Subject: WINTERING BAND-TAILED PIGEONS
Date: Feb 11 02:30:53 2001
From: WAYNE WEBER - contopus at home.com


Birders,

I am somewhat surprised to learn that BAND-TAILED PIGEONS are as rare
in Oregon in winter as they appear to be.

In the Vancouver and Victoria areas of southwestern B.C., Band-tails
could be described as "uncommon", not "rare" in winter. The species is
recorded every year, without fail, on the Christmas Bird Count in both
cities. The average total of Band-tails on the Vancouver CBC (1966 to
1999) is 46 birds; for Victoria (1989 to 1998 only) it is 54 birds. If
Don DeWitt's totals from Oregon CBCs for the last 5 years (cited
below) are correct, EACH of the Vancouver and Victoria CBCs normally
tallies more Band-tails than are seen on CBCs in the entire state of
Oregon.

High counts of Band-tails on B.C. Christmas Counts include 314 on the
Vancouver CBC in 1985, and 163 on the Victoria CBC in 1990.

In Washington, I checked recent totals (1989 to 1998) for Band-tails
on the Seattle and Tacoma CBCs. Seattle averaged 120 Band-tails, with
a high count of 357 in 1998, and Tacoma averaged 215, with a high of
673 in 1993.

The main foods of wintering Band-tails in B.C. are the acorns of
Oregon white oak, called Garry oak in B.C. (Quercus garryana) and the
berries of madrone (Arbutus menziesii). As both of these tree species
are abundant in much of western Oregon, I am surprised that so few
Band-tails appear to winter in the state.

Given that the great majority of Band-tailed Pigeons migrate south to
winter in California, why are wintering Band-tails so rare in Oregon,
when they appear to be more numerous farther north? Does anyone have
any bright ideas?


----- Original Message -----
From: Don DeWitt <dondewitt at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list OBOL <OBOL at BOBO.NWS.ORST.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 9:15 AM
Subject: more on Band-tailed Pigeons


> OBOL,
> Driving west 18th near the Bi-Mart in Eugene on Jan. 8, I saw what I
felt
> sure was a Band-tailed perched at the very top of a large fir. Reid
Freeman
> spotted a couple of them flying over when he and I were out near
Elmira on
> Jan. 22.
>
> Second, to add to this discussion that Dan started, I checked the
Oregon's
> CBC records. (birdsource.tc.cornell.edu/showcbc/)
>
> Six counts circles reported Band-tailed Pigeons on the 101st CBC:
> Portland 31
> Columbia Est. 29
> Salem 4
> Roseburg-Suth. 2
> Tillamook 1
> Airlie 1
>
> On the past 5 counts, Oregon totalled 43, 17, 27, 17, and 32, with
only 4
> or fewer count circles reporting them each year.
>
> Portland had the largest number each year: 36, 16, 14, 9, 26.
>
> Eugene last reported Band-t. Pigeon (2) on CBC #96.
>
> Don
>