DOCSLIB.ORG

Morphometric Features of Pacific and American Golden&Hyphen;Plovers

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Morphometric Features of Pacific and American Golden&Hyphen;Plovers Morphometric features of Pacific and American Golden-Plovers with comments on field identification OSCAR W. JOHNSON & PATRICIA M. JOHNSON Departmentof Ecology,Montana State University,Bozeman, MT59717 USA. OWJohnson2105@aoLcom Johnson,O.W. & Johnson,P.M. 2004. Morphometricfeatures of Pacific and American Golden-Ploverswith commentson field identification.Wader Study Group Bull. 103: 42-49. We measured linear dimensions and evaluated identification criteria in Pacific and American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialisfidvaand P. dominica)captured for banding.Most of thefidva sampledwere winteringbirds in Hawaii,representative of themid-Pacific flyway; additionalfidva and all dominicawere from breeding grounds on the SewardPeninsula, Alaska. The sexeswere monomorphicin dominica,and for all practicalpurposes infidva as well. On average,fulvafemales had shorterhead, bill, andtarsus lengths than males, but at a scale of <1.0 mm for eachdimension. Interspecific comparisons showed longest wings in dominica,longest bills andtarsi infidva, andno differencein headlengths. Unpublished data provided by colleaguesstudying plovers in Siberiaand Canadaenabled us to compareour Alaska findingswith breedinggrounds elsewhere. There appearsto be little, if any, variationinfidva wing lengthsfrom the easternend (SewardPeninsula) to near the westernend of the breedingrange (Taimyr Peninsula);however, other linear dimensions decreased from eastto west.American Golden-Plovers breeding on the SewardPeninsula (western end of their range)had shorterwings and tarsi, but longerbills than birds nestingat the oppositeend of the rangenear Churchill, Manitoba.We foundmost field identificationcriteria described in the literatureto be lessthan satisfactory becauseof variabilityand overlap between the two species.The onlyreliable characteristics were breeding plumage,number of primariesexposed beyond the longest tertials (2-3 infidva,4-5 in dominica),and primary projectionpast the end of the tail (estimatedat 0-9 mm infidva, 12-22 mm in dominica).In field situations involvingmoulting birds and birds in non-breedingplumage, unequivocal species identification may be impossiblein somecases. INTRODUCTION Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (for descriptionsand locationsof theseareas, see Johnson et al. 2001a,c). Add/- The purposesof this paper are to report measurements tionalfidva (n = 14, caughtin 2000) werefroin a wintering obtainedduring bandingof Pacific and American Golden- populationabout 1,300 km southwestof Oahu at Johnston Plovers(Pluvialis./hlva and P. dominica),and to shedlight Atoll (16ø44'N, 169ø32'W), and others(n -- 44, trapped on criteria useful in identifying these somewhat similar 1988-2002) from breedinggrounds on the SewardPenin- species.Our long-termstudies of plover ecologyin Hawaii sula,Alaska (64ø5 I'N, 166ø05'W;see Johnson et al. 200lb). andAlaska together with morerecent radiotelemetry inves- All of the dominica(n -- 46, trapped1988-2003) were nest- tigations(Johnson et al. 1993; 1997a,b;2001a,b,c) have in- ing birdscaptured on the SewardPeninsula at the samesites volvednumerous marked birds, with an especiallylarge set asfulva(the two speciesbreed sympatrically in thatregion). of dimensionsforJ'tdva. The two taxa are relativelyeasy to The ploverscaptured in Hawaii were caughtl-2 hours distinguishwhen birds are in breedingplumage during spring beforesunrise in mistnets (Johnson et al. 1997b,2001c). At andsummer, but at othertimes identification can be problem- JohnstonAtoll, somebirds were caughtin mist nets,others atic. Becausespecies identity was certain for all ploverswe in a self-triggering60 cm diameterclap-net (patterned after sampled(every individual in breedingplumage), this wasan the "luchock"design, Priklonsky 1960) baited with boiled idealopportunity to evaluatevarious interspecific character- egg. In Alaska,bothfidva and dominicawere capturedon isticsaside from breedingcoloration. Examination of these theirnests with eitherthe clap-netor a droptrap. featureswas prompted partly by inquiriesfrom birders seek- All of the birds were bandedin the springor summer ing advice about ways to separatethe two species.These when they were either nearing departurefrom wintering observershad seenwhat appearedto be./tdva(migrants in grounds(late March-April, Oahu and JohnstonAtoll) or non-breedingplumage) in regionswhere one would expect nesting(late May-June, Alaska). Each individual was in only dominica.We hopethe comparisonsand tests of field sexuallydimorphic