VOLUME 2 NO. 2 SEPTEMBER 1993

Karen Sleenhof, Editor Kay Sandberg, Editorial Assistant

ANNUAL MEETING SET FOR NORTH CAROLINA

Plans for RRF’s Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina are now being finalized. The conference will feature
an extensive scientific program, several field trips, and a wildlife art exhibition featuring well-known local and regional artists,
A variety of vendors will also display and sell raptor-related merchandise.

Events will begin on Wednesday, November 3rd with a full-day field trip to the 22,000-acre Congaree Swamp in
South Carolina. The RRF Board of Directors will also meet on Wednesday, and there will be a Wednesday evening reception
for all conference attendees.

The scientific program begins on Thursday, November 4th with both oral and poster presentations on all aspects of
raptor biology, ecology, and management. The local committee has arranged for a special reception Thursday evening at

"Discovery Place," one of America’s top hands-on science and technology museums. All registrants will receive a

complimentary ticket to the event, including an opportunity to view the OMNIMAX film, "Antarctica."

Paper sessions continue on Friday, November 5th, with raptor videos on Friday evening. Afternoon field trips to

Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge, the Carolina Raptor Center, and/or the North Carolina Zoological Park can be arranged on
either Thursday or Friday for those not wishing to attend all of the scientific sessions, Registration will include free passes
to the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center and the Carolina Raptor Center,

Saturday, November 6th will feature a day-long symposium on "Raptors Adapting to Human-altered Environments."
Subjects will include raptors in urban-suburban habitats and raptor use of power lines, highway signs, and artificial nests, A
separate registration fee of $10 will be charged for the symposium. The annual meeting will culminate with Saturday night’s
banquet and awards presentations.

Registration information is now being sent to all members, Additional registration materials are available from The
Carolina Raptor Center, P.O. Box 16443, Charlotte, North Carolina 28297. Deadline for early registration is October 10, 1993,

The meeting will be held at the Charlotte Marriot City Center. To reserve a room, call 1-800-228-9290 and state that
you are with the Raptor Research Foundation Conference. You must make reservations before October 12 to insure
conference room rates of $72+tax. Charlotte is served by USAir, American, Delta, TWA, and United Airlines, USAir is
offering a discount to travellers and will make a contribution to the Raptor Center for each discounted reservation.

See you there!

.

PAGE

RRF Business News

Guest Opinion......,,.

3

Organization Profiles

4-5

Upcoming Meetings

6

Announcements

...7-10 .

WINSPAN

- RRF BUSINESS NEWS -

Proposed by-law changes were overwhelmingly approved by a mail vote of the membership this summer.
The adopted changes mean that Raptor Research Foundation Inc. officers will now be elected by the general
membership, not just the Board of Directors. The first general election for President will be in 1994 and in even-
numbered years thereafter. The person elected will serve as President-Elect for one year prior to taking over as
president at the end of the Annual Meeting in 1995. The President’s term is for two years, after which he/she
shall serve in an ex-officio capacity as Past-President on the Board of Directors for four years. The Vice
President also will be elected in 1994 and will serve a two-year term, beginning at the end of the Annual Meeting
in 1994.

Also approved by the membership were new guidelines for handling resolutions about scientific,
conservation, and educational issues. Resolutions Committee Chairperson, Dave Garcelon, reports that no
resolutions were received by the 15 August 1993 deadline. Therefore, no resolutions will be considered at the
November 1993 business meeting. Complete copies of the revised by-laws will appear in the next version of The
Kettle .

This fall, the membership will vote on four open directorships (eastern, international, and 2 directors-at-
large). A call for nominations was sent out, and the Nominations Committee has prepared an interesting and
exciting slate of nominees. Ballots will be mailed in September, with a voting deadline of 15 October. All
members are encouraged to participate in this important vote. Results will be announced at the November
meeting.

THE RAPTOR RESEARCH

FOUNDATION, INC.

