SLL- 4v3 694 33 \R-X> Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL. 25, No. 3 August 1997 Pages 85-116 FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Founded 1972 Officers President: Reed BOWMAN, Archbold Biological Station, P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, Florida 33862. Vice-President: Jan WOOLFENDEN, Archbold Biological Station, P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, Florida 33862. Secretary: JOE BEARDEN, 10299 Windswept Place, Boca Raton, Florida 33498. Treasurer: VAUGHN MORRISON, 3234-A 40th Way S., St. Petersburg, Florida 33711. Editor of the Florida Field Naturalist: R. Todd ENGSTROM, Tall Timbers Research Station, Rt. 1 Box 678, Tallahassee, Florida 32312-9712. Ex Officio: Immediate Past President: BRUCE H. ANDERSON, 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792. Directors, Terms Expiring in 1997 Gail Parsons, 14346 Wadsworth Dr., Odessa, Florida 33556. DAVE Maehr, Wilkinson and Associates, Inc., 3506 Exchange Avenue, Naples, Florida 33942. Directors, Terms Expiring in 1998 Bobbie Kittleson, 5334 Woodhaven Lane, Lakeland, Florida 33813. ERIC D. Stolen, 2612 Adela Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32826. Directors, Terms Expiring in 1999 Lynn Atherton, 1100 Pinellas Bayway 1-3, Tierra Verde, Florida 33715. Eugene Stoccardo, 2458 Econ Cir. Apt. 132, Orlando, Florida 32817-2653. Honorary Memberships Samuel A. Grimes 1979, Helen G. Cruickshank 1980; Oliver L. Austin, Jr. 1982; Pierce Brodkorb 1982; William B. Robertson, Jr. 1992; Glen E. Woolfenden, 1994. All persons interested in Florida’s natural history, particularly its abundant bird life, are invited to join the Florida Ornithological Society by writing the Treasurer. Annual membership dues are $15 for individual members (overseas $20), $20 for a family mem- bership, $10 for students, and $35 for contributing members. All members receive the Florida Field Naturalist and the newsletter. Subscription price for institutions and non-members is $20 per year. Back issues ($3.00 per issue) are available, prepaid, from the Treasurer. Notice of change of address, claims for undelivered or defective copies of this journal, and requests for information about advertising and subscriptions should be sent to the Treasurer. The Florida Field Naturalist is published quarterly (February, May, August, and November) by the Florida Ornithological Society. It is printed by E. O. Painter Printing Co., P.O. Box 877, DeLeon Springs, Florida 32130. The permanent address of the Florida Ornithological Society is Department of Ornithology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611. THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON NEUTRAL PH PAPER Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Vol. 25, No. 3 August 1997 Pages 85-116 Florida Field Nat. 25(3):85-91, 1997. DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF LEAST TERN NESTING COLONIES IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA Ricardo Zambrano1, Mark S. Robson1, Dawn Y. Charnetzky1, and Henry T. Smith2 Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission 551 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Florida 33415 2Florida Department of Environmental Protection Florida Park Service, 13798 S.E. Federal Highway Hohe Sound, Florida 33455 Abstract.— Six counties in southeast Florida were surveyed for nesting Least Terns C Sterna antillarum ) in 1995. Previously documented sites were reexamined and loca- tions of new sites were obtained from other wildlife agencies and organizations or by field observations by the authors. Of 46 sites surveyed, 29 were active and contained a mini- mum estimate of 1,437 breeding pairs. Ninety-three percent of the colonies were on gravel-and-tar roofs and 7% were on natural ground-nesting habitat. Seventeen (65%) previously documented sites were no longer active; however, 20 new sites were found. Construction, human disturbance and roof repairs were suspected causes of abandon- ment for some of these colonies. Our findings suggest that the Least Tern population in southeast Florida has increased since last surveyed. However, increasing use of plastic polymer roofs unsuitable for nesting and continuing loss of suitable ground-nesting hab- itat due to beach front development and human recreation are clear threats to the popu- lation. Surveys should be conducted more frequently in order to monitor population trends effectively. Historically, in Florida and throughout their breeding range, Least Terns ( Sterna antillarum ) nested on open, mainland or barrier island beaches covered with a coarse substrate of sand, shells or small stones (Clapp et ah 1983, Spendelow and Patton 1988). Unfortunately, the in- crease in beach front development and human recreational activity in Florida has reduced suitable ground-nesting habitat for terns. More than 75 percent of Florida’s human population now lives in a coastal county Additionally, the state receives about 39 million visitors each year (Duda 1987). The infrastructure built to accommodate both resi- dents and tourists often conflicts with Least Tern breeding habitat. 85 86 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Terns will readily abandon sites which fail due to habitat loss and hu- man disturbance (Burger 1984). Perhaps as a result. Least Terns have adapted to nesting on artificial/man-made substrates such as dredge- material islands and gravel-and-tar roofs (Downing 1973, Fisk 1978, Hovis and Robson 1989, Gore and Kinnison 1993). These factors con- tributed to the listing of -the Least Tern as a threatened species in Flor- ida in 1975 and have spurred recent surveys of nesting colonies. Surveys have been conducted in the Panhandle area (Gore 1991), cen- tral Florida (J. Hovis unpubl. data), and the Florida Keys (Kushlan and White 1985, Hovis and Robson 1989). In 1987, 37 colonies contain- ing >889 breeding pairs were located from Key Largo to Key West (Ho- vis and Robson 1989). In northwest Florida (Gore 1991), 42 colonies containing ca. 2364 nests were found in 1990, and 51 colonies contain- ing ca. 1660 nests were found in 1993 in northeast Florida (J. Hovis u.n - publ. data), but comparatively few data have been collected on Least Tern colonies in southeast Florida. Downing (1973) and Fisk (1978) in- cluded southeast Florida in their surveys but their lists of colonies were not comprehensive, and we know of no recent surveys in this area. The objectives of this survey were to (1) visit historical and new nesting colonies of Least Terns in southeast Florida, (2) determine col- ony status, substrate type and number of breeding pairs, and (3) assess possible causes of colony abandonment. Study Akea and Methods The study area encompassed the coast from Indian River County through Dade County. In general, areas west of the coastal ridge were not surveyed. All coastal sites where terns were known to have bred in previous years were visited. The majority of the sites surveyed were gravel-and-tar roofs on commercial buildings, condominiums, and schools. Ground-nesting colonies were located on dredge-material sites, coral rock is- lands, and beaches. An initial list of sites was compiled from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission’s (Commission) statewide Wildlife Occurrence Database (Runde and Rey- nolds 1990). This database contains information on Least Tern nesting sites documented between 1981 and 1992 by Commission biologists, other wildlife and conservation agen- cies, and the general public. New or previously undocumented sites were added to this list by contacting federal, state, and county biologists in the study area. Local chapters of the Audubon Society as well as the authors’ own field observations also contributed to the list of sites. Locations obtained from the Commission database were considered as previously documented, whereas all others were considered new. New locations are not necessarily recently colonized sites, just sites new to the database. Due to time limita- tions, potential ground and roof sites were not surveyed. Fieldwork was conducted from 15 May to 26 June 1995. To minimize the possibility of double-counting colonies that might have failed and moved, counties were generally sur- veyed from north to south with field work lasting less than two weeks in each county. Sites were visited only once. Surveys were conducted in the morning or late afternoon to minimize heat stress to eggs and chicks in case adults were flushed. On roof sites, access was requested from the management or owner of the building; if access was refused the site was observed from an adjacent roof with spotting scopes. Nesting activity was ob- Zambrano et al. • Least Terns in Southeast Florida 87 served from the edge of the colony with binoculars to minimize disturbance. Each loca- tion was then recorded as an active or inactive nesting site. Active sites were those which contained terns in incubating posture and/or eggs or flightless young. Breeding pairs were estimated by counting adult terns in incubating posture (i.e., one incubating tern equals one breeding pair). In instances where adults flushed, we delayed counts until birds returned to incubating posture. If Least Terns were not present on the survey date, the site was recorded as inactive. Land or building managers were then questioned on the history of the site to determine possible causes for abandonment. Latitude and longitude of new sites were determined with either a portable Geo- graphic Positioning System (GPS) receiver or a computer mapping program (Atlas Pro, Strategic Mapping, Inc. 1992). Coordinates of previously documented nesting sites were taken directly from the Wildlife Occurrence Database. Results New locations obtained from the above sources which were vacant on the survey date were discarded. Only those locations (n= 46) which contained Least Terns, or had a history of occupation, were used in our analysis (Appendix 1). An estimate of >1,437 breeding pairs was re- corded in 29 active colonies (Figure 1). Ninety-three percent (n= 27) of these colonies were located on roofs and only 7% were on natural ground-nesting substrate (beach or coral rock). Twenty-six (57%) of the sites used in the analysis were previously documented; of these, seven- teen (65%) were inactive (Figure 1) and presumed abandoned. In con- trast, 20 new active sites were recorded. It is unlikely that inactive sites were colonized later on, at least for this year, since the earliest survey date was in mid-May and terns usually arrive at their nesting sites by early to mid-April. Reasons behind the apparent abandonment of these sites vary. Robson and Zambrano (pers. obs.) noted that construction eliminated tern nesting habitat at a previously documented colony in Broward County At Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area in Indian River County, a combination of encroaching vegetation and human traffic probably discouraged nesting (E. Egensteiner pers. commun.). Also, some abandoned sites were subjected to roof repair or air-conditioning work around the time terns usually begin arriving. Discussion Gravel-and-tar roofs are not always a suitable alternative to natu- ral ground-nesting habitat. Modern technology could soon make gravel-and-tar roofs obsolete. As they age, it is becoming