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Communal Sheltering Under Snow by American Tree Sparrows

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Communal Sheltering Under Snow by American Tree Sparrows 111 Table 1: Dates of migration for four hawk species in southern Ontario. SPECIES SPRING FALL Northern Goshawk I March-2 April 25 September-30 November no distinct peak no distinct peak Cooper's Hawk 15 March-2 May 20 September-25 October peak about 10 April peak about 4 October Red-shouldered Hawk 10 March-5 April 6 October-15 November peak about 23 March peak about 19 October Broad-winged Hawk 17 April-5 May 7 Septernber-26 September peak about 26 April peak about 15 September perspective, distance of lighting at Acknowledgements other stages. A little analytical My thanks to all of my Hawk Cliff observation by methodically recall­ friends who have shown me these ing the characteristics to look for beautiful birds so many times over will pay dividends in polishing iden­ the years and to all the faithful tification skills. Finally, there are watchers at Beamer who have things to examine which are not yet shared with me many identification well studied in North America. The details. shape and proportions of the "arm" and "hand" parts of the wing during Literature Cited flight and the use of these parts Clark, W.S. 1984. Field identification of while flapping are some. It is one Accipiters in North America. Birding thing to say that a Northern 16:251-263. Duncan, B.W. 1983. Identification of Goshawk has a heavy flap but Accipiters in Ontario. Ontario Birds another - and much better - to 1:43-49. describe it in terms of movement of Dunne, P., D. Sibley, C. Sutton and F. each portion of the wing. I recom­ Hamer. 1982. Field identification. mend these areas of study to keener Newsletter of the Hawk Migration Association of North America 7:8-9. observers. Notes Communal Sheltering Under Snow by American Tree Sparrows While birding at the "Lighthouse Sparrows (Spizella arborea) in the Crescent" field station of the Long red osier dogwoods (Cornus Point Bird Observatory on Old Cut stolonifera) they had been frequent­ Boulevard in Long Point, Regional ing all winter. As overnight temper­ Municipality of Haldimand-Norfolk atures had dipped to -18°C with a on 14 February 1987, I noticed an wind chill factor of -32°C, and a bit­ apparent absence of American Tree terly cold wind made the -7°C at VOLUME 5 NUMBER 3 112 noon still feel much colder, I enter a vole-like burrow under the assumed that the sparrows were snow just before dusk near St. sheltering in some of the thicker Williams, Regional Municipality of trees and shrubs nearby, but was Haldimand-Norfolk, during the unable to detect a single sparrow Christmas Bird Count at Long Point there, either. At 1340 h, as I crossed in 1985. Daytime under-snow shel­ the small marsh on the property, I tering has been less well document­ was surprised to note one American ed, but Bagg (1943) observed Snow Tree Sparrow on open ground Buntings sheltering under snow appear to materialize about 5 m throughout a day of -20oP tempera­ ahead of me and then disappear tures in Massachusetts, and Cade again almost instantly. A closer (1953) observed Common Redpolls approach stimulated the emergence foraging for seeds under snow in of 18 American Tree Sparrows and Alaska. one Song Sparrow (Melospiza melo­ While the very act of sheltering dia) from two small caverns under in a cavity conserves energy in cold the snow, formed by the accumula­ weather (Kendeigh 1961), commu­ tion of hard-packed snow on arched­ nal sheltering could enhance such over clumps of grass at the foot of energy savings (McNicholl 1979). the osiers. As I backed off, the Although American Tree Sparrows sparrows crowded back into their are generally gregarious outside the tiny shelters, virtually filling all breeding season, they usually roost available space. solitarily (Baumgartner 1968), and Although overnight roosting the only previous record of this under snow in birds is best known in species under snow involved roost­ gallinaceous species, such ing by a single bird (Thompson behaviour is becoming increasingly 1934). Thus, the birds I observed at well known in Eurasia (Sulkava the "Lighthouse Crescent" station 1969; Novikov 1972; Marjakangas appear to have been under sufficient 1981; Gladwin 1985), where sever­ cold stress to induce a breakdown of al species appear to roost under normal individual distance (Beal snow frequently, including such 1978). Communal roosting and species as Snow Bunting sheltering in especially harsh weath­ (Plectrophenax nivalis) and er conditions may be more charac­ Common Redpoll (Carduelis teristic of species at the northern flammea) also found in North edges of their winter ranges than America. There is little reason to species whose winter range encom­ suspect that such behaviour is less passes such conditions on a more frequent in North America, where regular basis. Thompson (1934) reported it in one Marjakangas (1981) commented American Tree Sparrow