October 1967

VOL. XVII, NO. 4 OCTOBER 1967 -- FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC. THE KINGBIRD, published four times a year (January, May, July and October), is a publication of The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., which has been organized to further the study of bird life and to disseminate knowledge thereof, to educate the public in the need of conserving natural resources and to encourage the establishment and main- tenance of sanctuaries and protected areas. Individual member's dues are $5.00 annually, of which $4.00 is for a subscription to The Kingbird. A member wishing to make an additional contribution may become a Sustaining Member ($7.50), a Supporting Member ($1O), or a Life Member ($100-"payable over a four-year period in equal installments," if member so desires). Single copies: $1.50. Student membership $3.00. KINGBIRD subscription for non-members $5.00 per year on calendar year basis only. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP should be sent to the chairman of the membership committee, James J. Doherty, 913 Winton Road North, Rochester, N. Y. 14609. Send CHANGES OF ADDRESS to the Treasurer, Dort A. Cameron, 5423 Palmyra Rd., Pittsford, N.Y. 14534. Order SINGLE COPIES, BACK NUMBERS, and REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED COPIES from Dorothy W. Mcllroy, 419 Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Publication office is 419 Triphammer Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850. Second class postage paid at Ithaca, N.Y. Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation 1. Filed October 2, 1967 2. 3. The Kingbird, a quarterly with 4. 5. publication and business offices at 419 Triphammer Road, lthaca, N.Y. 148!i0 6. Publisher - The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. c/o Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology 33 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 Editor - Mrs. Dorothy W. Mcllroy, 419 Triphammer Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 Managing Mitor - None 7. Owner -The Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., a non-profit organization, c/o Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 33 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 8. Known bondholders, mortgagees and other security holders - None 9. The purpose, function and non-profit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes have not changed during preceding 12 months. Ave. no. copies each issue Sin,gle issue during preceding n,earest 12 months filing date A. Total number copies printed (net press run) B. Paid circulation 1. Sales thru dealers and carriers, street venders and counter sales None None 2. Mail subscription 642 1608 C. To'tal paid circulation 642 1608 D. Free distribution (including samples) by mail, carrier or other means E. Total distribution F. Office use, left-over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing G. Total (sum of E & F) I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. (Signed) Dorothy W. Mcllroy Editor -- - Vol. XVII No. 4 October, 1967 Pages 189-247 CONTENTS Photographs of New York State Rarities 1I. Harris' Sparrow . .Peter W. Post 190 Notice of 21st Annual Meeting of the Federation . 193 The President's Page . .Allen H. Benton 194 Poster Design Prize Winners . 194 The Identification of Winter Finches and Grosbeaks in Flight Dr. Harold H. Axtell 196 Food Habits of the Crow . .John B. Belknap Minutes of the 20th Annual Meeting of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. .Mrs. Betty Strath John J. Elliott Memorial Prize - 1966 and 1967 . A Bibliography of New York State Ornithology - 1965 . Conservation News . .Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr. Field Notes Notes on the Roosting Behavior of Bonaparte's Gull . .Joanna Burger Migrating Flock of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at Green Haven Enid Butler Albino Kingbird . Florence Germond Odd Warbler at Caton Swamp near Elmira . Wilifred I. Howard Immature Black-headed Gull at Sandy Pond Outlet Oswego County Margaret S. Rusk Highlights of the Summer Season June 1- August 15 . David B. Peakall 215 Regional Reports ............................................ 216 Book Reviews ................................................ 