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MOCKINGBIRDS, THBASHEBS GROSBEAKS, FINCHES, SPARROWS CHECK-LIST OF BIRDS ..Mockingbird—CP ....Blackliended Grosbeak—US ..LeConte's Thrasher—UP ...Blue Grosbeak—RS DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL MONUMENT ..Sage Thrasher—FS ...Indigo Bunting—ace ...Lazuli Bunting—US INYO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ....Evening Grosbeak—UM ROBIN, THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS, SOLITAIRE ...Purple Finch—UP ....Cassin's Finch—RP, Mt Compiled by Ranger Naturalist Roland H. Wauer ..Robin—AP ....House Finch—AP ..Varied Thrush—ace ...Pine Siskin—RP, Mt ..Hermit Thrush—US, Mt ....American Goldfinch—CP ..Swainson's Thrush—RM ...Lesser Goldfinch—FP Price 10 cents ..Western Bluebird—CP ...Red Crossbill—UM, spor ..Mountain Bluebird—CP ...Green-tailed Towhcc—US, Mt ..Townsend's Solitaire—UP ....Rufous-sided Towhee—UP ....Savannah Sparrow—UW This list comprises those birds seen throughout the 3,000 ....Vesper Sparrow—UW square miles of Death Valley National Monument. Habitat GNATCATCHERS, KINGLET —Lark Sparrow—UW varies from the extreme desert of the lower sonoran life zone ..Blue-gray Gnatcatcher—UP Black-throated Sparrow—UP found on the valley floor, to the sub-alpine conditions found ..Black-tailed Gnatcatcher—RP ....Sage Sparrow—AP ..Ruby-crowned Kinglet—AW, UP ....Slate-colored Junco—UW on the highest peak of the mountains surrounding the valley. ....Oregon Junco—CP Elevations range from —282 feet (below sea level) near Bad- ...Gray-headed Junco—RS, Mt water, to 11,049 feet, the summit of Telescope Peak. ..WATER PII'IT—AW, UP —Chipping Sparrow—RP —Brewer's Sparrow—FP The names used are those in the fifth edition of the Check­ Black-chinned Sparrow—RS, Mt list of North American Birds, published by the American CEDAR WAXWING—FW ...Harris' Sparrow—UW .... White-crowned Sparrow—CW Ornithologists Union. Subspecific names have not been used ....Golden-crowned Sparrow—RW because of the extreme difficulty of recognizing subspecies rHAINOPEPLA—UP ....White-throated Sparrow—ace in the field. ...Fox Sparrow—RS, Mt ....Lincoln's Sparrow—UW LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE—FP ...Song Sparrow—AW, UP ABBREVIATIONS: STARLING—AW A—Abundant: greatest relative numbers. LIST 2 ace.—Accidental: not recorded more than a few times, but VIREOS ..White-tailed Kite more than once. ..Bell's Vireo—RS ..Zone-tailed Hawk ..Gray Vireo—RS, Mt . ..Duck Hawk aer.—Aerial: observed in flight over any habitat. ..Solitary Vireo—so ..Mountain Plover ..Warbling Vireo—UM ..Buff-breasted Sandpiper .. C—Common: next below abundant in relative numbers. ..Marbled Godwit F—Fairly common: next below common in relative numbers. Ring-billed Gull WARBLERS ..Black Tern M—Migrant: usually observed in spring and/or fall. ..Orange-crowned Warbler—UP Black Swift ..Nashville Warbler—RM ..Purple Martin Mt—Mountains: seen in the higher portions of the monument, -Steller's Jay above 3,000 feet. ..Yellow Warbler—FP ..Curve-bill Thrasher ..Myrtle Warbler—so ..Crissal Thrasher P—Permanent resident: the species, but not necessarily the ..Audubon's Warbler—AP -Black-and-Wbite Warbler . individual, remains all year around. ..Black-throated Gray Warbler—UP ..Pink-sided Junco ..Townsend's Warbler—ace R—Rare: lowest relative numbers, but