DOCSLIB.ORG

Influences on the Insular Distribution of Montane Lincoln's Sparrows (Melospiza Lincolnii Alticola)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Influences on the Insular Distribution of Montane Lincoln's Sparrows (Melospiza Lincolnii Alticola) Great Basin Naturalist Volume 57 Number 2 Article 2 5-7-1997 Boggy meadows, livestock grazing, and interspecific interactions: influences on the insular distribution of montane Lincoln's Sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii alticola) Carla Cicero University of California, Berkeley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn Recommended Citation Cicero, Carla (1997) "Boggy meadows, livestock grazing, and interspecific interactions: influences on the insular distribution of montane Lincoln's Sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii alticola)," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 57 : No. 2 , Article 2. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol57/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Great Basin Nahiralist 57(2), C 1997, pp. 104-115 BOGGY MEADOWS, LIVESTOCK GRAZING, AND INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS: INFLUENCES ON THE INSULAR DISTRIBUTION OF MONTANE LINCOLN'S SPARROWS (MEWSPlZA LINCOLNII ALTICOLA) Carla Cicerol ABSTRACT.-I surveyed 34 meadows in California and Oregon to count Lincoln's Sparrows (Nelospb,a lincolnli alt/oola) uod to identify habitat features that might influence their local, insular occurrence. Lincoln's Sparrows were found at 72% of the sites surveyed. Counts of singing males were low and uncorrelated with meadow size. Lincoln's SpatTOWS were most t:ommon in wet meadows with little damago by gra:.r.ing. Singing males were ooncentrated in flooded or boggy areas near meadow edges, where pines (PUlUS .~p.) provided c1evated pcrdles fOr .~inging and vigilance. Patche..~ ofwillows (Salix sp.) wen; often present nearby. Numbers of male Lincoln's Sparrows were strongly and negatively correlated with ahun­ dance ofsympatric Song Sparrows (M melodroff$lwreUa). Lincoln's Sparrows breeding in montane meadows are poten­ tially vulnemble to local extirpation because of their im:ular distribution, low population density, and fluctuating habitat conditions. Heavy damage from liv~10cJc grazing drastically increase" the probability oflocal extirpation. Key words: Melospiza lincolnii, Lincoln's Sparrou>, montane meadow, insular populatwns, habitat ussocf.atKm., live­ stock grazing, conservation biology, MclospWi. melodia, Scn~ Sparrow. Mcadows form ecological islands through­ fragments (e.g., Forman et al. 1976). However, out montane forests of the western United detailed studies ofspecifIC taxa occupying nat­ States. Although these systems generally sup­ ural insular habitats such as meadows are port a rich avifauna, they are highly variahle in scarce. terms of physiographic, hydrologic, edaphic, The montane form of Lincoln's Sparrow vegetative, and floristic characteristics (e,g., (Melospi:w lincolnii alticolo.; Miller and McCahe see Kuramoto and Bliss 1970, Benedict and 1935, American Ornithologists' Union 1957) is Major 1982, Ratliff 1982, 1985, Allen 1987). well suited to such a study. This taxon breeds Grazing and fire history also shape meadow insularly in particular kinds of meadows from environments (Kuramoto and Bliss 1970, Oregon to California and from Idaho to New DeBenedetti aod Parsons 1979, 1984, Parsons Mexico. Such sites are separated from other 1981, Ratliff 1985). Changes in grazing and suitable islands nf habitat by unoccupied coni­ fire management practices, combined with cli· ferous forest Two other subspecies (M. I. lin­ mate, further influence the ecology and stability colnii and M. I. gracili8) occur more broadly of meadows by promoting invasion of lodge­ in broshy bogs from central Alaska through pole pine and other conifers (Franklin et al. Canada to the northern contiguous United 1971, Dunwiddie 1977, Vale 1981a, 1981b, States. Despite the widespread distribution of Ratliff 1985). Lincoln's Sparrows, the species has been poorly Because of their mobility, birds respond studied compared with either ofits congeners, quickly to habitat change aod thus are model the Song Sparrow (M. melodia) or Swamp orgaoisms for illustrating the effect of habitat Sparrow (M. georgiana). Information on the dis­ on the distribution and abundance of insular tribution and natural history