meal of the day in rodents prolongs elevated circulating corticosterone at a time when it's normally decreasing. To extend these findings to humans, we hypothesized that habitual breakfast skippers would display a similar pattern of circulating cortisol and alterations in meal and stress-induced cortisol reactions. Normal weight to obese women aged 18–45 years old who were strictly defined as either breakfast skippers (n = 30) or breakfast eaters (n = 35) were invited to participate in our …

Shorebird Foraging Habitat In Southeast Arkansas, J. E. Aycock, C. G. Sims

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Approximately 500,000 shorebirds travel through the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) each spring and fall. During migration, the average 45g shorebird needs to eat approximately 8g of invertebrates per day. While shorebird stopover habitat guidelines for the MAV are based on an expert estimate of 2g of invertebrates/m2, this estimate has not been quantified in Arkansas. Invertebrate biomass available for shorebird foraging was examined on five properties in southeastern Arkansas during spring and fall migration (fall 2010, spring and fall 2011, and spring 2012). Macroinvertebrate biomass was less than the estimated 2 g/m2 in three of the four sampled seasons. Further …

Are Land-Use Changes Reflected In Diets Of Mourning Doves (Zenaida Macroura) In Eastern South Dakota, Joshua B. Smith, Troy Grovenburg, Matthew A. Perrion, Jason M. Augspurger, Trevor W. Bultje, Anna M. Robinson, Brandi L. Crider, Datta Shubham, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Food habits of the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) have been extensively studied in the southern United States (McClure 1943, Korschgen 1958, Carpenter 1971) and consist primarily of vegetable matter throughout their range (Beckwith 1959). Diet studies in several states have indicated agricultural crops, specifically corn and wheat, were the most readily consumed plant seeds (Korshgen 1958, Carpenter 1971). Similarities observed in diets of doves were dependent on the agricultural crops available within the area. For example, in Missouri, some seasonal variability was documented suggesting doves forage based on food availability as much as by food preference (Korschgen 1958). However, in …

Stable Isotopes In Seabirds, Kimberly Gosciak

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Seabirds are a highly endangered group of vertebrates; they are more threatened than any other group of bird. However, the Common Murre is one species that is showing an increasing population trend; I found that Common Murres have shown a significant increase in δ¹⁵N since 1994, in contrast to the threatened Marbled Murrelet, which has a similar biology but has shown decreasing δ¹⁵ N values that typically correlate with declining population size. This is potentially due to sexual dimorphism that allows for the Common Murre to fill a larger niche. While I found no statistical difference between …

Cows And Plows: Science-Based Conservation For Grassland Songbirds In Agricultural Landscapes, Marisa K. Lipsey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Temperate grasslands are among earth’s most imperiled ecosystems. In North America, steep declines of endemic songbird populations indicate that grassland loss and degradation may be approaching critical levels. Grasslands are agricultural landscapes largely (~85%) under private ownership with little formal protection status. Remaining bird populations depend on grazing lands that have not been converted to cropland. We combine regional data from a hotspot for grassland bird diversity (northeast Montana, USA; 26,500-km2) with continental data spanning the northern Great Plains (1,000,000-km2) to evaluate how land use and management influence bird distribution and abundance. Regionally, habitat used by seven grassland specialists spanned …

Data For Sandler Et Al. 2015, Amanda Sandler, Libby Megna, James Hayward, Shandelle Henson, Cynthia Tkachuck, Richard Tkachuck

Faculty Publications

These data are archived for the paper "Every-other-day clutch-initiation synchrony in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis)" by Sandler et al., submitted

Effects Of Supplemental Food On The Behavior, Aggression, And Paternity Status Of Male Indigo Buntings (Passerina Cyanea), Bradley Mcleod

Online Theses and Dissertations

Breeding is an energetically costly activity for birds. If energy-limited, birds may alter their time budgets, reducing time spent in some activities and spending more time in others. To date, no experimental study has investigated the possible effect of food availability on male mate guarding behavior. Additionally, previous results from food supplementation studies are mixed. My objectives were to determine how food supplementation might influence the breeding behavior of male Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea). I predicted that, compared to non-supplemented males, food-supplemented males would: 1) spend less time foraging, 2) spend more time singing, 3) spend more time mate guarding, …

Flight Vocalizations And Displays Of Adult Chimney Swifts (Chaetura Pelagica): Description And Function, Louise Ann Peppe

Online Theses and Dissertations

The vocalizations of many songbirds have been well documented and analyzed, but less is known about the vocal behavior of many non-passerines, including swifts. While flying alone as well as during aerial displays with conspecifics, Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) often utter a twitter call consisting of a series of high-frequency chip notes. However, little is known about the possible function(s) of swift flight displays and their twitter call. My objectives were to record, analyze, and document the aerial behaviors and associated vocalizations of adult Chimney Swifts. I studied swifts at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky, where …

Vocal Responses Of Blue Jays (Cyanocitta Cristata) To Raptors That Differ In Predatory Threat, Julie Dahl

Online Theses and Dissertations

Anti-predator defense is an important adaptation in group-living organisms. Some species of flocking birds use referential calls to communicate predator presence and the level of threat posed by predators. Previous studies have revealed that two species in the corvid family, American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and Siberian Jays (Perisoreus infaustus), use referential calls to convey information about predator presence and level of threat. Because of their intelligence and flocking behavior, Blue Jays, like American Crows and Siberian Jays, may use referential calls to communicate raptor presence and threat. During the non-breeding seasons of 2014 and 2015, I recorded and subsequently analyzed …

Effect Of Variation In Nestling Hunger Levels On The Begging Behavior Of Nestlings And The Provisioning Behavior Of Adult American Kestrels, Katheryn Ann Watson

Online Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about how variation in nestling begging intensity influences the behavior of adult raptors and how responses of adult males and females to such variation might differ. My objective was to manipulate the begging intensity of nestling American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) and examine the responses of adult males and females. I studied 12 pairs of kestrels nesting in nest boxes from 1 March to 1 July 2014 at the Blue Grass Army Depot, Madison County, Kentucky. Nest boxes were modified with a separate compartment for a camcorder to record nestling behavior, and a second camcorder was placed outside …

Ua1c11/55 Gordon Wilson Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs taken by and of Gordon Wilson.

Avian Diversity Across Three Distinct Agricultural Landscapes In Guadalupe, Chiriquí Highlands, Panama, Jarred Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Deforestation of tropical forest for agricultural purposes threatens habitat loss of native species. The value of various agricultural landscapes in conserving avian populations is useful in determining diversity-conscious development plans. However, generalized results from regionalscale studies cannot be implemented to insular avian habitats. This study serves as the only current avian diversity study of the Chiriquí Highlands. To determine the effect of agricultural land use within an insular avian habitat, I compared avian diversity and site population similarity in Guadalupe, Chiriquí Highlands of the Talamanca Range, Panama. I hypothesized that avian diversity is greatest at forest edge followed by forest …