Hi folks,

Got the following reply from Jeff Wells, the biologist from San Diego who
caught Russell's Thurston County-banded cowbird. Thought that the
list would be interested.

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From: Wells/Turnbull[SMTP:twbio at adnc.com]
Subject: Re: Washington-Banded Cowbird Recovered in San Diego

Dear Mr. Anderson,

Just returned from holiday vacation and saw your message about the
banded cowbird. Really neat that we picked her up down here.

We captured her (1591-16469) on April 19th 1998 in a cowbird trap
(modified Australian crow trap) which we operate along the San Diego
River at a Dairy which is located approximately 30 miles east of San
Diego, CA. Exact location is 4 miles east of Lakeside, CA, which is a
small community near San Diego.

She was captured along with 23 other Brown-headed Cowbirds that day
(12 females and 11 males).

She appeared in good shape, bands looked fine. Her fat rating was a
2 (furcula and abdomen layer visible but not full). Flight feather wear
was slight. No molt, wing chord was 99.0 mm, tarsus was 24.7 mm,
and culmen was 10.7 mm. We released her that day, didn't see her
again.

We have been trapping and banding cowbirds here in San Diego,
County for the past year in an effort to determine migration patterns
and whether breeding residents over winter here. Cowbird control here
in San Diego County (Southern California in general), is an important
management tool in the protection of the endangered Least Bell's Vireo
and Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, so we are trying to gain some info
on the critter to help formulate long term management plans (if
possible?).

Anyways, let me know if you need any other info or a map of the trap
location. Hopefully we will pick up some other banded cowbirds from out
of state. We are running traps at 3 different locations year round, and
we pull in several thousand per year.

Sincerely,

Jeff Wells
TW Biological Services
2415 29th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 281-9731
(619) 281-7982 fax
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