still regular in oc­ -MacGillivray's Warbler—RM currence. ..Yellowthroat—UP ..Yellow-breasted Chat—UM Other observations: S—Summer visitant: arriving as early as February and may ..Wilson's Warbler—UM remain as late as October. ..American Redstart—RM spor—Sporadic: some years present and some years absent. ..HOUSE SPARROW—CP, residences so—Single occurrence: Species collected but single occurrences by sight record only are recorded in list 2. MEADOWLARK, BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES U—Uncommon: next above rare in relative numbers. ...Western Meadowlark—AP W—Winter visitant: may arrive as early as August and may ...Yellow-headed Blackbird—CS remain as late as May. ...Redwinged Blackbird—FP ...Tricolored Blackbird—ace ...Hooded Oriole—RS ...Scott's Oriole—US, Mt Published by ...Bullock's Oriole—CS ...Brewer's Blackbird—CP Death Valley Natural History Association DATE_ OBSERVER- ...Brown-headed Cowbird—FS March 195S ..WESTERN TANAGER—CS WEATHER- . TIME_ LIST 1 PAKTKIDGE, QUAIL HUMMINGBIRDS ..California Qnail—RP. Mt ... ..Black-chinned Hummingbird—ace LOONS -Gambel's Quail—CP ..Costa's Hummingbird—UP ..Mountain Quail—RP, Mt .... ..Broad-tailed Hummingbird—RS ... ..Common Loon—ace . ..Chukar Partridge—FP, Mt ..Rufous Hummingbird—RM ..Arctic Loon—ace GREBES RAILS, GALLINULE, COOT BELTED KINGFISHER—RM ..Eared Grebe—UM ..Virginia Rail—RW ..Western Grebe—RM ..Sora—RM WOODPECKERS, FLICKERS, SAPSUCKERS ..Pied-Billed Grebe—RM ..Common Gallinule—RM ..American Coot—CW Yellow-shafted Flicker—RW ..Red-shafted Flicker—AW, US WHITE PELICAN—ace ..Lewis' Woodpecker—FW, spor PLOVERS, SANDPIPERS ..Yellow-bellied Sapsucker—UP .."Williamson's Sapsucker—RP, Mt ..DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT—ace Killdecr—AW ..Hairy Woodpecker—RP, Mt ..Common Snipe—CW ..Spotted Sandpiper—ace HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS ..Solitary Sandpiper—RM ..Greater Yellowlegs—UM KINGBIRDS, FLYCATCHERS, PHOEBES ..Great Blue Heron—ace ..Least Sandpiper—ace ...Eastern Kingbird—ace ..Green Heron—UM Long-billed Dowitchcr—ace ..Western Kingbird—RS ..Common Egret—CM ..Cassin's Kingbird—RS ..Snowy Egret—RM Ash-throated Flycatcher—CS ..Black-crowned Night Heron—RM AVOCET, STILT ..Black Phoebe—CP ..Least Bittern—RS Say's Phoebe—AP ..American Bittern—RM ..American Avocet—CM ... ..Traill's Flycatcher—US, Mt ..Black-necked Stilt—UM -Hammond's Flycatcher—ace -Gray Flycatcher—US IBISES ..Western Wood Pewee—RM ..Wood Ibis—ace PHALAROPES ...Olive-sided Flycatcher—RM ..White-faced Ibis—ace . ..Red Phalarope—ace ..Vermilion Flycatcher—ace ..Wilson's Phalarope—RM .. ..Northern Phalarope—RM ..WHISTLING SWAN—ace ..HORNED LARK—UP GEESE, DUCKS GULLS ...Canada Goose—CM ..California Gull—ace .... SWALLOWS ...White-fronted Goose—UM ..Bonaparte's Gull—ace ..Violet-green Swallow—RP .... ....Snow Goose—ace ..Tree Swallow—FP, spor ...Mallard—FW ..Rough-winged Swallow—CS ...Gadwall—RW ..Barn Swallow—RM ...Pintail—UW DOVES ..Cliff Swallow—UM ...Green-winged Teal—CW ..Rock Dove—ace ...Blue-winged Teal—RM ..White-winged Dove—RS .. ...Cinnamon Teal—FM ..Mourning Dove—FP ...American Widgeon—CW JAYS, MAGPIE, CROW, NUTCRACKER ...Shoveller—FW ..Scrub Jay—UP ...Wood Duck—ace ..Black-billed Magpie—ace ...Redhead—RM CUCKOO, ROADRUNNER ..Common Raven—AP ...Ring-necked Duck—so ..Yellow-billed Cuckoo—ace . ..Common