DOCSLIB.ORG

Siberian Blue Robin: New to Europe F

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Siberian Blue Robin: New to Europe F British Birds VOLUME 70 NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 1977 Siberian Blue Robin: new to Europe F. R. G. Rountree Autumn 1975 was remarkable for rare birds in western Europe, but the appearance of this east Palearctic species in the Channel Islands was one of the most unexpected events t 12.50 GMT on 27th October 1975, Philip J. Guille approached a A mist-net set under the canopy of sycamores Acer pseudoplatanus along• side scrub consisting of blackthorns Prunus spinosa at the head of the Banquette valley in Sark, Channel Islands. Hanging in the net was a small passerine and, as he extracted it, PJG realised that the species was unknown to him. Although recalling a small thrush Turdus or rather large, short-tailed Robin Erithacus rubecula in form, its basic plumage pattern of dark olive-brown upperparts and mainly white underparts recalled no small turdid regular in the west Palearctic. Having safely bagged the bird, PJG summoned assistance and shortly afterwards Alan Marsden, Mrs A. Marsden, my wife and I arrived to witness the customary handling of such a bird and its release. Initially, none of us recognised its identity, but eventually we all agreed that our description and the photographs taken by AM were of a Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane, in what was probably first-autumn female plumage. The record was accepted by the Sark Rare Bird Panel and, later, by the British Birds Rarities Committee, to which body we submitted it in view of the international importance of the occurrence. The rest of this paper gives the details of what was perhaps the most astonishing rarity of a great year for extralimital vagrants through• out western Europe. The bird in the hand The bird was obviously a small thrush or chat and, during its extraction from the net, it gave the long, harsh calls typical of such passerines. Its {Brit. Birds 70: 361-365, September 19773 36l 362 Siberian Blue Robin form most recalled a Robin, but was made distinctive by a rather short tail and noticeably longer and more robust legs. The following description and measurements were taken: Upper mandible dark horn, lower paler; and of olive on the flanks and the under- mouth pinkish with blue cast. Iris dark wing. Plumage fresh and unabraded, except brown. Upperparts including tail uni• for slightly worn tips to the pointed tail formly dark olive-brown; sides of face and feathers. Legs and feet pink, darker in neck similarly coloured, but with slightly front. darker lores, a distinctive whitish-buff Weight 15.75 g. Wing 71 mm (maximum eye-ring and fine buff streaks on the ear- chord), tail 48.5 mm (almost square, but coverts. Wings also dark olive-brown, with outer feathers 5.5 mm shorter). Bill but with a wing-bar formed by reddish- (to skull) 14 mm, tarsus 27 mm. Approxi• buff tips of the greater coverts and with mate length from bill tip to tail tip 123 the folded flight feathers (actually the mm. leading edges of both primaries and Wing formula: 4th longest (4 mm longer secondaries) buffish-olive and appearing than primary coverts), 5th —0.5 mm, much paler than the rest of the upper- 6th —6.5 mm, 7th —9.0 mm, 8th —11.5 parts. Underparts basically white and mm, 9th — 13.5 mm, 10th and secondaries vividly so below the breast, but with olive- —15.5 mm, 3rd —2.0 mm, 2nd —8.5 mm; buff tips on the throat and strong mottling primary emargination obvious on 3rd, 4th of buff tipped olive on the upper breast and 5th, slight on 6th. The bird remained silent during handling and we were hopeful of studying it in the field. Unfortunately, upon release it flew off immediately, calling 'tchak' as it did so. We noted its flight as low and undulating and then it was gone as mysteriously as it had come. The process of identification We could find no hint of what species we had observed in any field guide or other common book of reference, but a wider search of the Palearctic literature showed us that, in addition to the Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus, which occasionally reaches the western seaboard of Europe, there were several other small related chats to be considered. The search for one that was, like Tarsiger, strongly migratory led us to the Siberian Blue Robin and, with the aid of Kobayashi (1956), King et al. (1975), Dementiev