246 Editor - DOROTHYW. MCILROY Associate Editors Field Notes - SALLYHOYT SPOFFORD Regional Reports - DAVIDB. PEAKALL Photographic - DAVIDG. ALLEN Editorial Board JOHNB. BELKNAP STEPHENW. EATON ALLENH. BENTON EUGENEEIS~MANN Cover Design - DOUGLASL. HOWLAND PHOTOGRAPHS OF NEW YORK STATE RARITIES 11. Harris' Sparrow Photograph by Dennis Puleston Brookhaven, Sufolk Co., 28 October 1966 The Harris' Sparrow, Zonotrichia qt~erula,breeds in the open boreal forest zone of north-central Canada from northwestern Mackenzie to northwestern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba; casually to northwestern Ontario. The species migrates through the Great Plains, win- tering from southern British Columbia, northern Idaho, northern Colo- rado and central Iowa to southern California, central Arizona, and southern Texas, casually further east (Various Sources ) . Of the twenty-one published reports of the Harris' Sparrow from New York, listed in the accompanying table, none is prior to 1951. Fifteen of these appeared at feeders, often after snow storms. Individuals may remain only for a few days, or well into spring, allowing dozens of observers to add it to their life list. At least three of the birds which were ,immatures when they arrived had molted into adult plumage by the end of April. A photograph of the Brookhaven bird, which was captured in a mist net, appears above. The species has also been photographed at Lake View and Hamburg by Mitchell and at Quoque by Puleston. The photo- TABLE 1 Published records of thc Harris' Sparrow from New York State Datc(s) Location County Feeder Other Observer(s) Plumage Referencc(s) 9-11 Nov 1961 Hamburg Erie Mrs. Charles W. Avery, Jr. Bernard Nathan immature Avery, Prothonotary, 17(2): 68-69, Dec 1951 Harold Mitchell Brockner, Kingbird, 4(2) : 38, July 1954 mob Beardslee and Mitchcjl, p. 443* early Nov 1051 W.of Lake View, Erie Mrs. Gordon Gannon none immature Beardslee and Mitchell, p. 443 about a half-mile from Lake Erle 28 Sept 1954 Forest Lawn Erie No Bernard Nathan immature Kingbird, 4(4): 103. Jan 1935 Cemetery, Buffalo mob Beardslee and Mitchell, p. 443 29 Sept - 4 Oct Eric Mrs. Carl A. Hollcli Frances Rathbun immature Houck, Prothonotar~,20(10):8G-87,0ct, 1954 1954 LI. L. Emerson Kingbird, 4 (4) : 103, Jan 1955 Harold D. Mitchell Beardslee and hlitchell, p. 443 23 hIay 1950 City Hall Park, New York No Lester Walsh adult null, p. 4GO** New York City 30 Sept 1956 near Fire Island Suffolli No John Bull adult Bull, p. 460 Lighthouse Kingbird, G(4) : 140, Jan 1957 t,hrough Nov Jarnestown Chautauqua hIrs. Carl nrolin Claude Parker immature Kingbird, 7(4) : 119, Jan 1958 1957 Clarence M.Beal Benrdslec and hlitchell, p. 443 William Mealy mob 28-29 Jan 1958 Tompkins Mrs. C. R. Harrington none adult Kingbird, S(1): 17, May 1958 Kingbird, S(3): 74, Oct 1958 11 May 1958 Island Cottage Monroe No Mr. and Mrs. James adult Kingbird, S(2) : 48, July 19.58 Woods H. Barlow 15-10 OC~mi Dubois Road, Tompkins No Douglas J. Futuyma adult Futuyma, Kingbird, 11 (4) : 198-199, about five miles mob Dec 1901 North of Ithaea early winter Webster JIonroe Jerome Hartltc Howard S. hliller immature - to 5 May 1963. Alfred A. Starling adult Allen E. Kemnitzer TABLE 1. Continued Date(s) Location County Feeder --Other Observer(s) Plumage Reference(s) late fall 10G4 Voorheesville Albany Yes Walton Sabin adult Kingbird, 15(2): 124, ?thy 10G5 to 24 Feb 10G5 Hazel Eddy Donald Tucker mob 27 Jan - 3 May near Athens Greene Yes Geoffrey Carleton irnmature Kingbird, 15(2): 12,l, ?tl:~y1065 1065 Peter P. Wickham Kingbird, 15(3): 189, July 10G5 James Bush mob mid-Dcc 10G4 Lake View Erie Mr. and Mrs. William Kranz Robert F. Andrle inlmature Kingbird, 13(2): 104, Rhy 1965 to G May 10G5 Harold D. hlitchell adult Kingbird, 15(3): 1G4, July 19G5 mob 31 Oct - 3 Nov Quoque Wildlife Suffolk hlrs. Carl Helms Dennis Puleston adult Icingbird, lG(1): G4, Jan 10GG 10G5 Sanctuary Gilbert Raynor Leroy Wilcox 15-1G Xay 10GG West Hill Road, Chemung Irving Runey Albert Fudge adult Kingbird, lG(3) : 162, July l0G6 Elmira Wilifred Howard et al. 20 Oct 1966 Brookhaven Suff olk Dennis Puleston immature Kingbirtl, 17(1): 62, Jan 1067 Walter Terry Gilbert Raynor 7 Feb - 18 May, Kripplebush Ulster Fred Hough Dan and Virginia immature Kingbird, 17(2): 117, May 1067 1987 Smiley adult Kingbirtl, 17(3) : 186, July 1967 5 & 10-12 May Elmira Chemung R'Irs. Robert Ruggles Wilifred Howard 2 adults Kingbird, 17(3): 1G2, July 19G7 1967 Mrs.'Joseph Smith mob 15-16 May 1967 Virgil Cortland Mr. and Mrs. M. Trapp None adult Kingbird, 17(3): 1G6, July 10G7 20-21 May 1967 Newfane Niagara John and hlabel Lehrer None adult Prothonotary 33(G): 8G, 91, 95 Kingbird, 17(3): 1%. July 1967 * Birds o,f the Niagnra Frontier Region, Bull. Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sciences, 22: 1965. ** Birds of the New York Area, Harper and Row, 1964. Additional information on records from Regions 1, 3,4 and 9 not found in the rcfercnces, was supplied by Harold D. Mitchell, Robert Sundell, Sally Hoyt Spof- ford, John Gustnfson, and Fred Hough. Photograph by Harold D. Mitchell Lake View, Erie Co., 6 May 1965 graph of the Lake View bird clearly shows a band on its left leg. None of the ~ublishedI accounts mention this. nor have I been able to obtain any information as to whether it was captured and banded in New York. Peter W. Post, 575 West 183 Street, Neu York, N.Y. 10033; Present address, Columbia University Field Station; Apartado 1-U, Calama, Chile. 1968 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC.

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