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Vol. 10, No. 2 , 1979

WESTERN BIRDS

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WESTERN BIRDS

Volume 10, Number 2, 1979

A SEABIRD DIE-OFF ON THE WASHINGTON COAST
IN MID-WINTER 1976

BILL HARRINGTON-TWEIT, 900 N. Wilson, Olympia, Washington 98506

During the last week of February and the first two days of March 1976,
large numbers of dead seabirds, particularly Northern Fulmars fFul-
marus glacialis ) , Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and Common
Murres (Uria aalge), washed up on the Pacific coast beaches of Washing-
ton and northern Oregon. Lesser numbers of fulmars and kittiwakes
were recorded on beaches south into southern California (DeSante
1976). This event received considerable news coverage and the concern
of biologists, naturalists and others.

METHODS

Eleven beached bird censuses were received from observers who
walked sections of beach of known distance, who were competent at
identifying beached bird specimens and who submitted reliable data on
oiling. The censuses covered 22 km of beach, representing 7.3% of the
coast line. Sunrise Beach, Clatsop Co., the only Oregon beach covered,
was censused on 6 March 1 976. In Washington, six censuses were taken
along Grays Harbor Co. beaches, 2-6 March. Three of these were in the
Westport area; the others were taken at Ocean Shores, Pacific Beach and
Grenville Bay. The beach at North Cove, Pacific Co., was censused on 6
March. Two censuses were taken at Kalaloch, Jefferson Co., 6 and 7
March, and one on 7 March at Beach Trail No. 6, Olympic National Park,
Clallam Co.

On 6 March I picked up 7 1 birds from a 1 .6 km stretch of beach south
of the Westport jetty. On 9 March these carcasses were autopsied. Each
was checked for fat deposits, stomach contents and for oil or parasites in
the digestive tract. The livers were retained for pesticide analysis, and the
left wings of all fulmars were retained for molt analysis.

I used a two-criteria analysis of variance to test differences of relative
percentage of species involved and percent of each species affected by
oil. Fulmar weights were analyzed using the non-parametric rank-sum
test. All significant relationships were tested at the 95% level.

Western Birds 10: 49-56, 1979

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

RESULTS

MAGNITUDE OF MORTALITY

Counts averaged 42.5 dead birds per km (range 17-93) over the 1 1
beaches censused. This figure is much higher than the mean number of
carcasses per km (x=8.5; range=l .3 to 28. 1) calculated from censuses in
the Grays Harbor region during the months of January through March
over a five year period, 1974-1978 (Hamngton-Tweitunpubl. data). Two
beach censuses taken in the Grays Harbor region during mid February
1976 resulted in values of 6.3 and 6.6 carcasses per km (Jack Smith pers.
comm.).

The number of birds killed in this die-off is unknown. Coulson et al.
(1968) and Hopejones et al. (1970) speculated that only 20 to 25% of the
individuals dying offshore wash in to the beach, even when the mortality
occurs fairly close (within 20 km) to shore. Birds that were part of this die-
off continued washing up on the beaches in much reduced numbers
through 10 March (David DeSante pers. comm.).

SPECIES AFFECTED

Most of the dead birds found were Northern Fulmars. They averaged
63% of the carcasses recovered, significantly higher than any other
species (Table 1). Kittiwakes and murres averaged 16% and 10% on the
beach censuses; their numbers were never significantly different from
each other. Table 2 shows the number of carcasses tallied for all species
observed. Of these, only the White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)
was found in large enough numbers (22) to be considered in any detail.
Table 3 shows data on the incidence of oiling for the major species.

Northern Fulmar

Oil was found on the plumage of 43% of the fulmars examined.
Terence Wahl (pers. comm.) noted on his censuses of northern beaches,
where the highest percentages of oiled fulmars were recorded, that the
pattern of oiling on many fulmars suggested they were dead when oiled.
Patches of oil adhered to the uppersides, with tiny spots all over the
plumage, indicating that they floated through oil upside down. Since
virtually no oiling was evident among the large sample of Oregon birds,
this figure is likely an overestimation of oiling mortality.

All fulmars autopsied were finishing wing molt. Of the 35 wings
examined, 80% had fresh primaries and the remainder were growing the
outer 2 or 3 primaries; 69% had replaced over half their secondaries, 86%
had fresh tertiaries and 71% had retained less than a third of their old
wing coverts. Light phased birds constituted 4% of the sample. I was
unable to find any mention of a molt at this season in literature. There
was a significant sexual dimorphism in weight. Males were heavier
(x=609.25 gm, s=±77.9, range=485 to 727 gm, n= 1 6) than females
(5^=479.1 gm, s=±50.0, range=395 to 582 gm, n=29). Average post-

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

breeding weight for males of this subspecies (F. g. rodgersii) is 67 1 .3 gm;
this value seems to be unknown for females as is prebreeding weight for
either sex (Palmer 1 962). No fat deposits were noted on any of the birds.

Ol the 33 stomachs examined, 6 1 % held either squid beaks or lenses.
A few held as many as five beaks. Other items included variously colored
plastic chips (irregular rectangles approximately 5 mm on a side and 1
mm thick), found in 39% of the stomachs, pebbles of approximately the
same size, feathers and small pieces of bone. Only two stomachs
contained oil or internal parasites. More females than males were in the
autopsied sample (females=54.7%, males=30.2% and 15.1% were un-
known, n— 35). All of the females had developing ovaries.

A few fulmars were apparently wrecked inland during the die-off. On
29 Feburary a live fulmar was found in Montesano, Grays Harbor Co.,
about 40 km inland (Jack Smith pers. comm.). In addition, I found a
long-dead fulmar on 1 7 April at Elma, Grays Harbor Co. (about 56 km
inland), which I assume was blowm inland in late February. Five fulmars
were seen from shore at the mouth of Grays Harbor on 28 February
(Glen and Wanda Hoge pers. comm.), along with three other species of
tubenoses: 30 Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus), 1 Mottled (Scaled)
Petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata) and 6 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels ( Oceano -
droma furcata) . Tubenoses of any species are very rarely observed in
winter from shore in Washington.

Black-legged Kittiwake

Kittiwake numbers fluctuated greatly between censuses (note the very
high standard deviation in Table 1), as did the percentage of oiling
observed (Table 3). At least some appeared to have been oiled after
death; the value of 66% (Table 3) is thus a high estimate of oil-caused
mortality. Autopsy data were inconclusive as the sample size was too
small. The only data on age and molt were recorded on the. Oregon
beach where Harry Nehls (pers. comm.) found that of 31 birds, 9.7%
were first winter, 74.2% were second winter and the remaining 16.1%
were adults. Most of the birds were replacing outer primaries; the
remainder had completed molt.

Common Murre

Murre carcasses were evenly distributed along the coast. A high
percentage (95%) were oiled (Table 3); this is significantly higher than for
any other species analyzed except White-winged Scoter. A minority
(33.8%) of the 74 murres checked were still in winter plumage; the
majority had finished the prenuptial molt. I have no useful autopsy data
on these birds.

Other species

Aside from the 22 badly oiled White-winged Scoters, only small
numbers of other species were found. The numbers recorded for each

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

Table 1 . Mean, standard deviation and range of the percentages of fulmars, kittiwakes
and murres recorded on 1 1 beach censuses taken on the northern Oregon and
Washington coast in early March 1976 following a seabird die-off.

% NORTHERN
FULMAR

Mean (x) 63.0

Standard deviation (s) ±20.4

Range 83.5-10.2

% BLACK LEGGED
KITTIWAKE
16.4
±20.3
69.2-0

% COMMON
MURRE
10.1
±6.9
22.2-3.7

Table 2. Summary of carcasses found on 1 1 beach censuses taken on the northern
Oregon and Washington coast in early March 1976 following a seabird die-off. Total
number includes individuals for which presence or absence of oil was not recorded.

SPECIES

Oiled

Unoiled

Total

Arctic Loon (Gama arctica)

Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena)

Western Grebe (Aechmophorus ocddentalis)

Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)

157

263

570

Mottled (Scaled) Petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata )

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata)
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (0. leucorhoa)

Storm-Petrel (sp.)

White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)

Surf Scoter (M. perspiallata)

Duck (sp.)

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

Western Gull (L ocddentalis)

Mew Gull (L. canus)

Larus sp.

Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla )

105

Common Murre ( Uria aalge)

Cassin’s Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus)

Rhinocerous Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerataj

Tufted Puffin (Lunda arrhata)

Unidentified birds

Table 3. Mean, standard deviation and range for the percentage of individuals with oil
on their plumage of fulmars, scoters, kittiwakes and murres found on 1 1 beach
censuses taken on the northern Oregon and Washington coast in early March 1976
following a seabird die-off.

BLACK-

WHITE-

NORTHERN

LEGGED

COMMON

WINGED

FULMAR

KITTIWAKE

MURRE

SCOTER

Mean (x)

43.2

66.0

95.3

90.0

Standard deviation (s)

±35.8

±35.5

±10.1

±31.6

Range

100-10

100-0

100-72.7

100-0

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

are listed in Table 2. As explained for fulmars and kittiwakes, it appeared
that not all were oiled when alive. The majority, especially the loon,
grebes and gulls, were probably not involved in the die-off, as they are
found in comparable numbers on winter beached bird censuses
(Harrington-Tweit unpubl. data).

PESTICIDE LEVELS

Eight livers were saved for pesticide analysis. The four fulmar livers
had DDE levels ranging from 0.50 to 3.2 ppm (all measurements are wet
weight). DDE levels for the two murres were 4.4 and 5.0 ppm, for the
Arctic Loon ( Gavia arctica) 1.1 ppm, and the Western Grebe (Aechmo-
phorus occidentalis) 3.4 ppm. PCBs were present in all specimens with the
highest level, 19.0 ppm, in the grebe and the lowest, 2.0 ppm, in a
fulmar. There is no indication that pesticide residues are physiologically
harmful at these levels (Steve Herman pers. comm.). For information on
concentrations found in other seabirds in the north Pacific see Rise-
brough et al. (1967, 1968) and Fisher (1973); see Bogan and Bourne
(1972) for information relating to Adantic seabirds.

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

Consistently strong onshore winds occurred throughout February
and were strongest late in the month. The wind blew southwesterly on
7 1.4% of the days at an average 30 km/h. Daily wind velocity during the
last week of February averaged 38.3 km/h (range 29 to 47 km/h)
predominantly from the southwest (National Weather Sendee data, U.S.
Coast Guard reporting station, Westport, Grays Harbor Co., WA). These
strong winds differed from the usual February weather. Values for
February averaged over a 5-year period (1953 to 1958) at Hoquaim,
Grays Harbor Co., indicate that winds are southwesterly (including
WSW and SSW) 20.3% of the days at a velocity of 26.2 km/h (Pacific
Northwest River Basins Commission 1968).

Sea surface temperatures over the continental shelf off the Washing-
ton coast average 9°C during January and February (calculated for the
years 1961-1974). In early January 1976 the sea surface temperature in
this area was 9°C, until a mass of colder water started pushing south
along the coast. This 8°C water reached the mouth of the Columbia
River by the end of January, and was bounded on the west by warmer
water at the edge of the shelf. This situation remained unchanged until
late February, when the colder water pushed further west (data from
Southwest Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA).
However, this summary may not be entirely accurate. David G. Ainley
(pers. comm.) found that off central California there was a brief period of
higher sea surface temperatures in late February which was not reflected
in the NOAA data.

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

On 2 March two observers from the Ecological Services Division, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, flew the coastline from llwaco, Pacific Co.,
Washington, north to LaPush, Clallam Co. They reported fairly heavy,
broken patches of crude oil within a mile of shore from llwaco to
Copalis, Grays Harbor Co. (Gary Shaw pers. comm.). North of Copalis
the patches were fewer and smaller. I found very few traces of oil on the
beach during the three censuses I conducted in the Westport area on 6
March. The amount of oil further offshore at this time is unknown.

DISCUSSION

Periods of high seabird mortality, often in conjunction with storms,
have been reported fewer than 10 times in the last 80 winters along the
Washington coast (Harrington-Tweit in prep.). But winter storms with
wind velocities of 80 to 110 km/h are reported almost every winter in this
area (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1972). Obviously not every winter
gale triggers a die-off of the magnitude reported here. Seabirds that
winter on the north Pacific must be able to cope with high winds.
Therefore other factors, possibly in conjunction with winter storms,
must be involved in the die-offs. These could be environmental
pollutants, food suppy and/or a bird’s physiological state.

In this instance, mortality of fulmars and at least half that of kittiwakes
w r as not due to oil. The White-winged Scoter and alcid mortality is
definitely attributable to oil. The effect of pesticide residues present in
these birds was probably negligible. All of the fulmars and kittiwakes had
either just completed or were undergoing a molt; female fulmars,
possibly some kittiwakes and most male fulmars were also developing
into breeding condition.

Sea surface temperatures can be used as a crude indicator of food
availability. Both the kittiwakes and the fulmar are cold water feeders
(Ainley 1976); they should not have been affected by the sea surface
temperatures reported, if accurate, during this time. Ainley established
that the brief period of higher surface temperatures, not shown by the
N OAA data, coincided with the die-off (pers. comm.). Researchers at the
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories found that captured prey species
diversity' declined during the die-off, and that a majority of the carcasses
examined had empty stomachs (Lynne Krasnow pers. comm.). From
this Ainley inferred that the warming spell reduced the amount of food
available to fulmars and kittiwakes, causing the die-off. Similar circum-
stances may have prevailed off Oregon and Washington.

As Kinsky (1968) points out, seabird mortality can occur very
selectively, affecting only some of the species or populations found
offshore at the time. He observed discrepancies between the size and
species composition of the known offshore population and the sample of
birds wrecked by a severe cyclone. Most of the discrepancies hinged
upon whether or not a population or species was molting at the time of

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

the wreck. Mortality was selective in this die-off. Both Sooty and Short-
tailed shearwaters (Puffinus griseus and P. tenuirostris) occur offshore in
winter (Ainlev 1976, Wahl 1975), and Glaucous-winged and Herring
gulls (Larus glaucescens and L. argentatus ) are common offshore (Sanger
1973), yet none of these were involved in the die-off.

Both physical and behavioral differences could account for the
selectivity. Kittiwakes and fulmars were molting and many individuals
were entering breeding condition. Wintering shearwaters are all non-
breeding individuals and are not in molt at this time (Palmer 1962).
Adult gulls may be entering breeding condition in February, but there
should be no gulls in molt at this time (Dwight 1925). Fulmars and
kittiwakes are both surface feeders, whereas Sooty Shearwaters are
capable of diving under the surface (Terence Wahl pers. comm.), and
gulls are able to feed in the littoral zone and inland when they cannot find
surface food in the pelagic zone. It is still quite unclear how these
behavioral and physiological differences interact with environmental
conditions to produce selective mortality.

The species affected by oiling present a different problem. Oiled
grebes and diving ducks, two groups usually affected by coastal oil spills
(Small et al. 1972), were relatively scarce. Instead, most of the birds
affected were offshore species, the alcids. The oil observed onshore on 2
March had little affect on the birds in this zone; certainly very few
appeared on the beaches. Oil was apparently spilled or dumped in late
February in an area used primarily by murres. The consistent onshore
winds may have served to blow more carcasses ashore than would have
otherwise appeared on the beaches. This factor makes it difficult to assess
the number of birds affected, but it was obviously substantial. The high
number of oiled White-winged Scoters compared to other inshore
feeders is another case of selective mortality, currently inexplicable.

SUMMARY

Results of 1 1 beached bird censuses taken on the coast of northern
Oregon and Washington after a seabird die-off in late February 1976 are
summarized. Northern Fulmar, Black-legged Kittiwake and Common
Murre w ? ere the most numerous species found. Several other seabirds
that winter offshore were not involved. Some behavioral and physiologi-
cal differences that could account for the selective mortality are
discussed. Murre mortality was caused by oiling; the source of the oil is
unknown. Beached bird counts averaged 42.5 per kilometer, of which
63% were fulmars, 16% were kittiwakes and 10% were murres. Data
obtained from autopsying fulmar carcasses provided information on
completion of a primary molt at this season, a sexual dimorphism in
weight and occurrence of plastic particles in the digestive tract. Pesticide
residue levels are summarized for four species of seabirds found dead on
the beaches.

