Hi folks,

Just got in the November 1996 issue of the Condor, published quarterly =
by the Cooper Ornithological Society. Enjoy.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net

A Fossil Scrub-Jay Supports a Recent Systematic Decision. Steven D =
Emslie. pp 675-680. Remains from a late Pliocene sinkhole; The recent =
elevation of Florida Scrub-Jay to species status is supported by these =
fossils documenting the antiquity of the species and its distinct bill =
morphology in Florida.

Evidence from Cytochrome b Sequences and Allozymes for a 'New' Species =
of Alcid: the Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix). V.L. Friesen, =
J.F. Piatt, and A.J. Baker. pp 681-690. All analyses indicated that =
North American and Asian Marbled Murrelets are genetically distinct.

Temporal and Spatial Patterns in the Diet of the Common Murre in =
California Waters. David G Ainley, Larry B Spear, Sarah G Allen and =
Christine A Ribic. pp 691-705. Diet varies as a function of where murres =
forage; if the most characteristic prey of one habitat disappears, =
murres switch foraging areas, bringing a switch in diet - Owing to =
environmental changes in region, murres may be losing the option of prey =
switching to maintain adequate intake of food.

Effects of Silvicultural Modifications of Temperate Rainforest on =
Breeding and Wintering Bird Communities, Prince of Wales Island, =
Southeast Alaska. Dominick A Dellasalla, Joan C Hagar, Kathleen A Engel, =
Wm C McComb, Randal L Fairbanks and Ellen G Campbell. pp 706-721. =
Tongass Natl Forest study; Authors recommend thinning young growth to =
create additional canopy layers and improve snow-interception, retaining =
old-growth clumps in clearcuts, and long-term conservation of old-growth =
temperate rainforest.

Display Behavior and Natural History of the Yellow-crowned Manakin =
(Heterocercus falviviertex: Pipridae). Richard O Prum, Joseph D Kaplan =
and Jan E Pierson. pp 722-735. On the Rio Ventuari in S Venezuela in =
seasonally flooded forest; Observations and evolution of display, =
morphology,diet (arthropods) and social behavior are discussed.

Constraints on Double-Brooding in a Neotropical Migrant, the Hooded =
Warbler. Lesley J Evans, Ogden and Bridget J.M. Stutchbury. pp 736-744. =
Study from Pennsylvania; The main cost in double-brooding was a delay in =
molt compared with single-brooded birds, which could impose a high =
energetic cost due to overlap of molt and fledgling care, possible =
delayed migration.

Winter Surveys of Forest-Dwelling Neotropical Migrant and Resident Birds =
in Three Regions of Cuba. George E Wallace, Hiram Gonzales Alonso, =
Martin K McNicholl, Daysi Rogriguez Batista, Ramona Oviedo Prieto, =
Alejandro Llanes Sosa, Barbara Sanchez Oria and Elizabeth AH Wallace. pp =
745-768. Residents occupy broader spectrum of vegetation types than =
migrants, which favor sites with structure typical of secondary forests. =
Observed habitat segregation among dichomatic migrant warblers.

Ecological Relationships of Two Todies in Hispaniola: Effects of Habitat =
and Flocking. Steven C Latta and Joseph M Wunderle Jr. pp 769-779. =
Broad-billed and Narrow-billed Todies occupied distinct microhabitats in =
shade coffee plantations and in native pine forest while sharing similar =
foraging strategies.

Fruit Color Choices of Captive Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis). Helen L =
Puckey, Alan Lill and Dennis J O'Dowd. pp 780-790. In Australia; =
Silvereyes showed strong preference for red fruits; supports hypothesis =
that red fruit color is adaptation for promoting avian frugivory and =
seed dispersal.

Mortality of Prairie Falcons During the Fledging-Dependence Period. Mary =
E McFadzen and John M Marzluff. pp 791-800. Study from Idaho's Snake =
River Birds of Prey Natl Conservation Area in 1992-93; Mortality rates =
were 28% and 34%, predation by Great Horned Owls was primary cause of =
mortality; mortality also influenced by parasites (Mexican chicken bugs =
- Haematosiphon inodorus).

Behavioral Interactions Among Brood Parasites with Precocial Young: =
Canvasbacks and Redheads on the Delta Marsh. Rodney D Sayler. pp =
801-809. Redheads outnumbered Cans by 5.4:1, and heavily parasitized =
Can nests; high rates of parasitism delayed embryo development, resulted =
in longer hatching periods and extended brooding behavior. Brood =
parasitism may present significant fitness costs.

Evening Flights of Female Northern Pintails from a Major Roost Site. =
Robert R Cox Jr and Alan D Afton. pp 810-819. At Lacassine NWR, =
Louisiana; Authors analyzed influence of female age, winter, and date =
within wintering period on flight distance, duration and departure time; =
flight distance and duration increased with date within the wintering =
period.

Renesting Ecology of Northern Pintails on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, =
Alaska. James B Grand and Paul L Flint. pp 820-824. 56% of birds =
renested at least once; suggest food availability does not limit =
renesting ability of Pintails in coastal tundra.

Molt and Migratory Condition in Blue Tits: A Serological Study. Erik =
Svensson and Juha Merila. pp 825-831. No evidence that molting birds =
were more stressed than non-molting individuals in migratory population =
on Gotland in Baltic Sea.

Breeding Behavior, Social Organization and Morphology of Red-shouldered =
(Agelaius assimilis) and Tawny-shouldered (A. humeralis) Blackbirds. =
Linda A Whittingham, Arturo Kirkconnell and Laurene M Ratcliffe. pp =
832-836. These species are more similar behaviorally to each other and =
to Yellow-shouldered Blackbird than to other species of Agelaius; share =
little in common with Red-winged Blackbird; provides support for status =
of Red-shouldered as a separate species from the Red-winged Blackbird.

