Ornithogeography of the Southern Bahamas. Donald W
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1979 Ornithogeography of the Southern Bahamas. Donald W. Buden Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Buden, Donald W., "Ornithogeography of the Southern Bahamas." (1979). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3325. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3325 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. 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Ml 48106 18 BEDFORD ROW, LONDON WC1R 4EJ, ENGLAND 7921955 BUDEN, DONALD W. ORNITHOGEOGRAPHY OF! THE 80UTHERN BAHAMAS. THE LOUISIANA 8TATE UNXVER8ITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL1 COL,, PH.D.# 1979 University Microfilms International 300 n. zeeb road, ann arb o r, mi 48io e ORNITHOGEOGRAPHY OF THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Zoology and Physiology by Donald W. Buden B.S., University of Miami, 1965 M.S. Louisiana State University, 1971 May, 1979 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I do not wish to slight any individuals who have assisted me in this project, but to name all persons who, in some way, have contributed to this study would require an inordinate number of pages; I apologize for any names omitted for this reason, or for any that may have been omitted because of an oversight on my part. For providing comparative material and/or assistance during my visits to collections I thank the following individuals: John Farrand, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH); Albert Schwartz (AS— personal collection); Mary H. Clench and Kenneth C. Parkes, Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CM); Dianne Maurer and Melvin A. Traylor, Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH); Raymond A. Paynter, Jr., and Alison Pirie, Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ); Pierce Brodkorb (personal collec tion); Richard A. Bradley, J. C. Dickinson, Jr., and John Hardy, Florida State Musuem (UF); Oscar T. Owre, University of Miami (UM); John Barber, Charles Meisner, Storrs Olson, and Richard Zusi, National Museum of National History (USNM); and graduate students at the Yale Peabody Museum who assited me during Charles Sibley's absence. Also, I am grateful to the following individuals who read all or portions of the preliminary draft of this manuscript and provided many useful comments and criticisms: Mary H. Clench, Kenneth C. Corkum, Walter J. Harman, David W. Johnston, Raymond A. Paynter, Jr., James V. Remsen, Douglas A. Rossman, Albert Schwartz, Shirley C. Tucker, and the late Harry Clench. Barbara Fabregas kindly typed nearly two complete drafts of this manuscript. • • 11 Individuals who have generously sent me their personal field notes include Beverlea Aldridge, Karen Bjorndal, Mary H. Clench, J. C. Dickinson, Jr., James C. Greenway, Jr., Albert Schwartz, and Arthur C. Watson. A special note of thanks is extended to Mary H. Clench. Her field notes contain many new records that have greatly enhanced the species accounts in this study. Also, I greatly appreciate the time and effort that she has spent in reviewing this manuscript. I am most fortunate to have had the benefit of her editorial comments and field experiences. For permission to collect specimens and to conduct field studies on many of the islands, I thank David Campbell (formerly Director, Bahamas National Trust), Colin Higgs, and Claude E. M. Smith (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government, Bahamas), Oris S. Russel (Ministry of External Affairs, Bahamas), Jon Wainwright (formerly Development Officer, Turks and Caicos Islands), and the many local District Commissioners and Chiefs of Police. Also, for providing food, lodging, assistance in the field, and pleasant company during my visits to the Turks and Caicos Islands, I thank Bill and Beverlea Aldridge, Tad and Pauline Baran, and the members of VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), a British organization somewhat akin to the Peace Corps. Although field trips and visits to museums were, in large measure, financed by out-of-pocket funds, this study would not have been possible without financial assistance from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the LSU Foundation, the LSU Chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi, the LSU Student Government Association, and an LSU Museum of Zoology Research Assistantship for the period January-June, 1972. The late George H. Lowery, Jr., under whose direction this study was initiated, assisted greatly in arranging for financial support. I thank Douglas A. Rossman for taking on the role of graduate advisor following Dr. Lowery's death. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................ li LIST OF T A B L E S ............................................ vi LIST OF FIGURES..............................................viii ABSTRACT ................................................. ix INTRODUCTION .............................................. 1 GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY .... .............................. 4 PALAEONTOLOGY.................... 7 CLIMATE AND VEGETATION . ................................ 8 ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS ................................ 12 FORMAT OF THE SPECIES A C C O U N T S ............................ 19 SPECIES ACCOUNTS .......................................... 24 ANALYSIS OF THE A V I F A U N A .................................. 157 TABLES AND F I G U R E S ........................................ 196 LITERATURE CITED . ...................................... 257 VITA ...................................................... 277 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Climatological data for the Bahamas ....... 197 Table 2. Tracks of hurricanes and tropical storms ......... 198 Table 3. List of islands in the southern Bahamas ...... 199 Table 4. Mensural data for Zenaida macroura ............. 203 Table 5. Mensural data for Zenaida aurita ...... 204 Table 6. Mensural data for Columbina passerina .............. 205 Table 7. Mensural data for Amazona leucocephala ..... 206 Table 8. Mensural data for Coccyzus minor ................... 207 Table 9. Mensural data for Tyrannus dominicensis ............ 208 Table 10. Mensural data for Myiarchus sagrae .................209 Table 11. Mensural data for male Mimus gundlachii .......... 210 Table 12. Mensural data for female Mimus gundlachii .......... 211 Table 13. Mensural data for Polioptila caerulea .......... 212 Table 14. Mensural data for Vireo crassirostris ..............213 Table 15. Mensural data for Dendroica petechia .......... ... 215 Table 16. Mensural data for Loxigilla violacea from Hispaniola and the Bahamas ........... 216 Table 17. Mensural data for Loxigilla violacea from satellite islands off the coast of Hispaniola .... 217 Table 18. Mensural data for Tiaris bicolor ..................218 Table 19. List of birds known to breed in the Bahamas, their breeding status in Florida and in the Greater Antilles ............ 219 Table 20. Species present in the Bahamas and on all but one of the major islands in the Greater Antilles .. 223 vi Table 21. Species found in Cuba and the Bahamas but not on any other major island in the Greater Antilles ... 224 Table 22. List of subspecies of birds endemic to the Bahamas. 225 Table