breeding plumage when examined,and criteriapresented here will provehelpful in suchsituations. primaryfeathers of adultsthat had been replaced during the winter were completelygrown (Johnson& Johnson1983, STUDY AREAS AND METHODS Johnson& Connors1996). First-yearfidva were readily identifiedfroin their worn, retainedjuvenile primaries; no Most ofthefidva (n = 544, captured1979-2002) camefrom similarage-criterion is apparentin dominica(Connors 1983, threewintering ground study sites on Oahu,Hawaii: Bellows Johnson& Johnson1983, Johnson& Connors1996, Byrk- Air Force Station, Hickam Air Force Base, and National jedal & Thompson1998). Bulletin 103 April 2004 42 Johnson & Johnson: Features of Pacific and American Golden-Plovers 43 We recordedthe usualmorphometric dimensions: wing RESULTS length (flattened, straightenedprimaries) to the nearest 1.0 mm; total headlength (posterior occipital to tip of bill), Standard linear dimensions bill length(along culmen to junction with featheringon fore- head), and tarsuslength (tibio-tarsaljoint to distal end of Wing, head, bill, and tarsusmeasurements are shown in tarsus)to 0.1 mm.Each measurement followed the technique Table 1, and summarizedhere for eachspecies. illustratedby Howes& Bakewell (1989). Sometimes,espe- ciallywhen we hadlarger catches, not all measurementswere Pacific Golden-Plover madeon everyindividual. Our wing, head,bill, andtarsus meansincorporate smaller Oahu and Seward Peninsula sam- We pooledthe wing lengthsof adult malesand femalesas plesreported earlier by Johnson& Connors(1996). Several therewas no significantdifference between them (t = 0.77, colleaguesprovided us with unpublishedmeasurements from P = 0.44, df = 409). Variable wear of juvenile primaries fulva captured(in somecases freshly collected) at various made a similar test infeasiblefor first-yearplovers, and we breedingground sites in Siberia;and from dominicanesting pooledwing lengthsfor the entirefirst-year group. The dif- nearChurchill, Manitoba. These data sets, compiled with the ference in wing length between adults and first-year birds samemeasurement techniques as we used,allowed statisti- (172 mm vs. 168 mm) was highly significant(t = 12.04, cal comparisonsbetween our findingsand dimensionsof P < 0.0001, df = 600). Other linear comparisonsbetween ploversfrom otherregions. adult and first-yearmales, and between adult and first-year Supplementingthe standardmeasurements, we madea femalesshowed no differencesin total head length (males, systematiceffort (mostly in 2002 and2003) to evaluatead- ! = 0.80, P -- 0.43, df = 246; females, t = 1.88, P = 0.06, ditional dimensions and characteristics that various sources df = 183); bill length (males,t = 0.04, P = 0.96, df-- 252; (seeJohnson & Connors1996, and Byrkjedal & Thompson females, t = 1.27, P = 0.20, df = 185); or tarsus length 1998) haveconsidered useful as interspecificcriteria. From (males, t = 1.03, P = 0.30, df = 239; females, t = 0.25, capturedbirds, we recordedtwo featuresof thefolded wing: P = 0.80, df-- 176). Thus, for head, bill, and tarsus we the number of primary tips exposedbeyond the longest pooledadult and first-year samples for eachsex. Analysis of tertials,and the distance(to 0.1 mm) betweenthe tips of pri- the pooledsamples revealed slight, but nonethelesssignifi- maries9 and 10. We alsomeasured (to 0.1 mm) the length cant,differences with femalesaveraging smaller than males of the unfeatheredtibia (from the tibio-tarsaljoint to the tips for all dimensions:total headlength (58.0 mm vs. 58.9 mm, of feathersencircling the proximaltibia), bill lengthin rela- t = 7.16, P = <0.0001, df = 431); bill length (24.2 mm vs. tionto the eye,and distance from the base of thebill to the 24.5 mm, t -- 2.93, P = 0.003, df = 439); and tarsuslength rearedge of theeye. The two eye-relatedmeasurements were (45.6 mm vs. 46.1 mm, t = 2.88, P = 0.004, df= 417). madealong a straightline extendingfrom the tip of thebill Dimorphismat this scale(<I.0 mm for eachmeasurement) acrossthe eye and bisectingthe nasalopening. Bill length hasessentially no practicalapplication. Therefore, we con- thus measuredwas then projectedrearward to determine sideredit reasonableto disregardsex altogetherand merge whetherthis dimension fell on or beyondthe eye.From birds head,bill andtarsus measurements. Among adults, we found not in hand,we estimatedwith binocularsor spottingscope: negligiblecorrelation between wing length and tarsus length the distancethe primariesprojected beyond the tail (using (r2 --- 0.05, P = 0.0001,df = 310),and wing length and total averagebill lengthfrom Table 1 as a gauge),and where headlength (r 2 = 0.06,P = <0.0001,df= 318).For pooled tertial tips were positionedin relationto lengthof the tail. adultsand first-year birds, there was slightpositive correla- Both of theseestimates involved birds in what we judgedto tionbetween total head length and tarsus length (r 2 = 0.20, be typicalpostures during foraging and loafing behaviours. P = <0.0001, df = 406), and tarsuslength and bill length (r2 = 0.10,P = <0.0001,df = 416).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Nordmann's Greenshank Population Analysis, at Pantai Cemara Jambi