Comparison of Aerial and Ground Techniques for Discovery and Census of =
Wading Bird (Ciconiiformes) Nesting Colonies. Peter C Frederick, Tim =
Towles, Richard J Sawicki and G Thomas Bancroft. pp 837-841. In the =
Everglades, aerial counts undercounted nests by 30% and missed 61% of =
colonies; a level that is unacceptable for most studies. Aerial surveys =
should not be used without additional information from systematic ground =
surveys and censuses.

An Experimental Test of the Function of Sticks in the Nests of House =
Wrens. Tom Alworth. pp 841-844. Study from New York; Number of sticks in =
nest seems not to affect nesting success; other hypotheses forwarded.

Diving Pattern and Stomach Temperatures fo Foraging King Cormorants at =
Subantarctic Macquarie Island. Akiko Kato, Yasuhiko Naito, Yutaka =
Watanuki and Peter D Shaughnessy. pp 844-848. Logging stomach =
temperature enables determination of when and how much food has been =
ingested; technical problems can confuse results.

Colonial Seabird Nesting in Dense and Small Sub-Colonies: An Advantage =
Against Aerial Predation. Daniel Oro. pp 848-850. Study from Spain's =
Ebro Delta of predation by Peregrine on Audouin's Gull colony; gulls in =
dense/small colonies better protected from Peregrine than those in =
large, loose aggregations

The Corticosterone Stress Response in Gentoo and King Penguins During =
the Non-Fasting Period. Rebecca L Holberton, Brian Helmuth and John C =
Wingfield. pp 850-854. Penguins exhibit acute stress response to capture =
and handling.

Using Artificial Food Patches to Evaluate Habitat Quality for =
Granivorous Birds: An Application of Foraging Theory. Stephen G Kohlmann =
and Kenneth L Risenhoover. pp 854-857. Bobwhite quail responded to both =
food abundance and availability of structural cover in Texas study.

Indeterminacy in a Determinate Layer: the Spur-winged Plover. Akiva =
Yogev and Yoram Yom-Tov. pg 858. Females may continue laying if eggs =
removed from clutch.

Feeding Preferences and Changes in Mass of Canada Geese Grazing =
Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue. Michael R Conover and Terry A Messmer. =
pp 859-862. Endophytic fungus in leaves of grass produces alkaloids, =
fungus makes grass more hardy and more toxic to insects and nematodes; =
Geese grazed on infected fescue lost mass, while those grazing on =
control plots gained mass. Geese showed a preference for uninfected =
grass.

Egg-Laying Behavior in Tits. Svein Haftorn. pp 863-865. At Maalsjoen, =
Norway; Eggs laid 1-43 minutes after sunrise; behavior during egg-laying =
described.

Further Evidence of Parasitism of Chopi Blackbirds (Gnorimopsar chopi) =
by the Specialized Screaming Cowbird (Molothrus rufoaxillaris). Rosendo =
M Fraga. pp 866-867. Data from Iguazu' Airport, Misiones, Argentina; =
Throughout most of range in Argentina, Screaming Cowbirds parasitize a =
single host: the Bay-winged Cowbird (Molothrus badius). Author confirms =
parasitism on Chopi Blackbirds, refutes contention that parasitism of =
Chopi blackbirds has evolved recently due to habitat changes =
(deforestation).

Influence of Vegetal Moisture Content and Nest Fate on Timing of Female =
Sage Grouse Migration. Richard A Fischer, Kerry P Reese and John W =
Connelly. pp 868- 872. Study in the Big Desert on Upper Snake River =
Plain in Idaho; Because sage grouse obtain the majority of their water =
from vegetation, as vegetation drys out in summer, birds go where leaves =
have more moisture.

Seasonal Changes in Diet, Digestive Morphology and Digestive Efficiency =
in the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) in Central Chile. =
F Fernando Novoa, Claudio Veloso, M Victoria Lopez-Calleja and Fancisco =
Bozinovic. pp 873-876. Seeds account for 80% of diet; during July =
(winter) insects represent about 50% of diet and gut size capacity =
increases.

Wintering Swainson's Hawks in California's Sacramento-San Juaquin River =
Delta. Sebastian L Herzog. pp 876-879. Population of about 30 regularly =
winters in the Delta. Foraging in winter resembles that of breeding =
conspecifics in the Central Valley.

Delayed Effect of Monsoon Rains Influences Laying Date of a Passerine =
Bird Living in an Arid Environment. Jerram L Brown and Shou-Hsien Li. pp =
879-884. Mexicn Jays in Chiricahua Mtns of SE Arizona; mean date of =
first clutches in the Spring (20 April) was strongly determined by =
climatic events that occurred 8-9 months earlier in the preceding year.

The Single Wing-Flick Display of the Black-Capped Chickadee. Susan M =
Smith. pp 885-887. Display is given when chickadee is suddenly =
confronted by more dominant individuals; higher-ranking flock-mates or =
other, larger species.

Commentary:

Subspecies of the Least Tern in Mexico. Michael A Patten and Richard A =
Erickson. pp 888-890. Authors take issue with Garcia and Ceballos =
(1995), who ascribed California Least Tern (S.a. browni) - which breeds =
from central California through Baja California - to Jalisco. Birds in =
Jalisco should be S.a. mexicana. Review of taxonomy of Least Tern. =
Implore authors and editors to 'exhibit a renewed collective vigor in =
adhering to existing norms of taxonomy and nomenclature in their =
work..."

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