Hi All

Wayne wrote:
In the B.C. southern interior, the picture is complicated by
Veeries, which generally exclude Swainson's from cottonwoods and other
riparian vegetation below about 2500 feet.

I was a bit surprised by this sentence. Wayne are you saying that Veeries
are dominant over Swainson's below 2500 feet and are victorious in winning
nesting sites coveted by both species? My interpretation of Campbell, Birds
of BC, v.3 is that Veeries and Swainson's coexist as the Swainson's forages
higher above the ground and prefers habitat with less undergrowth than the
Veery. As breeding bird survey data for the interior (1968 to 1993) seems to
show stable populations of both species, I wonder if they are competing or
have simply found their niches?

Comments,please.

Cheers
Gail Spitler
Johnsons Landing, BC
spitler at wkpowerlink.com