more common for gravel-and-tar roofs to be replaced with a plastic polymer material with no gravel cover that renders them unsuitable for nesting (Gore and Kinnison 1993). None of the abandoned sites in this survey had undergone re-roofing; however, some building owners who consider Least Terns a nuisance reported they are contemplating changing to 88 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Figure 1. Distribution of least tern nesting colonies in southeast Florida* 15 May - 26 June 1995. plastic roofs. While the number of available gravel roofs and the rate at which they are being converted is not known* the enormous shift from ground colonies to roofs in southeast Florida leads to concerns regard- ing the availability of nesting habitat in the future. When Downing (1973) first surveyed the area* all Least Tern colonies found were on ground dredge-material sites. Fisk (1978) later reported 21% of the col- onies on the entire Florida Atlantic coast were on roofs. Eighteen years later* we find the majority (93%) of the colonies in coastal southeast Florida are on roofs. By comparison* 14 of 37 colonies (38%) in the Flor- ida Keys (Hovis and Robson 1989)* 24 of 42 colonies (57%) in northwest Florida (Gore 1991)* and 38 of 51 colonies (75%) in northeast Florida (J. Hovis unpubl. data) were on roofs. Despite this shift in occupied nesting habitat* the number of breed- ing pairs seems to be increasing. Downing (1973) reported 195 breed- ing pairs in southeast Florida* which is only 14% of the number found Zambrano et al. • Least Terns in Southeast Florida 89 in this study. Apparent increases in Least Tern numbers have also been reported in northwest Florida (Gore 1991) and the Keys (Hovis and Robson 1989). However, given the large gap in time between studies and the lack of recent surveys throughout Florida, we concur with Gore (1991) that population trends can only be determined through more frequent and intensive surveys. Acknowledgments This study would not have been possible without the cooperation of the many agen- cies and individuals who provided us with the locations of new nesting sites. We are also grateful to all those individuals and businesses who allowed us access to their building roofs. Todd Engstrom, Jeff Gore, Julie Hovis, and an anonymous reviewer provided help- ful comments on early drafts of the manuscript. This survey was supported by the Non- game Wildlife Trust Fund. Literature Cited BURGER, J. 1984. Colony stability in Least Terns. Condor 86:61-67. Clapp, R. B., D. MORGAN-JACOBS, and R. C. Banks. 1983. Marine birds of the southeast- ern United States and Gulf of Mexico. Part III. Charadriiformes. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., FWS/OBS-83/30, Washington, D.C. Duda, M. D. 1987. Floridians and wildlife: Sociological implications for wildlife conser- vation in Florida. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Comm. Nongame Wildl. Prog. Tech. Rept. Tallahassee. No. 2. DOWNING, R. L. 1973. A preliminary nesting survey of Least Terns and Black Skimmers in the East. Amer. Birds 27:946-949. FISK, E. J. 1978. Roof-nesting terns, skimmers, and plovers in Florida. Florida Field Nat. 6:1-8. GORE, J. A. 1991. Distribution and abundance of nesting Least Terns and Black Skim- mers in northwest Florida. Florida Field Nat. 19:65-96. GORE, J. A., AND M. J. Kinnison. 1993. Hatching success in roof and ground colonies of Least Terns. Condor 93:759-762. HOVIS, J. A., AND M. S. Robson. 1989. Breeding status and distribution of the Least Tern in the Florida Keys. Florida Field Nat. 17:61-66. KUSH LAN, J. A., AND D. A. White. 1985. Least and Roseate Tern nesting sites in the Flor- ida Keys. Florida Field Nat. 13:98-99. RUNDE, D. E., AND G. E. REYNOLDS. 1990. Florida wildlife observation system user man- ual. Florida. Game and Fresh Water Fish Comm., Nongame Wildl. Prog., Tallahassee. SPENDELOW, J. A., AND S. R. Patton. 1988. National atlas of coastal waterbird colonies in the contiguous United States: 1976-82. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 88(5), Washington, D.C. STRATEGIC Mapping Inc. 1992. AtlasPro, Geographic Data Analysis and Presentation. Santa Clara, California. Appendix 1. Estimated number of Least Tern breeding pairs in southeast Florida, 15 May - 26 June 1995. 90 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST bo m d © © © © © _d m> > © © © © © © > © © © © © © © © © © © Sh PQ cd '■+3 o o © .£ > p o > P £ > cd cd cd 4J ‘d ‘p ■p p p © P P P © P P P P P P 02 d d a £ < © < © < © < © < © < jd © <3 © < © d © < © < < < © < © be +5 d d • d sh 43 -U in m © ,£2 £ 3 GO be • S CO r© b © ca £ P. 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(Continued) Estimated number of Least Tern breeding pairs in southeast Florida, 15 May - 26 June 1995. 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Florida Field Nat. 25(3):92-97, 1997. BLACK BEAR FOOD HABITS IN THE LOWER WEKIVA RIVER BASIN OF CENTRAL FLORIDA Jayde C. Roof Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 4005 S. Main Street Gainesville, Florida 32601 Abstract. — Food habits of black bears ( Ursus americanus floridanus ) in the Lower Wekiva River Basin in Central Florida were determined by analysis of 676 scats col- lected from October 1993 through December 1995. Acorns ( Quercus spp.), saw palmetto (. Serenoa repens) hearts and fruit, sabal palm ( Sabal palmetto ) hearts and fruit, walking sticks ( Anisomorpha huprestoides), blueberries ( Vaccinium spp.), tupelo ( Nyssa biflora) fruit, bessie bugs ( Odontotaenius disjunctus) and carpenter ants ( Campanotus florida- nus) were among the most frequently eaten foods. Food habits were affected by seasonal and annual variation in food availability. Land management for bears should enhance or preserve habitat diversity that promotes production of preferred foods. The black bear has been eliminated from about 83% of its historical range in Florida (Wooding 1993). It is listed as a threatened species by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (Maehr and Wooding 1992) and is a candidate for federal listing as a threatened species (Bentzien 1991). The central Florida bear population, which in- cludes the Lower Wekiva River Basin, is one of the largest of the eight extant populations in the state (Wooding 1993). The only information available on food habits of bears in this population are from 13 stom- achs examined by Harlow (1961) and a small number of scats reported by Maehr (1984). This paper describes black bear food habits in the Lower Wekiva River Basin for land managers to consider the impacts of habitat manipulation and land use practices on important bear foods. Study Area and Methods The study was conducted in the Lower Wekiva River Basin located in Orange, Lake, and Seminole counties. The diverse habitats of this area, including hardwood swamps, pine ( Pinus spp.) flatwoods, sandpine (P. clausa) scrubs, bay swamps, hardwood ham- mocks, creeks, ponds, sabal palm hammocks, and sandhills, are described by Hartman (1978). Fresh bear scats, identified by size, shape, or the presence of nearby bear tracks, were collected during routine field work October 1993 through December 1995 and stored in plastic bags until analyzed. Freshness was determined by moisture content and sharp- ness of features, and only scats that were considered to be less than one week old were collected. Each scat was processed by rinsing each one individually with water through a 1 mm mesh sieve. Food items were identified to species if possible using field guides and reference collections. 92 Roof • Central Florida Bear Foods 93 Relative frequency of foods was calculated by year and season (spring-summer: April- August, fall: September- January, winter: February-March ) . The seasons chosen reflected distinct shifts in diet and habitat use (Roof and Wooding 1996). Results and Discussion A total of 676 bear scats was collected and analyzed. At least 36 dif- ferent food items occurred a total of 1158 times (Table 1) for an average of 1.7 food items per scat. The most frequently eaten food items were acorns, saw palmetto hearts and fruit, sabal palm hearts and fruit, walk- ing sticks, blueberries, tupelo fruit, carpenter ants, and bessie bugs. Seasonal variation was observed in both the foods eaten and the number of scats found. During the spring-summer season, important foods were saw palmetto hearts, blueberries, carpenter ants, and sabal palm hearts (Table 1). White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus uirginianus ) re- mains were found most frequently during this season and may be a re- flection of an increase in availability due to fawning (Ozoga and Verme 1982). The most frequently occurring foods in bear scats in fall were acorns, walking sticks, and the fruits of palms and tupelo (Table 1). Acorns, a universally preferred fall food (Harlow 1961, Maehr and Brady 1984a), were available from live oak ( Quercus virginiana), sand live oak (Q. geminata), myrtle oak (Q. myrtifolia ), laurel oak ( Q . hemisphaerica ), water oak (Q. nigra), swamp laurel oak (Q. laurifolia), and turkey oak (Q. laevis). Acorns, various aquatic plants, and sabal palm hearts were important winter foods. These findings are consistent with other studies in the southeast- ern U.S. where seasonal shifts in food utilization were reported (Landers et. al. 1979, Maehr and Brady 1984a, Hellgren et al. 1989). In general, the diet is dominated by herbaceous matter in the spring, soft mast in the summer, and hard mast in the fall. Diet shifts generally corresponded to fruiting chronology and food availability. Food habits also varied annually. Small sample sizes precluded meaningful year-to-year comparisons for spring-summer and winter, however the relative frequency of some major fall food items varied considerably (Table 1). For example, acorns were found in 94% of scats collected in fall 1993, 33% of scats collected in fall 1994, and 91% of scats collected in fall 1995. A chi-square analysis of frequencies of fall acorn consumption showed no significant difference between 1993 and 1995 (%2=0.250, df=l, P= 0.617), but indicated a difference between 1993 and 1994 (x2=143.774, df= 1, P=0.001), and, between 1994 and 1995 (x2=75.946, df= 1, P=0.001). This mirrored my observations of lower acorn abundance in 1994 than in 1993 or 1995, although no quantitative measure was taken. Other researchers have found significant annual variation in black bear food use and availability. Landers et. al. (1979) found annual fall Table 1. Relative frequency (%) of foods in bear scats by season and year in the Lower Wekiva River Basin from October 1393 to December 1995. 34 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST -?f lO 03 eo 03 II ih se g 3 05 T* SC l> « lO eo ll e 03 lO 03 CO 03 I! th e ^ £2 T 1 - u II 03 eo co co eq CO LO CO tH 05 eq II s 05 al g S 3 m &D a ■c a m lO 05 CO 05 II ^ S2 05 05 Jl b H ^ H N V V ® n cd Cd t> 05 CO O 03 TH V V td & H o 1 April to August. September to January. For example, Fall 1993=September 1993 through January 1994. 3February to March. 4/i=nuxnber of scats. 