    Final Report Nordmann’s Greenshank Population Analysis, at Pantai Cemara Jambi Cipto Dwi Handono1, Ragil Siti Rihadini1, Iwan Febrianto1 and Ahmad Zulfikar Abdullah1 1Yayasan Ekologi Satwa Alam Liar Indonesia (Yayasan EKSAI/EKSAI Foundation) Surabaya, Indonesia Background Many shorebirds species have declined along East Asian-Australasian Flyway which support the highest diversity of shorebirds in the world, including the globally endangered species, Nordmann’s Greenshank. Nordmann’s Greenshank listed as endangered in the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species because of its small and declining population (BirdLife International, 2016). It’s one of the world’s most threatened shorebirds, is confined to the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (Bamford et al. 2008, BirdLife International 2001, 2012). Its global population is estimated at 500–1,000, with an estimated 100 in Malaysia, 100–200 in Thailand, 100 in Myanmar, plus unknown but low numbers in NE India, Bangladesh and Sumatra (Wetlands International 2006). The population is suspected to be rapidly decreasing due to coastal wetland development throughout Asia for industry, infrastructure and aquaculture, and the degradation of its breeding habitat in Russia by grazing Reindeer Rangifer tarandus (BirdLife International 2012). Mostly Nordmann’s Greenshanks have been recorded in very small numbers throughout Southeast Asia, and there are few places where it has been reported regularly. In Myanmar, for example, it was rediscovered after a gap of almost 129 years. The total count recorded by the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) in 2006 for Myanmar was 28 birds with 14 being the largest number at a single locality (Naing 2007). In 2011–2012, Nordmann’s Greenshank was found three times in Sumatera Utara province, N Sumatra.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wrybill <I>Anarhynchus Frontalis</I>: a Brief Review of Status, Threats and Work in Progress
    The Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis: a brief review of status, threats and work in progress ADRIAN C. RIEGEN '1 & JOHN E. DOWDING 2 •231 ForestHill Road, Waiatarua, Auckland 8, NewZealand, e-maih riegen @xtra.co. nz; 2p.o. BOX36-274, Merivale, Christchurch 8030, New Zealand, e-maih [email protected]. nz Riegen,A.C. & Dowding, J.E. 2003. The Wrybill Anarhynchusfrontalis:a brief review of status,threats and work in progress.Wader Study Group Bull. 100: 20-24. The Wrybill is a threatenedplover endemic to New Zealandand unique in havinga bill curvedto the right.It is specializedfor breedingon bareshingle in thebraided riverbeds of Canterburyand Otago in the SouthIsland. After breeding,almost the entirepopulation migrates north and wintersin the harboursaround Auckland. The speciesis classifiedas Vulnerable. Based on countsof winteringflocks, the population currently appears to number4,500-5,000 individuals.However, countingproblems mean that trendsare difficult to determine. The mainthreats to theWrybill arebelieved to be predationon thebreeding grounds, degradation of breeding habitat,and floodingof nests.In a recentstudy in the MackenzieBasin, predation by introducedmammals (mainly stoats,cats and possibly ferrets) had a substantialimpact on Wrybill survivaland productivity. Prey- switchingby predatorsfollowing the introductionof rabbithaemorrhagic disease in 1997 probablyincreased predationrates on breedingwaders. A recentstudy of stoatsin the TasmanRiver showedthat 11% of stoat densexamined contained Wrybill remains.Breeding habitat is beinglost in somerivers and degraded in oth- ers,mainly by waterabstraction and flow manipulation,invasion of weeds,and human recreational use. Flood- ing causessome loss of nestsbut is alsobeneficial, keeping nesting areas weed-free. The breedingrange of the speciesappears to be contractingand fragmenting, with the bulk of the popula- tion now breedingin three large catchments.
    [Show full text]
  • Resource Partitioning by Wintering Shorebirds : a Behavioral Comparison of Two Species in a Tropical Estuary