ofM. I. alticola is as well as cootioental populations (Cody 1981, especially lacking. In this study I provide hase­ Wiens 1989). Numerous researchers have exam­ line data on occurrence, abundance, habitat ined total avifaunal distribution and abundance association, and other factors potentially related on montane islands (e.g., Johnson 1975, Kratter to their local. distribution in western montane 1992, Lentz 1993), in natural habitat patches meadows. Secondarily, I evaluate the potential (e.g., aspen; Flack 1976), or in disrnrbed forest impact livestock grazing has on this taxon. IMuseum ,,(~dlf1lle lDoIO!D', U,.M:nity ufCaliforn.iil, Berkeley, C.... lt4721I. 104 1997] LINCOLN'S SI'ARROWS IN MEADOWS 105 Range ecologists have shown unequivocally dance may reveal degradation of meadows by that grazing occurs unevenly across montane livestock. vegetation types and that meadows and other riparian areas receive disproportionately heavy STUDY AREAS AND METHODS use relative to their total acreage (Cook 1966, Roath and Krueger 1982a, 1982b, Gillen et aI. I surveyed meadows for Lincoln's Sparrows 1984, Platts and Nelson 1985). Numerous stud­ from mid-May to early July 1987-1989. A total ies have assessed the impact of such use on of 34 meadows belonging to 29 systems were riparian habitats and associated wildlife (e.g., visited, including 1 in northern Oregon and 28 Leege et aI. 1981, Kauffman et a1. 1983, Kauff­ in California from the southern Cascade Moun­ man and Krueger 1984, Ihylor 1986, Ohmart tains (Lassen County) through the Sierra Nevada 1994). Montane Lincobis Sparrows are paten· to the San Bernardino Mountains (Fig. 1). Ele­ tially vulnerable to disturbance by heavy graz­ vations ranged from 1365 to 2470 m, with ing because oftheir tendency to nest on or near lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forest dominat­ swampy ground in wet meadows (Grinnell ing the surrounding vegetation. Size, land own­ and Miller 1944, Austin 1968). Consequently, ership, and type and intensity oflivestock graz­ changes in their local occurrence or abun- ing varied among meadows. Although several -'-'-'_'_0_.• -----'-'1 ..... " 10" ~ ... •• " ... ·~4.5 ... 2-v ~~6-7 • ~. 6·12 13..., 14••015 016 • , ( 17-18,-21· ". "0· '. 19-20--\..22 ' , ~24"'=-25-26 ", ..._.. '., .. , , • , • , ,I , • , I 35 " • \ , / / • ) • o, 100 mi. ( , , L.\ o 200 km. J:i'ig. L Breeding distribution of Lincoln's Sparrows in Califomia. The general locations of 28 meadow systems sur­ veyed in California are indicated; an additional me-d.dow in Oregon is not shown. Closed circles denote meadows where Lincoln's Sparrows were present; open circles, meadows where Lincoln's Sparrows were absent. Closed. squares show other known breeding localities based on specimens depo!>iled in the Museum ofVertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, Califor­ nia.; published records (Grinnell and Miller 1944, Lentz 1993); records obtained during ~l survey ofmeadows for Willow Flycatchers (Empidonm: traillU., M. A. Flett and J. Harris unpublished data). 106 GREAT BASIN NATURAUST [Volume 57 groups of meadows were clustered geographi­ grazing. Surveys took longer in large meadows cally, differences in habitat characteristics, ele­ or at sites 'vith high numbers of Lincoln's vatioIl, and/or grazing regime occurred between Sparrows. Because the amount of time spent even the most proximal sites. Consequently, at each site varied, count values were stan­ each meadow was treated as an independent dardized by dividing the number of singing sample point. nventy-five sites consisted ofsin­ males observed per visit by the length of the gle meadows without any connection to other survey. As with all count methods, some silent sites. Another meadow (Beasore Meadow [site males may bave been overlooked. Thus, these 22]) was divided by a fence into 2 parts with counts represent minimal estimates of total strikingly different grazing regimes; because abundance. the 2 sides also contrasted dramatically in The geographic scope of tbis study pre­ abundance of Lincoln's Sparrows, they were cluded surveying all meadows simultaneously. separated for purposes of analysis and discus­ To verify the reliability of counts conducted at sion. Three meadow systems (Lacey [8], Hay­ different times, I surveyed 17 meadows (50%) press Creek [9], and Sagehen Creek [12]) con­ twice or more during the same or subsequent tained multiple meadows