First Record of the Pearl Kite in Panama by 'Jaime J
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John B. Edscorn, Paul M. Egeland, Howard Cuckoo, Purple Martin, Bell's Vireo, Yellow- M Einspahr, Dick Erickson, Thomas W. breasted Chat and GrasshopperSparrow. F•nucane, Charles D. Fisher, Richard A. The following additional specieswere sup- Forster, David Gaines, Clive E. Goodwin, ported for retention by a majority of the six Michel Gosselin, Janet Green, Helmut reporters: White Pelican, Prairie Falcon, Gr•inberg, George A. Hall, Nicholas Halmi, Snowy Plover (one dissent), Burrowing Owl, Anne P. Hamilton, Gregory M. Hanisek, Short-eared Owl and Yellow Warbler. James Haw, John P. Hubbard, David Hussell, The following species were unanimously Thomas A. Imhof, Jerome A. Jackson, disapproved for inclusion in the list: Western Douglas James, Robert Janssen, Herbert W. Grebe, Black-crowned Night Heron, Sharp- Kale, Richard Kane, Charles E. Keller, shinned Hawk, Am. Kestrel, Hairy Douglas P. Kibbe (for many), Hugh Kingery Woodpecker, Cliff Swallow, Bewick's Wren, (for 29), Vernon M. Kleen, Robert C. Leber- Mountain Bluebird and Loggerhead Shrike. man, Harry E. LeGrand, Jr., Philip Mattocks, Other Blue List specieshad indecisivetallies. George R. Mayfield, Jr., Earl S. McHugh, Nominations for additions to the list by two Mabel Mcintosh, Gale Monson, Joseph or more reporters included: White-winged Morlan, Dave Mossop, Mary Louise Myers, Scoter, Elf Owl, Willow Flycatcher,Vermilion Jim Neal, John G. Newell, John C. Ogden, Flycatcher, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (P.m. Robert O. Paxton, Peter Petersen, Wayne R. californica), Gray Vireo, Summer Tanager, Petersen, James Ponshair, Noble S. Proctor, and two races of Savannah Sparrow. Warren Pulich, Robert R. Jr., and Elberta A few pertinent comments: Reid, Van Remsen, Chandler S. Robbins, "Harris' Hawk -- Formerly fairly common Mark Robbins, Thomas H. Rogers (for 20), along the Colorado River, but now extirpated Terry Savaloja, Jean Schulenberg,F.R. Scott, from the state. The primary factor that has Esther Serr (for 15), Kenneth D. Seyffert, P. been attributed to it has been the sport of William Smith, Don Snyder, Anne Stamm, falconry."--JD. Henry M. Stevenson, Doyle Storz, Daryl D. "Swainson's Hawk--has suffered Tessen, Robert P. Teulings, Laurel F. Van catastrophic declinesin California."--JD. Camp, Charles R. Vaughn, Peter Vickery, "Elf Owl--habitat destruction."--GMcC. Fred S. Webster, Jr., Ron D. Weir, Henry C. "Willow Flycatcher--This specieshas suf- West, George Wickstrom, Frances Williams, fered catastrophic declines as a breeding bird Jon Winter, Janet Witzeman, Jo Wright, Dale in California in the last twenty years. It no Zimmerman. longer breedsin southernCalifornia, and is no longer found in most of its breedingrange in northern California .... this bird has declined Southern California Postscript more than any other species on the Blue List."--JD. "Habitat destruction"--GMcC. Received much too late to be incorporated "Black-tailed Gnatcatcher--has a very small into continental summaries, Blue List recom- range; has declined from many parts of its mendations from six correspondentsfrom the former range; very local, habitat threatened Southern Pacific Coast Region differed in few with development."--JD. conclusionsfrom those previouslytabulated. "Gray Vireo--cowbird predation."-- The following species were unanimously GMcC, SS, SC. considered deserving of Blue-listing: White- faced Ibis, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Swain- CONTRIBUTORS: StevenW. Cardiff, Jon son's Hawk, Harris' Hawk, Osprey, Merlin, Dunn, Tom Heindel, Paul Lehman, Guy Mc- Gull-billed Tern, Least Tern, Yellow-billed Caskie, G.S. Suffel. 1096 American B•rds, November 1977 A Streaked Shearwater in California by Don Roberson', Joseph Morlan 2, and/lrnoM SinalP It is difficult to confuse the Streaked Shear- ONShearwaterOCTOBER (Calonectris9,1977 weobserved leucomelas) aStreaked from water with any other species. Although the a chartered pelagic birding boat in Monterey Northern Fulmar may have a white head, its Bay, Monterey County, California. At the chunky shape and heavy bill quickly differen- time of the sightingwe were approximately6-7 tiate it from the much slimmer, longer-winged miles west of Moss Landing and above the Streaked Shearwater. The possibility of a par- south rim of the Monterey submarine canyon. tially albino Pink-looted Shearwater was con- The bird was initially flushed in companywith sidered, but the scaly appearanceof the back two Pink-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus caused by whitish feather edgings seemed creatopus) but although similarly sized it was unlike any albino. In cases of bilateral immediately distinctive becauseof the largely albinism, irregular white patches are in- all-white head and pale mottled