(FOUNDED 1966)

PRESIDENT: Richard J. Clark

SECRETARY: Betsy Hancock

VICE-PRESIDENT: Michael W. Collopy

TREASURER: Jim Fitzpatrick

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EASTERN DIRECTOR: Keith L. Bildstein

DIRECTOR AT LARGE #1

Michael W. Collopy

CENTRAL DIRECTOR: Thomas Nicholls

DIRECTOR AT LARGE #2

Robert E. Ken ward

CANADIAN DIRECTOR: Paul C. James

DIRECTOR AT LARGE #3

Jeffrey L. Lincer

MOUNTAIN & PACIFIC DIRECTOR: Karen Steenhof

DIRECTOR AT LARGE #4

Josef Schmutz

DIRECTOR AT LARGE #5

Paul F. Steblein

DIRECTOR AT LARGE #6

Gary E. Duke

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR #1: Fabian M. Jaksic

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR #2: Isabel Bellocq

The Wingspan is distributed twice a year to all RRF members. It is also available to non-members for a subscription rate of $10 per year.
The Journal of Raplor Research (ISSN 0892-1016) is published quarterly and available to individuals for $24.00 per year and to libraries and
institutions for $30.00 per year from The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc., 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings, Minnesota 55033, U.S.A. Add
$3 for destinations outside of the continental United States.

Persons interested in predatory birds are invited to join The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. Send requests for information concerning
membership, subscriptions, special publications, or change of address to Jim Fitzpatrick, Treasurer, 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings, Minnesota
55033, U.S.A.

2

: ■ SEPTEMBER 1993

ARE SHRIKES AMD RAVENS RAPTORS?

O GUEST OPINION Q .

Since the incorporation of the Raptor Research Foundation in 1966, confusion has existed regarding which species
of birds are embraced by the Foundation. Members of the Orders Falconiformes and Strigiformes, for instance, were
readily considered "raptors,'' but the status of other predatory species, such as certain members of the Order
Passeriformes (e.g., shrikes and ravens), has remained ambiguous.

This ambiguity has never been formally addressed by the Foundation, resulting in potential missed opportunities
for interactions with researchers studying species that may provide important insight into management of raptorial birds
in general. During my years of submitting research papers on common ravens to the Foundation’s annual meetings, I
received mixed responses. In 1984 and 1987, I presented papers at the meetings in Blacksburg, Virginia, and in Boise,
Idaho, respectively; acceptance of my papers for inclusion in these meetings was uncontested. However, recently, my
paper was initially rejected from inclusion in the 1992 meetings in Bellevue, Washington, on the grounds that the raven
was not a raptor. After contesting this decision, and pointing out that raven papers had been presented at annual
meetings in the past, the decision was overturned, and my paper was accepted,

Experiences such as the above, demonstrate the need for the Foundation to better define what species it considers
to be raptors to eliminate confusion among contributors to the annual meetings and The Journal of Raptor Research and
to more efficiently and effectively attain the Foundation’s goals. In Article I, Section 2, of the current bylaws, the stated
purpose of the Foundation is "to stimulate the dissemination of information concerning raptorial birds among interested
persons worldwide and to promote a better public understanding and appreciation of the value of birds of prey." In
Article VIII, Section 5, the Foundation is said to "develop and distribute Resolutions regarding scientific, conservation,
and educational issues involving raptors and other natural resources." Achieving such goals requires a clear
understanding of the Foundation’s more basic reason for existence.

Two of the main benefits of forming a specialized ornithological organization such as the Raptor Research
Foundation, Incorporated include providing a forum for researchers to exchange information on current research
techniques that are applicable among the select group of species and to concentrate efforts to support a group of species
that is affected similarly by certain environmental conditions. In fact, one of the primary motivations for originally
forming the Foundation was to respond to the impacts on raptors of the use of persistent agricultural chemicals.

Thus, in order for the Foundation to achieve its stated purpose and to maximize the benefits to the scientific
community of forming such a specialized organization, I suggest that the selection of birds to be embraced by the
Foundation not be based on taxonomic or morphological criteria, but on behavioral and ecological grounds. The term
"raptor" or "bird of prey" distinguishes a distinct ecological role for a particular avian species that functions at the top
of the food chain by killing or scavenging other animals to obtain food. Some birds, such as ravens, straddle different
levels in the food chain, serving as both primary and secondary consumers. Nevertheless, ravens tend to function at
the top of the food chain, and thus they often interact or compete with other raptors for the same resources.