    UC Berkeley Student Research Papers, Fall 2006 Title Resource Partitioning By Wintering Shorebirds : A Behavioral Comparison of Two Species in a Tropical Estuary Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3fb344vf Author Greene, Andrew D. Publication Date 2006-12-01 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California RESOURCE PARTITIONING BY WINTERING SHOREBIRDS: A BEHAVIORAL COMPARISON OF TWO SPECIES IN A TROPICAL ESTUARY ANDREW D. GREENE Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 USA Abstract. Shorebirds often feed in multispecies groups that display interesting niche dynamics. On Moorea, French Polynesia, the Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) and Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) are the dominant shorebird species during the northern winter. These species’ feeding behavior was observed at the Temae estuary on the northeast side of the island. Relative abundance of the two species was determined using transect counts at the estuary and an adjacent beach. T. incana displayed more striking and sprinting behavior, while P. fulva displayed more picking and walking behavior. T. incana also consumed more crabs than P. fulva. The two species existed in relatively equal abundance in the estuary; T. incana was more common on the beach. Though these data suggest some differences in feeding niche, a great deal of overlap was observed. The degree of niche partitioning appears to be greater in this study than in similar studies conducted on these species’ breeding grounds. Key words: feeding behavior; Pluvialis fulva; Tringa incana; Moorea, French Polynesia; resource partitioning; estuary INTRODUCTION spatial distribution of each bird species’ preferred prey (Ribeiro et al.
    [Show full text]
  • The All-Bird Bulletin
    Advancing Integrated Bird Conservation in North America Spring 2014 Inside this issue: The All-Bird Bulletin Protecting Habitat for 4 the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Bolivia The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Conserving the “Jewels 6 Act (NMBCA): Thirteen Years of Hemispheric in the Crown” for Neotropical Migrants Bird Conservation Guy Foulks, Program Coordinator, Division of Bird Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Bird Conservation in 8 Wildlife Service (USFWS) Costa Rica’s Agricultural Matrix In 2000, responding to alarming declines in many Neotropical migratory bird popu- Uruguayan Rice Fields 10 lations due to habitat loss and degradation, Congress passed the Neotropical Migra- as Wintering Habitat for tory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA). The legislation created a unique funding Neotropical Shorebirds source to foster the cooperative conservation needed to sustain these species through all stages of their life cycles, which occur throughout the Western Hemi- Conserving Antigua’s 12 sphere. Since its first year of appropriations in 2002, the NMBCA has become in- Most Critical Bird strumental to migratory bird conservation Habitat in the Americas. Neotropical Migratory 14 Bird Conservation in the The mission of the North American Bird Heart of South America Conservation Initiative is to ensure that populations and habitats of North Ameri- Aros/Yaqui River Habi- 16 ca's birds are protected, restored, and en- tat Conservation hanced through coordinated efforts at in- ternational, national, regional, and local Strategic Conservation 18 levels, guided by sound science and effec- in the Appalachians of tive management. The NMBCA’s mission Southern Quebec is to achieve just this for over 380 Neo- tropical migratory bird species by provid- ...and more! Cerulean Warbler, a Neotropical migrant, is a ing conservation support within and be- USFWS Bird of Conservation Concern and listed as yond North America—to Latin America Vulnerable on the International Union for Conser- Coordination and editorial vation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
    [Show full text]
  • Important Bird Areas in Hawaii Elepaio Article
    Globally Important Bird Areas in the Hawaiian Islands: Final Report Dr. Eric A. VanderWerf Pacific Rim Conservation 3038 Oahu Avenue Honolulu, HI 96822 9 June 2008 Prepared for the National Audubon Society, Important Bird Areas Program, Audubon Science, 545 Almshouse Road, Ivyland, PA 18974 3 of the 17 globally Important Bird Areas in Hawai`i, from top to bottom: Lehua Islet Hanawī Natural Area Reserve, Maui Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, Kauai All photos © Eric VanderWerf Hawaii IBAs VanderWerf - 2 INTRODUCTION TO THE IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS PROGRAM The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program is a global effort developed by BirdLife International, a global coalition of partner organizations in more than 100 countries, to assist with identification and conservation of areas that are vital to birds and other biodiversity. The IBA Program was initiated