back. Rober- terspersedamong more normal feathers. Here son, on the bow of the boat, and Morlan, on the back featherswere paler and grayerthan in the bridge, having previously studied the a Pink-looted Shearwater. The bird was also literature, soon suggestedthe probability of shaped somewhat differently from a Pink- Streaked Shearwater. Small, having had footed Shearwater, being slimmer in the body previous field experiencewith this speciesoff and wings, with a more pronounced angle at Japan, was able to confirm the initial iden- the wrist. Thus it was shapedand marked more tification and his shouting alerted the entire like a Cory's Shearwater (Puffinus diomedea). group. The bird landed on the water several In fact, the white edgings to the upper tail times and cautious approach allowed several covertswere quite similar to someplumages of diagnosticphotographs to be obtained. Cory's, however the white face and crown, We were in radio contact with another narrowly streaked nape, and dingy horn- chartered birding boat and called them over. colored bill eliminatedthat species.The various The Streaked Shearwater was seen well by all field guides that picture or discussthis bird observers of both boats -- about 80 birders in (King and Dickinson(1975), Alexander(1954), all. King (1967), Kobayashi (1975), Gore and Won Thisphoto showsthe extensivewhite on the underwingsand the white underparts(the undertail covertswere atto cleanly white). Although the head is in shadow, closeexamination reveals the all-white head--with the dark eye con- spicuouslyon the whiteface, and a dark nape. The color slide also showspink .feet and a light bill. Volume 31, Number 6 1097 ment of Pink-looted Shearwaters. Another possibility is that it joined a group of New Zealand Shearwaters(Puffinus buileri) in the southwestern or central Pacific and traveled with them to California. Moderate numbers of New Zealand Shearwaterswere in Monterey Bay on the same day. Whatever the explanation, the presence of two individuals of this unexpected speciesin the last three years points to our superficial Although somewhat out of focus, the markings of knowledge of seabird movements and the the dorsal surface are visible: white face, pale back, awareness pelagic birders need to possess. white edgingsto rump forming a conspicuous"U'• Almost any pelagic speciesis possibleoffshore and whitish patches on wings (probably due to molt, which caused a primary to stick out vertically at and birders need to broaden their horizons to rest). In life, the back and wings showed a scaly ap- those possibilities. The recent increase in pearance, especially clear on the grayish back. organized trips offshore is encouraging. Our Photos by Don Roberson. boat was chartered by the Santa Cruz Bird (1971), Yamashina (1961), and Slater (1971) Club and the secondboat was organizedby the tend to over-emphasize the streaking on the Golden Gate Audubon Society, while other head, although King and Dickinson indicate it trips during the same time were sponsoredby is seenonly at close range. Several (King and Western Field Ornithologistsand severalother Dickinson, Kobayashi, King, and Gore and Audubon societies. Continued year-round Won) show the scaly-backedappearance cor- coveragemay yield further important data and rectly. other unexpectedspecies. HESTREAKED SHEARWATER breeds on the Literature Cited islands off Japan, Northern China, Alexander, W.B. 1954. Birds of the Ocean. New Korea, and the Bonins, and winters to the York, G.P. Putnam's Sons. Philippines, Borneo, and New Guinea. Gore, M.E.J. and Pyong-oh Won. 1971. The Birds Vagrants have been recorded once in Ceylon of Korea. Seoul, Royal Asiatic Society. and northeast Thailand (King and Dickinson, King, Ben F. and Edward C. Dickinson. 1975. A 1975), and an unsubstantiatedreport comes Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. from near the Hawaiian Islands (King, 1967). Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co. It prefers offshore waters but usually within King, Warren B. 1967. Seabirds of the Tropical sight of land (Ornithological Society of Japan, Pacific Ocean. Washington, D.C., Smithsonian 1974). Institution. This is the second record for North Kobayashi, Keisuke. 1975. Birds of Japan in Natural America. The first was collected by Victor Colours. Osaka, Hoikusha Publishing Co., Ltd. Morejohn in Monterey Bay, Monterey Co., Ornithological Society of Japan. 1974. Checklist of Calif., on October 3, 1975 (American Birds 30: JapaneseBirds, 5th Ed. Tokyo, Gakken. 118). Slater, Peter. 1971. A Field Guide to Australian How these birds, otherwise unrecorded in Birds, Non-Passerines. Adelaide, Australia, the eastern Pacific, arrived in California is a Rigby, Ltd. mystery but it is noteworthy that our observa- Yamashina, Yoshimaro. 1971. Birds in Japan, A tion is close to the date of the previous record. Field Guide. Tokyo, Tokyo