witbin 1 drainage or seasons. Counts of singing males in the same basin that were separated from each other by meadow at different stages of the breeding a distance of at least 0.8 km. Because these cycle were identical. Because annual climatic were visited only during the breeding season, differences might also influence counts taken when males were singing and thus territorial, in different years, I obtained data on mean presumably there was no movement ofLincoln's temperature and precipitation during May and Sparrows between meadows. This was con­ June 1987-1989 (National Oceanic and Atmos­ firmed by multiple visits to the same meadow pheric Administration 1987, 1988, 1989) from system (e.g., Haypress Creek) during a single weather stations located near 3 main clusters breeding season, when individual singing males
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Birds of the East Texas Baptist University Campus with Birds Observed Off-Campus During BIOL3400 Field Course
    Birds of the East Texas Baptist University Campus with birds observed off-campus during BIOL3400 Field course Photo Credit: Talton Cooper Species Descriptions and Photos by students of BIOL3400 Edited by Troy A. Ladine Photo Credit: Kenneth Anding Links to Tables, Figures, and Species accounts for birds observed during May-term course or winter bird counts. Figure 1. Location of Environmental Studies Area Table. 1. Number of species and number of days observing birds during the field course from 2005 to 2016 and annual statistics. Table 2. Compilation of species observed during May 2005 - 2016 on campus and off-campus. Table 3. Number of days, by year, species have been observed on the campus of ETBU. Table 4. Number of days, by year, species have been observed during the off-campus trips. Table 5. Number of days, by year, species have been observed during a winter count of birds on the Environmental Studies Area of ETBU. Table 6. Species observed from 1 September to 1 October 2009 on the Environmental Studies Area of ETBU. Alphabetical Listing of Birds with authors of accounts and photographers . A Acadian Flycatcher B Anhinga B Belted Kingfisher Alder Flycatcher Bald Eagle Travis W. Sammons American Bittern Shane Kelehan Bewick's Wren Lynlea Hansen Rusty Collier Black Phoebe American Coot Leslie Fletcher Black-throated Blue Warbler Jordan Bartlett Jovana Nieto Jacob Stone American Crow Baltimore Oriole Black Vulture Zane Gruznina Pete Fitzsimmons Jeremy Alexander Darius Roberts George Plumlee Blair Brown Rachel Hastie Janae Wineland Brent Lewis American Goldfinch Barn Swallow Keely Schlabs Kathleen Santanello Katy Gifford Black-and-white Warbler Matthew Armendarez Jordan Brewer Sheridan A.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comprehensive Multilocus Assessment of Sparrow (Aves: Passerellidae) Relationships ⇑ John Klicka A, , F
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 77 (2014) 177–182 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Short Communication A comprehensive multilocus assessment of sparrow (Aves: Passerellidae) relationships ⇑ John Klicka a, , F. Keith Barker b,c, Kevin J. Burns d, Scott M. Lanyon b, Irby J. Lovette e, Jaime A. Chaves f,g, Robert W. Bryson Jr. a a Department of Biology and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Box 353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, USA b Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA c Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA d Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA e Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14950, USA f Department of Biology, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA g Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, y Extensión Galápagos, Campus Cumbayá, Casilla Postal 17-1200-841, Quito, Ecuador article info abstract Article history: The New World sparrows (Emberizidae) are among the best known of songbird groups and have long- Received 6 November 2013 been recognized as one of the prominent components of the New World nine-primaried oscine assem- Revised 16 April 2014 blage. Despite receiving much attention from taxonomists over the years, and only recently using molec- Accepted 21 April 2014 ular methods, was a ‘‘core’’ sparrow clade established allowing the reconstruction of a phylogenetic Available online 30 April 2014 hypothesis that includes the full sampling of sparrow species diversity.