SEABIRD DIE-OFF

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This paper is the result of many people’s input and help. I am
indebted to Harry Nehls, Jack Smith and Terence Wahl for censusing
beaches and contributing comments, ideas and support. Dave DeSante
did a later census and sent supplemental information. Dave Ainley, Alyn
Duxbury, Glen and Wanda Hoge, Lynne Krasnow, Gary Shaw and Jay
Watson provided environmental data and observations. John Bulger,
Dave Hayward, Katie and Kirk LaGory, Mark Rutherford and others at
The Evergreen State College helped autopsy carcasses, making a tedious,
malodorous job less unpleasant. Steve Herman procured funds for the
pesticide analysis; John Peard did the lab work. Dave Ainley, John
Bulger, Bob Sluss and Terence Wahl read and criticized drafts of this
paper.

LITERATURE CITED

Ainley, D G. 1976. The occurrence of seabirds in the coastal region of California.
West. Birds 7:33-68.

Bogan, J. A. and W. R. P. Bourne. 1972. Organochlorine levels in Atlantic seabirds.
Nature 240:358.

Coulson,J. C., G. R. Potts, I. R. Deans and S. M. Fraser. 1968. Exceptional mortality
of Shags and other seabirds caused by paralytic shellfish poisoning. Brit. Birds
61:381-404.

DeSante, D. 1976. The changing seasons. Am. Birds 30:677-689.

Dwight, J. 1925. The gulls (Laridae) of the world; their plumages, moults, variations,
relationships and distribution. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 52:63-408.

Fisher, H. I. 1973. Pollutants in North Pacific albatrosses. Pac. Sci. 27:220-225.
HopeJones, P., G. Howells, E. I. S. Rees andj. Wilson. 1970. Effect of ‘Hamilton
Trader’ oil on birds in the Irish Sea in May 1969. Brit. Birds 63:97-1 10.

Kinsky, F. C. 1968. An unusual seabird mortality in the southern North Island (New
Zealand) April, 1968. Notornis 15:143-155.

Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission, Meteorology Committee. 1968. Clima-
tological handbook, Columbia basin states, vol. 3. Vancouver, Washington.
Palmer, R. 1962. Handbook of North American birds, vol. 1. Yale Univ. Press, New
Haven.

Risebrough, R. W., D. B. Menzel, D. J. Martin, Jr. and H. S. Olcott. 1967. DDT
residues in Pacific sea birds: marine food chains. Nature 216:589-590.
Risebrough, R. W., P. Rieche, D. B. Peakall, S. G. Herman and M. N. Kirven. 1968.

Polychlorinated biphenyls in the global ecosystem. Nature 220:1098-1102.
Sanger, G. 1973. Pelagic records of Glaucous-winged and Herring gulls in the north
Pacific Ocean. Auk 90:384-393.

Small, J., D. G. Ainley and H. Strong. 1972. Notes on birds killed in the 1971 San
Francisco oil spill. Calif. Birds 3:25-32.

U. S. Department of Agriculture. 1972. Washington climate for these counties:
Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Pacific, Wahkiakum. Cooperative Extension
Service, Wash, State Univ., Pullman.

Wahl, T. R. 1975. Seabirds in Washington’s offshore zone. West. Birds 6:117-134.

Accepted 23 March 1979

COLORADO FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS OFFICIAL
RECORDS COMMITTEE REPORT 1976-1977

Robert Andrews, do Curator of Zoological Collections, Denver Museum of Natural
History, City Park, Denver, Colorado 80205

This report contains the results of the work done by the Colorado
Field Ornithologists Official Records Committee in 1976 and 1977. All
records reviewed appear below with the ORC file number and names of
observers who submitted documentation. Activities of the ORC from its
inception in May 1972 until 1976 have been reported by Reddall( 1973a,
b, c, 1974a, b, 1975, 1976a, b). The list of Colorado birds as recognized
by the ORC stands at 427 species.

The ORC currently consists of six members: Robert Andrews
(Chairman), David Griffiths, Edward Hollowed, Harold Holt, Peter
Moulton and Richard Stransky. All ORC records are deposited in the
Department of Zoological Collections, Denver Museum of Natural
History.

The ORC desires documentation for the following species (in
addition to any species unrecorded from Colorado):

Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Brown Pelican, Olivaceous Cormorant,
Anhinga, Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, Louisiana Heron, Wood Stork, Glossy
Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Trumpeter Swan, Brant, European Wigeon, Harlequin
Duck, Common Eider, Black Scoter, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red- shouldered Hawk,
Gyrfalcon, Whooping Crane (except San Luis Valley), King Rail, Yellow Rail,
Common Gallinule, American Woodcock, Eskimo Curlew, Sharp-tailed Sand-
piper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Hudsoman Godwit,
Ruff, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Taeger, Lesser
Black-backed Gull, Thayer’s Gull, Laughing Gull, Little Gull, Ivory Gull, Black-
legged Kittiwake, Caspian Tern, Ancient Murrelet, White-winged Dove, Groove-
billed Ani, Barred Owl, Spotted Owl, Boreal Owl, Whip-poor-will, Lesser
Nighthawk, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Blue-throated Hum-
mingbird, Olivaceous Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Alder Flycatcher, Eastern Wood
Pewee, Vermilion Flycatcher, Purple Martin (east slope only). Short-billed Marsh
Wren, Long-billed Thrasher, Bendire’s Thrasher, Gray-cheeked Thrush,
Sprague’s Pipit, Phainopepla, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Swain-
son’s Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Lucy’s Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Hermit
Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Yellow- throated Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie
Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Cana-
da Warbler, Painted Redstart, Eastern Meadowlark (except at Red Lion State
Wildlife Area), Scott’s Oriole, Great-tailed Grackle (except San Luis Valley),
Hepatic Tanager, Painted Bunting, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Smith’s Longspur.

Western Birds 10: 57-70, 1979

COLORADO RECORDS

PART I - SPECIES ADDED TO THE COLORADO LIST

KING RAIL (Rallus elegans) . One (N- 17-68) attheC.F. & I. Lakes near Pueblo, Pueblo
Co. 12Jun-3Jul 1976 (DAG, RA, NM, PM, photos byJS, VT) (Figure 1). For complete
details see Griffiths (1976).

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER (Calidris acuminata). One immature (N-19-62) at
Prince Lake No. II, 1 mile N of Lafayette, Boulder Co. 26 Oct-7 Nov 1975 (BW, JC,
RA, HH, AM, JR, photos by HH, BW). Webb and Conry (1979) present details.
RUFF ( Philomachus pugnax ). One individual, possibly an immature male (N- 19-7 7) 1.5
miles NE of Prospect Res., Weld Co. 30 May-5 Jun 1976 (JR, RA, MOS, photos by
WL).

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus fuscus) . One adult (N-23-75) Lake Sangraco,
Adams Co. 12 Dec-1 Jan 1977 (BW, RA, JR, WWB, photos by DMNH, HH). For
details see Webb and Conry (1978).

GROOVE-BILLED AN I (Crotophaga sulcirostris) . One(N-26-72) Bonny Reservoir State
Recreation Area, Yuma Co. 3 Oct 1976 (PG, MM, BW, photos by BW). For complete
details see Webb (1976). (Webb presents an account and photograph of one observed
west of Pueblo Res., Pueblo Co. 6 Jul 1975 by Jim Dennis, the first record from
Colorado chronologically.)

PART II - REPORTED SPECIES NOT ADDED
TO THE COLORADO LIST

BARNACLE GOOSE (Branta leucopsis). Two (N-8-69) Frying Pan River at Elk Willow
Campground near Basalt, Eagle Co. 26-27 Oct 1975. Photo on file. Apparendy
imported into the area and released.

WHITE-TAILED HAWK (Buteo albicaudatus) . One (N-10-71) Lakewood, Jefferson
Co. 12 May 1976.

BLACK RAIL (Later alius jamaicensis) . One (N- 17-65) Red Lion State Wildlife Area,
Logan Co. 20 Apr 1976. One (N- 17-76) near Ridgway, Ouray Co. 27 Sept 1976.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD ( Archilochus colubris). One (N-31-67) Bonny
Reservoir State Recreation Area, Yuma Co. 5-6 May 1976.

PART III -SPECIES DELETED FROM THE COLORADO LIST
BLACK BRANT (Branta nigricans). Removed due to the taxonomic decision of the
AOU (1976).

MEXICAN DUCK (Anas diazi) and MO 11 LED DUCK ( Anas fulvigula). These species
are deleted because the specimens from Colorado (DMNH 353, 20557 , 24392, 25374,
33794) have been examined byjohn R. Hubbard of the New Mexico Department of
Game and Fish and determined not to be valid examples of these species (Betsy Webb
pers. comm.).

RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus). All ORC material was examined by Clait E.
Braun of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, who considered none of the reports to be
acceptable, and the ORC concurs.

ICELAND GULL ( Larus glaucoides). Deleted because the Colorado specimen
(DMNH 18886) has been determined to be a Thayer’s Gull (L thayeri) by Roxanne
Layboume of the National Museum of Natural History (Betsy Webb pers. comm.).

COLORADO RECORDS

PART IV- REPORTS OF RARE SPECIES

The following is a summary of the 152 records received and processed
by the ORC in 1976 and 1977. Some species included are no longer on
the list of species for which the ORC solicits documentation.

CLASS A RECORDS - Records in which the submitted documentation
supports the stated identification.

ARCTIC LOON (Gavia arctica). Two (1-76-16) Prewitt Res., Washington Co. 16 Nov

1975 (SB). One ( 1 -76-105) Sloan’s Lake, Denver Co. 22-2S Oct 1976 (VR). There are 23
records for Colorado, and the species is now considered a regular and expected fall
migrant.

RED-THROATED LOON (G. stellata). One (1-76-106) Sloan’s Lake, Denver Co. 27
Oct 1976 (VR, RA, JRC, JR). Fourth state record.

GREEN HERON (Butorides striatus) . One (5-76-21) Durango, La Plata Co. 19jan-26
Apr 1976 (RWS). First winter report.

LITTLE BLUE HERON (Florida caendea). One (5-77-21) near bridge over Yampa R.
on Highway 318 nearMaybell, Moffat Co. 23 May 1973 (MS). Two (5-76-56) 4 miles N
ofjunction of 1-76 and Kersey Road, Weld Co. 31 May 1976 (HH-photos on file). One
(5-77-38) Beebe Draw Gun Club at LaSalle, Weld Co. 26 Apr, 20 May 1977 (WPG).
One (5-77-55) McCoy, Eagle Co. 15-16 May 1977 (ME). There are now 15 state
records.

CATTLE EGRET (Bubidcus ibis). One(5-76-l 14) Boulder Res., Boulder Co. 31 Oct

1976 (ET). There are now 25 state records.

LOUISIANA HERON (Hydranassa tricolor). One (5-77-39) Masters, Weld Co. 22-31
May 1977 (GM). One(5-77-48) Pueblo Res., Pueblo Co. 30 May 1977 (CK). One(5-77-
47) Wellington, Larimer Co. 31 May 1977 (MJ). Sixth-eighth state records.

ROSS’ GOOSE ( Chen rossii). One (8-76-11) Valmont Res., Boulder Co. 20-21 Dec
1975 (BK, PJ). There are now 28 state records.

EUROPEAN WIGEON (Anas penelope). One male (8-76-34) Barr Lake State Park,
Adams Co. 3 Apr 1976 (RA). Seventh state record (all but one are from early April-
early May).

HARLEQUIN DUCK ( Histrionicus histrionicus) . One female or immature (8-76-108)
Barr Lake State Park, Adams Co. 24 Oct 1976 (RA, TS). Sixth state record (1st since
1940).

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Melanitta deglandi). Three females or immatures (8-77-
15) Totton Res., near Cortez, Montezuma Co. 23 Oct 1976 (RWS). There is only one
published record from the west slope: five on Mesa L., Mesa Co. in Oct 1912 (Bailey
and Niedrach 1965, Davis 1969).

SURF SCOTER (M. perspicillata) . One male (8-76-84) Marston Res., Jefferson Co. 14
May 1976 (VT). Twenty-ninth state record.

BLACK SCOTER ( M . nigra). Three females or immatures (8-76-100) Cherry Creek
Res., Arapahoe Co. 12 Oct 1976 (JR, VR). Two females or immatures (8-76-95)
Valmont Res., Boulder, Boulder Co. 23 Oct 1976 (JR). Two females or immatures (8-
76-110) Cloverleaf Res., Boulder Co. 5-6 Nov 1976 (JR, TV). Eleventh-thirteenth state
records.

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK ( Buteo lineatus). One adult (10-76-22) Bonny Res.,
YumaCo. 15 Feb 1976 (MM) (only mid-winter record in Colorado). One adult (10-76-
47) Bonny Res., YumaCo. 5 May 1976 (JR). One immature (10-76-97) Barr Lake State
Park, Adams Co. 27 Sep 1976 (RA). One adult (10-77-73) on Highway 14 at Weld-
Larimer Co. line 2 Sep 1977 (BM). Webb (1978) has reviewed the status of this bird in
Colorado.

COLORADO RECORDS

PIPING PLOVER ( Charadrius melodus ) . Two ( 1 8-77-20) Bonny Res., Yuma Co. 23 Apr
1977 (MJ, MM, JP, JS). Twenty-third state record.

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus ) . One(19-76-8) Boulder, Boul-
der Co. 4 Oct 1975 (RA). Four { 19-77-6) Union Res., Weld Co. 23-24 May 1976 (PM,
BW). One (19-76-89) Jackson Res., Morgan Co. 6 Sept 1976 (JR). Sixth-eighth state
records.

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (Tryngites subruficollis) , One (19-76-102) Barr Lake,
Adams Co. 22-24 Aug 1976 (RA, DAG). One ( 19-77-67) Jackson Res., Morgan Co. 4
Sep 1977 (RA,JR). One(19-77-20) CherryCreek Res., Arapahoe Co. 7 Sep 1977 (TM).
Fourteenth- sixteenth state records (all but three are from late August and early
September).

HUDSONIAN GODWIT (Limosa haemastica ) . One (19-76-49) Red Lion State Wildlife
Area, Logan Co. 8 May 1976 (JR). One (19-76-57) Red Lion State Wildlife Area, Logan
Co. 30-31 May 1976 (HH, WL, photos on file-HH). Seventh and eighth state records
(all but one in spring, mostly in late May).

RED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus fultcanus). One (21-76-91) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 1 1-
13 Sep 1976 (RA, JR). Eighth state record. Half of all state records are from 1975 and
1976.

JAEGER SP. (Stercorarius sp.J. Because most observations of jaegers in Colorado
involve immatures, which are often very difficult to identify even by someone with
considerable field experience, it is felt that under most circumstances inland
observers simply do not have the necessary expertise or resources to identify most
immature jaegers. Therefore, as a general rule, records of immature jaegers will be
treated as jaeger sp. One (22-76-28) Cherry Creek Res., Arapahoe Co. 27 Feb 1976
(MOS). One (22-76-92) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 11 Sep 1976 (RA). One (22-76-96) Barr
Lake, Adams Co. 17-25 Sep 1976 (RA), One(22-76-l 13) Bonny Res., YumaCo. 6 Nov

1976 (MM). One (22-76-1 17) Prewitt Res., Washington Co. 24 Nov 1976 (JR). One (22-
76-123) Marston Res., Jefferson Co. 11 Dec 1976 (TG). One (22-77-65) Union Res.,
Weld Co. 4 Sep 1977 (RA, JR). There are now 31 records of jaegers (including all
species and all plumages) from Colorado.

PARASITIC JAEGER (S. parasiticus). One adult (22-77-67) Cherry Creek Res.,
Arapahoe Co. 3 Aug 1977 (TM). One adult (22-77-59) Union Res., Weld Co. 13-14
Aug 1977 (RA, MM, PM). One adult (22-77-7 1) Chatfield Res., Douglas Co. 17 Sep

1977 (HK).

THAYER’S GULL (Larus thayeri). One immature (23-76-7) Centennial Park, Engle-
wood, Arapahoe Co. 20 Dec 1 975 (JR). One immature (23-76-29) Cherry Creek Res.,
Arapahoe Co. 22 Feb-7 Mar 1976 (JR). One immature (23-76-116) Prewitt Res.,
Washington Co. 24 Nov 1976 (JR). One adult (23-76- 130) Lake Sangraco, Adams Co.

13 Dec 1976 (RA). One immature (23-77-70) Cherry Creek Res., Arapahoe Co, 5 Feb
1977 (JR). One subadult (23-77-13) Cherry Creek Res., Arapahoe Co. 5-25 Mar 1977
(JR). There are now 22 records from Colorado.