by BirdLife International in Europe in the 1980's. Since then, over 8,000 sites in 178 countries have been identified as Important Bird Areas, with many national and regional IBA inventories published in 19 languages. Hundreds of these sites and millions of acres have received better protection as a result of the IBA Program. As the United States Partner of BirdLife International, the National Audubon Society administers the IBA Program in the U.S., which was launched in 1995 (see http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/index.html). Forty-eight states have initiated IBA programs, and more than 2,100 state-level IBAs encompassing over 220 million acres have been identified across the country. Information about these sites will be reviewed by the U.S. IBA Committee to confirm whether they qualify for classification as sites of continental or global significance.
    [Show full text]
  • Spur-Winged Lapwing Vanellus Spinosus
    Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae Characteristics: Also known as the spur-winged plover (not to be confused with the recently renamed masked lapwing of Australasia), this lapwing is a wading bird identified by their striking white cheek feathers, black head cap, brown wings against a black body and long black legs. Behavior: In Africa, lapwings don’t travel far outside their home area but merely make short movements to find wetter areas of their habitats. They spend Range & Habitat: their time searching the marshy ground for small invertebrates. Marshes and wetland habitats of central Africa Reproduction: Because of their large range, these birds have variable breeding seasons. Spur-winged lapwings nest in solitary monogamous pairs, often with other mixed species bird nesting colonies. The large nesting groups help protect the birds in the colonies against predation. The lapwing pair will build a nest in a scrape on the ground sometimes lined with vegetation. The female lays 2 eggs that are yellow with brownish black mottling. They hatch after a 28-day incubation period and both sexes help feed the young. If they double-clutch, the male tends the older chicks while the female incubates the second brood (Sacramento Zoo). Lifespan: over 15 years in Diet: captivity, up to 15 years in the Wild: Invertebrates wild. Zoo: softbill, feline diet, capelin, mealworms and insectivore diet Special Adaptations: Spur- Conservation: winged lapwings have a unique Spur-winged lapwings are abundant in their range in Africa and as such call that acts as an alert when are listed as Least Concern by IUCN.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Shorebird Profiles
    List of Shorebird Profiles Pacific Central Atlantic Species Page Flyway Flyway Flyway American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) •513 American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) •••499 Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) •488 Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) •••501 Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani)•490 Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) •511 Dowitcher (Limnodromus spp.)•••485 Dunlin (Calidris alpina)•••483 Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemestica)••475 Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)•••492 Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) ••503 Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)••505 Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) •497 Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa)••473 Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)•••479 Sanderling (Calidris alba)•••477 Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)••494 Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)•••507 Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)•509 Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) •••481 Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) ••515 All illustrations in these profiles are copyrighted © George C. West, and used with permission. To view his work go to http://www.birchwoodstudio.com. S H O R E B I R D S M 472 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Red Knot (Calidris canutus) Description The Red Knot is a chunky, medium sized shorebird that measures about 10 inches from bill to tail. When in its breeding plumage, the edges of its head and the underside of its neck and belly are orangish. The bird’s upper body is streaked a dark brown. It has a brownish gray tail and yellow green legs and feet. In the winter, the Red Knot carries a plain, grayish plumage that has very few distinctive features. Call Its call is a low, two-note whistle that sometimes includes a churring “knot” sound that is what inspired its name.