    [Show full text]
  • North Texas Winter Sparrows Cheat Sheet *Indicates Diagnostic Feature(S)
    North Texas Winter Sparrows Cheat Sheet *Indicates diagnostic feature(s) Genus Spizella 1) American Tree Sparrow - “Average” bird 6.25 inches +/- - Long notched tail - *Thin streak-like rufous patch on the side of the breast - Two white wing bars, upper bar distinctly shorter - *Distinct dark spot on otherwise clear greyish breast - Rufous crown and eye-line on otherwise grey face - *Upper mandible noticeable darker than lower - Prefers brushy edges o Similar species; field sparrow (smaller and paler plumage) 2) Field Sparrow - Smaller bird 5.5 inches +/- “plump” - No streaking on pale grey breast some individuals may have faint reddish flanks - Long narrow tail - A lot of grey on the face, some individuals may have a faint darker grey or reddish eye streak - Two white wing bars, upper bar distinctly shorter - Rufous crown - White eye ring - *Pink bill; in combination with white eye ring and un-streaked breast - Open grasslands and woodland edges o Similar species; American Tree Sparrow (noticeably larger) 3) Chipping Sparrow - Smaller bird 5.5 inches - No streaking on plain grey breast and under parts - Rufous crown sometimes faintly streaked - Two white wing bars, upper bar distinctly shorter - *Dark eye-line coupled with lighter “eyebrow” stripe and rufous crown - Grey rump - Pink bill and legs - Common all over the place in winter o Similar species; Clay-colored Sparrow, a rare migrant Genus Ammodramus 4) Grasshopper Sparrow – a rare winter visitor - Small bird 5 inches - Thick “heavier” bill - Pointed, short tail compared to body
    [Show full text]
  • Melospiza Melodia) Along an Urban Gradient Andrew Bartlow1, Katie White1, and Jeffrey A
    The Relationship Between Hemosporidian Parasites and Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) Along an Urban Gradient Andrew Bartlow1, Katie White1, and Jeffrey A. Stratford1,2 1Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA 2 [email protected] ABSTRACT Humans turn natural landscapes into complex mosaics, which include A. B. agriculture, urban centers, suburbs, and natural remnants. Consequently, interactions between organisms are likely to be altered including parasite- host interactions. Here, we investigate the relationship between song 50 The results show that the probability of sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and several hematozoan parasites in a hemosporidian parasite infection increases with complex landscape within and around Wilkes-Barre, PA. Fifty-four 40 35 increasing forest cover at a local scale (90m around a sparrows were captured in various habitats from urban centers to 28 sample point) and increasing urban cover at a larger relatively rural sites. From each bird, a blood smear was made and 30 scale (210m around a sample point). examined for 15 minutes (30 minutes total) by two observers noting presence/absence of hematozoans. Capture sites served as centers of 20 circular buffers from which we extracted the proportion of urban and 10 10 forest cover. Buffers had diameters of 90, 210 and 990m around each 10 RESULTS point. We created a number of logistic models with presence/absence as C. D. of Infections Percent • Plasmodium is the most frequently detected parasite (Fig. 3) the response variable and arcsine-square-root transformed landscape 0 • The top model includes small scale forest and medium scale variables as the explanatory variables. Using Akaiki Information Criterion Leucocytozoon Plasmodium Haemoproteus Other urban cover (Table 1) (AIC) to rank models, the top model included percent forest cover in 90m • Forest on a small scale within a slightly larger urban landscape buffers and percent urban in 210m buffers.
    [Show full text]
  • Updating the Distribution of the Sierra Madre Sparrow Xenospiza Baileyi Across Central Mexico: Historical Records, New Localities, and Conservation Perspectives
    VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1, ARTICLE 15 Ortega-Álvarez, R., R. Calderón-Parra, U. Martínez Molina, F. Martínez Molina, G. Martínez Molina, Y. Martínez Molina, A. Martínez Villagrán, J. Martínez Freire, R. Vásquez Robles, D. García Loaeza, J. Martínez García, S. García Loaeza, N. I. Garduño López, and L. A. Sánchez-González. 2020. Updating the distribution of the Sierra Madre Sparrow Xenospiza baileyi across central Mexico: historical records, new localities, and conservation perspectives. Avian Conservation and Ecology 15(1):15. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01573-150115 Copyright © 2020 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance. Research Paper Updating the distribution of the Sierra Madre Sparrow Xenospiza baileyi across central Mexico: historical records, new localities, and conservation perspectives Rubén Ortega-Álvarez 1, Rafael Calderón-Parra 2, Ulises Martínez Molina 2, Fredy Martínez Molina 2, Gabriel Martínez Molina 2, Yuridia Martínez Molina 2, Agustín Martínez Villagrán 2, Josué Martínez Freire 2, Rocío Vásquez Robles 2, Delfino García Loaeza 2, Jaciel Martínez García 2, Sarai García Loaeza 2, Nancy Isabel Garduño López 2 and Luis A. Sánchez-González 1 1Museo de Zoología "Alfonso L. Herrera," Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México, 2Brigada de Monitoreo Biológico Milpa Alta, San Pablo Oztotepec, Milpa Alta, Ciudad de México, México ABSTRACT. The Sierra Madre Sparrow (Xenospiza baileyi) is an endangered species microendemic to subalpine grasslands of central and northwestern Mexico. Given that land use change is highly dynamic in central Mexico, there is a need for a continuous monitoring of the distribution and conservation status of the species across the region.