LAUGHINGGULL (L. atricilla). Two winter adults (23-76-4) Union Res., Weld Co. 1
Nov 1975 (RA, JR). One adult (23-76-79) C. F. & I. Lakes, Pueblo Co. 7 Jun 1976
(DAG). One winter adult (23-76-1 12) Union Res., Weld Co. 23 Oct 1976 (JR). One
adult (23-77-19) Cherry Creek Res., Arapahoe Co. 17 Apr 1977 (TM). There are now

14 state records, and the species is recorded annually, mostly in spring.

LITTLE GULL (L minutus). One adult (23-76-48)Jumbo Res., Logan Co. 8 May 1976
(JR). Three immatures (23-76-62, 23-77-5, 23-77-60) Union Res., Weld Co. 15 May-27
Jun 1976 (RA, PM, JR, CW, photos on file-PM). Second and third state records.
BLACK-LEGGED KITT1WAKE (Rissa tridactyla). One immature (23-76-1 18) Union
Res., Weld Co. 27 Nov 1976 (JR). Seventh state record; four of the seven are fall
records.

WHITE-WINGED DOVE (Zenaida asiatica). One (25-77-37) 20 miles W of Grover,
Weld Co. 3 May 1977 (SA, RP, VHR, VS). Eighth state record.

COLORADO RECORDS

SPOTTED OWL (Strix occidentals) . One (28-76-90) 1 mile W of Silverthorne, Summit
Co. 5 Sep 1976 (HK, UK). Thirteenth state record.

SWIFT SP. (Chaetura sp.j. One (30-77-4) Ridgway, Ouray Co. 26 Sep 1976 (JRG, HK).
Fourth record of a Chaetura swift from western Colorado (Davis 1969); none have
been identified to species.

BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Lampomis demenciae). Five females or im-
matures (31-76-1) 7 miles N of Durango, La Plata Co. 7 Sep 1975 (EF, RWS). Fifth state
record.

COMMON FLICKER (Colaptes auratus) . One intergrade (33-77-3) Grand Junction,
Mesa Co. 2-20 Jan 1977 (HA). Davis (1969) records only one Yellow-shafted or
intergrade flicker from western Colorado (Grand Junction- 17 Dec 1966).
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) . One immature (33-76-
124) 2 miles S of Breen, La Plata Co. 19-28 Oct 1976 (DS). One immature at Hotchkiss,
Delta Co. from 8 Dec 1973-9 Jan 1974; this is only the third published record from
western Colorado (Davis 1969), the other two being from Grand Co. in 1877 and
Routt Co. in 1908.

LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER (Picoides scalaris) . One female (33-76-30) Colo-
rado Springs, El Paso Co. 12-19 Feb 1976 (DB-photo on file). Rather rare in El Paso
Co. One male (33-76-36) Boulder, Boulder Co. 27 Mar 1976 (HPC). There appears to
be only one other record from the Platte R. drainage in Colorado: one at Red Rocks,
Jefferson Co. 20 Sep 1964 (Bailey and Niedrach 1965, Holt 1975).

EASTERN PHOEBE ( Sayomis phoebe) . One (34-76-16) Boulder, Boulder Co. 21 Dec

1975 (CJ). Apparently the only report in Colorado between 1 Oct and 1 1 Mar (Bailey
and Niedrach 1965, Holt 1975).

VERMILION FLYCATCHER (Pyrocephalus rubinus) . One female (3 4- 7 6- 19) Pastorius
Res,, La Plata Co. 20 Sep 1975 (AN). One female (34-77-18) Lajunta, Otero Co. 23
Mar 1977 (BT). Sixteenth and seventeenth state records (most are in spring or fall).
PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis). One male (36-76-41) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 29 Apr

1976 (RA). One female (36-76-55) 16 miles SW of Ft. Morgan, Morgan Co. 25 May
1976 (JCR). Eighth and ninth east slope records.

PYGMY NUTHATCH (Sitta pygmaea). One (39-76-103) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 4 Sep
1976 (RA), Second plains record, the first being two at Barr Lake 18-25 Sep 1960.

HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon). One (42-76-125) Littleton, Arapahoe Co. 20 Dec
1975 (RA). Only two other winter reports from Colorado: one inJefFerson Co. 19 Feb
1900 and one in Arapahoe Co. 28 Dec 1934 (Bailey and Niedrach 1965).
SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN (Cistothorus platensis) . One (42-76-39) Bonny Res.,
Yuma Co. 6-7 May 1976 (JR). One (42-76-81) Jumbo Res., Logan Co. 16 May 1976
(NM). One (42-77-17) C. F. & I. Lakes, Pueblo Co. 26 Mar 1977 (AB, EB). Eleventh-
thirteenth state records, the majority being spring records from the northeastern part
of the state.

CANYON WREN (Catherpes mexicanus) . One (42-76-104) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 22
Aug 1976 (RA). There appear to be no other records from a plains locality (Bailey and
Niedrach 1965).

CURVE-BILLED THRASHER (Toxostoma curvirostre) . One (42-76-80) 2 miles N of
Silverthorne, Summit Co. 30 Apr-7 May 1976 (LB-photo on file). One (42-76-54)
Bonny Res., Yuma Co. 1 8 May 1976 (HG, SW). Third and fourth records from outside
the Arkansas River valley, the former being the first mountain record.

VARIED THRUSH (Ixoreus naevius). One male (44-77-16) Ridges Basin Rd. near
Bodo Wildlife Area, La Plata Co. 21 Nov 1976 (RWS). Neither Bailey and Niedrach
(1965) nor Davis (1969) mentions any west slope record of this species.

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH (Catharus minimus). One (44-76-73) Boulder, Boulder
Co. 13 May 1976 (WL). One (44-76-67) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 16 May 1976 (RA). One
(44-76-72) Crow Valley Park, Weld Co. 16 May 1976 (WL). One (44-76-85) Boulder,

COLORADO RECORDS

Boulder Co. 16 May 1976 (FH). One (44-76-58) Cherry Creek Res., Arapahoe Co. 17
May 1976 (MOS). One (44-76-75) Jumbo Res., Logan Co. 29 May 1976 (WL).
Eleventh-sixteenth state records (virtually all in May).

SPRAGUE’S PIPIT (Anthus spragueii). Two (46-76-51) Lake Estes, Larimer Co. 28 Apr

1976 (WR). One (46-76-107) Table Mtn., Boulder Co. 23 Aug 1976 (FH). Tenth and
eleventh state records.

WHITE-EYED VIREO (Vireo griseus). One (51-76-44) Two Buttes Res., Baca Co. 1
May 1976 (RA, NM). Fourth state record (three in May, one in September).
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (V flavifrons). One (51-77-64) Colorado Springs, El
Paso Co. 24 Aug 1977 (WH). Tenth state record (first fall record, all others late April-
late May).

PHILADELPHIA VIREO (V philadelphicus) . One(51-76-86) Boulder, Boulder Co. 25
May 1976 (FH). Nineteenth state record (14 are fall records).

PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonctaria citrea). One male (52-76-43) Boulder,
Boulder Co, 8-12 May 1976 (PE, RA, NM, photo on file-NM). One or two males (52-
77-27) Ft. Collins, Larimer Co. 7 May 1977 (SHB, DH, WLH, DV), Sixteenth and
seventeenth state records (of which 14 are in spring, 12 in May).

WORM-EATING WARBLER (Helmitheros vermivorus) . One (52-76-45) Boulder, Boul-
der Co. 8 May 1976 (MM,JS, photo onfile-JS), One (52-76-79) Boulder, Boulder Co.
20 May 1976 (RV). Twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth state records (all but five are spring,
late April-mid-May).

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera) . One male (52-77-22) Barr
Lake, Adams Co. 7-9 May 1977 (RA, WL). One male (52-77-33) Boulder, Boulder Co.
14 May 1977 (PJ). Nineteenth and twentieth records (16 are spring records, mostly
mid- and late May).

BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (V ptnus). One (52-76-40) Two Buttes Res., Baca Co. 5-
7 May 1976(PJ,JR). One male(52-76-77) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 6Jun 1976(RA). Sixth
and seventh state records (all spring).

CAPE MAY WARBLER (Dendroica tigrina). One male (52-76-42) Boulder, Boulder
Co. 10-12 May 1976 (RA, PM, JR, NM, photo on file- PM). One female or immature
(52-76-109) Boulder, Boulder Co. 31 Oct 1976 (RA). Second fall record for Colorado,
the first being at Waterton, Jefferson Co. 20-23 Nov 1974. One male (52-77-32)
Moraine Park Campground, Rocky Mountain National Park, Larimer Co. 6 May 1977
(PH). One male (52-77-28) Lower Dixon Res., Larimer Co. 7 May 1977 (DL). One
male (52-77-50) Endovalley, Rocky Mountain National Park, Larimer Co. 12-13 Jun

1977 (KB, FK, SWo), with complete details provided by Bass (1977). Ninth-thirteenth
state records (all but two in spring).

HERMIT WARBLER (D. occidental^) . One male (52-76-68) Boulder, Boulder Co. 20
May 1976 (RV). Second state record.

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (D. dominica). One male (52-77-24) Bonny Res.,
Yuma Co. 15 May 1977 (WL, MM, PM, photos on file-WL). Ninth state record.
PINE WARBLER (D. pinus). One male (52-76-98) Pingree Park near Rustic, Larimer
Co. 11 Jul 1976 (TB). Ninth state record. First summer record; all others are from
September-December with one May record.

PRAIRIE WARBLER (D, discolor) . One male (52-76-7 1) Bonny Res., Yuma Co. 15-16
May 1976 (photos on file-PM, JS). Fourth state record (all mid-May to early June).
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Seiurus motacilla). One (52-77-23) Bonny Res.,
Yuma Co. 14 May 1977 (WL, MM). Second state record.

CANADA WARBLER (Wilsonia canadensis). One male (52-76-2) Boulder, Boulder
Co. 13-16 Oct 1975 (JR). One male (52-76-66) Colorado Springs, El Paso Co. 26 May
1976 (CC). Thirteenth and fourteenth state records (nine spring, five fall).
EASTERN MEADOWLARK ( Stumella magna ). Six (54-76-53) Red Lion State Wildlife
Area, Logan Co. 8-9 May 1976 (JR). One (52-76-76) Red Lion, Logan Co. 30 May 1976
(WL). The only acceptable Colorado records come from this single locality.

COLORADO RECORDS

SCOTT’S ORIOLE (Icterus parisorum). One male (52-77-49) Unaweep Canyon, Mesa
Co. 21 May 1977 (PJ). Fifth state record (all spring).

GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus mexicanus). Five males and three females (54-
76-88) Monte Vista, Rio Grande Co. 12Jun 1 976 (JR). The small population at this site
has been present since 1973, as reported by Stepney (1975). Four records are from
other localities in Colorado (Gunnison, La Plata and Pueblo Cos.).

SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga olivacea). One male (55-76-115) Boulder, Boulder
Co. 16 Jun 1976 (photo on file-FH). One male (55-77-53) Poudre Canyon, Larimer
Co. 19 Jun 1977 (photo on file-EDB). Thirty-nine state records (all but ten are spring,
mid-May to mid-June),

SUMMER TANAGER (P. rubra). One male (55-76-50) Animas Valley near Durango,
La Plata Co. 7 May 1976 (GC). Thirty-eighth state record (all but five in spring).
PURPLE FINCH (Carpodacus purpureus) . One female or immature (56-76-25) Boul-
der, Boulder Co. 6 Dec 1975 (JR). One female or immature (56-76-24) Ft. Collins,
Larimer Co. 20 Dec 1975, banded 1 1 Jan 1976, retrapped and photographed 16 Feb
1976 (photos on file-RR). One female or immature (56-76-32) Boulder, Boulder Co.
29 Feb 1976 (JR). One adult male (56-77-9) Evergreen, Jefferson Co. 2 May 1976
(WWB). Two females or immatures (56-76-101) Boulder, Boulder Co. 18 Oct 1976
(VR). Two females orimmatures (56-76-1 11) Barr Lake, Adams Co. 30 Oct 1976 (RA).
One female or immature (56-77-12) Dry Creek Res., El Paso Co. 2 Jan 1977 (DAG).
One female or immature (56-77- 10) Bonny Res., YumaCo. 22-29Jan 1977 (MM, PM,
JS). Twenty-five state records; the species is recorded every winter.

BAIRD’S SPARROW (Ammodramus bairdii). One male (56-76-52) Red Lion State
Wildlife Area, Logan Co. 8-9 May 1976 (JR).

LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Ammospiza leconteii). One (56-77-29) Dry Creek Res. near
Wellington, Larimer Co. 7 May 1977 (EH, JWS, photos on file-JWS). Second state
record.

CONTRIBUTORS

Helen E. Allen (HA), Robert Andrews (RA), Stewart Adams (SA), Dominic A. Bartol,
Jr. (DB), Kenneth H. Bass (KB), Adam Blatnick (AB), Edward Blatnick (EB), Elyse
Deffke Bliss (EDB), Linda Boden (LB), Theodore P. Bodner (TB), Sophia Bogan (SB),
Stephen H. Bouffard (SHB), Winston William Brockner(WWB), Roben Buttery (RB),
Honeywood P. Carter (HPC), Charles L. Campbell (CC), Gloria J. Childress (GC),
Jeanne A. Corny (JC), John R. Cooper (JRC), Camille Cummings (CCu), Patricia
Echelmeyer (PE), Margaret Ewing (ME), Elva Fox (EF), Thomas A. Gatz (TG), Peter
Gent (PG), Ivan Getting (IG), Libby Goodwin (LG), Warner P. Gorenzel (WPG),
Herman J. Griese (HG), Dave A. Griffiths (DAG), J. R. Guadagno (JRG), Wendy L.
Haas (WLH), Freeman F, Hall (FH), Jeanne A. Halsey (JH), Paula L. Hansley (PH),
Dale Hein (DH), Edward Hollowed (EH), Harold R. Holt (HH), W. G. Hurd (WH),
Mark Janos (MJ), Christina Jones (CJ), Paul R. Julian (PJ), Hugh E. Kingery (HK),
Urling Kingery (UK), Frances J. Kobetic (FK), Barry Knapp (BK), Chris Knight (CK),
David Laliberte (DL), William A. Lybarger (WL), Thompson Marsh (TM), Ken Mesch
(KM), Gary Miller (GM), Brian A. Millsap (BM), Narca A. Moore (NM), Michael
Moulton (MM), Peter Moulton (PM), Alan Nelson (AN), Karen Nickey(KN), Richard
E. Pillmore (RP), Julie Pinkham (JP), Jack Reddall (JR), Warner Reeser (WR), Vincent
H. Reid (VHR), Van Remsen(VR), Joseph C. Rigli(JCR), Ronald A. Ryder (RR), Virgil
E. Scott (VS), Susan Seeds (SS), Thomas G. Shane (TS), Mildred O. Snyder (MOS), John
W. Solberg(JWS), Diana Stransky(DS), Richard W. Stransky(RWS),JuddSundine(JS),
Michael R. Szymczak (MS), Edward L. Thompson (ET), Babette F. Tully (BT), Van A.
Truan (VT), Ridi Van Zandt (RV), Thomas E. Van Zandt (TV), Donna Vinal (DV),
Bruce E. Webb (BW), Craig Williams (CW), Sartor O. Williams (SW), Sandy
Wohlgemuth (SWo).

COLORADO RECORDS

CLASS B RECORDS - Records in which the submitted documentation
indicates a misidentification was made or the submitted documentation
is too brief.

LITTLE BLUE HERON (Florida caerulea) . One (5-77-57) Union Res., Weld Co. 9 Aug
1977.

TRUMPETER SWAN (Olor buccinator). One (8-76-55) Boulder, Boulder Co. 10-28
Apr 1976.

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK (Buteo lineatus). One (10-76-74) Crook, Logan Co, 30
May 1976.

OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus) . One (11-76-14) Waterton, Douglas Co. 3 Jan 1976.
COMMON GALLINULE (Gallinula chloropus) . One(l7-76-82) Union Res., Weld Co.
30 May or 6 Jun 1976.

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus) , Nine (19-77-68) Cherry
Creek Res., Arapahoe Co. 1 Sep 1977.

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER (Tryngites svbruficollis) . One (19-77-36) Wray, Yuma
Co. 1 May 1977. Photos on file.

THAYER’S GULL (Larus thayen). One (23-76-64) C. F. & L Lakes, Pueblo Co. 1 Nov

1975. Photos on file. One (23-76-23) Boulder, Boulder Co. 22 Dec 1975.
LAUGHING GULL (L. atricilla). One (23-76-87) Two Buttes Res., Baca Co. 16 May

1976. Three (23-76-127) Lake Henry, Crowley Co. 5 Sep 1976.

RIVOLI’S HUMMINGBIRD (Eugenes fulgens) . One (31-76-65) Evergreen, Jefferson
Co. 19 July 1975.

