J. Raptor Res. 22(2):74-76 ¸ 1988 The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc.

NEWS AND REVIEWS

Hawks by William S. Clark, illustrationsby Brian K. Wheeler.Peterson Field Guides.Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston,1987. 200 pp. Cost $13.95 U.S.

Thirty-nine speciesof North American diurnal raptorsare coveredin this handy field guide. The speciescovered includethose that the careful and persistentobserver would expectto see and, surprisingly,a few very uncommon ones[i.e., RoadsideHawk (Buteomagnirostris) White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetusalbicilla) and Stellar'sSea Eagle (H. pelagicus)].Despite some misspelledwords, and inconsistenciesbetween the text and the Table of Contents,the Introductiondoes a goodjob of instructingthe reader how to use the guide. The "Topographyof a Hawk" sectionis complete,quite useful,and can be usedwith the "Anatomyof a Raptor" on the front endpaper(although it is listed as "Topography of a Hawk" on the backendpaper). Each speciesis coveredin more detail than can be found in any genericbird guide, and addresses:common and scientificname; description;field marks (using the PetersonIdentification System of arrows); plumages;reference to similarspecies; mode of flight; behavior; occasional reference tocall; status and distribution; clear, but fairly generalized, rangemaps; fine points;unusual plumages; a listingof subspecies(all racesnorth of Mexico); etymology;measurements; plates;and photographs.These pointsare coverednicely and, with the possibleexception of range map errors (e.g, for Buteoswainsoni; J. Parrish, pers. comm.), appear to be accurate. The 26 (not 27 as indicatedin the Introduction)plates are groupedin the centerof the guidewhich provides ready accessto both the artwork, which is of comparablequality to that in the better bird guides,and informativelegends on the facingpages. The 42 pagesof blackand white photographsare variablein quality and usefulness.Some photos are of exceptionalclarity, while othersare so dark or out of focusas to be of limited value. The Referencesection is particularlyimpressive, providing both the amateurand professionala usefulbibliography. Complementingthe Referenceis a valuableIndex to Referencesby Speciesand Topic. Topicsinclude: natural history; behavior;plumage; migration; status and distribution;identification; albinism; bibliography; and taxonomy.For quick referenceto the "right" speciesan index is provided.Finally the classicraptor silhouettesare providedon the back endpaper(although it is listed in the Table of Contentsas being on the front endpaper). Despitesome poor editing,which shouldbe clarifiedin subsequenteditions, the layout and contentsof "Hawks" make it a very usefulinclusion for anyone'sback pocketor field bag. This Petersonguide has accomplishedthe goal of simplifiedfield identificationand is worth the $13.95 sellingprice.--Jeffrey L. Lincer.

Request for Assistance.--Populationstatus and health of Snowy Owls in North America; request assistancein obtainingfield observationsand carcasses.Please forward the followinginformation for each sighting:date, location, numberof birds seen,age and sexof birds seen,what birdswere feedingon, the observer'sname, addressand telephone number, and any additionalinformation which the observerwishes to supply. Pleasereport sightingsto Ursula C. Petersen,436 Birge Hall, Department of Zoology,University of Wisconsin,Madison, WI 53706.

Birds of Prey: An Identification Guide to the Raptorsof the World. Bookis due for completionin 1988;published by ChristopherHelm, Ltd., in the sameseries as Seabirds, shorebirds and waterfowl.Colour plates (112) will showall birdsof prey in all main plumages,perched and in flight. Illustratingthe underwingsand someother fine detailsis, however,a problemfor certainspecies where museum skins, published photographs and our fieldnotes are all inadequate We are, thereforenow asking for photographs(particularly showingbirds in flight or in the hand) of any of the following: Afro-MalagasyCuckoo-hawks (Aviceda cuculoides and A. madagascariensis); Honey Buzzards(Henicopernis longicauda, H. infuscataand Perhiscelebensis); the African BandedSnake Eagles (Circaetusfasciolatus and C. cinerascens); any island(not mainland)species or raceof the AsiaticSerpent Eagles (Spilornis);