    [Show full text]
  • Foot-Trembling in the Spur-Winged Plover (Vanellus Miles Novaehollandiae)
    Notornis, 2001, Vol. 48: 59-60 0029-4470 0The Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Inc. 2001 SHORT NOTE Foot-trembling in the spur-winged plover (Vanellus miles novaehollandiae) BRUCE R. KEELEY 13 The Glebe, Howick, Auckland 1705 millkee@ nznetgen. nz A range of distinct foot and leg movements, associated alternately It was not clear whether or not the foot made with feeding behaviour, has been described in several contact with the mud, though at times it appeared to be Palearctic-breeding charadriids, and the possible adaptive 'leg-shaking' rather than 'foot-tapping' that was involved. significance of such movements in the search and There was no obvious correlation between the foot capture of prey has been debated (Simmonds 1961a, b; movement and any subsequent capture of prey Sparks 1961). The range of movements has been broadly While, amongst the lapwings (Subfamily Mnellinae), divided into 'foot-trembling' (involving 1 leg at a time), similar behaviour is well documented in the Eurasian and 'foot-paddling' (where both feet are involved), lapwing (Cramp 1983), perusal of literature on the spur- (Simmonds 1961b). Species in which this behaviour had winged plover/masked lapwing yielded only 2 references: been observed included Eurasian lapwing (Knellus Barlow (1983), in describing elements of feeding vanellus), little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius), ringed behaviour which must be learned bv/J iuvenile ~lovers. plover (C. hiaticula), Kentish plover (C. alexandrinus), refers to 'the foot tremor, the lunge, the stab'; and Frith and dotterel (C, morinellus). (1969) states that 'on wet ground they shuffle 1 foot In New Zealand. foot-tremblingu in the black-fronted and stand on the other, and they thus flush prey animals.' dotterel (C.
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Ground Fidelity and Mate Retention in the Pacific Golden-Plover
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Biological Sciences Faculty Publications Biological Sciences 3-1993 Breeding Ground Fidelity and Mate Retention in the Pacific Golden-Plover Oscar W. Johnson Montana State University - Bozeman Peter G. Connors Bodega Marine Laboratory Phillip L. Bruner Brigham Young University - Hawaii John L. Maron University of Montana - Missoula, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/biosci_pubs Part of the Biology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Johnson, Oscar W.; Connors, Peter G.; Bruner, Phillip L.; and Maron, John L., "Breeding Ground Fidelity and Mate Retention in the Pacific Golden-Plover" (1993). Biological Sciences Faculty Publications. 339. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/biosci_pubs/339 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Sciences at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wilson Bull., 105(l), 1993, pp. 60-67 BREEDING GROUND FIDELITY AND MATE RETENTION IN THE PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER OSCAR W. JOHNSON, ’ PETER G. CONNORS,~ PHILLIP L. BRUNER,~ AND JOHN L. MARON ’ ABSTRACT. -we found male-biased site fidelity in Pacific Golden-Plovers (Phviah fulva) on breeding grounds in western Alaska. Males (8 of 8) returned to the same territories annually, while few females (1 of 4) were seen in subsequent seasons. Nest sites in successive years were usually within 100 m, and the same nest cup may be used in more than one year.