SPRAGUE’S PIPIT (Anthus spragueii) . One (46-76-38) Masonville, Larimer Co. 27 Mar
1976.

WILSON’S WARBLER (Wilsorua pusilla) . One (52-76-15) Boulder, Boulder Co. early
Dec 1975-early Jan 1976.

VESPER SPARROW ( Pooecetes gramineus). Three (56-76-17) Boulder, Boulder Co. 21
Dec 1975.

PART V - SPECIMENS

The ORC does not normally deal with specimen reports. However, to
make ORC reports complete regarding recent unusual bird records,
notable recent, little- known or unpublished specimens will be included.
DMNH-Denver Museum of Natural History.

HARLEQUIN DUCK (Histrionicus histnonicus) . Parkes and Nelson (1976) reported a
previously unrecorded Colorado specimen (and the only definite breeding record): a
downy young collected on Vallecito Creek, La Plata Co. by A. W. Anthony 15Jul 1883
(Carnegie Museum of Natural History 21786).

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus) . One female (DMNH 36714) found
dead on Highway 285 1.5 miles west of Grant, Park Co. 3 Sep 1977 by Harold Holt.
Only three other Colorado specimens, and very few records of any kind from the
mountains.

RED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus fulicarius). One male (DMNH 36147) collected live at
Barr Lake State Park, Adams Co. 16 Sep 1975 by Denver Zoo personnel (led by
Edward Schmidt, Curator of Birds). It died in captivity several days later. Second
Colorado specimen.

BOREAL OWL (Aegolius funereus). One male (DMNH 36064) collected near Estes
Park, Larimer Co. 1 Apr 1970 byAllegraCollister. One (DMNH 36698) found dead at
Evergreen, Jefferson Co. 2 Feb 1978 by Sylvia Brockner. There are apparently only
three other Colorado specimens.

Figure 1. King Rail (Rallus elegans) , C. F. & I. Lakes, Pueblo Co., Colorado, Blue Jay x Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta cristata x C. stelleri) hybrid, Boulder,
12 June-3 July 1976. First State record. Boulder Co., Colorado, 26 January 1972.

Photo by Van A Truan photo by Narco Moore

COLORADO RECORDS

Prairie Warbler / Dendroica discolor /, Chautauqua Park, Boulder, Boulder Co., Colo-
rado, 30-31 Mav 1975. Second state record. (Reddall 1 9 7 6 b : 9 4 1

Photo b\ Steve Larson

Kentuckv Warbler (Opororms formosus /... banded at Lvkin’s Gulch. Boulder Co..
Colorado, 6 Mav 197 5. Fourth state record. (Reddall 1 9 7 6 b : 9 4

Photo by l 'em Walker

COLORADO RECORDS

Louisiana Heron i Hydranassa tricolor Barr Lake and Mile High Duck Club, Adams
Co., Colorado, 25Julv-l August 1971. Third state record. (Reddall 1 9 7 6 b : 8 6 1

Photo by Harold R. Holt

Spotted Owl i Strix occidentalism , Rockv Mountain Arsenal, Adams Co., Colorado, 3-5
June 1975. Twelfth state record. Rockv Mountain Arsenal, approximately 50-55 km
from mountains, is 95%+ grassland with few trees. Owl was in a tree bv the front
window of the arsenal office building. (Reddall J 9 7 6b: 93 )

Photo by Randal L. Fairbanks

COLORADO RECORDS

Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia j, Lake Henry, Crowley Co., Colorado, 27-28 Mav 1974.
First state record. (Reddall 1976b:83)

Photos by Stan W. Oswald

COLORADO RECORDS

SAW- WHET OWL (A. acadicus). One juvenile (DMNH t-335) found dead in Denver
Co. 25Jun 1976 by Mrs. V. L. Johnson. One (DMNH 1978-62) found dead near Castle
Rock, Douglas Co. 15 Dec 1977 by Sally Cockrum. There are about 20 Colorado
specimens.

CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD (Stellula calliope) . One immature male (DMNH 36 146)
collected in Arapahoe Co. 1 6 Aug 1 9.56 by Robert J . N iedrach. This bird is in addition
to another individual collected at the same time (DMNH 36455) and previously
reported by Bailey and Niedrach (1965).

ALDER FLYCATCHER (Empidonax alnorum). One female (DMNH 36456) collected
Wray, Yuma Co. 26 May 1906 by Will C. Ferril. One female (DMNH 36455) collected
Holly, Prowers Co. 1 Jun 1908 by H. G. Smith. Apparently the only Colorado records.
Both identified by Allan R. Phillips.

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera) . One male (at Indiana Uni-
versity) collected in 1881 in Colorado (possibly Elbert Co.) by Frank M. Drew.
Reported by Kowalski (1978). Only Colorado specimen.

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Dendroica fusca). One male (DMNH 36144) found
dead at Green Mountain, Lakewood, Jefferson Co. 3 Jun 1975 byjohn Kenning. First
Colorado specimen.

NORTHERN ORIOLE (Icterus galbula). One male “Bullock’s” (DMNH 36165)
found dead in Denver Co. 1 Jan 1976 by Frances Arterburn. First winter record.
SUMMER TANAGER (Piranga rubra). One first-year male (DMNH 36423) Golden,
Jefferson Co., first seen 23 Apr 1976 and found dead 1 May 1976 by Mrs. Jerry
Cebula. Fourth Colorado specimen.

The following notable specimens, formerly in the collection of
Western State College at Gunnison, Colorado, have now been deposited
in the collection of the Denver Museum of Natural H istory, and are given
with their DMNH catalog numbers. All are from Gunnison, Gunnison
Co. Most have previously been mentioned by Bailey and Niedrach
( 1965 ).

SNOWY PLOVER (Charadrius alexandrinus) . One (36722) May 1966 by D. Radovich.
VERMILION FLYCATCHER (Pyrocephalus rubinus) . Onefemale(3672l) 18 Nov 1952
by A. S. Hyde.

NORTHERN PARULA (Parula americana). One male (36717) 24 May 1952 by A. S.
Hyde. One male (36724) 24 May 1977 by T. T. Hariss.

DICKCISSEL (Spiza americana). One (36718) 18 Sep 1956 by A. S. Hyde.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW fAmmodramus savannarum ) . One(36723) 15 Oct 1953 by
A. S. Hyde.

LE CONTE’S SPARROW (Ammosptza leconteii). One (36720) 6 May 1952 by A. S.
Hyde.

SHARP-TAILED SPARROW (Ammospiza caudacuta) . One (36719) 24 Oct 1952 by A.
S. Hyde.

AC KN O WLE D GME NTS

I would like to thank the many Colorado birders who have contribut-
ed reports of unusual birds contained herein, and I encourage them to
continue to do so. I would also like to thank the following persons: Betsy
Webb for her assistance in putting together the specimen section and for
permission to include these records; Laurence Binford for examining
the documentation of the Lesser Black- backed Gull; Alan Craig and Van

COLORADO RECORDS

Remsen, who commented on an earlier draft of this report; and Bruce
Webb for his comments on a later draft. Finally, many thanks must go to
Jack Reddall, Chairman from May 1972 until October 1977. His
tremendous efforts led to the establishment of the ORC and the
accumulation of an extensive and well-organized body of information.

LITERATURE CITED

American Ornithologists Union. 1976. Thirty-third supplement to the American
Ornithologists Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 93:875-879.

Bailey, A. E. and R. J. Niedrach. 1965. Birds of Colorado. 2 vol. Denver Mus. Nat.
Hist., Denver.

Bass, K. H. 1977. Cape May Warbler at Rocky Mountain National Park. C. F. O.
Journal 31:14-15.

Davis, W. A. 1969. Birds in western Colorado. Colorado Field Ornithologists.

Griffiths, D. A. 1976, King Rail -first Colorado record. C. F. O. Journal 28:17.

Holt, H, R. 1975. Status and migration data of birds of the Denver area. Pages 99-124
in J. A. Lane and H. R. Holt. A birder’s guide to eastern Colorado. L & P Press,
Denver, Colorado.

Kowalski, M. P. 1978. Golden-winged Warbler - discovery of a specimen from
Colorado. C. F. O. Journal 32:25.

Parkes, K. C. and C. H. Nelson. 1976. A definite Colorado breeding record for the
Harlequin Duck. Auk 93:846-847.

Reddall, J. 1973a. Reports from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado
Field Ornithol. 15:9-15.

Reddall, J. 1973b. Repons from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado
Field Ornithol. 16:19-26.

Reddall, J. 1973c. Reports from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado
Field Ornithol. 18:9-22.

Reddall, J. 1974a. Repons from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado
Field Ornithol. 19:11-41.

Reddall, J. 1974b. Reports from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado
Field Ornithol. 21/22:28-34.

Reddall, J. 1975. Reports from the CFO Official Records Committee. Colorado Field
Ornithol. 23:17-34.

Reddall, I. 1976a. CFO Official Records Committee 1975 report. C. F. O. Journal
21S-22,

Reddall, J. 1976b, Colorado Field Ornithologists Official Records Committee report
1972 through 1975. West. Birds 7:81-97.

Stepney, P. H. R. 1975. First recorded breeding of the Great-tailed Grackle in
Colorado. Condor 77:208-210.

Webb, B. E. 1976. A Groove-billed Ani in northeastern Colorado, West. Birds 7:153-
154.

Webb, B. E. 1978. The occurrences of the Red-shouldered Hawk in Colorado. C. F.
O. Journal 32:19-21.

Webb, B. E. and J. A. Conry. 1978. First record of a Lesser Black-backed Gull in
Colorado. West. Birds 9:171-173.

Webb, B. E. andj. A. Conry. 1979. A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in Colorado, with notes
on plumage and behavior. West. Birds in press.

Accepted 22 February 1979

FIELD IDENTIFICATION OF THE

HAWAIIAN CREEPER ON THE ISLAND OF HAWAII

J. MICHAEL SCOTT, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Post Office Box 44, Hawaii National Park, Hawaii 96718

SHEILA CONANT, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of General Science,
2450 Campus Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822

H. DOUGLAS PRATT, Museum of Zoology, Louisiana State University, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana 70893

The Hawaii race of the Hawaiian Creeper (Loxops maculatus mam) has
recently been classified as endangered (USFWS 1975). As recently as
1972, so little was known about the bird’s distribution and abundance
that Berger (1 972: 137), in summarizing existing knowledge, was unable
to state whether the species was uncommon or on the verge of extinction.
Underlying the lack of information on this bird’s status is the inability of
many observers to consistently and correctly distinguish it from the
abundant Hawaii race of the Amakihi (Loxops virens virens). Field
identification of these two species is problematic on the islands of Oahu
(Shallenberger and Pratt 1978) and Hawaii. The similarity of these two
birds on the island of Hawaii has been previously mentioned by
Henshaw (1902), Munro (1944) and Peterson (1961), but adequate field
characters still have not been well documented. Because the creeper is
classed as endangered and because identifications have often been
uncertain, we herein identify and document the behavioral and mor-
phological characters that have proved useful in identifying the Hawaii
Creeper.

METHODS

We examined museum specimens of L. v. virens and L. maculatus
mana. The colors of the throat, forehead, belly, nape, side, back and
cheek were critically compared. The songs and calls of these species as
well as those of the Akepa (L. c. coccineus) were recorded using a Dan
Gibson parabolic microphone and cassette recorders. Audiospectro-
grams were made using Spectral Dynamics Model No. SD301-C, Retd
Time Analyzer with an analysis range of 0- 1 0,000 Hz and a band width of
120 Hz.

We carefully observed Hawaii Creepers in the field for extended
periods of time and characterized those features most useful in
distinguishing them from Amakihi and other species similar in sound or
appearance. During observations of birds thought to be creepers, we
recorded the bases on which we made our identification. We noted
whether songs, calls or movements initially caught our attention. The
character that first indicated that the bird was a creeper was recorded as
one of the following: call, song, foraging behavior, superciliary stripe,

Western Birds 10: 71-80, 1979

Plate 1, The Hawaii Creeper and three species that could be confused with it, the Amakihi, L v
virens (adult male, adult female and immature); the Hawaii Akepa, L. c. coccineus (female); and thejapanese
White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) are shown for quick comparison of morphological features that can be used
to distinguish between them

HAWAII CREEPER

bill shape, or eye patch. Finally, we recorded the character that
confirmed the identification of a creeper or indicated that the bird was
another species. Characters used to make this final identification
included, in addition to those mentioned above, the color of lores and
presence of an eye- ring. When an auditory cue initially suggested that a
bird was a creeper, visual cues were sought to confirm the identification.
Nomenclature follows that of Berger (1972) with changes to meet rulings
by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1964
and 1974).

APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR

The Hawaii Creeper is a rather small bird 11-13 cm in length. Adults
are not sexually dimorphic in color but immatures can be distinguished
by the presence of a pale superciliary line. Both are drab gray-green
birds. Other small green birds likely to be confused with creepers on the
island of Hawaii include the above-mentioned Amakihi, female and
immature Akepa, and the exotic Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus;
Plate 1 andTable 1). Thejapanese White-eye is easily distinguished by its
bright yellow throat and upper breast as well as the prominent white eye-
ring. The female Akepa is drab gray-green with no dark patches in the
face and a pale superciliary line. The conical, straw-yellow bill and
relatively long, notched tail are diagnostic. The highly variable Amakihi
is more difficult to distinguish and is dealt with in detail below.

General Coloration. Hawaii Creepers are a drab olive green above, with
little of the yellowish coloration seen in many Amakihis. Below they are
dull whi tish washed with olive green on the flanks and breast. The throat
is always white and contrasts with the greenish tones of the breast in
adults. Immatures are much paler below, with less contrast between
throat and breast. Further, young creepers usually show a prominent
yellowish- white superciliary line. The Amakihi can be just as drab in
color as the Hawaii Creeper, but never has a contrasting white throat.
Unfortunately, this character is often difficult to see in the field.

Facial Features . The distribution of black in the faces of Hawaii
Creepers and Amakihis gives them distinctive facial expressions that,
once noticed, become very useful in forming a search image. The black
lores of the Amakihi give it a masked appearance. The adult creeper
possesses a broad mask of black or dark gray that extends to behind the
eye. We called this an “eye patch.” The effect is to enhance the apparent
size of the eye and give the bird a wide-eyed or black eye appearance.
Both Amakihis and immature Hawaii Creepers have superciliary lines,
but that of the creeper is broader, bolder and appears yellowish-white
rather than yellow as is usually the case in the Amakihi.

Leg Color. The tarsi of the Hawaii Creeper appear dark brown whereas
those of the Amakihi are black. This character is evident only in good
light at close range.

Table 1. Characters that can be used to distinguish Hawaii Creepers from Amakihis, Hawaii Akepas, and Japanese White eyes.

HAWAII CREEPER

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HAWAII CREEPER

Bill. The Hawaii Creeper’s bill is only slightly decurved and is
brownish white throughout except for a dusky tinge along the culmen. It
appears pale at a distance and never looks bluish at the base. The more
strongly decurved bill of the Amakihi looks black at a distance, but at
close range exhibits a pale blue area at the base of the lower mandible.
Adult male Amakihis have significantly longer beaks than either adult
females or immatures of either sex (van Riper 1978). Curvature is also
most pronounced in adult males.

Foraging Behavior. The Hawaii Creeper’s slow movements while
gleaning insects on large branches and trunks of trees have been
considered important in distinguishing the species from similar birds
(Henshaw 1902, Peterson 1961). We have found this character to be
unreliable, however, if relied upon to the exclusion of other features
especially for brief sightings. Infrequently the Amakihi and Japanese
White-eye forage creeper-like on large limbs or trunks. Their move-
ments are usually quicker and jerkier, and these species move between
foraging substrates more frequently than do creepers. When moving
upward on a vertical substrate the Amakihi and white-eye flick their
wings more and, unlike the creeper, usually move to the smaller
branches or foliage. Any bird that consistently creeps over trunks and
branches for long periods is very likely the Hawaii Creeper.

Recent comparative studies of the foraging behavior of some Hawaii
island forest birds allow generalizations about the foraging substrates
and positions of the Amakihi, Akepa, creeper, and white-eye {Conant in
prep).