I further suggest that once a resolution is reached, those species acknowledged as raptors by the Foundation be stated
clearly in the guidelines for authors contributing to The Journal of Raptor Research and in the Call for Papers for the
annual meetings to eliminate confusion and to attract other important research that is relevant to the overall management
and conservation of raptorial birds.

Kathleen A. Engel, M.S.

WINGSPAN

ORGANIZATION

HAWKWATCH INTERNATIONAL

HawkWatch
International
(HWI), a nonprofit,
member - based
group, was founded
in 1986 to address
a critical need for
basic information
on raptor popula-
tion trends and migration patterns in

western North America. HWI currently
oversees nine fly way projects in six western
states and Mexico. At each site

standardized, daily, season-long counts are
conducted to assess regional trends in
migratory populations of 15 raptor species.
In addition, at three locations (two in New
Mexico and one in Nevada) large scale, all-
volunteer crews capture and band as many
of the migrants as possible to learn more
about the birds’ migratory habits and
mortality factors.

In addition to the field studies, HWI also
conducts an ambitious public education
program. Injured, nonreleasable hawks
augment HWI’s informative slideshows to
emphasize raptors’ ecological role in natural
communities. Student interns and

volunteers work cooperatively to reach over
20,000 youth each year.

To date, HWI has captured and banded
over 22,000 raptors (with over 20,000 of
these in the Goshutes of eastern Nevada).
Goshute-banded birds have been found
from Alaska’s North Slope to Chiapas,
Mexico, and from Puget Sound to
southeastern New Mexico. Encounter rates
are 0.7% overall, with over half coming
from western Mexico. Clusters of Goshute-
banded birds have been found in northern
Sinaloa, near the Gulf of California coast.
Immature birds are most often found dead
in fall and winter, whereas adults are more
frequently found in spring. Eastern
Washington and southern British Columbia
are "hotspots" for recoveries to the north of
the Goshutes. In the 13 -year history of the
Goshute Project, only 25 birds banded in
the Goshutes have been recaptured in
subsequent years. This suggests a broad,
widely dispersed flyway. The Goshute data
has also yielded the Cooper’s hawk
longevity record: 12.7 years!

HWI’s count information from four loca-
tions (Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico) was

SEPTEMBER 1993

OFILE

recently summarized in a report to the U.S
Fish and Wildlife Service; "Patterns and
Recent Trends of Migrant Hawks in
Western North America." Findings
included: 1) a significant positive

relationship between counts and the number
of observers; 2) no statistical correlation
between weekend visitors and the
hawkcounts; and 3) no statistical
relationship between observer experience
and the number of hawks detected. Counts
were adjusted to account for the observer
effect, and three statistical techniques were
used to analyze the data for trends.

This preliminary analysis revealed no
obvious trend for most species. However,
the counts for four species did suggest a
trend. Osprey and turkey vulture counts
showed a statistical increase at two of four
sites. In contrast, counts of northern
goshawks and golden eagles demonstrated
statistical decreases at three of the four
sites. These analyses include data taken
from 1977 to 1991, and the re-analysis with
updated information through 1993 is in
process. More recent data indicates the
continuation of positive trends in vultures
and osprey, but both eagle and goshawk
numbers have rebounded the last two years.
A few more years of standardized counts
are needed before long term population
trends can be established with confidence.

New research plans
are being developed
to investigate the
migration patterns
of goshawks and
golden eagles, and
to test the validity
of using hawk
counts as a method
for assessing large scale changes in raptor
breeding populations.

Funding for Hawk Watch International has
come from a variety of sources, including
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New
Mexico Department of Game and Fish (as
well as comparable agencies in Washington,
Oregon, and Utah), U.S. Forest Service,
U.S. Bureau of Land Management, National
Audubon Society - George Whittell -
Nevada Environment Fund, and several
local Audubon chapters, National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation, several mining
companies, and the individual members and
supporters of HWI. Memberships begin at
$25 a year; members receive HawkWatch
International’s quarterly publication,
"Raptor Watch," and discounts on books
and other merchandise. For more infor-
mation contact; HawkWatch International,
P.O. Box 660 , Salt Lake City, UT 84110,
(801) 524-8511, or P.O. Box 35706,
Albuquerque, NM 87176, (505) 255-7622.