90 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST food use varied greatly in eastern North Carolina. Noyce and Coy (1989) documented large fluctuations in abundance and productivity of bear foods in Minnesota. Maehr and Brady (1984a) found that Florida black bear food habits were positively correlated with food availability among years. Rogers (1976) found that such fluctuations affected sub- sequent reproductive performance. Because bears exploit different foods depending on the season, year and location (Maehr and Brady 1982,1984b), they benefit from a diverse habitat that allows alternative foods to be utilized if primary foods are reduced or unavailable (Pelton 1985, Mollohan and LeCount 1989, Maehr and Wooding 1992). Land management for bears should enhance or preserve natural habitat diversity to promote the produc- tion of preferred and alternative foods. Acknowledgments I wish to thank John Wooding for editing assistance; R. Todd Engstrom, David S. Maehr, and Eric C. Hellgren for reviewing assistance; Randy Cullom for help in collect- ing and analyzing scats; Jamie Collazo, Greg Altman, and Glen Datsun for help in col- lecting scats; Jason Roof for computer assistance; Steve Linda for statistical analysis; and my wife Diann Roof for allowing my long hours and piles of rinsed bear scats in our yard. Literature Cited Bentzien, M. M. 1991. Finding on a petition to list the Florida black bear as a threat- ened species. U.S. Dep. Ink, Fish and Wildlife Serv. Fed. Register. 56:590-600. COCHRAN, W. G. 1977. Sampling Techniques. John Wiley & Sons, Third Edition. HARLOW, R. F 1961. Characteristics and status of Florida black bear. Trans. North Am. Wildl. Nat. Resour. Com. 20:481-495. HARTMAN, B. J. 1978. Description of major terrestrial and wetland habitats of Florida. Pages xvi-xix in Rare and endangered biota of Florida. Volume II. Birds. H. W. Kale, II.(ed.). University Presses of Florida, Gainesville. Hellgren, E. C., M. R. Vaughan, and R. L. Kirkpatrick. 1989. Seasonal patterns in physiology and nutrition of black bears in Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia - North Carolina. Can. J. Zool. 67:1837-1849. Landers, J. L., R. J. Hamilton, A. S. Johnson, and R. L. Marchinton. 1979. Foods and habitat of black bears in southeastern North Carolina. J. Wildl. Manage. 43:143-153. MAEHR, D. S., AND J. R. Brady. 1982. Fall food habits of black bears in Baker and Colum- bia counties, Florida. Proc. Annu. Conf. S.E. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies 36:565- 570. MAEHR, D. S., AND J. R. Brady. 1984a. Food habits of Florida black bears. J. Wildl. Man- age. 48:230-235. Maehr, D. S., and J. R. Brady. 1984b. Comparison of food habits in two North Florida black bear populations. Florida Sci. 47(3): 17 1-175, MAEHR, D. S. 1984. The black bear as a seed disperser in Florida. Florida Field Nat. 12:40-42. MAEHR, D. S., and J. Wooding. 1992. Florida black bear. Ursus americanus floridanus. Pages 265-275 in Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida. Volume I. Mammals. (S. Humphrey, Ed.) University Presses of Florida, Gainesville. Roof • Central Florida Bear Foods 97 MOLLOHAN, C., AND A. LeCount. 1989. Problems of maintaining a viable black bear pop- ulation in a fragmented forest. Pages 149-159 in Multi-resource management of pon- derosa pine forests. A. Tecle, W. Covington, and R. Hamre. General Technical Report RM-185. U.S. Forest Service, Ft. Collins. NOYCE, K. V., AND P. L. Coy. 1989. Abundance and productivity of bear food species in different forest types of northcentral Minnesota. Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage. 8:169-181. OZOGA, J. J., AND L. J. VERME. 1982. Predation by black bears on newborn white-tailed deer. J. Mammal. 63(4):696-697. PELTON, M. R. 1985. Habitat needs of black bears in the east. Pages 49-53 in Wilderness and natural areas in the eastern United States: a management challenge. D. L. Kul- havy, and R. N. Conner, (eds.). Center for Applied Studies, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches. ROGERS, L. L. 1976. Effects of mast and berry crop failures on survival, growth, and re- productive success of black bears. Trans. N. Amer. Wildl. and Nat. Res. Conf. 41:431- 438. ROOF, J. C., AND J. B. WOODING. 1996. Evaluation of S.R. 46 Wildlife Crossing. Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, U.S. Biological Service, Technical Re- port #54. WOODING, J. B. 1993. Management of the black bear in Florida. Staff report to the com- missioners. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Comm. Tallahassee. The Florida Ornithological Society is Proud to Announce Special Publication No. 6 FLORIDA BIRD SPECIES: AN ANNOTATED LIST BY William B. Robertson, Jr. Glen E. Woolfenden The first complete and authoritative review of Florida’s avifauna since Arthur Howell’s 1932 Florida Bird Life . Treats over 660 species reported in the state. More than 140 species of non-native exotics. Essential for every- one interested in the modern status of Florida’s native and introduced birds. FOS Members Non-Members SOFT COVER $14.95 $17.95 HARD COVER $19.95 $22.95 All orders add $2.00 shipping and handling per book. Florida residents add 7% sales tax to the total. Make checks payable to Florida Ornithological Society. Mail to: F.O.S. SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS EDITOR ARCHBOLD BIOLOGICAL STATION P.O. BOX 2057 LAKE PLACID, FL 33862 98 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST NOTES Florida Field Nat. 25(3):98-100, 1997. OBSERVATIONS OF ROSEATE SPOONBILLS AND EVIDENCE OF BREEDING ON NORTH ANDROS ISLAND, BAHAMAS Michael E. Baltz Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 The Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) breeds from the coastal southern United States and Mexico to Argentina and Chile in South America (Palmer 1962). In the West Indies the species is known to breed in Cuba (Garrido and Garcia 1975), the Dominican Repub- lic (de Dod 1978), and Great Inagua in The Bahamas (Brudenell-Bruce 1975). Roseate Spoonbills, recorded on several other islands in the West Indies, including Andros Island, Bahamas (Bond 1968, Norton 1991), Anegada, B.W.I. (Bond 1984), St. Martin (Bond 1984), Puerto Rico (Raffaele 1989), Turks and Caicos (Buden 1987, Norton 1987), Grand Cayman (Bond 1986), and Jamaica (Palmer 1962), have been considered vagrants. In this note I present details of numerous observations of Roseate Spoonbills on North Andros Island and evidence that the species is an uncommon breeder on this Bahamian island. During the last several years I and others have observed Roseate Spoonbills in the tidal mud flats on the east coast of North Andros Island, especially in the vicinity of Sta- niard Creek. Roseate Spoonbills have been documented on a Christmas Bird Count con- ducted in December between Staniard Creek and Mastic Point (Perkins 1993). On 21 October 1990, 1 saw two sub-adults in the tidal mud flats north of Staniard Creek (here- after SCF). All estimates of age are based on descriptions of age-specific plumages in Allen (1942). On July 21 1994, 1 saw a single individual flying over the settlement of Sta- niard Creek. On 27 July 1995, I watched and photographed a group of three Roseate Spoonbills at SCF. Two of the birds appeared to be older sub-adults and the third was possibly a one-year-old. The birds foraged together for several hours. On 6 and 8 July 1996, I observed a group of four spoonbills at SCF. The birds were seen foraging and roosting together on both occasions. All four birds appeared to be sub-adults. On 5 July 1996, 1 examined and photographed an empty Roseate Spoonbill nest found in SCF by Harrington Frazier, a resident of Staniard Creek. The nest, approximately 3.5 m high in a black mangrove ( Avicennia germinans ), was similar to a nest described by Dun- stan (1976) in Tampa Bay, Florida. Mr. Frazier said that the nest had contained two young approximately two weeks before I examined it. He recognized it as a Roseate Spoonbill nest because when he found the nest the adults were present and gave threatening displays. Al- though I saw spoonbills in the vicinity of the nest on 6 and 8 July 1996, 1 did not see any ju- veniles. Because fledged spoonbills remain around the colony for two weeks or more (Bjork and Powell 1996, R. T. Paul pers. obs.), it is possible that this nest failed prior to fledging. Assuming young fledged shortly after Mr. Frazier last saw the nest, eggs would have been laid six weeks earlier in mid-May according to nest chronology in White et al. (1982). On 25 May, 1997, 1 observed and photographed a family group of three spoonbills for- aging together in SCR One of these individuals was clearly a juvenile; the bird was al- most completely white, the head was feathered, and the primaries were dark tipped. Assuming the juvenile bird had fledged recently, eggs would have been laid six weeks earlier in mid-April. The other two birds were in the sub-adult plumage, specifically the fourth postnatal as described by Allen (1942); pinkish wings and upperparts, bare and greenish head, red iris, pink legs, and black feet. Although these two birds appeared to be sub-adults, spoonbills in sub-adult plumage have been recorded breeding in Tampa Bay, Florida (Dunstan 1976). Notes 99 It is clear from these observations that Roseate Spoonbills are at least uncommon breeders in the vicinity of Staniard Creek on North Andros. Based on observations of a nest and family group in SCF, nesting was initiated approximately mid-May in 1995 and mid-April in 1997, respectively. Spoonbill nest building and egg laying dates in Texas also varied yearly between mid-to-late April and early-to-mid May (White et al. 1982). Although winter breeding (November in Florida, Palmer 1962) appears to be the norm in most West Indian populations of Roseate Spoonbills (Allen 1942), summer breeding has been recorded in parts of Florida (Dunstan 1976) and may occur in Cuba (O. H. Garrido pers. comm.). The reason for this bimodal breeding pattern is yet to be explained. The fact that spoonbills observed on Andros in May 1997, apparently bred in sub-adult plum- age also begs explanation since this has only been recorded previously from Tampa Bay, Florida (Dunstan 1976). Comparisons of relevant ecological variables, especially food type and availability, made at various breeding sites during both summer and winter may shed light on the reasons for both of these observed curiosities in the breeding biol- ogy of the Roseate Spoonbill. The fact that Roseate Spoonbills are local breeders that breed in sub-adult plumage during April and May on North Andros made confirming their breeding status on the is- land difficult. Birds seen in sub-adult plumage were assumed to be non-breeders and there are few birdwatchers on the island during the spring and summer. This suggests that spoonbill breeding in the West Indies may be more widespread than currently thought. Although documented long-distance movements of Roseate Spoonbills (up to 400 km in Florida, Robertson et al. 1983) could account for the “vagrant” spoonbills re- corded from many West Indian islands, these dispersal movements could also be the source of colonists. Efforts should be made to establish the breeding status of Roseate Spoonbills recorded in sub-adult plumage in the West Indies, especially on islands within several hundred kilometers of known breeding colonies. Acknowledgments I am grateful to Harrington and Maragarette Frazier for providing food and lodging during my many visits to Andros. Visits in 1995 and 1997 were made possible, in part, by summer research grants to the author from the University of Missouri. Richard Paul and an anonymous reviewer made valuable comments on an earlier version of the manu- script. Literature Cited ALLEN, R. P. 1942. The Roseate Spoonbill. Research Report No. 2, Nat. Audubon Society. BJORK, R., AND G. V. N. POWELL. 