The Hawaii Akepa usually forages in the upper canopy within a meter
of its outer edge. The Amakihi forages in the lower and middle canopy,
and in the perimeter of the canopy, but is frequently found in the m iddle
crown area. Both of these species are usually found on twiglets and on the
foliage, while the Hawaii Creeper is found foraging on the larger
branches of the crown interior at the middle and upper levels. Finally,
the Japanese White-eye forages at the perimeter of the lower and middle
canopy.

Although the above characterizations are useful, none of these
observed “preferences” for foraging areas within the habitat provides
sufficient basis to Finalize a Field identification.

VOCALIZATIONS

Songs. The song of the Hawaii Creeper is a quavering, descending trill,
frequently very soft and easily missed in the field. Perkins (1903), an
acute observer with extensive field experience in Hawaii, never heard a
creeper sing. We have heard the song on numerous occasions from
December through August. The song most easily confused with the
creeper’s is that of the Akepa. However, the Akepa’s song is loose and

HAWAII CREEPER

Figure 1. Songs of three similar drepanideds from the island of Hawaii.

HAWAII CREEPER

lackadaisical and is not so stereotyped, often changing pattern from one
song to the next. The song of the Amakihi is a slower and choppier trill,
with the individual notes more distinct than in either the Akepa’s or the
creeper’s song {Figure 1).

Calls. The usual call of the Hawaii Creeper is a quiet sweet, easily
missed among louder calls and songs. Family groups of creepers,
however, produce a loud, distinctive chatter of wheezy notes in short
series: whit-whit . . . wfu-whi-whit etc. (Figure 2), resembling calls of the
Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) ofwesternNorth America. Such family-
group calls are frequently heard in the spring and early summer when
fledged young are still following parents. The Amakihi possesses a
variety of calls, many resembling those of other species. The call most
frequently given is a single raspy zhee or sweek that will remind birders
from North America of the call of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila
caerulea). Other calls include an inquisitive upslurred queet and various
short chirps and tweets. A calling Amakihi will often give a variety of calls
in a single bout of vocalization, whereas Hawaii Creepers usually repeat
the same call monotonously. The Akepa’s call is a high-pitched, two-
note, whistled cheedlee, not likely to be confused with the calls of the
Hawaii Creeper but similar to some Amakihi calls (Figure 3).

IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

A birder’s initial identification of a bird in the field is not always
correct. The percentage of times this first impression proves accurate will
vary with the observer’s familiarity with the species in question, how well
the bird was heard or seen, and the person’s degree of concentration at
the time of the observation. Discussions with individuals who had
initially misidentified birds as creepers revealed that the Amakihi most
often caused confusion. Recognizing these problems, Scott documented
those features that 1) attracted his attention to a bird; 2) suggested that it

8 -

4 —

y j yx x

kHz

S*c

Figure 2. An approximately 3-second segment of chattering notes of a Hawaii Creeper
accompanying a small, presumably family, group. The chatter continued in like
manner for some minutes. Recorded 3 May 1977 on west slope of Hualalai, ca. 1600
m.

HAWAII CREEPER

was a creeper; and 3) confirmed or denied the initial identification (Table
2). Of the 72 birds initially identified as creepers, 53 (73.6%) were verified
as being Hawaii Creepers and 22.2% were identified as some other
species. Of the latter, 12 (16.7%) were found to be Amakihis, 3 (4.2%)
Japanese White-eyes, 1 (1.4%) an Akepa, and 3 (4.2%) unknown. For
creeper identifications that subsequently proved to be correct, the
character that first suggested that the bird was a creeper was foraging
behavior in 54.7% of the cases and call in 30.2%. Other features such as
song, superciliary line or bill shape were used far less frequently at this
stage of identification (Table 2). The feature most often used to confirm
the identification of a Hawaii Creeper was bill shape (64.2%), but throat
color, facial features, foraging behavior, song and calls were also used.

Foraging behavior was used to identify 14 (87.5%) of the supposed
Hawaii Creepers that turned out to be some other species. Bill shape was
used in 9 (56.2%) of the mistaken identifications to establish the true
identity of the bird. Song, facial features, throat coloration and presence
of an eye-ring were used in other cases.

kHz

HAWAII CREEPER

- y -a

h A

* A

Ijt-

AKEPA

>v.

kHz

1 S«c

Figure 3. Call notes of three drepanidids from the island of Hawaii. Calls that are
grouped were uttered in the time sequence shown. Single calls are arranged to
facilitate comparisons, and were not uttered in the pattern shown.

HAWAII CREEPER

Table 2. Characters used in identifying 72 birds that were initially identified as being
Hawaiian Creepers. Three of these birds were never confirmed as to species.

CREEPERS

First Second Confirming

Call

34.0

30.2

3.8

Song

13.2

15.1

7.6

Movement

52.8

-0-

Foraging behavior

-0-

54.7

-0-

Bill shape

-0-

64.2

Mask

-0-

Throat color

-P-

-0-

15.1

Eye patch

-0-

9.4

Eye ring

-0-

Total

OTHER SPECIES

First

Second

Confirming

Call

6.3

-0-

Song

6.3

Movement

87.5

-0-

Foraging behavior

-0-

Bill shape

-0-

56.3

Mask

-0-

12.5

Throat color

-0-

6.3

Eye patch

-0-

Eye ring

-0-

18.8

Total

HAWAII CREEPER

DISCUSSION

Clearly Peterson’s (1961) statement that“it is virtually safe to call any
small greenish bird with no white eye-ring an Amakihi unless proven
otherwise” is not valid. Field identifications of the Hawaii Creeper
should involve as many characters as possible. If the throat cannot be
seen, the distribution of black in the face or shape of the bill may be
helpful. Behavioral cues, especially vocalizations, become more useful
with increasing familiarity with the birds. Even veteran observers in
Hawaji do not expect to positively identify every small, green bird they
see, but we believe the criteria outlined here will greatly increase the
number of such birds that can be identified to species.

The reader should be cautioned that the subspecies of creeper on the
other Hawaiian Islands differ widely among themselves in appearance
and behavior and present special field problems of their own. We refer
the interested observer to Shallenberger and Pratt (1978) for identifica-
tion of the Oahu race.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Discussions with the members of the Hawaii Forest Bird Survey
Teams from 1976 to 1978 were very helpful in determining those
features which observers found useful in identifying creepers. Tonnie L.
C. Casey and Charles van Riper were particularly helpful. C. John Ralph
provided slides and prints of creepers and Amakihi which H. Douglas
Pratt used in making the color plate. Tonnie L. C. Casey, Cameron B.
Kepler and C. J. Ralph offered comments on earlier drafts of this paper.
We wish to thankjames L. Gulledge for making the audiospectrograms.

LITERATURE CITED

Berger, A. J. 1972. Hawaiian birdlife, Univ. Press Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Henshaw, H. W. 1902. Complete list of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions with
notes on their habits, Thos. G. Thrum. Honolulu.

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1964. International zoologi-
cal nomenclature adopted by the XV International Congress of Zoology. Int. Trust
Zool. Nomenclature, London.

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 1974. Amendments to the
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature adopted since the XVI Interna-
tional Congress of Zoology, Washington, 1963. Bull. Zool. Nomenclature 31:77-
89.

Munro, G. C. 1944. Birds of Hawaii. Bridgeway Press, Rutland, Vermont,

Peterson, R. T. 1961. A field guide to western birds. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
Perkins, R. C. L. 1903. Vertebrata (Aves), Pages 368-465 in D. Sharp, ed. Fauna
Hawaiiensis, vol. 1, part 4. Univ. Press, Cambridge, England.

Shallenberger, R, J. and H. D. Pratt 1978. Recent observations and field identification
of the Oahu Creeper (Loxops maculata maculata). Elepaio 38:135-140.

U. S, Fish and Wildlife Service. 1975. Listing of endangered and threatened fauna.
Federal Register 40:44149-44151.

van Riper, C., Ill 1978. The breeding biology of the Amakihi (Loxops virens) and
Palila (Psittirostra bailleui) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Unpubl. Ph.D. dissertation,
Univ. Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Accepted 14 January 1979

NOTES

SOUTHERN RACE OF XANTUS’ MURRELET
BREEDING ON SANTA BARBARA ISLAND,
CALIFORNIA

KATHY A, WINNETTand KELVIN G. MURRAY, Department of Biology, California
State University, Northridge, California 91330

JOHN C. WINGFIELD, Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington 98195

We report here the first breeding record of the southern race of Xantus’ Murrelet
(Endomychura hypoleuca hypoleuca) north of the San Benitos Islands, central Baja
California. Two well-marked subspecies of this small black and white alcid, differing
in size and facial plumage, were first described by Green and Arnold (1939) and
further investigated bvjehl and Bond (1975). The northern race (E, k. scrippsi) breeds
from San Miguel Island off the California coast to the San Benitos Islands ofF Baja
California; this form is characterized by an entirely dark facial pattern (Classes “3”
and “4”, Jehl and Bond 1975:13) in which the white throat and face feathers do not
extend all the way up to the eye. Murrelets of the southern race (E. h. hypoleuca) have
whiter facial patterns (Classes “0” and “1”) “in which the white of the face extends up
in front of (and occasionally over) the eye, and onto the ear coverts . . (J ehl and Bond
1975:15). Prior to this record, this subspecies had been known to breed only on
Guadalupe and the San Benitos islands.

On 30 April 1977 we found an incubating murrelet with white feathers extending
over the eye (Class“0”) in a 15 cm diameter by 10 cm deep rock crevice on Santa
Barbara Island. The site was located amid a colony of E. h. scrippsi about 50 m above
the high water mark on a rocky cliff slope. An egg had been deposited in the site
previous to 1 3 April but was eaten by a Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) before the
second egg was deposited on 17 April. The bird incubated sporadically until it
abandoned the nest on about 1 5 May. Subsequently the remaining egg was also eaten
by mice.

The same rock crevice was occupied in 1978 by a pair of murrelets consisting of
one E. h. hypoleuca (Class “0”), thought to be the same bird which occupied the site in
1977, and a murrelet having a crescent shaped notch of white feathers extending in
front of, but not over the eye. Based on our photographs of this murrelet, J. R. Jehl, Jr.,
S. 1. Bond and G. McCaskie feel that this bird is probably an intermediate type with
respect to facial pattern. Definite subspecies identification is not possible without bill
measurements (Jehl pers. comm.). Jehl and Bond (1975) describe a similar intermedi-
ate facial pattern (Class “2”) as being characteristic of murrelets found on the San
Benitos Islands; this condition may be the result of interbreeding in the two
subspecies. The single, fertile egg produced by this pair on 28 April was abandoned
on 23 May after a period of sporadic incubation. The egg’s weight (37 g) and coloration
were comparable to E. h. scrippsi eggs examined on Santa Barbara Island the same
year. Photographs of each member of the pair were deposited at the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History.

Western Birds 10: 81-82, 1979

NOTES

Several thousand Xantus’ Murrelets are present at Santa Barbara Island during the
breeding season. Only 3 of the 330 murrelets examined since 1975 have had either
“white” or intermediate facial patterns, the pair described above and one non-
breeding E. k hypoleuca (Class “0”) captured 100 m offshore from the island on 26
May 1976. It seems likely that the pair became established somewhere other than at
Santa Barbara Island, where there is an overwhelming majority of typical E. h. scrippsi.
It will be interesting to determine whether immigration of southern forms continues
at Santa Barbara Island, and if so, whether integrity of the two races is maintained.

The Superintendent and staff of Channel Island National Monument kindly
provided access to Santa Barbara Island. The research was supported in 1977 by
Bureau of Land Management Contract no. AA-550-CT6-26 to the University of
California, Santa Cruz and Irvine: K. Norris, G. L, Hunt, Jr. and B. LeBoeuf, Principal
Investigators. George L. Hunt, Jr., Robert Pitman and Jim Dole provided useful
comments on various drafts of the manuscript, and special thanks are also due to
Joseph R. Jehl, Jr., Suzanne Bond and Guy McCaskie for helping to identify the
intermediate type murrelet described in this paper.

LITERATURE CITED

Green, J. E. and L. W. Arnold. 1939. An unrecognized race of murrelet on the Pacific
coast of North America. Condor 41:25-29.

Jehl, J . R., Jr. and S. I. Bond. 1975. Morphological variation and species limits in
murrelets of the genus Endomychura. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., Trans. 18(2):9-24.

Accepted 12 May 1979

/?. fiyooCeuccc

Sketch by Narca Moore

NOTES

BREEDING OF ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD
(SELASPHORUS SASIN SEDENTARIUS)

ON THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MAINLAND

SHIRLEY WELLS*, San Pedro, California

LUIS F. RAPTISTA, Moore Laboratory of Zoology, Occidental College, Los Angeles,
California 90041

The Palos Verdes Peninsula, 36.7 km east of Santa Catalina Island, in Los Angeles
Co., California, is in many ways a land-locked Channel Island, The flora on the
peninsula includes many Channel Island endemics. Some avian species absent on the
Channel Islands are also absent on Palos Verdes (Bradley, Western Birds, in press).
Bradley (loc. cit.) also noted that the breeding Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora
celata) on the peninsula is referable to the Channel Island subspecies sordida. We
document herein the subspecific and breeding status of the Allen’s Hummingbird
(Selasphorus sasin) on the peninsula as an additional contribution to the knowledge of
the avifauna of this most interesting region.

The nominate migratory subspecies of the Allen’s Hummingbird, S. s. sasin,
breeds on the humid Pacific coast of California from the Oregon line south to Santa
Barbara and Ventura counties (Grinnell and Miller, Pacific Coast Avifauna 27, 1944).
The sedentary subspecies sedentarius has been known to breed only on some of the
Channel Islands off the coast of southern California (Grinnell and Miller op. cit.).
There are no previous breeding records for the Allen’s Hummingbird south of
Ventura County. On 2 June 1966 Wells noticed two fledgling Allen’s Hummingbirds
being fed by adults near San Pedro on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los Angeles,
California (map in Wells et ah, Auk 95:537-549, 1978). On 3 June 1966, G. Shumway
Suflel saw a female feeding a juvenile at Pt. Fermin Park, on the peninsula. On 10
January 1967 Wells and Suffel found the first nests and young on the Palos Verdes
Peninsula. That year S. sasin was found to be a common breeding bird on the
peninsula.

Wells began a banding study of S. sasin in San Pedro on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
in 1971. Marked birds held territories around feeders at her home throughout the
year, revealing the sedentary nature of the population. Moreover, birds were found
attending eggs and/or young all months of the year except for September and
October. One bird was observed building on 29 October 1972 and young were
subsequently observed in the nest in December.

Morphometries of 13 males netted by Wells on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
between 1 January 1971 and 7 August 1975 were compared with Channel Island
sedentarius from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, California. The
resident population at Palos Verdes is clearly referable to the subspecies sedentarius
(Table 1) in size and sedentary behavior. The founders probably colonized the
mainland from nearby Santa Catalina Island. A voucher specimen (male, 85326) of
sedentarius has been deposited in the Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles,
California.

Stiles (Condor 74:25-32, 1972) reported taking a young male sedentarius alongwith
ten immature S. rufus from a feeding assemblage in the central part of the Santa
Monica Mountains, some 66.6 km from the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in early August.
Whereas this individual may be an odd vagrant, it may also indicate some
postbreeding dispersal. Evidence of such dispersal should be looked for by other
investigators.

* Deceased 21 April 1977.

Western Birds 10: 83-85, 1979

Table 1 . Morphometries of Allen’s Hummingbird subspecies. Selasphorus s. sasin and S. s. sedentarius. Values in parenthesis are means ± one
standard deviation

NOTES

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NOTES

We thank Ned K. Johnson for loan of specimens under his care at the Museum of
Vertebrate Zoology, University' of California, Berkeley, and Charles T. Collins and G.
Shumway Suffel who read an earlier draft of this paper and gave helpful comments. G.
Shumway Suffel also shared with us his unpublished field notes.

Accepted 28 May 1979

^creech Owl

Sketch by Narca Moore

NOTES

A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER IN COLORADO,
WITH NOTES ON PLUMAGE AND BEHAVIOR

BRUCE E. WEBB, Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic
Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309

JEANNE A. CONRY, Department of Biology, University of Colorado, Denver,
Colorado 80202

On 26 October 1 975 we discovered an immature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper ( Calidris
acuminata) at Hiram Prince Lake II, a small pond 1 mile north of Lafayette, Boulder
County, Colorado. It was observed foraging in a loose association with four Pectoral
Sandpipers (C. melanotos). Nearby were eight Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) and four
Long-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus) . On 31 October we trapped and
banded the Sharp-tailed and took a series of photographs, measurements and feather
samples. Slide duplicates are on file at the Denver Museum of Natural History. Later
that day we released it at the same pond, where it remained until 6 November 1975.
During this 12-day period many other observers saw the bird. This is the only
recorded occurrence of this species in Colorado.