WINGSPAN

UPCOMING MEETINGS,
SEMINARS, &
WORKSHOPS

1993

1994

SEPTEMBER 11-15

1ST EUROPEAN MEETING OF THE RAPTOR
RESEARCH FOUNDATION.

Canterbury, England

Contact: Dr, Mike Nicholls, Christ Church College,
North Holmes Road, Canterbury, Kent, CTIJQU,
England

SEPTEMBER 13-14

INTEGRATING TIMBER AND WILDLIFE ON
FORESTED LANDS
Portland, Oregon

Contact: Western Forestry and Consenation

Association, 4033 SW Canyon Rd., Portland, OR
97221 (503-226-4562)

OCTOBER 10 -13

SOUTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND
WILDLIFE AGENCIES
Atlanta, Georgia

Contact: Timmy B. Hess, Georgia Dept , Natural

Resources, 205 Butler St. S.E., Suite 1362, Atlanta,
Georgia
(404-656-3524)

NOVEMBER 3 - 6

RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION MEETING
Charlotte, North Carolina

Contact: Robert S. Gefaell, Carolina Raptor
Center, P.O, Box 16443, Charlotte, NC 28297
(704-875-6521)

MARCH 18-23

59TH NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
CONFERENCE
Anchorage, Alaska

JUNE 21 - 26

THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION,
THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY,
and THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
1994 ANNUAL MEETINGS, HELD JOINTLY
Missoula, Montana

Contact: Dr. James Kushlan, Program Coordinator,
Dept, of Biolog)>, Univ. of Mississippi, University,
MS 38677

JULY 24 -30

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY
Seattle, Washington

Contact: James C. Ha, Regional Primate Research
Center, Univ. of Washington, 1-421 Health Sicences
Bldg., Seattle, WA 98195

AUGUST 21 - 27

XXI INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL

CONGRESS

Vienna, Austria

Contact: Interconvention, A-1450, Vienna, Austria.

SEPTEMBER 1993

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ATTENTION: ALL WINGSPAN SUBSCRIBERS: The Post Office does not forward third class

mail. If you have moved and wish to continue receiving THE WINGSPAN,) please notify Jim
Fitzpatrick, RRF Treasurer, of your address change. JinEs address is: 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings,
Minnesota 55033.

wMmmMSEmsgm positions ■

AVAILABLE

A FIELD ASSISTANT is needed for behavioral and
environmental toxicology research of breeding
Great-horned Owls in Colorado. This research will
involve live-trapping Great-horned Owls and their
prey, tracking owls with radio telemetry, collecting
blood and tissue samples for contaminant analysis,
and monitoring owl behavioral activities. The field
assistant will need to work from January through
May under diverse weather conditions and work
hours. Salary will be $800 per month. Previous
experience with radio telemetry, raptor trapping and
handling, or tissue collecting is advantageous.
Applicants should send vitae, letter of interest, and
3 letters of recommendation by 1 October 1993 to:
Tom Sproat, Dept, of Range and Wildlife
Management, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX
79409; (806-742-2841; FAX 806-742-2280).

RAPTOR BANDING ASSISTANTS needed 15 Aug
to 31 Oct- 15 Nov for studies of raptor migration at
the Hawk Ridge Research Station, Duluth,
Minnesota. Assistants will participate in recording
observations, trapping, and banding of migrating
hawks and owls. Experience with banding and
mistnets necessary and raptor experience preferred.
Crude, cramped, but dry and functional housing
provided on-site. Late fall weather can assume very
wintery proportions. Stipend of $500-$700/mo.
depending on qualifications. Send brief resume and
names, addresses, and phone numbers of 2
references to DAVID L. EVANS, 2928 Greysolon
Rd, Duluth, MN 55812 (218-724-0261),

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR POSITION available
with small, ongoing project investigating raptor
distribution and use of a National Guard training
area and adjacent areas of the Snake River Birds of
Prey Area. Study 1 of the BLM/Idaho Army
National Guard Research Project is funded by the
Department of the Army, administered by the Raptor
Research Center at Boise State University, and is 1
of 5 studies in a 5 -year, multi-agency project
assessing the effects of military training and other
human activities on raptors, prey species, and habitat
in the SRBOPA.

