HI ALL:
I thought tweeters would be interested in this!
Sincerely

Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen
Bainbridge Is., WA, USA
ipaulsen at linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us
"Rallidae all the way"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 13:12:39 -0400
From: Angus Wilson <wilsoa02 at endeavor.med.nyu.edu>
To: BIRDWG01 at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDWG01] Taxonomy and identification of Brant from Melville
Island

****Taxonomy and Identification of Brant from Melville Island, Canada
****

The article by Martin Garner that Bill Smith referred to is:

Garner, M. (1998) "Brent Crosses." Birdwatch 78: 29-32. This is a very
accessible, but brief, review of the identification and complicated
taxonomy of Brant (Brent Goose), focusing on exciting possibility that
birds breeding on Melville Island are not hybrids between _nigricans_
and _hrota_ but a distinct subspecies, which Martin terms "Grey-bellied
Brant". There are one or two photos of specimens from the Puget Sound
area showing candidate Grey-bellied Brant along side and Black Brant and
also a candidate photographed in Ireland. [I believe the title "Brent
Crosses" is a play on the name of Britain's first large shopping mall,
Brent Cross, located in Northwest London? Maybe Martin can comment on
this.......]. For information on subscriptions to Birdwatch or to order
back issues visit their web site http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/home.htm

Another important reference is:

Shields, G.F. (1990) "Analysis of mitochondrial DNA of Pacific Black
Brant." Auk 107: 620-623.

The DNA sequence divergence reported in the study provides impetus for
treating the Melville Island birds as a separate taxa rather than hybrid
population.

Lastly, in an article published in The Kingbird, Andy Guthrie and I
review the status of Black Brant on the east coast of North America and
briefly consider the possibility that Grey-bellied Brant might
occasionally occur in east.

Wilson, A. and Guthrie, A. (1999) "Black Brant in New York State."
Kingbird 49(2): 98-106.

With fall already upon us, it seems very appropriate for observers on
the Pacific and Atlantic seaboards as well as western Europe to exchange
photos of the different Brant forms, especially the poorly known
immature plumages. I already have some comparison photos of Black and
Atlantic Brant on my web site and would be very happy to host additional
images from elsewhere, especially of candidate 'Grey-bellied Brant' from
Washington State or British Columbia.

http://www.best.com/~petrel/BBrantNY.html
http://www.best.com/~petrel/GBBRT.html

Hope this helps,

Angus Wilson
New York City
wilsoa02 at med.nyu.edu
http://www.best.com/~petrel/index.html
http://www.oceanwanderers.com