The plumage description detailed below is taken from notes made on 3 1 October
while the bird was in hand. Table 1 summarizes useful field characteristics of Sharp-
tailed and Pectoral sandpipers.

UPPERPARTS: Crown feathers dark with rusty feather edging, giving the
appearance of a rusty cap with narrow dark streaking. Well-defined white
superciliary stripe finely streaked with dusky. Thin white eyering. Auriculars
buffy, faintly streaked with brown, darkest below and posterior to eye, giving the
appearance of a dark patch. Grey-buff in lores extending to upper mandible base.
Nape cinnamon streaked with brown. Feather centers of scapulars and lower back
blackish-brown, scapulars edged with buff, rust or white (creating two pale lines
on each side of the upper back). Upper tail coverts blackish-brown with thin pale-
cinnamon edging (Figure 1).

UNDERPARTS: Chin and throat unstreaked white, blending into a warm
ochraceous-buff breast “bib”. Ventral streaking confined to a faint “necklace”
across the upper chest region and extending down the sides of the breast only,
leaving the central lower breast region unstreaked (Figure 2, left). Belly dull white,
upper flanks with heavy dusky shaft-streaking. In the field, the flank streaking was
usually hidden by the wing. Under tail coverts with narrow dusky shaft-streaks.

TAIL: All rectrices acuminate and dark with central pair longest, others progres-
sively shorter to the outermost (Figure 2, right). Central rectrices edged with
cinnamon-rust, remaining rectrices edged with buff to white (outermost).

WING: Vanes of all remiges uniformly dusky. Shaft of outermost primary motded
with dusky basally, becoming pale distally. Secondaries narrowly edged with
white. Greater secondary coverts moderately tipped with white, providing a thin
wingstripe (Figure 3). Tertials elongate with rusty edges. In the field, tertials
drooped over the folded remiges. Underwing coverts and axillars extensively
white-tipped.

SOFT PARTS: Irises dark brown. Bill dark with indistinct pale base, slightly curved
throughout. Legs drab greenish-yellow.

Western Birds 10: 86-91, 1979

NOTES

Table 1. Comparative field characteristics of immature Sharp-tailed and Pectoral
sandpipers. These characteristics are based primarily upon prolonged observation of
the Boulder County Sharp-tailed and accompanying Pectoral sandpipers, and to a
lesser extent upon subsequent observations of Pectoral Sandpipers and upon
examination of specimens of both species. Italics indicate most reliable field marks.

CHARACTERISTIC

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER

Calidris acuminata

PECTORAL SANDPIPER

Caluiris melanotos

Body: size

posture

More robust than Pectorals,
giving a “hunched-back”
appearance.

While walking, top of head
often held lower than back.

Trim, less stocky, giving
appearance of a longer neck.

Head held more upright.

Facial appearance:

Sharp contrast between
rusty crown above white
supercilium and dusky
auricular patch below.
Noticeable from consider-
able distances.

Crown usually brown
(occasionally with some
rusty edging). Pale super-
cilium / crown area not
sharply defined.

Underparts:

throat and chest

Narrow streaking restricted
to lower throat (“necklace”),
sides of neck and sides only
of “bib.” Mid and lower “bib"
unstreaked warm cinnamon-
buff. Lower border not sharply
defined at a distance. Belly
dull white.

Entire chest (from lower
throat to upper breast, i.e.
“bib” area) usually strongly
marked with dark shaft streaks.
Lower edge of “bib" usually dark
and well-defined. Belly dull
white.

Undertail coverts:

Dull white with distinct
narrow dusky shaft streak-
ing. This feature usually not
noticeable except when seen
from behind when bird is in
feeding tilt.

Dull w r hite. Presence of
streaking variable between
individuals, most lack
streaking, some streaked as
in Sharp-tailed.

Tail:

Dark, central rectrix
pointed, acuminate tips of
outer reduces sometimes
visible when the bird is
preening its tail. Distal
outline of tail not noticeably
wedge-shaped in flight.

Dark, central rectrix
pointed, outer rectrices not
acuminate. Distal outline of
tail not noticeably biconcave
in flight.

Wing: length
tertials

In flight, when seen to-
gether, wingspread notice-
ably greater than Pectoral.

Broadly edged with
cinnamon-buff.

Usually edged with gray-
buff, but occasionally like

Sharp- tailed.

NOTES

Table 1 (Cont.)

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER PECTORAL SANDPIPER
CHARACTERISTIC Calidris acuminata Calidris melanotos

Bill: length

Slightly shorter than head
length, as estimated from
base of bill to nape, through
the eye.

Slightly longer than (or
equal to) head length.

shape

Slight decurvature through-
out, finer tipped than
Pectorals.

Slight decurvature through-
out.

color

All dark, with faint pale area
at base of mandible only.

Variable, some as in Sharp-
tailed, most with more
extensive basal pale area in
mandible.

Legs: length

Not noticeably longer than
Pectoral, although stocky
body gives a shorter
appearance.

color

Greenish-yellow , more drab
than Pectoral.

Pale yellow.

Call:

Mellow, paired notes given in
flight (“tchew-wt, tchew-wt”).

Dry, usually single notes
given in flight (“Kreeh,” or
sometimes “Kreek-eh”).

BEHAVIORAL COMPARISON

Several behavioral differences that separated the Colorado Sharp-tailed from the
accompanying Pectorals are listed below. These observations are pointed out in the
hopes that other observers will test the reliability of the differences in subsequent
sightings of Sharp-tailed and Pectoral sandpipers.

POSTURE: When walking, the Sharp-tailed held its head at or below the level of its
back, maintaining a forward-tilted appearance. Lowering its head seemed to be
counterbalanced by depressing its tail to such an extent that a noticeable gap
(approximately 1 .0-1.5 cm) existed between the tail tip below and the wing tips
above This combination of body tilt and relatively large gap repeatedly enabled us
to distinguish this bird from the Pectorals by silhouette. Pectorals maintained a
more erect posture, usually holding the tail in line with the wingtips.

VOICE: W'hen flushed, the Sharp-tailed gave a quick mellow couplet, “tchew-wt,
tchew-wt” vaguely reminiscent of muted Semipalmated Plover ( Charadnus semi-
palmatus) call notes.

AGGRESSION: On two occasions a Pectoral closely approached the foraging
Sharp-tailed and was chased away by the latter. In each incident, the Sharp-tailed
lowered its head and made a quick dash with its lowered bill aimed at the
approaching Pectoral. There was no physical contact, and after each interaction
the Sharp-tailed immediately resumed foraging without further pursuit.

NOTES

Figure 1. Immature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) , Hiram Prince Lake II, I mile
north of Lafayette, Boulder Co., Colorado, 26 October-6 November 1975. Note color of
scapulars, face, crown and breast.

Figure 2. Immature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper ( C a lidns acuminata ) , Hiram Prince Lake II, 1 mile
north of Lafayette, Boulder Co., Colorado, 26 October-6 November 1975. Left photo shows
well-defined white superciliary and characteristic breast markings. Right photo shows
acuminate tips of outer rectrices, streaked undenail coverts and wedge-shaped outline of tail.

NOTES

Figure 3. Immature Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), Hiram Prince Lake
II, 1 mile north of Lafayette, Boulder Co., Colorado, 26 October-6 November 1975.
Note wingbar and primary shaft color and extent of white along rump.

Photos by Bruce E. Webb

NOTES

FLOCK ASSOCIATES: Once when the four shorebird species at Hiram Prince
Lake II were flushed simultaneously, the Sharp-tailed immediately joined and
circled overhead in close association with the Pectorals. The dowitchers departed
and the Killdeer settled on the opposite shoreline. On another occasion we
relocated the Sharp-tailed, still associated with four Pectorals, on another small
pond 2.5 miles northeast of Hiram Prince Lake II.

FEEDING ZONE: The Sharp-tailed remained along the water’s edge or the
immediately adjacent mudflat, often wandering considerable distances from the
flock of Pectorals. The Pectorals remained relatively close together, occasionally
feeding at the water’s edge. More often they foraged and rested in the zone of short
vegetation farther from the water than the Sharp-tailed.

Accepted 2 February 1979

Sketch by Tim Manolis

NOTES

A DOTTEREL ON SOUTHEAST FARALLON ISLAND,
CALIFORNIA

PHILIP HENDERSON, Point Reyes Bird Observatory, 4990 Shoreline Highway,
Stinson Beach, California 94970

Among the birds that came to Southeast Farallon Island in a spectacular
migrational wave on 12 September 1974 was a Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) . The
number of shorebird species on the island had increased from 5 the previous day to
13, and the number of other migrant species from 14 to 59. The island, located 43 km
west of San Francisco, California, is visited regularly in the spring and fall by migrant
birds.

The Dotterel remained until 20 September. It was observed by eight persons and
was photographed (Figure 1 ). It spent its time on the dry flat parts of the island and was
often seen in the company of migrant Killdeer ( Charadrius vociferus) . It was less skittish
than the Killdeer and could be approached quite closely. Several times observers
came within 5 to 10 m of it. When approached the Dotterel exhibited the “run-pause-
run” behavior typical of other plovers. In flight it was very swift and emitted a repeated
call note similar to the Black-bellied (Pluvialis squatarola) or Golden Plover (Pluvialis
dominica). The quality of the call was like the other plovers’ but the note was simpler,
lacking inflection. The plumage was apparently that of a juvenile nearing the end of its
postjuvenal molt; the back feathers were black with white edges except for a few
unmolted feathers that were black with rufous edges (see Dement’ ev et al. 1968).

The Dotterel is a local breeder in the mountains of northern Europe and Asia. It
winters in northwestern Africa, southern Tunisia, and the basin oftheMediterranean-
particularlv in the eastern Mediterranean and eastward to Iraq and the Persian Gulf
(Nethersole-Thompson 1973). Its status in North America has yet to be fully defined.
Seventeen records (20 individuals) exist in northwestern Alaska, for late May through
the third week of June (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959, and several references therein;
Gibson and Byrd 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976); and three records (3 individuals) forjuly
(Gibson and Byrd 1972, 1976; Stone 1 900, in Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959). Included
in the June records were two females in advanced breeding condition and sightings of
pairs. The only fall record for Alaska is for a single bird seen in the Aleutians, 1 7
September 1977 (Gibson 1978). The Aleutians are several hundred kilometers south
of the spring records. Brina Kessel (pers. comm.) considers the Dotterel to be an
annual but rare summer visitant and apparent breeder in the mountainous regions of
northwestern Alaska.

Besides the Farallon bird there are only two other records of vagrant Dotterels for
the eastern Pacific Ocean region, a female (age unspecified) collected at Westport on
the coast of Washington, 3 September 1934 (Brown 1935), and an immature female
collected on Kure Atoll, in the Hawaiian Leeward Islands, on 9 September 1964
(Clapp and Woodward 1968). Of these records, all three birds were in the company of
other plovers: Killdeer on the North American continent and Golden Plovers in
Hawaii. It is notable that all three records occurred in the first two weeks of September
and within the latitude of the Dotterel’s correct winter range. The Aleutian bird may
also represent a vagrant record.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks are due the many persons and organizations, who by their generous
donations in support of PRBO’s Farallon Research Station, have made possible
exciting observations such as the one reported here. I also wish to express my
appreciation to Brina Kessel, University of Alaska, for information on the Alaskan
status of the Dotterel and to Pieter Myers for permission to include his photograph of

Western Birds 10: 92-94, 1979

F.gure I. Dotterel tEudromms morwelhts) present on Southeast Farallon Island, California, 1 2-20 September 1 974.

NOTES

the bird. Guy McCaskie contributed comments on an early draft, and David Ainley

was of considerable help throughout preparation of this report. This is Contribution

112 of Point Reyes Bird Observatory.

LITERATURE CITED

Brown, D. E. 1935. Dotterel in western Washington. Condor 37:82.

Clapp, R. B. and P. W. Woodward. 1968. New records of birds from the Hawaiian
Leeward Islands, Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. 124(3640): 1-1 7.

Dement’ ev, G. P., R. N. Meklenburtsev, A. M. Sudilovskaya and E. P. Sangenburg.
1968. Birds of the Soviet Union, vol. 3. (Transl. from Russian) Israel Program for
Scientific Translations, Jerusalem.

Gabrielson, L N. and F. C. Lincoln. 1959. The birds of Alaska. Stackpole Co.,
Harrisburg, PA, and Wildl. Manage. Inst., Washington, D.C.

Gibson, D. D. 1978. The autumnal migration. Alaska region. Am. Birds 32:243-245.

Gibson, D. D. and G. V. Byrd. 1972. The nesting season. Alaska region. Am. Birds
26:890-893.

Gibson, D. D. and G. V. Byrd. 1974. The nesting season. Alaska region. Am. Birds
28:935-938.

Gibson, D. D. and G. V. Byrd. 1975. The nesting season. Alaska region. Am. Birds
29:1018-1020.

Gibson, D. D. and G. V. Byrd. 1976. The nesting season. Alaska region. Am. Birds
30:990-991.

Nethersole-Thompson, D. 1973. The Dotterel. Collins, London.

Pitelka, F. A. 1974. An avifaunal review for the Barrow region and north slope of arctic
Alaska. Arctic Alp. Res. 6(2): 178.

Accepted 2 September 1978

With this issue, we initiate a new and regular feature in Western Birds. Hopefully it
will stimulate increased contribution of notes on field marks, photographs of poorly
known or aberrant plumages, and other information worth sharing. Short notes on
little-known field marks are particularly desirable, but should be backed by field
experiences documenting the relative usefulness of these marks, and, if possible,
examination of specimen collections. Notice and occasional summaries of articles
appearing in other journals will also be included. We also wish to encourage
interested and knowledgeable individuals to write full length identification papers on
some of the knottier problem groups (see below). The format of this section may
change considerably from issue to issue. To a large extent, contributions will reflect
your interests.

PRIORITY LIST. Authors are encouraged to submit papers and notes dealing with
any species. Greatest need, however, is for identification papers dealing with certain
groups. The Field Identification Paper Committee has drafted the following list of
these groups:

Loons (especially at a distance)

North Pacific procellarids (a series of papers)

Frigatebirds

Boobies

Holarctic swans

Holarctic teal (females and eclipse males)

Eagles, buteos, accipiters and large falcons (a series)

Golden plovers (all species and races)

Holarctic godwits
Calidris sandpipers
Jaegers and skuas

Gulls of the northwestern Pacific (a series)

Dark swifts (Vaux’s, Black and Chimney)

Vocalizations of owls

Hummingbirds

Myiarchus flycatchers

Empidonax flycatchers

Contopus flycatchers

Pipits (primarily Asiatic wanderers)

Wingbarless vireos
North American tanagers
Grassland sparrows
Spizella sparrows
Longspurs

A list of suggestions to contributors has also been prepared by the committee, and
copies are available on request. Correspondence concerning notes, papers and other
contributions on field identification should addressed to: Tim Manolis, EPO Biology,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Photographs of unusual plumages (e.g.,
immatures, poorly known age classes and polymorphisms) or rarely photographed
species should be sent to the Photography Editor: Stephen Laymen, 3290 Ackley
Road, Lakeport, CA 95453.

Western Birds 10: 95-96, 1979

YELLOW-BILLED LOON IDENTIFICATION

A paper describing the first Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) recorded in
Switzerland has recently been published (M. Schwarz, Der Ornithologische Beo-
bachter 75:213-226, 1978; in German with English summary). This paper presents an
interesting discussion of field marks separating this species from the Common Loon
(G. immer), and a number of photographs that are particularly useful in highlighting
the back pattern and neck proportions, in various postures, of G. adamsii. Recent
articles on the identification of large loons have appeared in Western Birds (Binford
and Remsen, 5:1 1 1-126, 1974)and BritishBirds (Burn and Mather, 67:257-296, 1974).

Sketch by Tim Manolis

FEMALE “BLUE-WINGED” TEAL

Field marks separating (admittedly at very close range!) female Blue-winged (Anas
discors) and Cinnamon (A. cyanoptera) teals were recently discussed by D. I. M. Wallace
(British Birds 70:290-294, 1977). Briefly summarizing that article, the face of the
female Blue-winged Teal is more strongly patterned (clearer white at base of bill,
bolder eye stripe) than the face of the female Cinnamon (see sketch). The browns of
the head and underparts of the Cinnamon female are warmer and redder in tone, and
the bill tends to appear more spatulate, like that of Northern Shoveler (A. clypeata).
Something not brought out in the paper, but which should be noted here, is that
hybridization between these teal species, and between each and the Northern
Shoveler, has been documented and could complicate this picture.