Successful applicant must have strong quantitative
skills, with a background in statistics preferred; good
writing skills; ability to cooperate closely with
researchers from associated studies and other
agencies; and willingness to commit to the final 2
years of the project. M.S. or Ph.D. desired. Salary
$26,500+, commensurate with experience, with full
Boise State University benefits. Starting date as
close to l October 1993 as possible. Contact
Christine Watson, Study 1, 5666 W. Flying Hawk
Lane, Boise, ID 83709; phone (208-362-3871).

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE for HawkWatch
International in Salt Lake City. PhD required, soft
money position, $ 1 ,200/month, 6 month minimum
commitment. Position will continue with earned
grants. Responsibilities include development of
research grant proposals and scientific papers. Send
resume, references, and sample of published
manuscript(s) to Steve Hoffman, HawkWatch
International, Inc., P.O. Box 660, Salt Lake City, UT
84110,

WINGSPAN

FIELD ASSISTANTS (3) to assist in study of
Ferruginous Hawk winter ecology. Experience
radio-tracking or trapping raptors preferred. Must
have valid state driver’s license. One full-time, 1
Oct 93 - 31 Mar 94, $ 1,200/mo. Two part-time, 1
Nov 93 - 28 Feb 94, $7/hr -(30.hr/wk). Send letter
of interest, resume, and names, addresses and phone
numbers of three references to Dave _ Plimpton,
U.S.F.W.S., Rock y Mountain Arsenal Field Office,
Building 613, Commerce City, CO 80022-2180 .

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION available at the
Univ. of Nevada, Reno to participate in a field and
laboratory study of dispersal and genetic population
structure of Mexican Spotted Owls. Applicants
should be familiar with modern molecular genetic
techniques, including mtDNA sequencing and
microsatellite probes. The project is funded by NSF
and is part of a rapidly developing program at the
Univ. of Nevada, Reno in population and
conservation biology. The successful candidate will
be expected to participate in on-going studies and to
pursue his/her own research. Send CV, description
of previous laboratory and field experience, and
names of 3 references to Dr, Peter B, Stacey,
Program in EEC Biology, Univ, of Nevada, 1000
Valley Rd, Reno NV 89512 (702-784-1436).

Applications accepted until position filled. An
EO/AA Employer.

GRANTS

AVAILABLE

LESLIE BROWN MEMORIAL GRANT: In

memory of one of the most inspired and productive
raptor biologists of recent decades, the Raptor
Research Foundation announces the availability of
this grant, for up to $1,000, to provide financial
assistance to promote the research and/or the
dissemination of information on birds of prey.
Applicants must send a resume, specific study
objectives, an account of how funds will be spent,
and a statement indicating how the proposed work
would relate to other work by the applicant and to
other sources of funds. Proposals concerning

African raptors will receive highest priority among
proposals of otherwise equal merit, A complete
application must be received by Sep 15. Proposals,
donations, and inquiries about tax-exempt
contributions to the fund should be sent to DR.
JEFF LINCER, Chairman, RRF Leslie Brown
Memorial Fund, 9384 Hito Ct., San Diego, CA
92129.

publications'