    [Show full text]
  • 18 February 2015 – JB Invertebrates the Purpose of This Lab Is to Gain
    18 February 2015 – JB Invertebrates The purpose of this lab is to gain a better understanding of the complexity of invertebrates. The simplest invertebrates are sponges in the Porifera phylum. The rest of invertebrates have more complex tissue. Some of those have radial symmetry, meaning circular symmetry, and others have bilateral symmetry, meaning symmetrical from left to right. Invertebrates that live in the soil are called Anthropods, which is what we studied in this experiment. Most are very small, so they are classified as microanthropods. In this lab we first observed three types of worms, acoelomats, pseudocoelomates, and coelmates under a microscope; noting the complexity of their shape and movement. We then observed an organism from each of the five major classes: arachnida, diplopoda, chilopoda, insect, and crustacean. We observed their body parts, body segments, and the number of appendages. We then analyzed the invertebrates that we collected with our Berlese Funnel. We poured some of the sample into two separate petri dishes, one dish being the top of our liquid sample, and the other dish being the bottom. Then we observed and identified the anthropods found in the dish. Lastly, we drew conclusions about the types of invertebrates that might inhibit transect one, the marsh. Acoelomats, Pseudocoelomates, and Coelmates Worms Movement Structure Planaria None (dead), structure Three layered, 2mm requires minimal Ectoderm, mesoderm, movement endoderm Nemotodes Minimal movement 2 ectoderms, 2 mesoderms , 3 mm Annelida Movement minimal due to Muscle, with a radial structure resemblance to radial symmetry Berlese Invertebrates Organisms and Length in mm Number in Sample Description of top/bottom Organism Homoptera Hopper 3mm 1 Looks like a bee, - Top antenna and tail, Collembola Striped 5 mm 1 2 bold antenna, 6 Springtail - Top legs, hairy looking A termite 2 mm 4 Large abdomen, - Top many legs Nematoma 4mm 1 Rounded body, - Top worm like Isopoda 8 mm 3 Many legs, - Top segmented The size range of the organisms observed was 2mm to 8mm.