74 SUMMER 1988 NEWS AND REVIEWS 75 the Afro-MalagasySerpent Eagles (Dryotriorchis and Eutriorchis); anyspecies of Accipiter (in whichwe includeErythrotriorchis and Megatriorchis) EXCEPT FOR tachiro,novaehollandiae (Australiannominate race), nisus,rufiventris, striatus, bicolor, cooperii and gentilis; the Old World hawks Butastur(all species); the African Long-tailedHawk (Urotriorchismacrourus); the New World hawks Leucopternis(all species)and Buteogallussubtilis; the two Central and SouthAmerican Solitary Eagles(Harpyhaliaetus); the buzzards/hawksButeo ridgwayi, B. brachypterus,B. regalis(dark adult and juvenile) and B. auguralis; the CrestedEagle (Morphnusguianensis) and the harpy eagles(Harpia and Harpyopsis); the Indian Black Eagle (Ictinaetusmalayensis); Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi); Gurney'sEagle (A. gurneyi); the hawk eaglesHieraaetus dubius, H. kieneriz,$•izastur melanoleucus, $•izaetus africanus, S. cirrhatus(race floris), S. nanus(race stresemanni),S. tyrannus,S. bartelsiand S. philippensis; and Isidor's Eagle (Oroaetusisidori). We have tried to keep this list reasonablyshort, but shouldlike to seeany other photographsthat show pointsof specialinterest. For example,until recentlywe wouldhave added Accipiter badius and A. brevipesto the list of accipiters excluded,but it is now clear that someShikras are more easily confusedin the field with Levant Sparrowhawksthan previouslyrecognized. All photographsshould be sent as soon as possible to P. J. K. Burton,British Museum(Natural History), Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, ENGLAND. Photographssubmitted will be acknowl- edgedand later returnedto the individualartists.--James Ferguson-Lees, Philip Burton, Kim Franklin and David Mead.

Raptours. Raptor watchingtours and workshops.1988-1989 scheduleincludes: Trinidad, Cape May, Israel, South Texas, Senegel,Mexico, Panama,Tikal, WhitefishPoint, Ecuadorand southernArizona. Tours led by Bill Clark, authorof Hawks.Many three-dayweekends. Write for brochureand scheduleto Raptours,P.O. Box 8008, Silver Spring, MD 20907, or call Barbara Fox at (:301)565-9196.

Reprints Wanted. Are your raptor reprintstaking up too muchspace and gatheringdust? The U.S. Bureau of Land Managementwould like to addthem to the Raptor ManagementInformation System (RMIS) or to its GeneralRaptor ReprintFile. In return,you receivean appropriateamount of free useof the computerizedsystems. For details,write Richard R. (Butch) Olendorff, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, Phone 916-978-4725.Also, if youare interestedjust in usingthe extensiveliterature retrieval capability of the RMIS, write or call for a free brochure.

Prairie EndangeredSpecies Workshop Proceedings.One-third of all the rare, threatened,and endangeredspecies •n Canada were once regular inhabitants of the prairie grasslands.Ploughing of native prairie for agriculture has virtually eliminatedthe grasslandhabitat on which thesespecies depend. With this background,a 3 d workshopwas held at the Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmontonin January 1986 by the Federationof Alberta Naturalists. During the 32 sessions,90 speakersfrom 30 organizations discussedthe conservationand management needs of endangeredprairie habitats and wildlife. Proceedingsfrom the workshop are now available. The Proceedingsinclude 83 paperson endangeredhabitats and mostthreatened and endangeredwildlife in the three prairie provinces.The paperson habitat confirmedthat over 75% of all prairie habitatshave been ploughed,grazed or urbanized.Over 95% of mixed grassprairie has been irreparably disturbed.Papers on individual speciesdiscussed the statusof eachspecies, current management,the need for a recoveryplan and future conservationneeds. A number of low profile speciessuch as the Bull Trout, Leopard Frog, and a variety of insectsand plants were included in an effort to stimulatemore conservationactivity. To order copiesof the proceedingsof the Workshop on the Endangered Speciesin the Prairie Provinces,Occasional Paper No. 9 (1987) of Provincial Museum of Alberta send$10 U.S. per copyto Edmonton Natural History Club, Box 1582, Edmonton, Alberta TSJ 2N9. 76 N•ws ,•ND R•w•ws VOL. 22, No. 2

1989 Hawk Mountain ResearchAward. The Hawk Mountain SanctuaryAssociation is acceptingapplications for its twelfth annual award for raptor research.To apply for the $750 award, a studentapplicant should submit a brief descriptionof his or her researchprogram (five pagesmaximum), a curriculumvitae, and two lettersof recommendation to Dr. Jim Bednarz• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Assoclatlon•Rte. 27 Kempton• PA 19529. The deadline for applicationsis October 15, 1988. The Association'sboard of directorswill makea final decisionearly in 1989. Only studentsin degree-grantinginstitutions are eligibleto apply;both undergraduateand graduatestudents may apply The award will be grantedon the basisof a project'spotential to improveunderstanding of raptor biologyand its ultimate relevanceto the conservationof North American raptor populations.

1988 Hawk Mountain Research Award. The Hawk Mountain SanctuaryAssociation awarded its 1988 research grant to Holly Devaul, a M.S. candidateat the Universityof Maine. Her projectis entitled"Survey of Breeding WoodlandHawks: A Gomparisonof ForestMangement Practices."