1996. Roseate Spoonbill. Pages 295-308 in Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida. Vol. VI. Birds (J. A. Rodgers, Jr., H. W. Kale II, and H. T. Smith, eds.). University Press of Florida, Gainesville. BOND, J. 1968. Thirteenth supplement to the check-list of birds of the West Indies (1956). Acad, of Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. BOND, J. 1982. Twenty-fourth supplement to the check-list of birds of the West Indies (1956). Acad, of Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. BOND, J. 1984. Twenty-fifth supplement to the check-list of birds of the West Indies (1956). Acad, of Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. BOND, J. 1986. Twenty-sixth supplement to the check-list of birds of the West Indies (1956). Acad, of Nat. Sci., Philadelphia. BRUDENELL-BRUCE, P. G. C. 1975. The birds of New Providence and the Bahama Islands. William Collins Sons and C. Ltd., London. BUDEN, D. W. 1987. The birds of the southern Bahamas. British Ornithologists’ Union, London. 100 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST DE Dod, A. S. 1978. Aves de la Republica Dominicana. Museo Nac. de Hist. Nat., Santo Domingo. DUNSTAN, F. M. 1976. Roseate Spoonbills nesting in Tampa Bay, Florida. Florida Field Nat. 4:25-27. Garrido, O. H., and F. Garcia Montana. 1975. Catalogo de las aves de Cuba. Acad. Cien. de Cuba, La Habana. NORTON, R. L. 1987. West Indies Region. Amer. Birds 41:493. NORTON, R. L. 1991. West Indies Region. Amer. Birds 45:500. PALMER, R. S. 1962. Handbook of North American Birds, Vol. 1. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven. PERKINS, R. (compiler). 1993. Staniard Creek, Andros Island, Bahamas 1992 Christmas Bird Count. Amer. Birds 47:197. RAFFAELE, H. A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princ- eton Univ. Press, Princeton. Robertson, W. B., Jr., L. L. Breen, and B. W. Patty. 1983. Movement of marked Rose- ate Spoonbills in Florida with a review of present distribution. J. Field Ornithol. 54:225-236. White, D. H., C. A. Mitchell, and E. Cromartie. 1982. Nesting ecology of Roseate Spoonbills at Nueces Bay, Texas. Auk 99:275-284. FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS Species Index to Florida Bird Records in Audubon Field Notes and Amer- ican Birds Volumes 1-30 1947-1976, by Margaret C. Bowman. 1978. Florida Or- nithological Society, Special Publication No. 1. Price $4.00. The Carolina Parakeet in Florida, by Daniel McKinley. 1985. Florida Ornitho- logical Society, Special Publication No. 2. Price $6.00. Status and Distribution of the Florida Scrub Jay, by Jeffrey A. Cox. 1987. Florida Ornithological Society, Special Publication No. 3. Price $8.00. Florida Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes 1947- 1989, by Robert W. Loftin, Glen E. Woolfenden, and Janet A. Woolfenden. 1991. Florida Ornithological Society, Special Publication No. 4. Price $8.00. West Indian Bird Records in American Birds and Audubon Field Notes (1947-1990): Species Index by Islands, by Robert W. Loftin. 1992. Florida Or- nithological Society, Special Publication No. 5. Price $8.00. Florida Bird Species: An Annotated List, by William B. Robertson, Jr. and Glen E. Woolfenden. 1992. Florida Ornithological Society, Special Publication No. 6. Price for FOS members $14.95 (soft cover), $19.95 (hard cover); nonmembers $17.95 (soft cover), $22.95 (hard cover). Order prepaid from the Secretary; add $1.00 handling and shipping for Spe- cial Publications No. 1-5; add $2.00 handling and shipping for Special Publication No. 6. Florida residents add 7% sales tax to the total. Make checks payable to the Florida Ornithological Society. Notes 101 Florida Field Nat. 25(3): 10 1-102, 1997. FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY KILLS COMMON GROUND-DOVE James McGinity Northern Illinois University, Lorado Taft Field Campus, 1414 N River Road P.O. Box 299, Oregon, Illinois 61061 The Florida Scrub-Jay ( Aphelocoma coerulescens) forages in low-growing, open shrub habitat by hopping through the vegetation or along the ground beneath the vegetation, visually searching for prey in the shrubs, palmettos, leaf litter, or bare sand (Wolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1996). Acorns, collected and cached during the late summer to early fall and retrieved in winter and early spring, are the primary plant food of its diet. Insects comprise most of its animal diet, but small vertebrates are also eaten when encountered. Fast-flying or fossorial prey are rarely taken (Wolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1984). I report a Florida Scrub-Jay killing a Common Ground-Dove ( Columhina passerina). On 2 July 1992 at 1715 a Common Ground-Dove flew out of saw palmettos ( Serenoa repens) onto the sidewalk in front of the Briggs Nature Center in Naples, Collier County, Florida. The dove held its wings at a 45 degree angle and flopped slowly away from the bushes in a typical distraction display (Terres 1987). About ten seconds later, a Florida Scrub-Jay flew out of the palmettos and landed next to the dove. The dove kept turning its body perpendicular to the jay with its wings raised at an angle. The jay hopped after the dove for a minute or two and pecked three or four times at the back of its head. After the dove was subdued, the jay pecked it three more times, grabbed it by the neck, and flew about 5 m before dropping the dove. The jay then got a new grip on the dove and flew into a Florida privet ( Forstiera segregata ). Although the jay was out of view, I observed feathers coming out of the bush. After several minutes, the jay flew to a wire and wiped its bill back and forth on the wire, suggesting that it had recently fed, presumably on the dove. Although I didn’t search, I assumed from the behavior of the dove that it was nesting nearby. As a ground nesting species, Common Ground-Doves use distraction displays to lure predators, including Florida Scrub-Jays, away from their nests (Hailman 1989). It seems possible that the dove that I observed had not led the scrub jay far enough away from its nest to discontinue its display before the jay attacked. Other instances of Florida Scrub- Jays attacking birds exist. Curry (1992) docu- mented a Florida Scrub-Jay attacking and killing a Northern Mockingbird ( Mimus poly- glottos ). In this case, the mockingbird may have been caught on a bush and unable to break off the fight. Curry also provided observations of other birds that fled when at- tacked by jays. In addition I have observed Florida Scrub-Jays at the Briggs Nature Cen- ter that attacked or carried off birds. On separate occasions, a jay attacked a Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis) and Rufous-sided Towhee ( Pipilo erythrophthalmus ) af- ter they had flown into a window, but the birds quickly recovered and flew away from the jay without being pursued. At another time, I saw a jay carrying a Common Yellowthroat ( Geothlypis trichas) that died after flying into a window. I would like to thank Rich Paul and Ted Below for comments on this manuscript. Literature Cited CURRY, R. 1992. Florida Scrub-Jay kills mockingbird. Condor 92:256-257. HAILMAN, J. P. 1989. Common Ground-Dove’s injury-feigning distracts Florida Scrub- Jay. Auk 106:742. 102 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST TERRES, J. K. 1987. Encyclopedia of North American Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. WOLFENDEN, G. E., AND J. W. FITZPATRICK. 1984. The Florida Scrub- Jay. Mongr. Popul. Biol. No. 20. Princeton University Press, Princeton. WOLFENDEN, G. E., AND J. W. FITZPATRICK. 1996. Florida Scrub- Jay. Pages 267-280 in Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida. Vol. V. Birds ( J. A. Rodgers, H. W. Kale II, and H. T. Smith, Eds). University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Notes 103 Florida Field Nat. 25(3):103-104, 1997. FAMILY DISSOLUTION IN THE FLORIDA BLACK BEAR Steven G. Seibert13, Jayde Roof1, and David S. Maehr2-4 Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 4005 South Main Street Gainesville, Florida 32601 2Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 566 Commercial Blvd. Naples, Florida 33942 3Present address: Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, 2700 Refuge Headquarters Rd. Decatur, Alabama 35603 4Present address: Department of Forestry, 205 Thomas Poe Cooper Bldg., Univ. Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0073 Female black bears ( Ursus americanus) and their cubs usually remain together for 16 or 17 months (Rogers 1987, Clevenger and Pelton 1990, Schwartz and Franzmann 1992), and infrequently for up to 24 months (Jonkel and Cowan 1971, Miller 1994). Family breakup usually occurs when the adult female comes into estrous (Rogers 1977). Timing of family breakup (late May to early July) is well documented from northern latitudes (Rogers 1987, Clevenger and Pelton 1990, Schwartz and Franzmann 1992), but such in- formation is lacking from populations in the southeastern United States. We report on the timing of family breakup of Florida black bears ( U a. floridanus) from three disjunct populations. Study areas included the Apalachicola National Forest (ANF) in northwest Florida, Rock Springs Run State Reserve (RSRSR) in central Florida, and the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve (FSSP) in southwest Florida. Bears were captured with Aldrich foot snares and culvert traps and then immobilized. Standard measurements were taken, a premolar tooth was removed for age-determination (Willey 1974), and an eartag, tattoo, and radio-collar were applied. Attempts were made to locate bears 1-3 times per week. Dissolution of three Florida black bear families occurred from late May through early July. The individual accounts were as follows. A seven-year-old female (F-18) and yearling male (M-19) were captured together in ANF on 14 May 1992. They were located 2.8 km apart from each other on 20 May 1992, and were not located again until 16 June when they were found together. They remained together through 24 June. Final separation occurred by 9 July 1992. A five-year-old female (F-16) was captured and radio-collared on 7 December 1993 in RSRSR and her female yearling (F-40) was captured on 7 May 1995. Their initial sepa- ration occurred on 25 May 1995. Subsequently, F-16 was located with an adult male on 30 May 1995 and was frequently located with collared males throughout the summer. The yearling, F-40, had rejoined her mother by 5 June 1995, which was the last time they were located together. Female F-03 and her three male cubs M-21, M-22, and M-23 were radio-collared in FSSP. All four bears traveled together through June 1992, but were not located together again after 30 June 1992. Beginning in July 1992, M-21 moved away from his mother, while M-22 and M-23 mirrored F-03’s movements through August 1992 without being lo- cated with her. The time interval of family dissolution in Florida (late May through early July) is similar to those reported from Pennsylvania (Alt 1978), Minnesota (Rogers 1977, 1987), 104 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Tennessee (Clevenger and Pelton 1990), and Alaska (Schwartz and Franzmann 1992). Thus it appears that latitude may not affect this aspect of black bear behavior. Although our sample size is small, it appears that females in Florida briefly separated from year- lings during May, but allowed temporary reunions with their offspring before final disso- lution. We thank many individuals of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission for assistance with bear trapping. We thank J. Brady, B. Gruver, R. Paul, D. Wood, and J. Wooding for reviewing earlier drafts of the manuscript. Literature Cited Alt, G. L. 1978. Dispersal patterns of black bears in northeastern Pennsylvania-— a pre- liminary report. Proc. East. Workshop on Black Bear Manage, and Res. 4:186-199. Clevenger, A. P., AND M. R. Pelton. 