    [Show full text]
  • Illinois Birds: Volume 4 – Sparrows, Weaver Finches and Longspurs © 2013, Edges, Fence Rows, Thickets and Grain Fields
    ILLINOIS BIRDS : Volume 4 SPARROWS, WEAVER FINCHES and LONGSPURS male Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder female Photo © John Cassady Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Mary Kay Rubey Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder American tree sparrow chipping sparrow field sparrow vesper sparrow eastern towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus Spizella arborea Spizella passerina Spizella pusilla Pooecetes gramineus Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder lark sparrow savannah sparrow grasshopper sparrow Henslow’s sparrow fox sparrow song sparrow Chondestes grammacus Passerculus sandwichensis Ammodramus savannarum Ammodramus henslowii Passerella iliaca Melospiza melodia Photo © Brian Tang Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Lincoln’s sparrow swamp sparrow white-throated sparrow white-crowned sparrow dark-eyed junco Le Conte’s sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Melospiza georgiana Zonotrichia albicollis Zonotrichia leucophrys Junco hyemalis Ammodramus leconteii Photo © Brian Tang winter Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder summer Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Photo © Mark Bowman winter Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder summer Photo © Rob Curtis, The Early Birder Nelson’s sparrow
    [Show full text]
  • An Efficient Method of Capturing Painted Buntings and Other Small Granivorous Passerines
    An Efficient Method of Capturing Painted Buntings and Other Small Granivorous Passerines Paul W. Sykes, Jr. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center populations, among them research on annual Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Res. survival of the eastern population (Sykes unpub­ The University of Georgia lished data). As part of this research, captures of Athens, GA 30602 large numbers of buntings are necessary for [email protected] subsequent study. I developed a methodology to achieve this goal, which is herein described. ABSTRACT METHODS To study survival in the eastern breeding population of the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), I developed Painted Buntings are attracted to bird feeders a technique to capture a large sample of buntings provisioned with white prose millet (Panicum verg1) for color marking with leg-bands. This involved the creating a focal point where birds can be trapped. use of bird feeders and an array of three short mist Twenty study areas were selected randomly within nets located at 40 sites in four states, each site the breeding range of the eastern population, five meeting five specific criteria. In five years of mist each in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North netting (1999-2003), 4174 captures (including Carolina. Within each study area, two sites were recaptures) of Painted Buntings were made in 3393 selected; thus there were 40 sites, ten per state. net-hours or 123 captures per 100 net-hours. The For practical reasons, each study site had to meet technique proved to be effective and efficient, and the following five criteria: may have broad application for capturing large (1) had a high density of buntings present, numbers of small granivorous passerines.
    [Show full text]
  • Swamp Sparrow Melospiza Georgiana the Swamp Sparrow Lives Mainly East of the Rocky Mountains but Is a Regular Rare Fall Migrant and Winter Visitor to California
    New World Sparrows and Buntings — Family Emberizidae 537 Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana The Swamp Sparrow lives mainly east of the Rocky Mountains but is a regular rare fall migrant and winter visitor to California. It is well named, for it seeks freshwater marshes and the undergrowth of riparian woodland. Winter: The Swamp Sparrow is an annual visitor to San Diego County. The atlas period 1997–2002 was rather meager for the species, with only seven reported. Three per year is more typical. All wintering Swamp Sparrows have been found in the coastal lowland except for one at Lake Henshaw (G17) 20 February 1979 (AB 33:317, 1979). Typical sites are San Elijo Lagoon (L7; 1 April Photo by Kenneth Z. Kurland 2000, M. B. Mulrooney), San Dieguito Valley (M8; 28 December 1997, P. Unitt), Santee Lakes (P12; 9 February 538 New World Sparrows and Buntings — Family Emberizidae 2000, J. C. Worley), Lindo Lake (P14; 17 January–18 extend from 13 October (1957, near Lakeside, P14, AFN February 2002, M. B. Mulrooney), and the Dairy Mart 12:60, 1958) to 11 April (1975, O’Neill Lake, E6, A. Fries), Pond, Tijuana River valley (V11; 1–11 January 2000, G. except for the single known spring vagrant, singing along McCaskie). The maximum seen in one area is four in the San Diego River in Mission Valley (R9) 30 May 1992 the Tijuana River valley 18 January 1964 (G. McCaskie); (P. Unitt, AB 46:482, 1992). nine were seen countywide that winter. December 1990 Taxonomy: The two specimens from San Diego County, yielded two on the Oceanside Christmas bird count and from the east end of Sweetwater Reservoir (S13) 4 five on the San Diego count.