AVAILABLE

• RAPTOR-LINK is the first newsletter of its kind
on Russian birds of prey and owls. Not only is it
the first newsletter ever to appear in Russia, but is
also bilingual (English-Russian) and is delivered to
both Russian and Western readers simultaneously.
This newsletter has been launched to encourage
raptor research in the former USSR and bring
together Russian and Western ornithologists. The
newsletter will continue to focus on: Birds of prey
and owl distribution and ecology in the former
USSR; their migration; biology and conservation of
birds of prey and owls in the former USSR; and
expeditions and current studies of raptors within the
former USSR. Raptor-Link is an independent
periodical (3 issues per year) edited and run by
Eugene Potapov for the Russian Working Group on
Birds of Prey as well as both professional and
amateur ornithologists worldwide. Financial
assistance for Russian subscribers has been provided
by the Peregrine Fund, Three issues of Raptor-Link
will be published in 1993, priced (Pounds sterling
only) £5 (UK); £6,50 (Europe), £8 (elsewhere). All
correspondence should be addressed to EUGENE
POTAPOV, c/o Edward Grey> Institute for Field
Ornitholog}!, Dept, of Zoolog y, South Parks Road,
Oxford, OX1 3 PS, UK (phone 0865-271133; fax
0865-310447; e-mail Potapov @vax. ox.ac.uk).
E-mail contributions welcomed.

m FALCONS RETURN; RESTORING AN
ENDANDERED SPECIES by John Kaufman and
Heinz Meng. Revised second edition 1992. 132 pp.;
107 illustrations. ISBN: 0-88092-027-0. $20 + $3
shipping. Available from Peregrine Falcon
Foundation, 10 Joalyn Road, New Paltz, NY 12561.

SEPTEMBER 1993

• RAPTOR MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

MANUAL , 1987 by M.N. LeFranc, B.A.G.

Pendleton, K.W. Kline, and D.M. Bird, eds. The
Manual, written by raptor authorities with practical
experience, includes 19 chapters on field research
techniques. It has author and subject indexes, and
a foreword by John J. Craighead. It is a valuable
techniques guide for wildlife and land managers,
consultants, landowners, university faculty, and
students. The manual has been designed in a
modular format and packaged in a three-ring binder
for easy use both in the field and office. Call
National Wildlife Federation TOLL FREE 1-800-
432-6564, 9 a an. to 11 p.m. Eastern time , Monday
through Saturday and ask for Item #79780. Cost:
$30.00 plus shipping and handling.

• RAPTOR BIOMEDICINE , ed. by P Redig, et
al. 1993. 288 pp, 59 tables, 72 b&w photos, 60
line illus., ISBN 0-8166-2219-1, cloth $39.95. Univ.
of Minnesota Press, 2037 University Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55455-3092.

=5SS5g^ =^= NEWS OF

MEMBERS

• JIM BEDNARZ has accepted the position of
Wildlife Ecologist at Arkansas State Univ.
Beginning Aug, his address will be Dept, of
Biological Sciences, Arkansas State Univ., P.0. Box
599, State University, Arkansas 72467
(501-972-3082; fax 501-972-3827).

• C. STUART HOUSTON has received three
prestigious Canadian awards. He was invested as an
Officer of the Order of Canada in late April 1993.
He also received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit,
Saskatchewan’s highest honor, in November 1992.
He and his wife, Mary, were the first couple ever to
receive the Distinguished Canadian Award presented
by the University of Regina Seniors Group,
Incorporated, in May 1992.

• STEPHEN W. HOFFMAN and DIANN
MACRAE received the Maurice Broun Award, the

Hawk Migration Association of North America’s
highest award, for outstanding work on behalf of
hawk migration study and conservation, The award
was presented at the HMANA VI Conference in
Corpus Christi, TX, April 1993.

• DANIEL E. VARLAND moved from Ames,
Iowa where he had been teaching at Iowa State
University since receiving his doctorate there in
1991. Dan is now working as wildlife biologist for
ITT Rayonier, Inc., a private timber company on
Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. His new address
is: ITT Rayonier, Inc., Northwest Forest Resources,
P.O. Box 200, Hoquiam, Washington 98550,
Phone: ( 206-533-7000 ; FAX: 206-532-5426).

REQUESTS FOR
INFORMATION

• WANTED: CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM: Bill
Clark and Brian Wheeler are revising Hawks , the
Peterson series raptor field guide, and would
welcome any constructive criticism on the original
edition. Send these to Clark, 4554 Shetland Green
Road, Alexandria, VA 22312, They have three years
to revise the text and illustrations, including the
addition of seven new color plates and a color photo
sections.