1990. Pre and post breakup movements and space use of black bear family groups in Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee. Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage. 8:289-295. JONKEL, C. J., AND I. M. COWAN. 1971. The black bear in the spruce-fir forest. Wildl. Monogr. 27:1-57. MILLER, S. D. 1994. Black bear reproduction and cub survivorship in south-central Alaska. Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage. 9:263-273. ROGERS, L. L. 1977. Social relationships, movements, and population dynamics of black bears in northeastern Minnesota. Ph.D. Dissert., Univ. Minnesota, Minneapolis. ROGERS, L. L. 1987. Effects of food supply and kinship on social behavior, movements, and population growth of black bears in northeastern Minnesota. Wildl. Monogr. 97:1-72. Schwartz, C. C., and A. W. Franzmann. 1992. Dispersal and survival of subadult black bears from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. J. Wildl. Manage. 56:426-431. WILLEY, C. H. 1974. Aging black bears from first premolar tooth sections. J. Wildl. Man- age. 38:97-100. Notes 105 Florida Field Nat. 25(3):105-107, 1997. DIET OF THE TOKAY GECKO ( GEKKO GECKO ) IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA Walter E. Meshaka, Jr.1, Ronald M. Clouse1, and Laura McMahon2 1 Everglades Regional Collections Center ; Everglades National Park, 40001 SR -9386 Homestead , Florida 33034-6733 2 37 West Avenue, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857 The tokay gecko ( Gekko gecko ) of tropical Asia has been known to occur in Florida since the 1960s (Wilson and Porras 1983). Its mode of dispersal has been associated with deliberate release around residences and its mode of introduction is the pet trade (Wil- son and Porras 1983). Despite the long-term presence of G. gecko in southern Florida and expanding geographic range in Florida (Means 1996), no published information exists on any aspects of its natural history in an introduced site. Here we provide data on the sum- mer diet of G. gecko from an urban setting in southern Florida and relate this to the structure of the habitat in which the individuals were observed and captured. Geckos were captured by hand beginning two hours after dark on 3, 7, and 15 July 1996 (40, 30, and 20 min., respectively) in a two square block area near the Miami Inter- national Airport, Miami, Dade Co., Florida. The method used was to repeatedly search the area. Geckos were collected by two people on the first visit and one person on the last two visits, killed within two hours of capture, and stored in 70% ETOH. For each gecko, sex was determined, snout- vent length (SVL) was measured in mm with calipers, and stomachs were removed. Contents of the stomach were identified to the level of family whenever possible and measured for length and width. All geckos were deposited in the Everglades Regional Collections Center (ERCC). Voucher specimens of prey were en- tered into the invertebrate collection of the ERCC. Means are followed by standard devi- ations. Statistics were calculated on Quatro Pro (Keough 1992). Twenty geckos were collected in approximately 2.17 man-hours. Noticeably abundant (9.2 geckos observed/ hr), geckos were observed and collected primarily on the West In- dian black olive ( Bucida huceras ) and exotic ficus ( Ficus spp.) trees. Two juveniles and an adult male were collected from an unlit building. Seven males (148.7110.6 mm SVL; range=133-166; n= 7), nine females (125. 917.6; range=110-134; n= 9), and four juveniles (88, 104, 106, 106 mm SVL) were collected. Mean body size significantly differed (Z=4.49, PcO.0001) between the sexes. Tokays were capable of subduing a wide range of prey sizes. Consequently, mean prey length did not significantly differ between males (17.3113.5; range-2-50; n- 11), females (8.916.8; range=2-30; n- 21), and juveniles (12.715.1; range=4-22; n= 19). Likewise, no significant relationship (r-0.37, P>0.33; n= 17) existed between maximum prey size and body size of the gecko. Twenty-three categories of prey were present in the diet of this sample (Table 1). Di- etary niche breadth (Levins 1968) of the total sample, ranging from 0 to 1, was wider as measured by number of stomachs common to each taxon (0.53) than as measured by fre- quency of taxa (0.37). Roaches, caterpillars, spiders, and beetles were the most numerous taxa present and common to the greatest number of stomachs. Despite the close proxim- ity to lighted buildings, trees appeared to be self-sustaining systems for G. gecko for three reasons. First, no exclusively light-attracted prey, perhaps deflected from the building, were present in the sample. Second, few invertebrates of any taxon were present on the buildings. For example, no moths and only a few small (< 5 mm) hemipter- ans were seen on lighted portions of buildings. This is noteworthy, given the time of year sampled (the wet season) when insect abundance should be high. Perhaps the profuse 106 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Table 1. Diet of the tokay gecko ( Gekko gecko ) in southern Florida. The num- ber of prey items is followed in parentheses by number of stomachs in which the prey items were found. Prey Males {n-1) Females (n= 9) Juveniles (n= 4) Total Arachnida Araneida 2(2) 3(1) 1(1) 6(4) Chilopoda 1(1) 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) Crustacea Isopoda 1(1) 0(0) 1(1) 2(2) Diplopoda 1(1) 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) Isoptera 2(1) 0(0) 0(0) 2(1) Coleoptera 0(0) 1(1) 0(0) 1(1) Cerambycidae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) 1(1) Chrysomelidae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) 1(1) Curculionidae 0(0) 5(3) 0(0) 5(3) Dytiseidae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) 1(1) Elateridae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) 1(1) Scarabeidae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) 1(1) Diptera Calliphoridae 0(0) 1(1) 0(0) 1(1) Hemiptera 0(0) 1(1) 0(0) 1(1) Cydnidae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) KD Pentatomidae 2(2) 1(1) 0(0) 3(3) Hymenoptera Formicidae 0(0) 3(2) 0(0) 3(2) Lepidoptera (larvae) 2(1) 10(8) 0(0) 12(9) Orthoptera Blattidae 2(1) 2(1) 12(3) 16(5) Tettigoniidae 0(0) 0(0) 1(1) 1(1) Trichoptera 0(0) 4(2) 0(0) 4(2) Gastropoda 0(0) 1(1) 0(0) 1(1) Skin 2(2) 0(0) 0(0) 2(2) Empty 1(1) 1(1) 0(0) 2(2) lighting of the buildings and streets of the study site prevented any one building from at- tracting more than a few insects. Third, many taxa of prey were associated with the trees5 leaf litter (isopods), vegetation (caterpillars), or both (roaches, ants). For these rea- sons, it was not surprising that very few geckos were observed, and consequently caught, on buildings which corroborated the importance of habitat other than buildings for food. The close connection between diet and habitat in this sample supports the assertions that tree-dwelling G. gecko were autonomous, not dependent on light-attracted prey de- flected from buildings, and that vegetation was used more so than buildings by geckos. In its native range, G. gecko inhabits human dwellings and natural areas (Brown and Al- cala 1978). The ubiquity of black olive and ficus trees in urban settings of southern Flor- ida and observations of G. gecko on avocado ( Persea americana ), royal poinciana ( Delonix regia), and coconut palms ( Cocos nucifera ) in Homestead (W. Meshaka, pers. obs.) raise the possibility that G. gecko could invade continuous tracts of disturbed vegetation which would enable it to reach the edges of natural systems. Of greater concern is that the pres- ence of the native strangler fig ( F. aurea ) and short-leaved fig (F. citrifolia ) in some nat- Notes 107 ural systems of southern Florida could then present G. gecko with the opportunity to invade undisturbed habitat. Literature Cited BROWN, W. C., and A. C. Alcala. 1978. Phillipine lizards of the family Gekkonidae. Sil- liman Univ., Nat. Sci. Monogr. 1. KEOUGH, J. 1992. Quatro Pro 4.0: the pocket reference. McGraw Hill, New York. LEVINS, R. 1968. Evolution in changing environments: some theoretical explorations. Princeton University Press, Princeton. MEANS, D. B. 1996. Geographic distribution: Gekko gecko. Herpetol. Rev. 27:152. WILSON, L. D., AND L. Porras. 1983. The ecological impact of man on the south Florida herpetofauna. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Spec. Publ. No. 9. 108 REVIEWS Florida Field Nat. 25(3): 108-109, 1997. Stokes Field Guide to the Birds: Eastern Region. — Donald and Lillian Stokes, 1996. Little, Brown and Company, Boston. 471 pages, $16.95, ISBN 0-316-81809-7. Nu- merous field identification guides are available to birders. Perhaps most popular are the following: Roger Tory Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds East of the Rockies, the Na- tional Geographic Society’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Shirley L. Scott, Editor, and The Birds of North America, by Robbins, Bruun, and Zim. Donald and Lillian Stokes, authors of several nature guides, have just added another choice. This eyecatch- ing book is illustrated with photographs rather than paintings of birds. The photographs and a number of other features the Stokes’ employ may lure some new birders away from the traditional favorites. However, this flashy format has some limitations. As the authors make clear, this guide was written with the beginner in mind. The col- orful photographs and the organization and style of the text are perhaps initially more attractive to new birders than are the more traditional illustrations of other guides. The authors’ stated goal is to promote “three-dimensional birding”: identification as well as some understanding of the basic behavior and conservation of the species. Their inten- tions are admirable and important. As anthropogenic pressures on wildlife increase and as valuable wildlife habitat decreases, an educated and aware birding public is essential. Several features are included to aid the birder in the basics of identification: To facil- itate quick location of species’ descriptions, a quick alphabetical index is repeated on the insides of both front and back covers. This index uses generic terms such as “doves” and “owls” to lead readers to related groups of birds. It also uses taxonomic nomenclature such as “Empidonax” and “Buteo” for quick reference. On the