Hi folks,

Just got in the December 1996 issue (Volume 108, No 4) of the Wilson =
Bulletin, published quarterly by the Wilson Ornithological Society. =
Enjoy.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net

Descriptions of adults, eggshells, nestling, fledgling, and nest of the =
Poo-Uli. Andrew Engilis Jr, Thane K Pratt, Cameron B Kepler, A Marie =
Ecton and Kimberly M Fluetsch. pp 607-619. Species was discovered on =
Maui in 1973; these descriptions are from 2 nests of 1 pair observed in =
1986.

Nesting behavior of the Poo-Uli. Cameron B Kepler, Thane K Pratt, A =
Marie Ecton, Andrew Engilis Jr and Kimberly M Fluetsch. pp 620-638. =
Description of nesting behavior at the 1986 nests; since its discovery =
the species' population has fallen from hundreds to fewer than 10 birds; =
monogamous, males feed young but don't incubate or brood, clutch size =
was 2 eggs, nestling diet high to insect larvae, adults reported to eat =
mostly snails.

Population density, vocal behavior, and recommended survey methods for =
Bicknell's Thrush. Christopher C Rimmer, Jonathan L Atwood, Kent P =
McFarland and Laura R Nagy. pp 639-649. From Mt Mansfield, Vermont; =
after mid-June, vocalizations given mostly at dawn and dusk; recommend =
surveys for species be concentrated from 1-20 June; densities from 36-65 =
pairs/40ha.

Distribution of Bicknell's Thrush in New England and New York. Jonathan =
L Atwood, Christopher C Rimmer, Kent P McFarland, Sophia H Tsai and =
Laura R Nagy. pp 650-661. Species present at sites near tree line =
dominated by balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and red spruce (Picea rubens); =
91% of sites were >3000ft elevation; the species was not found in low =
elevation regenerating clear-cuts as reported from Canada.

Migration routes of the Western Sandpiper. Robert W Butler, Francisco S =
Delgado, Horacio de la Cueva, Victor Pulido and Brett K Sandercock. pp =
662-672. Report of 97 sightings of +15,000 sandpipers color-banded in =
Peru, Panama, Mexico, British Columbia and Alaska (95 along Pacific =
coast, 2 [1 from B.C., 1 from Peru] seen east of Rocky Mtns); Most WESA =
migrate from C & S American wintering grounds along Pacific coast of N =
America; most post-breeding WESA use trans-Pacific route that bypasses =
SE Alaska and makes landfall in southern BC; WESA that winter on =
Atlantic coast of USA/Caribbean fly trans-continental route beginning =
from Pacific coast of N America.

Breeding behavior and reproductive success of Cerulean Warblers in =
southeastern Ontario. Catherine J Oliarnyk and Raleigh J Robertson. pp =
673-684. 27 nests studied in SE Ontario; mean territory size was 1.04ha; =
nest trees were predominantly sugar maple and oaks with avg height of =
17.7m and DBH of 40.2cm; Avg nest height was 11.8m; incubation only by =
females, lasted 11-12 days; clutch size avg 5; males & females fed young =
during 11-12 day nestling period; 20 of 27 nests fledged, 3.2 fledglings =
per successful nest.

Grit-use patterns in North American birds: The influence of diet, body =
size, and gender. James P Gionfriddo and Louis B Best. pp 685-696. Grit =
present in gizzards of 62 of 90 species (1440 birds collected in 12 =
states); grit particle characteristics - size, shape, texture - didn't =
differ among birds consuming different diets, grit size increased with =
bird mass; diet strongly influences amount of grit used by birds.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker nesting success, forest structure and southern =
flying squirrels in Texas. Richard N Conner, D Craig Rudolph, Daniel =
Saenz and Richard R Schaefer. pp 697-711. Squirrel use of woodpecker =
cavities on Angelina and Davy Crockett Natl Forests was variable and not =
related to presence/abundance of hardwood vegetation; woodpecker nest =
productivity not correlated with squirrel use of woodpecker cavities =
within clusters; complete removal of hardwoods from woodpecker clusters =
in loblolly/shortleaf pine habitat may not provide benefits to =
woodpeckers through reduction of squirrel numbers (reduction of hardwood =
midstory around cavity trees essential because woodpeckers don't =
tolerate hardwood midstory foliage).