    [Show full text]
  • Helminth Parasite Communities in Four Species of Shorebirds (Charadriidae) on King Island, Tasmania
    Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Volume 132, 1998 49 HELMINTH PARASITE COMMUNITIES IN FOUR SPECIES OF SHOREBIRDS (CHARADRIIDAE) ON KING ISLAND, TASMANIA by Albert G. Canaris and John M. Kinsella (with six tables and three text-figures) CANARIS, A.G. & KINSELLA, J.M., 1998 (31 :xii): Helminth parasite communities in four species of shorebirds (Charadriidae) on King Island, Tasmania. Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm., 132: 49-57. https://doi.org/10.26749/rstpp.132.49 ISSN 0080-4703. PO Box 717, Hamilton, Montana, USA 59840 (formerly Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso) (AGC); and Department of lnfectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA 32611 QMK). Helminth community composition and structure were examined among two resident shorebird species, red-capped plover, Charadrius ruficapillus (N = 20), and masked lapwing, Vanellusmiles (N = 5), and two migrants, ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres (N = 20), and curlew sandpiper, Calidrisfe rruginea (N = 5), on King Island, Tasmania in March-April 1993, prior to northward migration to the nesting grounds. The total number of species of helminths recovered was 28 and life cycles of at least 19 of these were occurring on the island. Twenty-fivespecies were categorised as generalists and three were undetermined. One to three species of helminths were dominant in each host species. Eight species, to various degrees, were common among the four species of host. Most sharing occurred in the mucosa! trematode guild. Similarities between resident Charadrius ruficapillus and migrant A. interpres was 32.7%, while the mean number of species and mean number of helminths were significantlyhigher in A.
    [Show full text]
  • Plover, Snowy
    Plovers — Family Charadriidae 193 Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Nesting on beaches, dunes, and salt flats, the Snowy Plover is among San Diego County’s scarcest and most threatened breeding birds. In 1993 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as threatened along the entire Pacific coast. Thorough surveys from 1995 to 1998 put the county’s breeding population between 240 and 325 individuals, most concentrated in two areas, Camp Pendleton and the Silver Strand (Powell et al. 2002). Surveys from 1978 to 1998 suggest the decline of this once common bird has continued. When not breeding the Snowy Plover is more wide- spread along the county’s coast but it is not much Photo by Anthony Mercieca more numerous, in spite of considerable migration. Human disturbance of the remaining habitat and a high level of predation mean that intensive manage- single breeding season, some individuals shift from site to site, although most remain at one site. ment is needed to sustain the population. These variables considered, about half the population Breeding distribution: Powell et al. (2002) surveyed San breeds in Camp Pendleton, with six to eight nests per year Diego County’s coastline intensively from 1994 to 1998 at the mouths of Aliso and French creeks (F4) and 67 to and provided an exhaustive view of the Snowy Plover’s 88 at the Santa Margarita River mouth (G4). The high distribution. Their detailed table enumerated nests rather count of individual plovers was 120 at the latter site 11 than birds per site; because of multiple clutches per year, June 1997 (B.
    [Show full text]
  • Breeding Biology of the Mountain Plover
    BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE MOUNTAIN PLOVER WALTER D. GRAUL The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) is an endemic species of western North America, breeding on the shortgrass prairie mainly east of the Rocky Mountains and wintering in similar habitat from California and Texas to northern Mexico. Apart from a few anecdotal reports, detailed informa- tion on the breeding biology of the species comes from a single study (Laun 1957). In 1969, I began a study of the Mountain Plover on its Colorado breeding grounds. This paper describes various aspects of the breeding biology of the species and discusses their adaptive significance. Other aspects of the behavior of the Mountain Plover have been published elsewhere (Graul1973a, 1973b,l974). STUDY AREA AND METHODS I studied these plovers on two areas in northern Weld Co., northeastern Colorado. The major area consisted of 16 km ’ just southwest of Keota. The second area was on the International Biological Programs’ Pawnee Site, approximately 64 km northwest of Keota. This general area is part of the high shortgrass prairie (elevation about 1470 m) and consists of gently rolling hills with extensive flats and intermittent streams. Most observations were confined to areas covered predominantly by blue grama grass (Bout&ma gracilis) and/or buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), since I observed that Mountain Plovers prefer such areas. In these areas other common plants include western wheat grass (Agropyron smithii), fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) , and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia polycantha) . The climate of the area during the breeding season is hot and dry. Average yearly precipitation ranges from 30 to 38 cm, although precipitation is unevenly distributed on a yearly, seasonal, and area-to-area basis (Badaracco 1971).
    [Show full text]