• FALCON BANDERS: On 23 October 1992,

local office workers observed a color banded raptor,
we assumed to be a Peregrine Falcon. The color
band, on the right leg was dark, probably black, and
had 96R written in white. The bird was seen for a
month and was seen eating pigeons on the window
ledges (23 -24th floors). If you believe that this is
your bird, please contact me and I will send you the
detailed notes taken by the observers. Dr. James L.
Ingold, Department of Biological Sciences, One
University Place, Shreveport, LA 71115 (318-797-
5236).

• COOPER’S HAWK NESTING SITES
WANTED in Georgia. I would be interested in any
information on active or inactive nesting sites for
inclusion in a study of the ecology of this species in

WINGSPAN

Georgia. I am also interested in obtaining taped
vocalizations of the Cooper’s Hawk, as well as the
Great Horned Owl to aid in locating specific nesting
sites. If you have any information, please contact
DOUG L. HOWELL, D.B., Warned School of Forest
Resources, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA
30602-2152 (706-542-2686),

m FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL information is
needed for USFWS status reviews. The USFWS
published a finding that the listing of the Cactus
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl ( Glaucidium brasilianum
met arum) under the Endangered Species Act may
be warranted. The FWS has performed a status
review of the owl, but continues to seek additional
information on the species. They seek information
on 1 ) distribution, abundance and population trends;
2) habitat use, distribution, and trends; 3) the present
or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of its habitat or range; 4) overuse for
commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational
purposes; 5) disease or predation; 6) the inadequacy
of existing regulatory mechanisms; 7) other natural
or manmade factors affecting its continued
existence; and 8) beneficial management practices.
The FWS is maintaining a bibliography on the
Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, which is available
on request, Please contact TIMOTHY TIBBITTS,
US. Fish and Wildlife Sennce, 3616 West Thomas
Road, Suite 6, Phoenix, Arizona, 85019
(602-379-4720).

• NORTHERN SHRIKE WEIGHTS,
MEASUREMENTS, AND DESCRIPTIONS
WANTED for the Birds of North America project.
Would also like to know arrival/departure dates,
immature/mature ratios, predatory observations, and
habitat affinities in your area. All contributors will
be acknowledged and greatly appreciated!
Additionally, I am still interested in all known
FERRUGINOUS HAWK NESTS IN MONTANA
for a "Gap Analysis-type" project in conjunction
with the BLM and the Montana Natural Heritage
Program. Please, send information to ERIC
ATKINSON, 4980 E. Baseline Rd, Belgrade, MT
59714 (406-587-0595).

• For the past 8 autumns, sightings of 15 species of
raptors including golden eagle, bald eagle and
peregrine falcon have been documented from a fire
tower located on Bald Eagle Ridge in central
Pennsylvania. This ridge, which is reported to have
one of the three highest concentrations of golden
eagles in the East, is threatened by Penna. Dept, of
Transportation plans to construct a four-lane
highway along its crest for approximately 1 1 miles.
Presumably, the high autumn raptor concentrations
would be at risk of higher mortality from vehicular
collisions and loss of roost sites. Birds may veer off
ridge with the new highway disturbance. Anyone
with related information valuable for the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement such as
documentation on ridge mortality, citations, written
testimony or some facts on changes to the thermals
is urged to contact Dr. Michael McCarthy, PSU,
Shaver's Creek Raptor Center, 203 S. Henderson
Building, University Park, PA 16802-6505. Phone
(814-863-2000 or Fax 814-865-2706).

m SHORT-TAILED HAWK (Buteo brachyurus)
data are needed for the Birds of North America
account. I would appreciate any unpublished reports
of personal observations of the species distribution
and abundance; sightings from the Florida Keys, the
Yucatan peninsula, and the Gulf coast of Mexico are
especially needed; sightings of flocks of migrating
hawks especially helpful. Contact Karl Miller,
Dept, of Wildlife & Range Science, 118 Newins-
Ziegler Hall, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL
32611 (904-392-4851 or 904-377-5940; FAX 904-
392-6984).

• NORTHERN HAWK OWL INFORMATION is
needed for the Birds of North America review of
this species. Surprisingly few data exist in the
published form, other than scattered records dealing
with the first sighting for an area, state or province.
Any information on behavior, food, breeding,
movements, measurements, concentrations of birds,
etc., would be most valuable, and fully
acknowledged in the final account. Patricia and Dr,
James R. Duncan, Box 201, Craven, KS SOG OWO,
Canada (306-731-2600; FAX 306-787-2400).