Field Identification Paper Committee : Tim Manolis, Chairman, Laurence C. Binford, Guy
McCaskie, Richard Stallcup, Bruce Webb

WESTERN FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS
MEMBERSHIP LIST - 1978

ALABAMA

Susan Allen Parker
William G. Roe

REGULAR

Gary Rosenberg

Howard M. Einspahr

Starr Rounds
Stowell Rounds

ALASKA

Dr. Stephen M. Russell
Joan Simonds

LIFE

Steven M. Speich

Pete Isleib

Shirley S. Spider

REGULAR

Mrs. Walter R. Spofford
Scott Terrill

Daniel D. Gibson

Dr. Carl S. Tomoff

Robert Gill

Bret Whitney

Richard J. Gordon

Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Witzeman

Jan Harrington
Larry Mangan

Dr. James M. Woolfenden

Gerald A. Sanger
Gordon Tans

ARKANSAS

John Trapp

REGULAR
Norman Lavers

ARIZONA

Charles Mills

SUPPORTING
Robert Smith

CONTRIBUTING

George Beringer
Mrs. Leslie Jones
Philip Walters

REGULAR

Mrs. H. C. Barker
Jonathan M, Bealer
John Bean
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Virginia F. Cechmanek
Ted Cordery
Doug Danforth
William A. Davis
Mrs. David M. Demaree
Howard A. Fogg
Grace G. Gregg
William Harrison
Douglas B. Hay
Betty Jones
Kenn Kaufman
Donald W. Lamm
Mrs. Fred Longstreth
Robert L. McKernan
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Mr. Gale Monson
Marian Norris
Mrs. Ruth Ogden

CALIFORNIA

LIFE

Harold E. Basey

Dr. Laurence C. B inford

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Mrs. Brooke Clyde

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John S. Luther

Eugene and Akiko Makishima

Alan B. Meyerfeld

Dr. Richard H. Neuman

Dr. and Mrs. David Smith

James H. Snowden

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Guy McCaskie

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Dr. J. M. Langham
Ronald R. LeValley
Paul and Pam Lewis
John Lindsay
Clifford R. Lyons
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Dr. Robert & Ann Marcus
Joseph Misner
Gerald G. Mugele
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Larry Perkins
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Thomas L, Rodgers
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Dr. Luis Santaella
William G. Shaw
Cecil N. Smith

Thomas and Barbara Southworth
Nancy and Harold Spear
Shumway Suffel
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Mrs. Reese Hale Taylor
Carl Thelander
Gerald Tolman
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Jack L. Wallace
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Fred Ziegler

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Mr. and Mrs. Harry Adamson

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Daniel Airola

Elmer Aldrich

J. Garth Alton

William Amundsen

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Walter Anderson

R. Jay Andree

Natasha Antonovich

Paul A meric h

John R. Arnold

Jon L. Atwood

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Stephen F. Bailey

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Larry Ballard

Seaver Ballard

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Robert Bames

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Harold A. Baxter

Dennis Beall

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Edward C. Beedy

William H. Berger

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Barbara Berton

Louis Bevier

Mr. and Mrs. Frank K. Beyer

George F. Bing

Robert E. Blackstone

Clark Blake

Tupper Blake

Don Bleitz

Bruce W. Bohmke

A. J. Borodayko

William Bousman

Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Bowen

Robert I. Bowman

Helen Boyd

John Brack

Jean Brandt

Dr, R. L. Branson

Dave Brennan

A. Briggs

Kenneth T. Briggs

N. Bruce Broadbooks

Henry M. Brodkin

Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Brotz

George Bryce

Mr. Cortney Buechert

Elizabeth Burridge

Mr. and Mrs, Glenn A. Burris

Linda Belluomini

Roy S. Cameron

Kurt Campbell

Steven Cardiff

Roy B. Carlson

Theodore Chandik

Douglas Cheeseman, Jr.

Clarence Chrisp

Cathy C. Cibit

Alvin J. Clark

Herbert Clarke

Sadie Coats

Mrs. Sloan Coats

James L. Coatsworth

Howard L. Cogswell

Gerald Collier

Dr. Charles T. Collins

Kathy Colmar

Mrs. Mildred Comar

Herold Connon

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Copper

Christopher Coulon

John Cowan

Richard L. Cunningham

Art Cupples

Michael J. Cussen

Valeria DaCosta

Loring Dales

Dr. John Davis

Linda S. Delaney

David F. DeSante

Bruce E. Deuel

Ms. Denise Devine

Fred Dexter

Flip Dibner

Elizabeth Dickey

William Dillinger

Donna Dittmann

Linda Dixon

Shirley L. Doole

Dave Dunaway

Jonathan Dunn

Victoria M. Dziadosz

Mrs. J. Lloyd Eaton

Claude G. Edwards, Jr.

Brian Egger

Raymond Ekstrom
Stan W. Elems
Bruce G. Elliott
Willis K. Elliott
Doug Emery
Sidney England
Chris Englert

C. R. Epley
Richard Erickson
Ronald Escano
Michael U. Evans
William T. Everett
James B. Fairchild

Mrs. Laurel Feigenbaum

Mrs. Stephenie S. Ferguson

Hal Ferris

Linda Fontes

Stanley G. Ford

Steven Forsell

Joel and Barbara Fowler

Marilyn Fowler

Dr. Kathleen E. Franzreb

Mike Fredette

Tom Frillman

Virgil Frizzell

Jeffrey Froke

Mrs. Hubert Fry

Gary N. Fugle

H. R. Gable

David Gaines

Earl H. Gann

Kimball Garrett

Richard Gehman

Steve Gellman

Ronald Genung

R. H. Gerstenberg

Ms. Clara Golden

Sharon Goldwasser

Douglas E. Gomke

Phil Gordon

Rod Goss

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Gould, Jr

Wade Graham

Steve Granholm

Gilbert S. Grant

Dr. Edward Greaves

Ms. Helen Green

William E. Grenfell, Jr.

Dr. John Gustafson

D. A. Guthrie
Jeffrey D. Hackel
Dr. Gerald Haigh
Elwood Hain
James Hale

Walt Halland

B, P. Hand

Anne-Lise Hansen

Mrs. Beth Hansen

Michael and Doreen Harer

David L. Harlow

Mrs. Deyea V. Harper

Roger D. Harris

Sydney P. Harrison

Tony Harrow

Ms. Lois Harter

John and Helen Hartman

Dorothy A. Harvey

Tom Harvey

Ruth Hawksley

Andrew Haynes

William W. Haynor

Fred Heath

Fred Heidi

Gloria Heller

Roger C. Helm

Valdemar Hempel

Philip Henderson

Diana Herron

Dr. John G. Hewston

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Thomas D. Hinshaw

Robert W. Hirt

Dr. Jim Hitchcock

James Hodgson

Don Hoechlin

R. W. Hoellwarth

Norman D. Hogg

Craig Hohenberger

Norman E. Holgersen

Howard Honig

Joel H. Hornstein

Kenneth Howard

William A. Howard

Vernon Howe

Ralph Hudgins

George Hugenberg, Jr.

Hillary Hulen

George L. Hunt, Jr.

Julia Ingham
Elizabeth Ingles
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Carl A. Janson
Dr. Joseph R. Jehl, Jr.
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Richard Jimenez
Robert C. Johnsen
David Johnson
David H. Johnson

Dorothy Johnson
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Jerome A. Johnson
Larry Johnson
Ned K, Johnson
Richard F. Johnson
Rixon A. Johnson
Ronald Johnson
Virginia Johnson
Cindy Jones
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Lee Jones
William P. Jones
Carlos W. Jordan
Donald Jordan
Brian Joseph
Susan Kaiser
Vincent P. Kehoe
Mrs. Margaret T. Keith
Mary Kelley
Nina Kelly

Shirley Jane Sc Michael Kelly

Kenneth Kertell

Howard Kessler

Gary Key

Lloyd Kiff

Jean Kimmich

David King, Jr.

Dr. C. Kinsell

Dr. Jack L. Kinsey

Barbara Klasson

Jacqueline Knisley

Walt Koenig

Ms. Dell Lacy

Karen C. Lamp

Alvin M. Lapp

Peter LaTourrette

William and Donna Laudenslayer

Robert H. Laws

Stephen A. Laymon

Matthew Leddy

Roger J. Lederer

Tom E. Lee

Paul Lehman

William G. Lehmann

W. H. Lenarz

Philip Lenna

Clarann Levakis

David B. Lewis

Robert A. Lewis

Jim and Sue Liskovec

Dr. Steven E. Liston

Robert Lockett

Mr. and Mrs. Eric T. Lodge

100

Dr. Albert E. Long

Phillip Lubina

Susanne Luther

James Lynch

Lela F. MacCracken

John A. MacDonald

Brian J. McCaffery

Mrs. Katherine McCann

Steve McCormick

Marjorie H. McCulley

Mrs. Louise J. McCullough

E. P. McElhany

Joseph McGee

Bev McIntosh

Donald T. McLaughlin

Mr. and Mrs. Morton McMichael

Fred Machetanz

Paul Mack

Mrs. L. G. Maclise

Dr. Gerald Maisel

Mrs. Laurette Maisel

Robert Mallette

Marie L. Mans

Mrs. Barbara Margolis

Frances Mariposa

Miss Gloria Markowitz

Barbara Massey

Mrs. Helen Matelson

William W. Mather

Jim Matzinger

Mr. and Mrs. George A. Mealy

T. Nelson Metcalf

Dr. L. Richard Mewaldt

T. E. Meyer

Sharon Milder

Gregg Miller

Martha K. Miller

Charles Mirandon

Mabel E. Mires

Dale Mitchell

Lorraine Moeller

Ms, Lydia Momotuk

Alan Moore

David Moore

Narca Moore

Joseph Morlan

James R. Morris, Jr.

Ms. Martha Morrow
Jonathan Mulcare
Steve Mulligan
Daniel P. Murphy
Paul Neal
Rick Near

Eric and Marilyn Nelson

Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Nelson

Don Neubacher

Mike Newcomer

Dr. Walter Nichols

Grace A. Nixon

Larry Norris

Mrs. Virginia M. Norris

Christine Nyhan

Mr. R. E. O’Brien

John O’Connell

Robert O’Donnell

Gary Page

Wayne A. Palsson

Arvil L. Parker

Carla Parsons

Ms. Kav Partelow

Sally Pearce
Les and Mel Perry
George Peyton
Richard Philibosian
Robert P, Phillips
R. L. Pitman
Anne Plachta
Dr. Agnes Plate
Clayton J. Pollard
Dave Povey
Mrs. Helen M. Pratt
T. S. Prescott
Robert Joe Prickett
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Proffitt
William M. Pursell
John Quick
Robert Ramer
Sylvia J. Ranney
William Reese
Stephen Reeve
Charles A. Reneau
Diane Renshaw
David Rice
Ms. Elsie Richey
Mrs. Jean Richmond
Robert J. Richmond
Mindy Richter
Dr. Roger W. Ridley
Lyman V. Ritter
Robert Roadcap
Michael Robbins
Don Roberson
Norman C. Roberts
Ms. Debi Robinson
Ms. W. Rockman
Robert Rodrigues
Pamela Roe
Ivana Roland

Kristin Roper

Mrs. Harold Rosegay

Martha E. Rosenquist

Peter and Adena Rosmarin

Peter M. Ross

James L. Rosso

Paul Roush

Allen Royer

Bob Rutemoeller

Dr, and Mrs. Donald C. Samson

Andrew Sanders

J. Michael Sanders

Phillip R. Sayre

Phil & Margaret Schaeffer

Alfred Schmitz

Donald E. Schmoldt

Mrs. Rae Schmuck

William R. Schock

Bradford K. Schram

Don A. Schroeder

Gertrude Schuckert

Stuart Schulz

Ivan R. Schwab

Michael Scriven

Milton L. Seibert

Marianne R. Shepard

John W. Shipman

Dave Shuford

Ms. Pamela A. Sibley

Vicki Silvas-Young

Karen L. Slemmer

Arnold Small

Dr. Kenneth C. Smith

Tom W. Smith

Paul E. Smythe

Mrs, Jean-Marie Spoelman

Paul Springer

Malcolm J. Sproul

Richard W. Stallcup

Donald S. Starks

J. S. Steller

Thomas Steller

Lynne Stenzel

Frederick B. Stimson, III

Don Stiver

Rosemary P. Stock

William J. Stone

Nick Story

Dr. Ellen G. Strauss

Mrs. Marie Sweadner

Sylvia Sykora

John E. Taft

Ian C. Tait

Dean W. Taylor

John Thaw

Dr. and Mrs. S. F. Thomas

William H. Thomson

Ric Thowless

E. Wayne Tillay

C. Robert Tittle

Dorothy Tobkin

Ruth Troetschler

Ms. Barbara Trowbridge

L. L. Tuttle

Robert Tweit

William Breck Tyler

Dr. M. D. Udvardy

Philip Unitt

G. N. Van Essen

Kent Van Vuren

Daniel Varoujean

George W. Venatta

Jared Verner

William R. von Bergen, Jr.

Judith L. Wagner
George W. Waldie
Penny Walker
Kenneth Warner
Charles Washburn
Marion Waterhouse
Wesley W. Weathers
Janeece Webb
Richard E. Webster
Mr. W. W. Weddendorf
Michael Weinstein
Janet Wessel
Gilbert West
Ms. Susan West
Jack Whetstone
Sharon Whisler
Jean White

Drs. Marshall and Jennifer White

Peter and Dolores White

Kitty Whiteside

Jim Widess

Harold Allen Wier

Mike Wihler

Sanford R. Wilbur

Gerald S. Wilkinson

Alice L. Williams

Diane Williams

Douglas H. Williams

Stephanie Williams

William Williams

Carolyn Willison

Peter A. Willmann

Chris Wilson

Mrs. Cora S. Wilson

102

Dr. Howard I. Wilson
Dr. Steven C. Wilson
Summer Wilson
David Winkler
Jon Winter
Milton A. Wise
Clarence M. Wolcott
Vernal L. Yadon
Rita Zamacona
G. W. Zamzow
Robert R. Zappala
Mrs. Maurice L. Zeff

COLORADO

LIFE
Jim Lane

REGULAR

Robert Andrews

Winston and Sylvia Brockner

Dr. Jeanne A. Conry

Allen B. Crockett

Alexander Cruz

Deborah Davis

Dr. Peter R. Gent

Dave A. and Carolyn Griffiths

Robert & Nancy Gustafson

Geoffrey A. Hammerson

Louise Hering

Ed Hollowed

Mark Holmgren

Hugh E. Kingery

Barry G. Knapp

Tim Manolis

Jack Reddall

Dr. Joseph Roller

William C. Shuster

Mildred O. Snyder

Peter C. Sorensen

Judd E. Sundine

Betsy Webb

Bruce Webb

Nancy Zavitz

CONNECTICUT
CONTRIBUTING
Nicholas M. Greene

REGULAR

Phillip N. Brylski
Roger Tory Peterson
Steven Sibley

FLORIDA

REGULAR

William and Helen Dowling

Maj. Alfred Driscoll

Hal H. Harrison

Dr. R. L. Kelley

Julian Lee

Robert C. Lee, Jr.

Alfred Liberman

GEORGIA
REGULAR
Terry Moore

HAWAII

LIFE

Charles van Riper III

CONTRIBUTING

Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Scantlin

REGULAR

Dr. Sheila Conant
Lawrence T. Hirai
C. John Ralph
Dr. J. Michael Scott

IDAHO

REGULAR

Tom Fulton
Dean H. Jones

ILLINOIS

REGULAR

Lawrence G. Balch
H. David Bohlen
Betsy Bush
Charles T. Clark
Richard DeCoster
James Latturner
Randy L. Morrison
Grace F. Smith

INDIANA

REGULAR

John Coons
Larry Peavler

IOWA

Bernard Morrissey

REGULAR

Blair Nikula
Wayne R. Petersen

Thomas H. Kent

KENTUCKY

MICHIGAN

CONTRIBUTING

REGULAR

Dr. Thomas Killip

Dr. Burt L. Monroe, Tr. _

Jon E. Rickert

REGULAR

LOUISIANA

James A. Fowler, Jr.
Thomas V. Heatley

REGULAR

MINNESOTA

H. Douglas Pratt

REGULAR

Dr. T, Van Remsen, Jr.