Habitat-use patterns in cooperative and non-cooperative breeding birds: =
Testing predictions with Western Scrub-jays. D Brent Burt. pp 712-727. =
In oak-juniper woodland near Kerrville, central Texas; jays generally =
act as generalists in habitat uses, except use tall oak trees during =
sentinal behavior.

Nutritional value of winter food for Whooping Cranes. Jay T Nelson, R =
Douglas Slack and George F Gee. pp 728-739. Captive cranes fed blue =
crab, Rangia clam, wolfberry fruit and live oak acorns; analyses were =
that digestion coefficients for lipids were lower for plant foods than =
animal foods, highest and lowest lipid digestibility was for acorns and =
wolfberry respectively, gross energy was 2-5 times higher for acorn and =
berry than for crab and clam, crude protein was 2-3 times higher for =
crab than for wolfberry and clam; wolfberry ranked highest of foods for =
metabolic energy and total lipid nutrient, blue crab ranked highest for =
crude protein availability.

Territories and caching-related behavior of Red-headed Woodpeckers =
wintering in a beech grove. Paul F Doherty Jr, Thomas C Grubb Jr, and =
CL Bronson. pp 740-747. In study from Ohio; found no difference between =
territories of adults and juveniles in either territory size or =
abundance of mast. Rates of caching and social interaction decreased =
over the course of the winter.

Seasonal abundance of migrant birds and food resources in Panamanian =
mangrove forests. Gaetan Lefebvre and Brigitte Poulin. pp 748-759. Study =
of migrants (esp. N Waterthrush, Prothonotary Warbler and American =
Redstart) in mangrove forests on Pacific and Caribbean coasts; =
mid-winter movements correlated with abundance of food resources; most =
migrant species varied temporally in abundance with opposite pattern at =
each site.

Effects of Conservation Reserve Program field age on avian relative =
abundance, diversity and productivity. Kelly F Millenbah, Scott R =
Winterstein, Henry Campa III, Ly T Furrow and Richard B Minnis. pp =
760-770, 19 sites in Gratiot Co., Michigan; Younger fields (1-2 years =
old) had greatest species diversity and relative abundance; Older fields =
(3-6 years old) had greatest avian productivity. Recommend that after =
3-5 growing seasons CRP fields be manipulated (mow, burn or disk) to =
provide variety of successional stages to maintain high abundance, =
diversity and productivity.

Female buntings from hybridizing populations prefer conspecific males. =
Myron C Baker. pp 771-775. Indigo and Lazuli Buntings from NE Wyoming =
tested for sexual responsiveness to male traits; study suggests that =
hybrid pairs form when females are faced with choice of mating =
heterospecifically or not at all.

Surveys of Puerto Rican Screech-owl populations in large-tract and =
fragmented forests. Keith L Pardieck, J Michael Meyers and Michelle =
Pagan. pp 776-782. Owls responded in similar numbers in both habitat =
types; no correlation of number of owls with cloud cover, wind speed, =
moon phase or passing cars.

The use of coastal agricultural fields in Virginia as foraging habitat =
by shorebirds. Stephen C Rottenborn. pp 783-796. Some species =
(Semipalm.and Black-bellied Plover, Whimbrel, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, =
Semipalm and Least Sandpiper and Dunlin) used fields as primary foraging =
site during high tides; other species (Killdeer, Am Golden-plover, =
Upland Sandpiper and Buff-breasted Sandpiper) would forage in fields at =
any tidal stage.

Extra nest site occupancy by Tree Swallows: Do floaters avoid nest sites =
near settled pairs? Jeremy S Mitchell and Raleigh J Robertson. pp =
797-802. Study from Ontario; No, floaters will settle into nest box and =
breed near occupied site when previously-settled pair cannot defend =
site.

Swainson's Warblers nesting in early seral pine forests in east Texas. N =
Ross Carrie. pp 802-804. Study from San Jacinto RD, Sam Houston Natl =
Forest, TX. Use of this habitat previously unreported; Man-made areas of =
pine plantations and logged sites may represent 'new' habitat options.

Measurements of Snail Kite eggs from central Florida. James A Rogers Jr. =
pp 804-807. 44.6 X 36.1mm; little correlation between egg sizes and =
clutch size, laying sequence and hatching date. Eggs from Lakes =
Kissimmee and Okeechobee exhibited the smallest mean breadth and length.

The Andean Flamingo in Brazil. Marcos R Bornschein and Bianca L Reinert. =
pp 807-808. Likely that species migrates to Rio Grande do Sul with more =
frequency than previously supposed; based on current number of records.

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