previously. that snow roosting by small birds I have previously observed Song remains poorly known. The vast Sparrows emerging from a commu­ region covered by Ontario embraces nal under-snow roost on Prince a wide variety of winter conditions Edward Island (McNichollI979), to which birds must adapt, offering and watched another Song Sparrow Ontario birders a good opportunity ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1987 113 to extend the interesting studies of Redpoll in interior Alaska: a possible Sulkava (1969) and Novikov adaptation to the northern winter. Condor 55:43-44. (1972). Perhaps the behaviour of Gladwin, T. 1985. Skylarks and birds in harsh winter conditions Yellowhammers roosting under snow. could be considered as a future British Birds 78:109-110. Ontario Birds "topic of note". Kendeigh, S.C. 1961. Energy of birds con- served by roosting in cavities. Wilson Bulletin 73:140-147. Literature cited Marjakangas, A. 1981. Snow Buntings, Bagg, A.M. 1943. Snow Buntings burrowing Plectrophenax nivalis, burrowing in the into snowdrifts. Auk 60:445. snow. Ornis Fennica 58:89-90. Baumgartner, AM. 1968. Spizella arborea McNicholl, M.K. 1979. Communal roosting (Wilson), Tree Sparrow, pp. 1137-1165. of Song Sparrows under snowbank. In A.C. Bent and collaborators. Life his- Canadian Field-Naturalist 93:325-326. tories of North American cardinals, gros- Novikov, G.A. 1972. The use of under-snow beaks, buntings, towhees, finches, spar- refuges among small birds of the sparrow rows, and allies. Edited by O. L. Austin, family. Aquila 13:95-97. Jr. United States National Museum Sulkava, S. 1969. On small birds spending Bulletin 237. the night in the snow. Aquila 7:33-37. Beal, K.G. 1978. Temperature-dependent Thompson, SL. 1934. Unusual roosting of reduction of individual distance in captive Tree Sparrows. Canadian Field-Naturalist House Sparrows. Auk 95:195-196. 48: 142-143. Cade, TJ. 1953. Sub-nival feeding of the Martin K. McNicholl, Long Point Bird Observatory, Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario NOE 1MO; present address: #5-149 Godfrey Drive, London, Ontario N5V 2E8 Fleas Collected from Cliff Swallow Nests in Ontario Introduction rum Holland, C. arcuegens Holland, The Cliff Swallow (Hirundo C. calderwoodi Holland and C. cel- pyrrhonota) nests widely in North sus Jordan. The latter species, C. America on natural and man-made celsus, is generally found in the structures. Fleas are associated with southern and eastern United States the nests of this swallow, and must and eastern Canada on Cliff feed repeatedly on the birds during Swallows, but is also associated the nesting season. When Cliff with the Bank Swallow (Riparia Swallows migrate south for the win- riparia) in British Columbia and ter, they leave behind teneral adult Alaska. fleas which overwinter in their As part of my ongoing research cocoons. Five species of fleas are on Cliff Swallow fleas, I was inter- recognized as parasites of the Cliff ested in obtaining more complete Swallow, all of which belong to the distribution records for each species. same genus: Ceratophyllus However, since I restrict my own petrochelidoni Wagner, C. scopulo- collecting to outside the breeding VOLUME 5 NUMBER 3 114 season and because of my teaching Ceratophyllus celsus. The data on commitments in Winnipeg from each collection are presented in September to April, my field trips Table 1, and localities identified in outside Manitoba are limited. Figure 1. Therefore when I learned of the The material collected during this Atlas ofOntario Breeding Birds, I study is an important contribution to immediately contacted Mike our knowledge of C. celsus. This Cadman and requested the assis­ species was known previously in tance of the Regional Coordinators Ontario only from Smith Lake in for the atlas. The response was Algonquin Park, Nipissing District, overwhelming and I herein report and represented by only two the results of collections from Cliff females, collected from a Rough­ Swallow nests in Ontario. winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis) in 1950 (Holland 1985). Results and Discussion A more complete account of the Beas and/or nest contents were col­ specimens from this study will lected from 12 locations across appear at a later date and will Ontario, from 10 groups of collec­ include an examination of morpho­ tors. Eleven of these locations pro­ logical variation, and duced fleas, 1116 of which were zoogeographical analysis in relation prepared for examination. All spec­ to other Cliff Swallow flea species. imens examined were My primary objectives for this note Table 1: Collection data on Ceratophyllus celsus from Cliff Swallow nests in Ontario. LOCALITY DATE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS Males Females Collectors Ointon, Huron Feb. 1986 119 111 T.J. Lobb Walton, Huron Feb. 1986 t07 108 T.J. Lobb Peterborough, Peterborough 14 Aug. 1985 39 to T.D. Galloway Arden, FronJenac 17 Feb. 1986 132 128 M.Biro Lake Couchiching, Simcoe 28 Jan.
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