and Gladkov (1968) and other references, we were able to complete the identification. The bird's measurements fell within the limited ranges given by Dementiev and Gladkov, except for the bill, which was 2 mm shorter than any of the 12 quoted, and its plumage accorded with that given for the adult female, except that we did not note the rufous tinge of the tail and uppertail-coverts mentioned by Dresser (1902) and Salim Ali and Ripley (1973), or the brown 'scales' on the breast stressed by King el al. (1975)- These last discrepancies may indicate that the bird was immature and certainly the presence of a wing-bar, like that of a young Robin, suggests a bird in its first year. The combination of the eye-ring, the rather short tail and the long, robust and pale legs was central to the diagnosis and any confusion with the. Black-throated Robin L. obscurus was prevented by the absence of white bases to the outer tail feathers. Against the possibility that must now exist of further occurrences, additional description of the Siberian Blue Robin is essential. Only the Siberian Blue Robin 363 adult male earns its name, its upperparts being almost wholly slaty-blue (palest on the forehead and crown) and interrupted only by black lores, cheeks and throat sides (providing a noticeable black band through the face on to the neck) and olive-brown flight feathers. The male's under- parts contrast markedly with the upperparts, being basically white, but often tinged with bluish-slate or grey-brown on the flanks and across the chest. Like the Red-flanked Bluetail, young males and old females may have their uppertail-coverts and tail washed with blue (King et al. 1975) and such birds would be confusable with Tarsiger on a brief rear view, particularly since tbey also share a prominent eye-ring with that species. 90. Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane, probably first-year female, Channel Islands, October 1975 (A. Marsderi) The Red-flanked Bluetail, however, shows orange-red flanks at all ages and it is not so short-tailed or noticeably long-legged. D. I. M. Wallace tells me that the character of captive males reminded him of a rather plump, long-legged, short-tailed redstart Phoenicums and certainly most texts stress the frequent movement of the tail in both 'quivering' and 'cocking' actions. The alarm call of the Siberian Blue Robin is normally written 'chuck-chuck-chuck', but our experience indicates that it can sound sharper than that. In its normal range, the Siberian Blue Robin is a secretive, apparently rather silent chat, which spends much time on the ground. Clearly, it is another small rarity that may elude the sharpest- eyed observer. Fig. 1 illustrates the general character of the species and plate 90 shows the Sark bird in the hand. 364 Siberian Blue Robin Associated occurrences The migration of the Siberian Blue Robin is oriented to the southeast and, before our record, the species had not been reported west of Bengal (Salim Ali and Ripley 1973); the capture of one in Sark was thus unprecedented. Fuller research into its distribution, however, tends to lessen the surprise, for the Siberian Blue Robin is closely syrnpatric in central Asia with the Pallas's Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus, whose west European records are fast mounting, and other regular extralimital vagrants, such as Radde's Warbler P. schwarzL The Sark bird appeared Fig. 1. Siberian Blue Robia Luscinia cyane. Left, adult male, with dark blue upperparts and black mask (extending to neck) contrasting with snow-white underparts; right (foreground), immature, with dark brown upperparts and mottled or scaled chest on mainly white underparts; and right (background), adult female, patterned as immature, but lacking pale covert tips (and often with blue tones in upperparts of older birds). Note, at all ages, obvious length of pale legs and dusky flanks, and, on immature and female, prominent eye-ring (Z>. i", M. Wallace) in the middle of a ten-day flood of such birds {Brit. Birds 69; 324) and there can be no doubt that this complex arrival was influenced by the presence of a strong easterly airstream out of Russia, created by a large anticyclone centred over the Baltic Sea. A review of other past records suggests that the Siberian Blue Robin is no more unlikely to reach Europe than the Siberian Thrush Turdus sibiricus and the Thick-billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon or those two other astonishing occurrences in October 1975, the Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope and the Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys {Brit. Birds 69: 346 and 357). Certainly, in the general autumn context of unprecedented 'reversed migration', we see no reason to doubt that the robin was a wild bird and this was also the view of the Rarities Committee, which examined the possibility of an escape. Notes on the species The systematics of robins, nightingales and other related small chats remain confused, but Dementiev and Gladkov (1968), Flint et al. (1968) Siberian Blue Robin 365 and Vaurie (1959) all placed the Siberian Blue Robin in the genus Luscinia —with ten other species, among which are the more familiar Nightingale L.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Flyer200206 Parent
    THE, FLYE, R Volume 26,25, NumberNumber 6 6 tuneJune 20022002 NEXT MEETING After scientists declared the Gunnison Sage Grouse a new species two years ago, a wide spot on Gun- Summer is here and we won't have meeting until a nison County (Colorado) Road 887, has become an Wednesday, 18. It begin September will atl:30 international bird-watching sensation. Birders from p.m. in Room 117 Millington Hall, on the William around the ,world wait silently in the cold dark of a campus. The editors'also get a summer &Mary Colorado spring pre-dawn to hear the "Thwoomp! vacation so there will be no July Flyer, but "God Thwoomp! Thwoomp!" of a male Gunnison Sage the creek rise," there be an willing and if don't will Grouse preparing to mate. The noise comes from August issue. specialized air sacs on the bird's chest. And this is now one stop on a well-traveled 1,000 mile circuit being traveled by birders wanting to add this Gun- RAIN CURTAILS FIELD TRIP TO nison bird, plus the Chukar, the Greater Sage YORK RIVER STATE PARK Grouse, the White-tailed Ptarmigan, the Greater Chicken Skies were threatening and the wind was fierce at Prairie and the Lesser Prairie Chicken to the beginning of the trip to the York River State their lii'e lists. Park on May 18. Despite all of that, leader Tom It was not always like this. Prior to the two-year- Armour found some very nice birds before the rains ago decision by the Ornithological Union that this came flooding down.
    [Show full text]
  • Salt Exploitation and Landscape Structure in a Breeding Population of the Threatened Bluethroat (Luscinia Svecica) in Salt-Pans in Western France
    Biological Conservation 107 (2002) 283–289 www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Salt exploitation and landscape structure in a breeding population of the threatened bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) in salt-pans in western France T. Geslina,*, J.-C. Lefeuvrea, Y. Le Pajoleca, S. Questiaub, M.C. Eyberta aUMR 6553 ECOBIO, Universite´ de Rennes I, Avenue du Ge´ne´ral Leclerc, 35042 Rennes cedex, France bLaboratoire d’Ecologie animale, Universite´ d’Angers, 2 Boulevard Lavoisier, Campus Belle-Beille, 49045 Angers cedex, France Received 12 June 2001; received in revised form 10 January 2002; accepted 10 January 2002 Abstract The Gue´ rande salt-pans represent the main French breeding area of bluethroat, a migrating passerine. Salt exploitation has cre- ated a geometrical artificial landscape in which we investigated factors influencing spatial distribution and breeding success of this species using a Geographical Information System. We compared data for four sites in these salt-pans, for three zones in the most densely populated site, and for 2500 m2 grid cells defined for this same site. This study showed the influence of (1) the level of salt exploitation activity, (2) the density of bank intersections, (3) the extent of area covered by Suaeda vera bushes and (4) the structural heterogeneity. The continued management of these salt-pans enhanced bird breeding success. Thus, traditional salt exploitation contributes directly to the conservation of bluethroat, considered as an endangered species in Europe. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Breeding bluethroat; Human activity; Salt-pans area; Landscape heterogeneity; Breeding success 1. Introduction throats. Then, bluethroats decreased and finally dis- appeared with decline of salt extraction and use of The bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) is a migrating pas- banks for crops and pasture.