page facing each of these in- dices appears a color tab index to the most common birds, organized loosely around avian families. For example, Shorebirds (with the subheadings “Plovers, Stilt, Avocet, Sandpip- ers, Dowitchers, Phalaropes”), has a small square of gold on the leading edge of the page. This can be followed down the outside of the book to a gold tab on the edge of the pages corresponding with the text on shorebirds so that the observer can turn quickly to the cor- rect section for the birds he or she is watching. Another feature is a section of photo- graphs of over 50 common backyard birds, such as American Goldfinch, House Finch, and Song Sparrow, to name but a few. Each photograph is accompanied by a page number so that the reader can quickly find the appropriate text. There are also “Learning Pages” dealing with identification problems of hawks in flight, shorebirds, gulls, flycatchers, warblers, and sparrows, again with photographs of commonly seen species or groups and page references for related text. The Learning Page for gulls may be quite helpful to be- ginners trying to decipher the subtle plumage patterns among gulls. The pages for spar- rows help differentiate some common sparrows from some equally common but similar finches that may confuse novices. The flycatcher Learning Pages are less successful. While written descriptions assist the observer in making distinctions between such groups as phoebes, peewees, and kingbirds, the accompanying photographs don’t demon- strate those differences clearly. All of these innovations certainly help beginners locate birds in the text and differentiate broad bird groups from one another but they are not particularly useful for distinguishing one species from another within those groups. How much time have most of us spent studying the “confusing fall warblers” page in Peterson or the Empids shown with four or five species on a page? That kind of comparison is dif- ficult in the Stokes’ book, and the Learning Pages don’t solve the problem. The authors devote a page to each species account or in a few cases have placed two closely related species on the same page. Each page usually includes one or more photo- graphs of the species with text addressing identification, feeding, nesting, and behavior. Reviews 109 The information conveyed is clear and complete. The photographs, however, raise an old field guide debate: Which are best, photographs or artists’ illustrations? In this guide, a number of the photographs are misleading or simply do not show enough of the bird to give a complete picture. An artist controls the posture and position of the bird, leading to uniformity by controlling exactly how each appears on the page. Photographs catch an in- dividual bird at a single moment, perhaps with feathers ruffled or at an odd angle. An art- ist can emphasize key colors and field marks and use these to differentiate confusingly similar species. Some of the photographs in the Stokes guide are quite successful, for ex- ample, the stunning colors of a male Mallard’s head, or a Prothonotary Warbler and the facial patterns of some of the sparrows. Other photographs were nicely shown, while de- pictions of some flycatchers and hawks were less successful and in some cases misleading. Additional information provided on the species’ pages includes range maps and brief notes on habitat, voice, and conservation. The conservation portion of each account de- picts species trends as indicated by data gathered primarily from Breeding Bird Surveys and Christmas Bird Counts. As the authors point out in their opening comments, this in- formation has been gathered from broad studies, and caution is required in interpreting the results. While all of this may be confusing to the beginner, it may engage the interest of some to investigate birding activities in their communities. Just the awareness that birders do more than “watch” can be valuable. The convenience of the quick reference features in guiding beginners to the correct groups or species pages cannot be denied; however, there’s something to be learned each time someone thumbs through a “traditional” guide to identify (Eureka!) that stranger splashing around in the birdbath. The book is lacking in detailed taxonomic information; while it gives the species’ scientific names, it avoids order and family names or any defi- nitions of them. Some discussion of migration and migration routes would have been helpful as well. The traditional favorite field guides named at the start of this review won’t be sup- planted by this newcomer, especially with experienced birders. Still, it is an attractive and helpful guide for the beginner and would be a good addition to public library collec- tions. According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey quoted in National Wildlife (December/January 1996), 65 million adults enjoy watching and feeding birds in the United States. Any book that adds information and enjoyment to that experience has to be considered a welcome newcomer, and the Stokes guide certainly qualifies. — Linda Douglas, 3675 1st Avenue NW, Naples, Florida 34120. 110 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Florida Field Nat. 25(3): 110, 1997. A Birder’s West Indies. — Roland H. Wauer. 1996. University of Texas Press, Austin. 256 pages. $40.00, ISBN 0-292-79098-8, hardcover. $19.95, ISBN 0-292-79101-1, paper- back.— This book consists mainly of 18 essays, one for each of 18 West Indian islands or island-groups from Cuba to Grenada. Each essay is a chatty, species-rich narration of the author’s visit(s), widely embellished with conservation and natural history facts, opin- ions, and hyperbole. Because each chapter is largely independent of the others, much repetition exists, especially in discussion of natural history and other topics common to several islands. The level of useful detail varies considerably between island accounts. Eyepopping statements include dubious sightings such as Golden Swallows at Hardwar Gap in Jamaica (p. 26), east of the species’ recently known range there (in fact, no con- firmed reports exist from Jamaica since several years before the author claimed to have seen it); misstatements such as Manx Shearwaters known to breed at St. Martin (p. 128); and sensationalisms such as the possibility that small finches might have been trans- ported by windstorms from Africa to Martinique (p. 176). Referring to Semper’s Warbler as “[St. Lucia’s] best-kept secret” (p. 183) may mislead the audience over the status of this species, for which no confirmed reports exist since 1934. In addition to the 18 essays, an introduction contains some advice on when and how to visit the region, but at a rather superficial level. The introduction fails to explain how the author chose the area he calls “West Indies”, which excludes the Bahama Islands as well as several western Caribbean islands, all considered by James Bond and most other recent ornithologists to comprise the West Indian biogeographic region. The introduction contains a table of 161 West Indian endemic birds showing status, as defined by the au- thor, (“single island endemic”, “two-three island endemic”, “widespread West Indian en- demic”) for 15 islands or island groups in his region. Several species are incorrectly coded in the table such as Villeline Warbler, not confined to the Cayman Islands; Olive-capped Warbler, also found in the Bahamas; or Stripe-headed Tanager, not confined to the West Indies. The table also fails to recognize the taxonomic changes recently embraced by the A.O.U. (Auk 112: 819-830, 1995), such as splitting the Greater Antillean Pewee into three species. Ornithological work-in-progress suggests that changes like these will accelerate for the West Indian avifauna, so a table at the (current) subspecific level would have helped this book avoid rapid obsolescence. The essays together are preceded by 18 appealing color photographs, one for each is- land treated as a chapter, mainly of local scenery. A foreward by Bradford Northrup and an afterward by Paul Butler bring a strong conservation message to the book as a whole. All-in-all A Birders West Indies is attractive and lightly informative, but it lacks desir- able comprehensiveness and authority. It may appeal to ecotourists and to basic-level birders, and it should raise consciousness for those who wish to gain a “feel” for the re- gion. Ornithologists should be cautious in citing this book, however, and serious birders who want dependable facts and details to plan a trip to the region probably should not rely solely on it. — P. William Smith, P.O. Box 901341, Homestead, Florida 33090. Ill FIELD OBSERVATIONS Florida Field Nat. 25(3):111-116, 1997. Winter Report: December 1996-February 1997. — The observations listed here are based on rare or unusual species or significant numbers of birds reported to the Flor- ida Ornithological Society (FOS) Field Observations Committee (FOC). These reports have not been reviewed formally, and, thus, should be considered tentative. Significant reports are welcomed for inclusion in future issues of this section. Reports should include the following information: species, number of individuals, age and sex of the bird(s), color morph if applicable, location (including county), date, observer(s), and significance of the report. Reporting periods are winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June-July), and fall (August-November). Submit reports to re- gional compilers within 2 weeks after the close of each period, or to the state compiler within 1 month. Reports may be e-mailed to the state compiler at blp414@aol.com. Following the examples set by Florida Bird Species: An Annotated List (Robertson and Woolfenden 1992, FOS Spec. Publ. No. 6) and The Birdlife of Florida (Stevenson and Anderson 1994, Univ. Press of Florida), sight-only observations are considered “reports,” while only those supported by verifiable evidence (photographs, video or audio tapes, or specimens) are called “records.” The FOS Records Committee (FOSRC) revised the list of birds for which they require documentation, in FFN 24(4): 132-133, 1996. These species are marked in this report with an asterisk (*) to alert the observers of their need to supply the FOSRC with details of their sightings. (Some reports that lack documentation may have been omitted from this report). A county designation (in italics) accompanies the first-time listing of each site in this report; further listings of the same site lack the county name. Abbreviations used are as follows: ABS=Archbold Biological Station ( Highlands ), CBC=Christmas Bird Count, CP=county park, NWR=national wildlife refuge, PPM =Polk phosphate mines, R&W 1992=Robertson and Woolfenden 1992, S&A 1994=Stevenson and Anderson 1994, SP=state park, SRA=state recreation area, STF=sewage treatment facility, WMA=wild- life management area, and N, S, E, W, etc. for compass directions. Bold-faced species, if any, denote birds newly reported or verified in Florida. We thank Rick West, the winter editor of National Audubon Society Field Notes for sharing information with us, and Bruce Anderson for supplying information on reports submitted to the FOSRC. R&W 1992 and S&A 1994 were used to determine the regional and seasonal status of many species. Todd Engstrom assisted with the manuscript. With this report, we welcome 2 new members to the FOC, Rex Rowan of Gainesville and Ron Smith of St. Petersburg. Each has been compiling excellent regional reports for the FOC the past few years, so it is fitting that they officially join the Committee. Summary of the Winter Season North of Florida, winter 1996-1997 will be remembered as one of the coldest on record. Not surprisingly, the extremely cold temperatures and heavy amounts of snow caused large numbers of berry-eating birds to move southward into the state. In partic- ular, American Robins and Cedar Waxwings were noted in higher than normal numbers statewide. Bob Duncan wrote that robins were present “in overwhelming numbers . . . ev- erywhere” in the western Panhandle, and Dot Freeman wrote that the robins in the Or- lando area were the most seen there “in many years.” Many other observers agreed with these opinions. Possibly also related to the weather were many reports of Gadwalls, in- cluding an extremely high count in Polk County. 