Crow—RP ...Canvasback—RM ..Roadrunner—UP ..Pinon Jay—FP, Mt —Greater Scaup Duck—UW ..Clark's Nutcracker—FP, Mt ...Lesser Scaup Duck—UW —Common Goldeneye—UM OWLS ...Bufflehead—UM, spor CHICKADEE, TITMOUSE, VERDIN —Ruddy Duck—FM ..Screech Owl—RP ...Common Merganser—UM ...Great Horned Owl—UP .. ..Mountain Chickadee—FP, Mt ...Red-breasted Merganser—ace . ...Pygmy Owl—ace ...Plain Titmouse—UP, Mt ...Burrowing Owl—RP ..Vcrdin—FP ...Long-eared Owl—ace ...Common Bush-tit—UP, Mt ..TURKEY VULTURE—CS ...Short-cared Owl—RP ...Saw-whet Owl—ace HAWKS, EAGLES OSPREY, FALCONS NUTHATCHES ..Sharp-shinned Hawk—UP, aer ..White-breasted Nuthatch—UP, Mt . ..Cooper's Hawk—FP, aer POORWILL, NIGHTHAWKS ..Red-breasted Nuthatch—ace ..Red-tailed Hawk—AP, aer Poorwill—UP ..Swainson's Hawk—UM, aer, spor ..Common Nighthawk—CS ..Ferruginous Hawk—ace ..Lesser Nighthawk—so ..Golden Eagle—UP, aer WRENS ..Bald Eagle—ace, aer ..House Wren—UM ..Marsh Hawk—UP, aer ..Bewick's Wren—CP ..Osprey—RM, aer SWIFTS ..Long-billed Marsh Wren—FW ... Prairie Falcon—FP, aer ..Vaux's Swift—RM ..Canon Wren—UP ..Sparrow Hawk—UP, aer ..White-throated Swift—FP ..Rock Wren—AP .
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  • Breeding Season Diet of the Floreana Mockingbird (Mimus Trifasciatus), a Micro-Endemic Species from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

    Breeding Season Diet of the Floreana Mockingbird (Mimus Trifasciatus), a Micro-Endemic Species from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

    196 Notornis, 2014, Vol. 61: 196-199 0029-4470 © The Ornithological Society of New Zealand Inc. Breeding season diet of the Floreana mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus), a micro-endemic species from the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador LUIS ORTIZ-CATEDRAL Ecology and Conservation Group, Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102-904, Auckland, New Zealand Abstract I conducted observations on the diet of the Floreana mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus) during its breeding season in February and March 2011. The Floreana mockingbird is a critically endangered species restricted to Gardner and Champion Islets off the coast of Floreana Island, in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. During 11 days, 172 feeding bouts of adult and nestling mockingbirds were observed. The majority of feeding bouts of adults (31%; 19 feeding bouts) involved the consumption of nectar and pollen of Opuntia megasperma. Another important food item consisted of Lepidopteran caterpillars (27%; 17 feeding bouts). The majority of food items fed to nestlings consisted of Lepidopteran caterpillars (26%; 29 observations), followed by adult spiders (19%; 21 observations). The reintroduction of the species to its historical range on Floreana Island is currently being planned with an emphasis on the control or eradication of invasive cats and rats. To identify key areas for reintroduction, a study on the year-round diet of the species as well as availability and variability of food items is recommended. Nectar and pollen of Opuntia megasperma was an important dietary item for the species during its breeding season. This slow-growing plant species was widespread on the lowlands of Floreana Island but introduced grazers removed Opuntia from most of its range.