    [Show full text]
  • Rare Birds of California Now Available! Price $54.00 for WFO Members, $59.99 for Nonmembers
    Volume 40, Number 3, 2009 The 33rd Report of the California Bird Records Committee: 2007 Records Daniel S. Singer and Scott B. Terrill .........................158 Distribution, Abundance, and Survival of Nesting American Dippers Near Juneau, Alaska Mary F. Willson, Grey W. Pendleton, and Katherine M. Hocker ........................................................191 Changes in the Winter Distribution of the Rough-legged Hawk in North America Edward R. Pandolfino and Kimberly Suedkamp Wells .....................................................210 Nesting Success of California Least Terns at the Guerrero Negro Saltworks, Baja California Sur, Mexico, 2005 Antonio Gutiérrez-Aguilar, Roberto Carmona, and Andrea Cuellar ..................................... 225 NOTES Sandwich Terns on Isla Rasa, Gulf of California, Mexico Enriqueta Velarde and Marisol Tordesillas ...............................230 Curve-billed Thrasher Reproductive Success after a Wet Winter in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona Carroll D. Littlefield ............234 First North American Records of the Rufous-tailed Robin (Luscinia sibilans) Lucas H. DeCicco, Steven C. Heinl, and David W. Sonneborn ........................................................237 Book Reviews Rich Hoyer and Alan Contreras ...........................242 Featured Photo: Juvenal Plumage of the Aztec Thrush Kurt A. Radamaker .................................................................247 Front cover photo by © Bob Lewis of Berkeley, California: Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus), Richmond, Contra Costa County, California, 9 October 2008, discovered by Emilie Strauss. Known in North America including Alaska from over 30 records, the Dusky is the Old World Warbler most frequent in western North America south of Alaska, with 13 records from California and 2 from Baja California. Back cover “Featured Photos” by © Kurt A. Radamaker of Fountain Hills, Arizona: Aztec Thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola), re- cently fledged juvenile, Mesa del Campanero, about 20 km west of Yecora, Sonora, Mexico, 1 September 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • Does a Rival's Song Elicit Territorial Defense in a Tropical Songbird, The
    ABC 2017, 4(2):146-153 Animal Behavior and Cognition https://doi.org/10.12966/abc.02.05.2017 ©Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) Does a Rival’s Song Elicit Territorial Defense in a Tropical Songbird, the Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata)? Navjeevan Dadwal1* and Dinesh Bhatt1 1Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India *Corresponding author (Email:[email protected]) Citation – Dadwal, N., & Bhatt, D. (2017). Does a rival’s song elicit territorial defense in a tropical songbird, the Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata)? Animal Behavior and Cognition, 4(2), 146–153. https://doi.org/10.12966/ abc.02.05.2017 Abstract -The purpose of bird song and the way in which it is delivered has been argued to be adapted mainly for territorial defense. We performed a field experiment with the combination of playbacks and a model to test how much song actually relates to increased territorial defense in the territorial tropical songbird, the Pied Bush Chat, during breeding season (Feb–May, 2015) at Haridwar, Himalayan Foothills, India. As expected, the results of the experiment indicated that song was the major cue used by territory holders to cope with rival intrusions. The song rate was particularly escalated during simulated territorial interactions when the model was presented with a playback song of conspecifics. Behaviors such as restlessness (perch change), the height of perch, and distance from the model appeared to be of relatively lesser importance. To our knowledge, no avian species from the Indian subcontinent has been studied to provide evidence that song can escalate aggressive response by a territory owner.