112 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST FOSRC rarities reported this season were single Ross’ Geese in Brevard and Duval counties, a Northern Saw-whet Owl in Polk County, and an Allen’s Hummingbird at Gainesville. Other interesting observations included a Common Eider near Miami, an extremely large number of White-winged Doves near Pensacola, a large flock of Black- hooded Parakeets in St. Petersburg, the first verified winter nighthawk record in Bro- ward County (a Lesser Nighthawk), 2 Lapland Longspurs in Volusia County, and a Snow Bunting at Canaveral National Seashore. Species Accounts PACIFIC Loon: 2 (1 with a throat-strap, 1 without) at Pensacola ( Escambia ) 5 Dec-27 Feb, both birds together 27 Feb (B. and W. Duncan, J. Pfeiffer, P. Tetlow, E. Case et al.). Eared GREBE: 1 on the Choctawhatchee Bay CBC ( Okaloosa ) 23 Dec (B. Duncan, V. Spisak). CORY’S Shearwater: 1 from shore at New Smyrna Beach ( Volusia ) 12 Jan (J. Morlan). MASKED BOOBY: 1 adult off Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore ( Brevard ) 30 Jan (D. Freeman, M. Gurney). BROWN Pelican: “numerous” inland at Lake George ( Volusia ) 14 Dec (B. Sicolo); singles at “several” Polk sites Jan-Feb (fide L. Cooper). AMERICAN Bittern: 7 on 8 Feb (A. and R. Smith, B. Hoffman) in the same small Pinellas marsh mentioned in the Spring 1996 report, which R. Smith calls a “real honey-hole for this species.” Least Bittern: 1 at St. Marks NWR ( Wakulla ) 2 Jan-4 Feb (J. and M. Salvetti et al.). TRICOLORED Heron: 1 that wintered at the Monsanto plant {Escambia) (C. Davis) was the region’s first Dec and second Jan report {fide B. Duncan); 1 at Air Products Sanc- tuary, Pace {Santa Rosa) 12 Jan (B. Milmore). TUNDRA Swan: 1 immature at Bayou Grande, Pensacola 9 Dec (A. and D. Forster). Greater White-fronted Goose: 3 in Okaloosa 3-4 Dec (B. Duncan et al.); 2 at Merritt Island NWR {Brevard) through at least 4 Jan (A. and B. Hansen et al.). SNOW Goose: 2 (1 blue and 1 white) at PPM 1 Dec (C. Geanangel, P. Timmer); 3 in W Du- val 23 Dec-12 Jan (I. Cornelius). CROSS’ GOOSE: the 1 at Merritt Island NWR reportedly was found dead ca. 22 Dec {fide D. Stuckey; no mention of deposition of the specimen); 1 in W Duval 23 Dec-12 Jan (I. Cornelius, photos to FOSRC). Gad WALL: 35 at Orlando Wetlands Park {Orange) 8-22 Feb (D. Freeman et al.); at PPM, 82 on 12 Dec increased to 730 by 9 Jan, then dropped to 200 on 11 Jan, and 23 by 12 Feb (P. Fellers et al.). This is the highest inland count by far (S&A 1994:119-120). EURASIAN WlGEON: 1 male at St. Marks NWR 27 Jan-6 Feb (D. and K. MacVicar et al.). American Wigeon: 1100 at PPM 12 Dec (P. Fellers, M. Hartsaw). CANVASBACK: 72 at PPM 12 Dec (P. Fellers, M. Hartsaw). COMMON Eider: 1 imm. male at Convoy Point, Biscayne National Park 17-25 Jan (D. Pharo, B. Dusek [photos to FOSA] et al.) was the first Dade report (S&A 1994:130). HARLEQUIN Duck: 1 male at Alligator Point {Franklin) 10-15 Jan (N. Warner, J. Ca- vanagh et al., photos) was the first county report (S&A 1994:131). OLDSQUAW: 1 female at East Bay (Bay) 5 Dec (A. and R. Ingram); 1 female at Fort Walton Beach STF {Okaloosa) 19-26 Feb (B. Duncan, D. Ware, L. Fennimore); 1 male at Hur- ricane Lake {Santa Rosa) 19 Feb (P. Tetlow et al.). SURF SCOTER: 2 at Rookery Bay Nat. Est. Res. Reserve {Collier) 13 Dec (T. Below). WHITE-WINGED SCOTER: 1 at Honeymoon Island SRA ( Pinellas ) 22 Dec-8 Jan (W. Yusek et al.); 1 at Tierra Verde {Pinellas) 21-22 Dec (L. Atherton et al.). Swallow-tailed Kite: 1 in Walton 15 Feb (B. Bremser) was the earliest regional report {fide B. Duncan). Field Observations 113 Snail Kite: 1 at Lake Wales (Polk) 25 Jan (T. Palmer). Broad-winged Hawk: 2 at PPM 12 Dec (P. Fellers, M. Hartsaw); 1 on the South Brevard CBC ( Brevard or Indian River) 4 Jan (B. Wetmore, M. Jones, B. O’Connor). SHORT-TAILED Hawk: 1 light morph over Saddle Creek CP (Polk) 17 Feb (L. Lane, M. Chakan). SWAINSON’S HAWK: 1 immature S of Palm Bay (Brevard) 4 Jan (B. Wetmore et al.). RED-TAILED HAWK: 1 “Harlan’s Hawk” at Lake Jessup Conservation Area (Seminole) 14 Dec (fide L. Malo). Golden Eagle: 1 at St. Marks NWR 23 Dec (D. Gluckman). BLACK Rail: 1 at Air Products Sanctuary 4 Jan (P. Baker, E. Case, B. Milmore et ah). PURPLE Gallinule: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 23 Dec-23 Jan (D. Ware, P. Tetlow) was the region’s first Jan report (fide B. Duncan); 10 at Lake Jessup Conservation Area 18 Jan (fide L. Malo). AMERICAN Coot: 40,000 at PPM 12 Dec (P. Fellers, M. Hartsaw); 15,000 at Lake Hatch- ineha (Osceola) 25 Jan (T. Palmer). PIPING Plover: 5 at Big Sabine (Escambia) 16 Dec (B. Duncan, P. Tetlow). Black-necked Stilt: 1 at Jacksonville 28 Dec (M. Dolan); 84 at PPM 9 Jan (P. Fellers) was the highest winter count (S&A 1994:222). AMERICAN Avocet: 172 at PPM 12 Dec (P. Fellers, M. Hartsaw); 1 at Lanark Reef (Franklin) 3-27 Feb (G. Sprandel, C. Gunnels). SOLITARY Sandpiper: 1 at Sawgrass Lake CP (Pinellas) 21 Dec (G. Stoccardo, B. Pranty [photos] et al.) was 1 of few verified winter records (S&A 1994:228); 2 on the Lake Placid CBC (Highlands) 27 Dec (G. Woolfenden, G. Stoccardo, B. Pranty); 2 at Lake Pasadena (Pasco) 2 Jan (B. Pranty, P. Young, R. Grant). Long-billed Curlew: 1 at Lanark Reef 6 Dec-26 Feb (G. Sprandel et al.). SANDERLING: 2 at PPM 15 Dec (C. Geanangel, P Timmer) were rare inland in winter. WESTERN SANDPIPER: 1 at Wekiwa Springs SP (Orange) 8 Feb (fide P. Small). Long-billed Dowitcher: 8 at Jacksonville 1-29 Dec (R. Clark); 3 birds 16 km N of Okeechobee (Okeechobee) 9 Feb (A. and R. Smith) was the first report for the county (S&A 1994:258). RED-NECKED Phalarope: 1 in the Indian River Lagoon (Indian River) 4 Jan (N. Sekera, J. Taylor, R. Howard). JAEGER SPECIES: 1 at Fort McRae (Escambia) 24 Feb (P. Tetlow et ah). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2 at Ponce Inlet (Volusia) 4 Dec (C. Lahy). GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL: 2 first-year birds wintered at Fort Pickens (Escambia) (B. and W. Duncan, P. Tetlow et al.). Black-legged Kittiwake: 1 at Naples (Collier) 18 Dec-10 Jan (G. McSwain, G. Erbe, T. Below [photo to FOC] et al.) was the first for the county (S&A 1994:286). GULL-BILLED Tern: 1 at Pine Island CP (Hernando) 15 Jan (A. and B. Hansen) was the first county report (S&A 1994:288); 6 at PPM 2 Feb (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel); 1 at Merritt Island NWR (Brevard) 9 Feb (A. and R. Smith). CASPIAN Tern: 210 at PPM 12 Dec (P. Fellers, M. Hartsaw). ROYAL Tern: 6 inland at Lake George 14 Dec (B. Sicolo). SOOTY Tern: 1 found dead at Marco Island (Collier) 31 Jan (T. and V. Below) was the first for the county (S&A 1994:305). BLACK Skimmer: 253 at PPM 12 Feb (B. and L. Cooper, P. Fellers, I. Fryer). WHITE-CROWNED Pigeon: 1 juvenile (“charcoal gray all over, no hint of white crown”) at Key West 1 Jan (J. Ondrejko). WHITE-WINGED DOVE: 1 at St. Marks NWR 13 Dec (A. and B. Hansen); 1 at Tierra Verde (Pinellas) 21 Dec (L. Atherton); 21 at Gulf Breeze 21 Dec (B. and W. Duncan, D. Michael). Coupled with 5 other regional reports during the season, the species is in- creasing in the W Panhandle (fide B. Duncan); 2 at Destin 23 Dec (E. Case) and 26 there 10 Jan (fide D. Ware); 65 at a roost in Orlando (Orange) 26 Dec-6 Feb (D. Free- 114 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST man); 2 at Baypoint (Bay) 28 Dec (T. Menart); 14 at Key West (Monroe) 22 Jan (J. On- drejko). White Cockatoo: 1 at Key West 5 Jan and 9 Feb was “presumed to be the one that hatched in the wild” (J. Ondrejko), BLACK-HOODED Pakakeet: 95 in 1 tree at Gulfport 21 Dec (Pinellas) (A, and R. Smith, B. Hoffman et al.) indicates the species continues to increase in St. Petersburg. BLUE-CROWNED Parakeet: 25 in St. Petersburg 10 Jan (B. and J. Gericke). SHORT-EARED Owl: 1 at Lanark Reef 14 Jan- 13 Feb (G. Sprandel); 1 at Shell Key (Pinel- las) 24 Feb, and 2 there 2 Mar (P. Blair, W. Yusek et al.). ^Northern Saw-Whet OWL: 1 adult that repeatedly called “TOO, TOO, TOO” observed at night E of Lake Wales 19 Feb (C. and M. Hansrote, B. and R. Underwood, details to FOSRC) was the first Polk report (S&A 1994:370). MlGHTHAWK SPECIES: 1 at Palm Harbor (Pinellas) 22 Dec (H. Nagy et al.). LESSER Nighthawk: 1 female found alive at Pembroke Pines ( Broward ) 22 Jan (fide W. George, specimen to UCF) was the first county report (S&A 1994:371), and the first winter Chordeiles specimen (fide B. Anderson). Chuck-WILL’S-WIDOW: 1 at Key West 17 Dec (J. Ondrejko); 1 singing at Gulf Breeze 26 Dec (J. Pfeiffer); 1 singing at Lakeland (Polk) 15 Feb (B. and L. Cooper); 1 singing in Hernando 21 Feb (A. and. Hansen). Buff -BELLIED Hummingbird: 3 singles at Pensacola 19 Sep-29 Jan (B. Kenney et al.), 19 Oct-7 Dec (R. Asthey et al.), and 9 Nov-27 Feb (J. Pfeiffer et al.). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 1 adult male at Jacksonville Dec-17 Feb (P. Powell). BLACK-CHINNED Hummingbird: 6 singles in the W Panhandle variously this winter (fide B. Duncan); singles at Tallahassee (Leon) 3 Oct-29 Dec (W. Loquasto) and 2 Jan (M. Friedmann, J. Cox, N. Warner). SELA3PE OR US SPECIES: 5 singles in Leon 24 Sep through the season (fide G. Menk). RUFOUS Hummingbird: 10 in the W Panhandle variously this winter ( fide B. Duncan);! male in Leon 2 Dec ff (L. Short et al.); 1 first-year male at Lakeland through 20 Dec (G. and G. Lucas et al., photos by L. Cooper). * ALLEN'S Hummingbird: 1 second-year male that wintered at Kanapaha Gardens, Gainesville ( Alachua ) (B. Roberts et al., banded by B. Sargent 30 Jan, color photo in Gainesville Sun, 31 Jan) is the 3rd “first” Florida record, pending FOSRC acceptance. Least Flycatcher: 1 at Fort Pickens 27 Nov-14 Jan (B. and L. Duncan et al.). VERMILION Flycatcher: 1 adult male remained in E Pasco through late Feb (B. Pranty et al.). ASH-THROATED Flycatcher: 1 at Fort Walton Beach STF 9 Dec-27 Feb (B. Duncan et al.). Great Crested Flycatcher: 1 at Oviedo (Seminole) 28 Dec (B. Anderson, specimen to UCF) was the northernmost winter specimen in the state (fide B. Anderson) Brown-crested Flycatcher: 1 W of Delray Beach (Palm Beach) 1 Jan (B. Hope). WESTERN KINGBIRD: 1 at St. Petersburg for a few hours 5 Dec (A. and R. Smith); 1 at Air Products Sanctuary 30 Jan- 11 Feb (B. Milmore et al.). Scissor •TAILED FLYCATCHER: 1 adult male on SR-70 at Bright Hour Ranch (DeSoto) 28 Dec (B. Pranty [photo], E. Haney). PURPLE Martin: 1 at Tall Timbers Research Station (Leon) 4 Feb (T. Engstrom); 1 male at Key West 9 Feb (J. Ondrejko). Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 1400 at Belle Glade Marina (Palm Beach) 23 Feb (L. Atherton, M. Wilkinson et al.). American Crow: 1 with a “droopy wing” at Key West 9 Feb was thought to be a release from a rehabilitation center (J. Ondrejko). FISH Crow: 14 at Key West through the season (J. Ondrejko). WOOD Thrush: 1 at Fort Pickens 18 Feb (P. Tetlow et al.). Cedar Waxwing: 500 at Winter Haven (Polk) 7 Feb (P. Fellers). Field Observations 115 YELLOW-THROATED VlREO: 1 near San Antonio (Pasco) 2 Jan (D. Woodard, D. Robinson, S. Raymond-LaPlante); 1 at ABS 13 Jan (D. Willard); 1 singing at Jacksonville 26 Feb (J. Cocke). NORTHERN Parula: 1 female at Key West fed at a hummingbird feeder through the sea- son (J. Ondrejko); 1 male singing at Orlando 18 Feb (D. Freeman). Cape May WARBLER: 1 on the Naples CBC 4 Jan (fide T. Below). American Redstart: 1 at Winter Park (Orange) 17 Feb (B. Sicolo). NORTHERN WaterthrusH: 1 at Brooker Creek Preserve (Pinellas) 15 Dec (A. and R. Smith); 1 at Orlando Wetlands Park (Orange) 8 Feb (B. Sicolo). HOODED Warbler: 1 female in mangroves on Jungle Trail (Indian River) 4 Jan (D. Click, J. Dryja). SUMMER TANAGER: 1 adult male at Sawgrass Lake CP 21 Dec (B. Pranty, C. Pierce); 1 in W Palm Beach 11 Jan (C. Weber). WESTERN TANAGER: singles in Broward 15 Dec (W. George, B. Hope et al.) and 22 Dec (W. George et al.). BLUE Grosbeak: 2 females at Cocoa (Brevard) 20 Dec at same location for the past 5 years (D. Stuckey, W. Frost). INDIGO Bunting: 1 in Leon 25 Jan-1 Feb (P. Homann). PAINTED BUNTING: ca. 20 from various sites in Polk this winter (fide L. Cooper, P. Fellers). DlCKCISSEL: 1 in Palm Beach 7 Jan (D. Brindle). Clay-colored Sparrow: 2 near Lake Wales 15 Dec (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel). VESPER Sparrow: 1 at Big Cypress National Preserve Visitor Center (Collier) 19 Jan (A. and R. Smith et al.). Lark Sparrow: 1 at Fort DeSoto CP (Pinellas) 31 Dec through the season was “buddy/ buddy” with a Northern Mockingbird, “if you couldn’t find the sparrow, just look for the more conspicuous mockingbird — the sparrow was sure to be nearby” (R. Smith et al.); 1 at Baypoint 4 Jan (T. Menart, J. Richardson); 2 (1 male and 1 female) N of Au- burndale (Polk) 9 Feb through the season (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel). Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow: 5 at a site at Gulfport (Pinellas) replanted with sea grasses and mangroves 2 years ago (A. and R. Smith, L. Atherton et al.). FOX SPARROW: 1 at Jacksonville 28 Dec (R. Clark). WHITE-CROWNED Sparrow: 5 (4 adults) E of Dade City (Pasco) 2 Jan (A. and R. Smith); 13 at 2 Polk sites 15 Dec (P. Timmer, C. Geanangel). Dark-eyed JUNCO: 1 “Pink-sided” Junco in Leon 25 Dec-20 Jan (fide G. Menk). LAPLAND LONGSPUR: 2 at Smyrna Dunes CP (Volusia) through at least 4 Dec (A. and B. Hansen et al.). Snow Bunting: 1 at Merritt Island NWR 4 Jan (A. and B. Hansen). RUSTY Blackbird: 30 at Joe Budd WMA (Gadsden) 9 Feb (G. Sprandel) was the first county report (S&A 1994:672). Boat-tailed Grackle: 1 juvenile at Key West 5 Jan (J. Ondrejko). ORCHARD Oriole: 8 (2 males and 6 females) at Belle Glade Marina 23 Feb (L. Atherton, M. Wilkinson). BALTIMORE Oriole: 2 males at Belle Glade Marina 23 Feb (L. Atherton, M. Wilkinson). BULLOCK’S Oriole: 1 male at Tampa (Hillsborough) 4 Feb (L. Saul) was the first county report (S&A 1994:687); 3 (1 adult male, 1 female, and 1 first-year male) at Key West 6 Feb (J. Ondrejko). HOUSE Finch: 1 at Winter Haven 7 Feb (E. and K. Roberts) was the second Polk report. CONTRIBUTORS: Rosemary Asthey, Lyn Atherton, Peggy Baker, Ted Below, V. Below, Paul Blair, Heather Bolte, Bill Bremser, Dorothy Brindle, Ed Case, Jim Cavanagh, Mike Chakan, Roger Clark, Dan Click, Julie Cocke, Buck Cooper, Linda Cooper, Ian Cornelius, 116 FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST Jim Cox, Mark Dolan, Judy Dryja, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Will Duncan, Bob Dusek, Todd Engstrom, G. Erbe, Paul Fellers, Lennie Fennimore, Ann Forster, Dan Forster, Dot Freeman, Mark Friedmann, Warren Frost, I. Fryer, Chuck Geanangel, Wally George, David Gluckman, Rita Grant, Christy Gunnels, Marlene Gurney, Erik Haney, Brett Hoff- man, Brian Hope, Bill Gericke, Jackie Gericke, Charles Hansrote, Melva Hansrote, Mae Hartsaw, Roy Howard, Ann Ingram, Richard Ingram, Meredith Jones, Beverly Kenney, Carol Lahy, Larry Lane, Wendy Loquasto, Gil Lucas, Gina Lucas, Lome Malo, G. Mc- Swain, Tony Menart, Gail Menk, Bill Milmore, Joe Morlan, Heather Nagy, Bob O’Connor, Joe Ondrejko, Tom Palmer, Dave Pharo, Jim Pfeiffer, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Sharon Raymond-LaPlante, Jimmy Richardson, Earle Roberts, Katie Roberts, Don Robinson, John Salvetti, Martha Salvetti, Nedra Sekera, Lavania Short, Bob Sicolo, Parks Small, Austin Smith, Ron Smith, Virginia Spisak, Gary Sprandel, Gene Stoccardo, Doug Stuckey, Jack Taylor, Phil Tetlow, Pete Timmer, Betty Underwood, Raymond Underwood, Noel Warner, Don Ware, Chuck Weber, Bruce Wetmore, Margie Wilkinson, Dave Willard, Don Woodard, Glen Woolfenden, Paul Young, and Wilfred Yusek. Correction to the Winter 1994-1995 Report (FFN 23:84,86): In the Blue-winged War- bler account and the list of Contributors, the name of Carol Lahy was misspelled. Spring 1995 reports not published previously: Northern Gannet: 2 at Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park {Dade) 29 Apr (Steve Mlodinow); Stripe-headed Tanager: 1 at Hugh Birch SRA {Broward) 5 May (S. Mlodinow). Winter 1995-1996 report not published previously: Black-legged Kittiwake: 1 imma- ture found injured on the Sunshine Skyway causeway {Pinellas) 14 Jan {fide R. Smith, specimen to ABS) occurred 4 months earlier than the “first” county report published in the Spring 1996 report. Spring 1996 reports not published previously: American White Pelican: 31 at Lake Kissimmee {Osceola) 18 May (Bob Sicolo); Gray Kingbird: 1 on Joe Overstreet Road {Os- ceola) 6 Apr (Bob Sicolo [photo to FOSRC), Joe Sicolo). Summer 1996 reports not published previously: * Red-billed Tropicbird: 1 immature at Biscayne National Park {Dade) 29 Jun (Bob Dusek, details to FOSRC); Gad wall: 1 summered at Merritt Island NWR {Brevard) (Bob Sicolo). Correction to the Summer 1996 Report (FFN 25:30): The Pin-tailed Whydah reported as occurring on Boca Chica Key {Monroe) actually was reported from Boca Chita Key in Biscayne National Park {Dade). Fall 1996 reports not published previously: Purple Gallinule: 1 at Air Products Sanc- tuary {Santa Rosa) 20-25 Nov (Bill Milmore, Phil Tetlow) was the region’s first Nov re- port {fide Bob Duncan); ^Northern Wheatear: 1 at Big Pine Key {Monroe) 13 Oct (Mark Burney, details to FOSRC). Report prepared by Bill Pranty, state compiler (8515 Village Mill Row, Bayonet Point, Florida 34667-2662; phone 813-862-4556). Other committee members are Linda Cooper (115 Lameraux Road, Winter Haven, Florida 33884), Gail Menk (2725 Peacht- ree Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304), Peggy Powell (2965 Forest Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32257), Rex Rowan (2041 NE 15th Terrace, Gainesville, Florida 32609), and Ron Smith (1767 Colorado Avenue NE, St. Petersburg, Florida 33703). Florida Field Naturalist ISSN 0738-999x PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Editor: R. TODD ENGSTROM, Tall Timbers Research Station, Rt. 1 Box 678, Tallahassee, Florida 32312-9712. Associate Editor (for bird distribution): BRUCE H. ANDERSON, 2917 Scarlet Road, Win- ter Park, Florida 32792. Associate Editor (for reviews): Reed BOWMAN, Archbold Biological Station, P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, Florida 33862. Associate Editor (for technical papers): ROBERT L. CRAWFORD, 208 Junius Street, Tho- masville, Georgia 31792. Editor of Special Publications: GLEN E. WOOLFENDEN, Archbold Biological Station, P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, Florida 33852. Editor of the Ornithological Newsletter: Katy NeSmith, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, 1018 Thomasville Road, Suite 200-C, Tallahassee, Florida 32303. Archives Committee: WALTER K. TAYLOR (Chair), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816. Editorial Advisory Board: STEPHEN A. NESBITT, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Wildlife Research Laboratory, 4005 South Main St., Gainesville, Florida 32601. Field Observations Committee: BILL PRANTY (Compiler), 8515 Village Mill Row, Bay- onet Point, Florida 34667-2662. Finance Committee: P. WILLIAM SMITH (Chair), P.O. Box 1341, Homestead, Florida 33090. Nominating Committee: WAYNE HOFFMAN (Chair), National Audubon Society, 115 Indian Mound Trail, Tavernier, Florida 33070. Records Committee: BRUCE H. ANDERSON (Secretary), 2917 Scarlet Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792. Grants and Awards Committee: David BREININGER, Dyn-2, Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899. Conservation Committee: Eric D. STOLEN, Dynamac Corporation, Dyn-2, Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899. INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS The Florida Field Naturalist is a fully refereed journal emphasizing biological field studies and observations of vertebrates, especially birds, in and near Florida and the nearby West Indies. It welcomes submission of manuscripts containing new information from these areas. Please consult recent issues for style and Vol. 18, No. 1 for detailed infor- mation. Submit manuscripts for consideration to the Editor, R. Todd Engstrom. Mono- graph-length manuscripts may be submitted for consideration to the Editor of Special Publications, Glen E. Woolfenden. Send books and other materials for review to Associate Editor, Reed Bowman. For preliminary assistance regarding submission of manuscripts dealing with bird distribution and rarities contact Associate Editor, Bruce H. Anderson. Reports of rare birds in Florida should also be submitted to the FOS Records Committee Secretary, Bruce H. Amderson. 1 3 9088 00996 376 Florida Field Naturalist PUBLISHED BY THE FLORIDA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Vol. 25, No. 3 August 1997 Pages 85-116 CONTENTS ARTICLES Distribution and Status of Least Tern Nesting Colonies in Southeast Florida Ricarci Zambrano, Mark S. Robson, Dawn Y. Charnetzky, and Henry T. Smith 85-91 Black Bear Food Habits in the Lower Wekiva River Basin in Central Florida Jayde C. Roof 92-97 NOTES Observations of Roseate Spoonbills and Evidence of Breeding Success on North Andros Island, Bahamas Michael E. Baltz 98-100 Florida Scrub- Jay Kills Common Ground-Dove James McGinity 101-102 Family Dissolution in the Florida Black Bear Steven G. Seibert, Jayde Roof, and David S. Maehr 103-104 Diet of the Tokay Gecko ( Gekko gecko ) in Southern Florida Walter E. Meshaka, Jr, Ronald M. Clouse, and Laura McMahon 105-107 REVIEWS Stokes Field Guide to the Birds: Eastern Region, Donald and Lillian Stokes, 1996. Linda Douglas 108-109 Birds of the West Indies, Roland H. Wauer, 1996. R William Smith 110 FIELD OBSERVATIONS Winter Report: December 1996-February 1997 BillPranty 111-116