Tom Schulenberg

Terry Savaloja

Sartor Williams

Gary Simonson

MISSISSIPPI

MAINE

REGULAR

REGULAR _ ,

Wavne C. Weber

Norman Famous

Will Russell

MISSOURI

MARYLAND

CONTRIBUTING
Carmen J. Patterson

CONTRIBUTING

REGULAR

Henry Bielstein

Phoebe Snetsinger

REGULAR

Paul J, Baicich

MONTANA

Carl Carlson

CONTRIBUTING

Douglas Cook

H. N. Metcalf

Ethel Dolnick

R. Lindsay Lilly, Jr.

REGULAR

S. Harvey and Marion Mudd

Mrs. Marcella Bishop

Bob Ringler

Elaine Hammer

Josephine Walker

Lorin and Vickie Hicks

P. D. Skaar

MASSACHUSETTS

NEBRASKA

CONTRIBUTING

RFGITTAR

Donald C. Alexander

REGULAR

Richard Rosche
C. Fred Zeillemaker

Kathleen S. Anderson

William Blakeslee

NEVADA

Dr. and Mrs. P. A. Buckley

REGULAR

Alden G. Clayton

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Eaton

J. R. Alcorn

Stuart Henderson

M. Vincent Mowbray

Joseph T. Leverick

Dr. Fred Ryser

104

NEW HAMPSHIRE NORTH CAROLINA

REGULAR

H. Cook Anderson
William T. Tucker

NEW JERSEY

LIFE

Allan Keith

REGULAR

Theodore Chase, Jr.

David C. Duffy
Michael Gochfeld
Douglas P. Kibbe
Charles Lincoln
James K. Meritt
Rodney A. Norden
James ScarfF
Don Schwab

NEW MEXICO

REGULAR

Peter Carruthers
Richard Castetter
Kay Dreher
L. G. Hawkins
Patricia J. Latas
Mrs. Daniel McKnight
Dr. William Stone
Richard Wilt

NEW YORK

SUPPORTING

Joseph W. Taylor

Mr. and Mrs. Gates Weisberg

REGULAR

Martin Borko
Dr. Paul DeBenedictis
Robert W. Dickerman
Susan Roney Drennan
Orville M. Dunning
Frieda Fairchild
Dr. Gordon M. Meade
Vaughn W. Morrison
Richard H. Pough
Fritz Scheider
Dr. Barbara J. Spencer
John Wall

REGULAR
Dwight Lee

NORTH DAKOTA

CONTRIBUTING

Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. Johnson

REGULAR

Thomas A. Gatz
Capt. John F. Kelley, Jr.

OHIO

CONTRIBUTING
Elinor Elder

REGULAR

William W. Baum

William Creasey

Mr. and Mrs. John Dale

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Shrader

Ray Wlodarski

OKLAHOMA

REGULAR

Dr. W. A. Carter
Dr. F. L. Knopf

OREGON

CONTRIBUTING

Harry B. Nehls
Steven D. Summers

REGULAR

David A. Anderson
Norman M. Barrett
Range Bayer
Richard A. Bradley
Mark Egger
Tad and Kathy Finnell
Tyler S. Groo
Charles J. Henny
Ronald J. Klein'

Carroll D. Littlefield
Lawrence B. McQueen
David Marshall
Jeriy A. Roppe
Otis D. Swisher
Steve Thompson
Mrs. Clarice H. Watson

105

PENNSYLVANIA

CONTRIBUTING
G. Bernard Van Cleve

REGULAR

Henry T. Armistead
A. M. Lawson
James M. Loughlin
Bernard Morris
Kenneth C. Parkes
Keith C. Richards

RHODE ISLAND
REGULAR

Robert Conway
Douglas L. Kraus
Don V. Tiller

SOUTH DAKOTA
REGULAR

Jocelyn Lee Mortimer
Reva Pearce

TENNESSEE
CONTRIBUTING
Tom Wilmers

TEXAS

LIFE

J. P. Malott
CONTRIBUTING

Charles W. Sexton
John Sproul, Jr.

REGULAR

Alma Barrera
Gene W. Blacklock
Ron and Marcia Braun
Mary Ann Chapman
T. Ben Feltner
Bill Hoppes
R. H. Moulton
Dr. A. W. O’Neil
Frances Williams

UTAH

REGULAR

Dr. Martha H. Balph
William H. Behle

Keith L. Dixon
Richard D. Porter
Kimberly Smith

VERMONT

REGULAR
Bruce Some

VIRGINIA

REGULAR
Ron Naveen
John Rowlett
Roland H. Wauer

WASHINGTON

CONTRIBUTING

Jack. E. Davis
Glen Hoge

REGULAR

Ruby Allen

C. M. Anderson

Alice Benedict

Chris Chappell

Philip Cheney

Mike Donahue

James P. Farrell

Larry and Jacque Goodhew

William Harrington-Tweit

Steven Herman

Susan Hills

Eugene Hunn

Dr. Richard E. Johnson

Martha Jordan

Richard L. Knight

Tim Martin

Philip W, Mattocks, Jr.

Dr. William Mulligan
John O’Connell
Dennis R. Paulson
Evelyn W. Peaslee
Georgia H. Ramsey
Wally Sumner
Gerald V. Tangren
Ron Toonen
Terence R. Wahl
Arthur Wang
John W. Weber
Thomas W. Weir
Bart Whelton
Ralph Widrig
Dr. Robert Woodley

106

WISCONSIN

MANITOBA

REGULAR

Spencer Sealy

Dan Minkebige

NEW BRUNSWICK

WYOMING

Stuart Tingley

REGULAR

ONTARIO

Sophia S. Bogart
Helen Downing
Mrs. Robert Hanesworth
Dr. Oliver K. Scott

D. H. Elder
Gavin Joanston
David M. Mark

WASHINGTON D.C.

CONTRIBUTING

W. Graham Metson, Jr.

REGULAR

BELGIUM

Pierre Devillers
Jean Terschuren

Paul DuMont

Jay M. Sheppard

Lt. Col. John P. Upchurch

Claudia P. Wilds

BOLIVIA

Tom Heindel

ENGLAND

Jeffrey Boswall
Frederick Watson

GUAM

REGULAR
Harry Krueger

IRELAND

Pilib O’Buachalla

CANADA

ALBERTA

MEXICO

Allan R. Phillips

M. Ross Lein
Martin K. McNicholl
Dr. M. T. Myres

SWEDEN

Hans Jornvall

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Doris Brigham
Chester S. Chard
Mike Force
J. E. V. Goodwill
A1 Grass
E. H. Grossman
Ms. Suann Hosie
Barry Sauppe

SWITZERLAND

Annette Adams
Harvey Giiston

VENEZUELA

Allen B. Altman

INSTITUTIONAL

MEMBERSHIPS

ARIZONA

Arizona State University, Tempe
Arizona Game and Fish Dept.,
Phoenix

University of Arizona, Tucson

CALIFORNIA

BLM Desert Plan Program, Riverside
California Academy of Sciences,

San Francisco

California Dept, of Fish and Game,
Long Beach

California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena

California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo
California Resources Agency,
Sacramento

California State College, Sonoma,
Rohnert Park

California State Library, Sacramento
California State University, Chico
California State University, Fresno
California State University,

Long Beach

Chabot College, Hayward
Claremont Colleges, Claremont
Claremont Library
Golden Gate Audubon Society,
Berkeley

Humboldt State University, Areata
Los Angeles Public Library,

Los Angeles

Marin County Free Library, San Rafael
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology',
Berkeley

Naval Undersea Center, San Diego
Oakland Public Library, Oakland
Occidental College, Los Angeles
Pacific College, Azuza
Pacific Union College, Angwin
Peninsula Center Library,

Palos Verdes Peninsula
Point Reyes Bird Observatory,

Stinson Beach

Sacramento City Library, Sacramento
San Bernardino County Museum,
Redlands

San Diego County Library, El Cajon
San Diego County Library, San Diego

San Diego Natural History Museum,
San Diego

San Diego State University, San Diego
San Diego Zoo, San Diego
San Francisco Public Library,

San Francisco

San Jose State University, San Jose
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History, Santa Barbara
Santa Monica Public Library,

Santa Monica

Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
La Jolla

Stanford University, Stanford
University' of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Biomedical
Library, Los Angeles
University of California, Dept, of
Zoology, Los Angeles
University of California, La J olla
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
Western Foundation of Vertebrate
Zoology, Los Angeles
Yosemite Natural History Association,
Yosemite National Park

COLORADO

Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife
Research Center, Denver
Office of Surface Mining
Library, Denver

CONNECTICUT

Peabody Museum of Natural History,
New Haven

DELAWARE

Delaware Museum of Natural History,
Greenville

FLORIDA

Florida State University, Tallahassee
Florida Technological University,
Orlando

IDAHO

Idaho State University, Pocatello

108

ILLINOIS

Field Museum of Natural History,
Chicago

University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign

INDIANA

Ball State University, Muncie

IOWA

Iowa State University, Ames

KANSAS

University of Kansas, Lawrence

MARYLAND

Fish and Wildlife Service, Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center, Laurel

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Audubon Society,
Lincoln

Southeastern Massachusetts University,
North Dartmouth

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

MICHIGAN

Central Michigan University,

Mount Pleasant

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi State University,
Mississippi State College

MISSOURI

Linda Hall Library, Kansas City

MONTANA

Montana State University, Bozeman

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico Dept, of Game and Fish,
Santa Fe

University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque

NEW YORK

Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo

New York State College of Agriculture,
Ithaca

University of New York, Albany

OREGON

Bureau of Land Management, Salem
George Fox College, Newberg
Oregon State University, Corvallis
Portland Audubon Society, Portland
Department of the Interior, Portland

PENNSYLVANIA

Carnegie Museum of Natural History,
Pittsburgh

Millersville State College, Millersville

SOUTH CAROLINA

Clemson University, Clemson

TEXAS

Baylor University, Waco
University of Texas, Austin

UTAH

Brigham Young University, Provo

VIRGINIA

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University, Blacksburg

WASHINGTON

Evergreen State College, Olympia
National Wildlife Fellowship,

University of Washington, Seattle
University of Washington, Seattle
Washington State Library, Olympia
Washington State University, Pullman
Western Washington State College,
Bellingham

WYOMING

University of Wyoming, Laramie

AUSTRALIA

CSIRO, Division of Wildlife Research,
Lyneham

National Library of Australia,
Canberra

CANADA

ALBERTA

Lakeland College, Vermilion
Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton

109

BRITISH COLUMBIA

British Columbia Provincial Museum,
Victoria

University of British Columbia,
Vancouver

ONTARIO

Carleton University Library, Ottawa
National Museums of Canada, Ottawa
University of Western Ontario,
London

QUEBEC

McGill University, Montreal

DENMARK

University Library, Copenhagen

ENGLAND

British Library, Wetherby, Yorkshire
British Museum, London
Edward Grey Institute, Oxford
Science Reference Library, London

FRANCE

Bibliotheque du C.N.R.S., Paris

GERMANY

Zeitschriftenabteilung, Sencken-
bergische Bibliothek, Frankfurt

NETHERLANDS

Bibl Kon Ned Akad Wetensch,
Amsterdam

SWEDEN

Goteborgs Universitet, Goteborg

UNION OF SOUTH
AFRICA

Transvaal Museum, Pretoria

UNION OF SOVIET
SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

Akademii Nauk SSSR, Filial Biblioteki,
Moscow

EXCHANGES

Alauda (France)

American Museum of Natural History,
Novitates and Bulletin
AOU Committee on Classification and
Nomenclature
Audubon Magazine
Auk, The
Aves (Belgium)

Biological Abstracts
Birding

Bird Observer of Eastern
Massachusetts
British Birds
CFO Journal
Emu, The (Australia)

Fagelvarld, Var (Sweden)

Florida Naturalist
Gerfaut, Le (Belgium)

Iowa Bird Life
Irish Bird Report
Key-Word-Index, Swiss Wildlife
Information Service
Lirnosa (Netherlands)

Loon, The
Migrant, The
Murrelet, The
Notornis (New Zealand)

New Jersey State Museum
Oiseau, L’ (France)

Ornis Fennica (Finland)
Ornithologische Beobachter

Schweizerische Vogelwarte, Der
(Switzerland)

Ostrich, The (Union of South Africa)
Revue Francaise d’Ornithologieue, La

(France)

Ring, The (Poland)

Seabird Group, The (Scodand)
Smithsonian Institution
US Dept, of Interior, Office of
Library Services
Western Tanager, The
Wilson Bulletin, The
Xerox University Microfilms
Zbornik (Czechoslovakia)

Zoological Record (England)

110

Volume 10 * Number 2 , 19?B

A Sflabind Die-tiff un dir V^'^htn^iosi £oart fti

VT id -winter 1 ^76 Bill '&nrriNfttiu-TtMftt jr

Cukri.idfj Fidd OLLLiihubgsvts Qffidal Reennk < .mminiirt 1

R cjiort 1 97 i i- 1 97 7 R&ixn 4 ntfrim |J

Kii-I-I Idrruifk^him elf the Haw-man Creeper on the
bland of Hawaii / Mi dm si &atft r Shells Omtmt

and iL Dwight * Ptft ff j i

NOTES

S(^tth<Tri iafe ul X+tniuV Bmilmjj m i Sati^

idaiii] Gfliifaflffiia Kuffo f Wimrn Keim t*
iMumw \mdj&hn C. Wmgfidd

Rr<vihiig.d Aliens Hummingbird (Stteiphimu in sin
mirnfiihuy. r>n the Sui.irhrm California Mai n la j id
\fotM H *th fin if Ijjis f. Hiifittxfn

A ShAtTp-taif^I Stfitljiificr in <:i»jfj r -nli\ With Money on
Plumage .it Li I Behavior &mrr E. M^/jA Bndj&amtr A Fmty

A DpiirfcH on Som beast Rualiun hi and , Cuhiurum

Philip fhmtintfrW

fikhiilii atii'M Nutra F&dti frftMrfiwfifais P&f^r Cfimnitfct:

W«nvrn FMd Qmith..iki^N.iy Membership List Ht7K

BULLETIN BOARD

Mirni ph fftauW ht nrnt W Atan M Crwjt 3*32 Wmnan W.tv I^iiiikhmt, CA
95bOft ! ■' ,!| ' t " m |J I tiflt mult $ii ftfri if? f (ttilYJhfifoi \ -si EL n?/ ih lO pp.

mu in-,. UttiUlifrtti tifi c&st from r 1 1 1 ■ Etlilui < arul Cmirttf Bwbtfii Fd\tm Shtrm*tiA
4ili I^iitstm, l*7h -a^ibblr- irnm Anirnraji RrmillJlr -rl B ioJoRlr-,i I frir-m i . L|Q|
^ iUrau Btfi i drviii d_ Ai liii^n m VA '2 r 22i\Q Nit s I UU>

Piper* IK desired thei ire bttuij upon field studies of birds, rimr #rcbt>th under-
«Tend:ddc end "^ful «1 linin' cun. ud that make a npiifkim tuntrii.iitwr, Ea
Mnmtirfic lit era rure. Appropriate lorpia include disFmimdOfL, migntion- tiCfims
bchgtvmi-, ecnSogj , papularion dyrmifiki* habitat '‘retirement*, effects n f
pollution. ami Technique* for identify u^, cci^using. ftoimii recording md photo
pu phing birds in the field. Rap«s of general mterrit will be considered tegardi*i#
* thru ^qp-aphJc origin, but paanmlirty di-HjretL m pupers denting MudbOs
uL-coriipJj^d in er liTJrirkg^B Uxxky A|aH n ejeip ^atef and provlnra WOTWird,

induilifk^ Al*skft und Hawaii, adjaLetit poi'lrons nl tike Pacific Ocean arid v f vun-

ahd weixern Te™,

Antbi?^ nt-L prnvktcil Jfl free reprints of «ch paper. /Vlditi™i, ccptitlts can be
tjrdenfd at ttuthnr's expense tVom the Fdin.iT when pi oof it returned or earlU-r

CkKid php^ioprapbi ol rate and (OjuMiai binifc. UFtaccximpjiEkierf art *rddt blit With
haptioii i«d J urjfrig ipodffp dates locaHny Jrsd rather peffiri-eiit iHfwnti+llirJTl. ^honJil hr
+ubmiEir'd CO icrphctl A. liivanon, AddeV ftood^ Uk'jiort, I1A OS^^J

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