    [Show full text]
  • Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii
    Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 2nd Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council (ScC-SC2) Bonn, Germany, 10 – 14 July 2017 UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II (Prepared by the Appointed Councillors for Birds) Summary: The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. The document has been prepared by the COP Appointed Scientific Councilors for Birds. This is a supplementary paper to COP document UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3 on Taxonomy and Nomenclature UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II 1. Through Resolution 11.19, the Conference of Parties adopted as the standard reference for bird taxonomy and nomenclature for Non-Passerine species the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-Passerines, by Josep del Hoyo and Nigel J. Collar (2014); 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Luscinia Luscinia)
    Ornis Hungarica 2018. 26(1): 149–170. DOI: 10.1515/orhu-2018-0010 Exploratory analyses of migration timing and morphometrics of the Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) Tibor CSÖRGO˝ 1 , Péter FEHÉRVÁRI2, Zsolt KARCZA3, Péter ÓCSAI4 & Andrea HARNOS2* Received: April 20, 2018 – Revised: May 10, 2018 – Accepted: May 20, 2018 Tibor Csörgo,˝ Péter Fehérvári, Zsolt Karcza, Péter Ócsai & Andrea Harnos 2018. Exploratory analyses of migration timing and morphometrics of the Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia). – Ornis Hungarica 26(1): 149–170. DOI: 10.1515/orhu-2018-0010 Abstract Ornithological studies often rely on long-term bird ringing data sets as sources of information. However, basic descriptive statistics of raw data are rarely provided. In order to fill this gap, here we present the seventh item of a series of exploratory analyses of migration timing and body size measurements of the most frequent Passerine species at a ringing station located in Central Hungary (1984–2017). First, we give a concise description of foreign ring recoveries of the Thrush Nightingale in relation to Hungary. We then shift focus to data of 1138 ringed and 547 recaptured individuals with 1557 recaptures (several years recaptures in 76 individuals) derived from the ringing station, where birds have been trapped, handled and ringed with standardized methodology since 1984. Timing is described through annual and daily capture and recapture frequencies and their descriptive statistics. We show annual mean arrival dates within the study period and present the cumulative distributions of first captures with stopover durations. We present the distributions of wing, third primary, tail length and body mass, and the annual means of these variables.
    [Show full text]
  • Thailand Highlights 14Th to 26Th November 2019 (13 Days)
    Thailand Highlights 14th to 26th November 2019 (13 days) Trip Report Siamese Fireback by Forrest Rowland Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland Trip Report – RBL Thailand - Highlights 2019 2 Tour Summary Thailand has been known as a top tourist destination for quite some time. Foreigners and Ex-pats flock there for the beautiful scenery, great infrastructure, and delicious cuisine among other cultural aspects. For birders, it has recently caught up to big names like Borneo and Malaysia, in terms of respect for the avian delights it holds for visitors. Our twelve-day Highlights Tour to Thailand set out to sample a bit of the best of every major habitat type in the country, with a slight focus on the lush montane forests that hold most of the country’s specialty bird species. The tour began in Bangkok, a bustling metropolis of winding narrow roads, flyovers, towering apartment buildings, and seemingly endless people. Despite the density and throng of humanity, many of the participants on the tour were able to enjoy a Crested Goshawk flight by Forrest Rowland lovely day’s visit to the Grand Palace and historic center of Bangkok, including a fun boat ride passing by several temples. A few early arrivals also had time to bird some of the urban park settings, even picking up a species or two we did not see on the Main Tour. For most, the tour began in earnest on November 15th, with our day tour of the salt pans, mudflats, wetlands, and mangroves of the famed Pak Thale Shore bird Project, and Laem Phak Bia mangroves.