    [Show full text]
  • The Degree of Altriciality and Performance in a Cognitive Task Show Correlated Evolution
    RESEARCH ARTICLE The degree of altriciality and performance in a cognitive task show correlated evolution 1☯ 2☯ 2☯ Pilar ChiappaID , Suneeta SinghID , Francisco PellicerID * 1 Departamento de EtologõÂa, Instituto Nacional de PsiquiatrõÂa RamoÂn de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de MeÂxico, MeÂxico, 2 Laboratorio de NeurofisiologõÂa Integrativa, Instituto Nacional de PsiquiatrõÂa RamoÂn de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de MeÂxico, MeÂxico ☯ These authors contributed equally to this work. * [email protected] Abstract a1111111111 a1111111111 Previous comparative research on the evolution of cognition has tested what we call the a1111111111 ªaltricial intelligence hypothesisº. This posits that a relationship between evolutionary a1111111111 a1111111111 changes in the altricial period length and cognition exists across animal species. However, the evidence available thus far either comes from indirect measurements of cognition or has not been conclusive. We performed a phylogenetic analysis of published data from various sources on 31 homeothermic species to test for an evolutionary association between the degree of altriciality and a direct measure of self-control. For each species, the degree of OPEN ACCESS altriciality was determined based on the residual altricial period (i.e., the time from birth to Citation: Chiappa P, Singh S, Pellicer F (2018) The fledging in birds and to weaning in mammals) on lifespan. The percentage of success in the degree of altriciality and performance in a cognitive task show correlated evolution. PLoS ONE 13(10): cylinder task was the measure of self-control. Our results showed that the degree of altricial- e0205128. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. ity covaried positively with the measure of self-control.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Sierra Madre Sparrow, Xenospiza Baileyi, of Mexico
    ON THE SIERRA MADRE SPARROW, XENOSPIZA BAILEYI, OF MEXICO ROBERTW. DICKERMAN,ALLAN R. PHILLIPS, AND DWAIN W. WARNER THE SierraMadre or Bailey'sSparrow, Xenospiza baileyi, was described as a new genus and speciesfrom the high mountainsof Durango and Jaliscoless than 35 yearsago (O. Bangs,Proc. •VewEngland Zool. Cl., 12: 85-88, 1931). It has sincebeen consideredrare, and even 19 years ago, when F. A. Pitelka (Condor, 49: 199-203, 1947) describeda new subspecies,only 11 specimenswere known, of whichhe had at handonly 1 from La Cima, Distrito Federal, and 3 from westernMexico. Today the populationfrom the sacatonbunch grass areas of La Cima, in the pass betweenthe Valleyof Mexicoand Cuernavaca,is well representedby series in the collectionsof Phillips and the University of Minnesota Museum of Natural History. These seriesinclude specimens in all the plumage stagesfrom stubby-tailedjuveniles to worn adults and those having recently completedthe prebasicmolt. Other specimensare scattered through several museumsin the United States. The populationof Du- rangois now representedby additionalspecimens in the collectionof the Robert T. Moore Laboratoryof Zoology,Occidental College. With the accumulationof this material,and notesfrom severalseasons' field work by the authors,it is a propitioustime to gather togetherthe information on this restricted endemic Mexican sparrow. ACI•N'OWLEDGEM. Ei•TS We wish to expressour appreciation to the curators of the following collections for permitting us to examine materials in their care: American Museum of Natural History, New York; Denver Museum of Natural History; Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Robert T. Moore Collection, Occidental College, Los Angeles, California; and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California.
    [Show full text]
  • SONG VARIATION in a POPULATION of INDIGO BUNTINGS T
    SONG VARIATION IN A POPULATION OF INDIGO BUNTINGS t WILLIAM L. TttOMPSON I• a previouspaper (Thompson,1968) I describedthe generalcharac- teristicsof the songsof several speciesof the genus Passerina. For a fuller understandingof a behavioral characteristic,just as in the case of a morphologicalfeature, it is importantto study the kind and amountof variation within a singlepopulation and, especiallyfor behavior,within a singleindividual. This paper describesthe songcharacteristics of the membersof a singlepopulation of Indigo Buntings,Passerina cyanea. A paper now in preparationwill describesong variation in individualIndigo Buntings. Male Indigo Buntings sing three rather distinct types of song: adver- tising song (in the senseof Borror, 1961), a squeakysong in intensive territorial defense,and flight song. This paper deals only with advertising song. A typical Indigo Bunting advertisingsong is composedof a series of sounds,or songfigures. The songin Figure 5A, for example,includes eight song figuresof five different types. I define the term song figure (Thompson,1968) as a soundor soundsthat producea single,complete, and distinct impressionto the human ear and form a distinct unit of a song. A songfigure may be composedof one or more continuoussounds or syllables. Each' male Indigo Bunting usually singsa regular sequence of several different figures. Figures may occur singly in the song, or they may be repeated. In a typical advertisingsong repeated figures occur together. The fixed sequenceof figuressung by each male is called a song pattern. METHODS The population of Indigo Buntings on which this study is based lived in an area of roughly 3 square miles on and near the Edwin S. George Reserve near Pinckney, Michigan.
    [Show full text]