0 io I

SEPTEMBER 1993

NEWS ABOUT RAPTORS

# THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE HAS ISSUED GUIDELINES that eliminate clear-cutting and
old-growth harvest in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range of the California Spotted Owl. The service will
cut no trees more than 30 inches in diameter, reducing timber harvest about 50 percent. The move
precedes the species being listed as threatened.

• ONE OF THE LARGEST RAPTOR MIGRATIONS IN THE WORLD, 2.5 million birds, was
documented in Veracruz, Mexico last fall by a team from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, HawkWatch
International, and the Mexican conservation organization Ecosfera. The astounding migration included
more than 900,000 Broad-winged Hawks, 400,000 SwainsotTs Hawks, and one million Turkey Vultures,
putting Veracruz on the map with Eilat, Israel as a major migratory corridor.

• A CONSERVATION, ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE
FALCONIFORMES AND STRIGIFORMES. Via BirdLife International, IUCN is promoting the idea
of the creation of a world conservation action plan for birds of prey and owls. The principal aim is to
identify the problems and action needed for each and every species (or sub-species in some
circumstances) and collect them together in one source document for worldwide use. The proposal is
that the major groups join together in partnership to raise the resources to undertake the project. The
groups which appear to us to be in a position to join in are: BirdLife International, FIR, HOT, The
Peregrine Fund, RRF, and WWGBP. There is an opportunity to hold a workshop on the project at the
Raptor Research Foundation First European Meeting, in conjunction with the Hawk and Owl Trust
being held at the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK on 11-15 September 1993.

# STELLER’S SEA EAGLES, with a total population of about 7,000 birds, have a relatively small
breeding range in eastern Russia, and winter only as far south as northern Japan and China. Dr.
Eugeniy Lobkov, the chief ornithologist for the Kronotsky Nature Reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula,
has studied these eagles for many years. He has invited several biologists to join him in investigations
of the birds’ relative abundance and distribution, habitat use, and conservation measures that can be
applied for the eagles and other natural resources in the remote far east of Russia. Last year Mike
McGrady and Bernd-U. Meyburg worked with Lobkov and radio-tracked a fledgling south during its
migration (Meyburg, in press, Ibis). This year Mike was joined by Dave Garcelon, Phil Schempf, and
Mark Fuller, The former did surveys in the Magadan Nature Reserve, the latter in Kronotsky. Plans
include continued sampling throughout the breeding range and work with Japanese colleagues, including
Hajime Nakagawa to learn more of the population biology of this large, relatively unknown raptor.

WINGSPAN

SEPTEMBER 1993

RECENT : TH ES ES : : : O N ? ■ RA PIO RS

• BREEDING ECOLOGY OF TWO SPECIES OF FOREST FALCONS (MICRASTUR) IN NORTHEASTERN
GUATEMALA. R. Thorstrom. M.S. Thesis, Boise State University.

• ECOLOGY, HABITAT USE PATTERNS AND MANAGEMENT NEEDS OF SHORT-EARED OWLS AND
NORTHERN HARRIERS ON NANTUCKET ISLAND. Karen P. Combs-Beattie. M.S. Thesis, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst.

• THE ECOLOGY OF WINTERING GYRFALCONS (FALCO RUSTICOLUS) IN CENTRAL SOUTH
DAKOTA. Gonzalo H. Sanchez. M.S. Thesis, Boise State University.

WINGSPAN CONTRIBUTIONS

The Wingspan editorial staff welcomes contributions from RRF members and others interested in raptor
biology and management. Announcements of job openings, grants, meetings, and available publications
as well as news of members and requests for information should be sent or faxed to Karen Steenhof, Editor,
RRTAC, 3948 Development Avenue, Boise, Idaho 83705 (FAX 208-384-3493). The deadline for the next
newsletter will be 5 Februaiy 1994. If you intend to submit more than a paragraph, please notify the editor
by 15 January so that space can be reserved.

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