    [Show full text]
  • Sichuan, China
    Tropical Birding: Sichuan (China). Custom Tour Report A Tropical Birding custom tour SICHUAN, CHINA : (Including the Southern Shans Pre-tour Extension) WHITE-THROATED TIT One of 5 endemic tits recorded on the tour. 21 May – 12 June, 2010 Tour Leader: Sam Woods All photos were taken by Sam Woods/Tropical Birding on this tour, except one photo. www.tropicalbirding.com [email protected] 1-409-515-0514 Tropical Birding: Sichuan (China). Custom Trip Report The Central Chinese province of Sichuan provided some notable challenges this year: still recovering from the catastrophic “Wenchuan 5.12” earthquake of 2008, the area is undergoing massive reconstruction. All very positive for the future of this scenically extraordinary Chinese region, but often a headache for tour arrangements, due to last minute traffic controls leading us to regularly rethink our itinerary in the Wolong area in particular, that was not far from the epicenter of that massive quake. Even in areas seemingly unaffected by the quake, huge road construction projects created similar challenges to achieving our original planned itinerary. However, in spite of regular shuffling and rethinking, the itinerary went ahead pretty much as planned with ALL sites visited. Other challenges came this year in the form of heavy regular rains that plagued us at Wawu Shan and low cloud that limited visibility during our time around the breathtaking Balang Mountain in the Wolong region. With some careful trickery, sneaking our way through week-long road blocks under cover of darkness, birding through thick and thin (mist, cloud and rains) we fought against all such challenges and came out on top.
    [Show full text]
  • Sri Lanka: January 2015
    Tropical Birding Trip Report Sri Lanka: January 2015 A Tropical Birding CUSTOM tour SRI LANKA: Ceylon Sojourn 9th- 23rd January 2015 Tour Leaders: Sam Woods & Chaminda Dilruk SRI LANKA JUNGLEFOWL is Sri Lanka’s colorful national bird, which was ranked among the top five birds of the tour by the group. All photos in this report were taken by Sam Woods. 1 www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-0514 [email protected] Page Tropical Birding Trip Report Sri Lanka: January 2015 INTRODUCTION In many ways Sri Lanka covers it all; for the serious birder, even those with experience from elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent, it offers up a healthy batch of at least 32 endemic bird species (this list continues to grow, though, so could increase further yet); for those without any previous experience of the subcontinent it offers these but, being an island of limited diversity, not the overwhelming numbers of birds, which can be intimidating for the first timer; and for those with a natural history slant that extends beyond the avian, there is plentiful other wildlife besides, to keep all happy, such as endemic monkeys, strange reptiles only found on this teardrop-shaped island, and a bounty of butterflies, which feature day-in, day-out. It should also be made clear that while it appears like a chunk of India which has dropped of the main subcontinent, to frame it, as merely an extension of India, would be a grave injustice, as Sri Lanka feels, looks, and even tastes very different. There are some cultural quirks that make India itself, sometimes challenging to visit for the westerner.
    [Show full text]
  • Territoriality As a Paternity Guard in the European Robin, Erithacus Rubecula
    ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 2000, 60, 165–173 doi:10.1006/anbe.2000.1442, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on ARTICLES Territoriality as a paternity guard in the European robin, Erithacus rubecula JOE TOBIAS & NAT SEDDON Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge (Received 29 June 1999; initial acceptance 29 July 1999; final acceptance 18 March 2000; MS. number: 6273) To investigate the relative importance of paternity defences in the European robin we used behavioural observations, simulated intrusions and temporary male removal experiments. Given that paired males did not increase their mate attendance, copulation rate or territory size during the female’s fertile period, the most frequently quoted paternity assurance strategies in birds were absent. However, males with fertile females sang and patrolled their territories more regularly, suggesting that territorial motivation and vigilance were elevated when the risk of cuckoldry was greatest. In addition, there was a significant effect of breeding period on response to simulated intrusions: residents approached and attacked freeze-dried mounts more readily in the fertile period. During 90-min removals of the pair male in the fertile period, neighbours trespassed more frequently relative to prefertile and fertile period controls and appeared to seek copulations with unattended females. When replaced on their territories, males immediately increased both song rate and patrolling rate in comparison with controls. We propose that male robins sing to signal their presence, and increase their territorial vigilance and aggression in the fertile period to protect paternity. 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Despite the apparent social monogamy of the majority of Thryothorus nigricapillus: Levin 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Recent Evolutionary History of the Bluethroat (Luscinia Svecica)
    Molecular Ecology (2003) 12, 3069–3075 doi: 10.1046/j.1365-294X.2003.01981.x RecentBlackwell Publishing Ltd. evolutionary history of the bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) across Eurasia ROBERT M. ZINK,* SERGEI V. DROVETSKI,† SOPHIE QUESTIAU,‡ IGOR V. FADEEV,§ EVGENIY V. NESTEROV,§ MICHAEL C. WESTBERG* and SIEVERT ROHWER¶ *J. F. Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA, †Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA, ‡Ecologie Animale, Université d’Angers, Belle-Beille, 2, boulevard Lavoisier, F-49045 Angers cedex, France, §State Darwin Museum, 57 Vavilova Street, Moscow 117292, Russia, ¶Burke Museum and Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195–3010, USA Abstract We analysed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from 154 bluethroats (Luscinia svecica) sampled at 21 sites throughout much of their Eurasian range. A previously reported, single base-pair mtDNA difference between L. s. svecica and L. s. namnetum was inconsistent upon expanded geographical sampling. A significant FST value (0.29) and an isolation-by-distance effect show the existence of geographical differentiation. Phyloge- netic analysis of haplotypes revealed northern and southern groups, although lineage sort- ing is incomplete. There was no geographical structure to the haplotype tree within groups, and currently recognized subspecies were not supported. A minimum evolution tree based on pairwise mtDNA genetic distances among average samples showed the same two broadly distributed northern and southern groups. These groups abut in the centre of the latitudinal range, and were possibly isolated by forest that developed and spread westward over the last 15 000 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Rejection Behavior by Common Cuckoo Hosts Towards Artificial Brood Parasite Eggs
    REJECTION BEHAVIOR BY COMMON CUCKOO HOSTS TOWARDS ARTIFICIAL BROOD PARASITE EGGS ARNE MOKSNES, EIVIN ROSKAFT, AND ANDERS T. BRAA Departmentof Zoology,University of Trondheim,N-7055 Dragvoll,Norway ABSTRACT.--Westudied the rejectionbehavior shown by differentNorwegian cuckoo hosts towardsartificial CommonCuckoo (Cuculus canorus) eggs. The hostswith the largestbills were graspejectors, those with medium-sizedbills were mostlypuncture ejectors, while those with the smallestbills generally desertedtheir nestswhen parasitizedexperimentally with an artificial egg. There were a few exceptionsto this general rule. Becausethe Common Cuckooand Brown-headedCowbird (Molothrus ater) lay eggsthat aresimilar in shape,volume, and eggshellthickness, and they parasitizenests of similarly sizedhost species,we support the punctureresistance hypothesis proposed to explain the adaptivevalue (or evolution)of strengthin cowbirdeggs. The primary assumptionand predictionof this hypothesisare that somehosts have bills too small to graspparasitic eggs and thereforemust puncture-eject them,and that smallerhosts do notadopt ejection behavior because of the heavycost involved in puncture-ejectingthe thick-shelledparasitic egg. We comparedour resultswith thosefor North AmericanBrown-headed Cowbird hosts and we found a significantlyhigher propor- tion of rejectersamong CommonCuckoo hosts with graspindices (i.e. bill length x bill breadth)of <200 mm2. Cuckoo hosts ejected parasitic eggs rather than acceptthem as cowbird hostsdid. Amongthe CommonCuckoo hosts, the costof acceptinga parasiticegg probably alwaysexceeds that of rejectionbecause cuckoo nestlings typically eject all hosteggs or nestlingsshortly after they hatch.Received 25 February1990, accepted 23 October1990. THEEGGS of many brood parasiteshave thick- nestseither by grasping the eggs or by punc- er shells than the eggs of other bird speciesof turing the eggs before removal. Rohwer and similar size (Lack 1968,Spaw and Rohwer 1987).
    [Show full text]