DOCSLIB.ORG

Estimating the Potential Effects of Sudden Oak Death on Oak-Dependent Birds

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Estimating the Potential Effects of Sudden Oak Death on Oak-Dependent Birds BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 127 (2006) 146– 157 available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon Estimating the potential effects of sudden oak death on oak-dependent birds William B. Monahan*, Walter D. Koenig Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Integrative Biology, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3160, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Sudden oak death (SOD), a disease induced by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora ramo- Received 9 June 2004 rum, threatens to seriously reduce or eliminate several oak species endemic to the west Available online 13 September 2005 coast of North America. We investigated how the disappearance of one of these species, coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), may affect populations of five resident oak-affiliated Cali- Keywords: fornia birds – acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), NuttallÕs woodpecker (Picoides nut- California birds tallii), HuttonÕs vireo (Vireo huttoni), western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica), and oak Sudden oak death titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) – using geocoded data from Audubon Christmas Bird Quercus agrifolia Counts, North American Breeding Bird Surveys, and the California Gap Analysis. Capitaliz- Oak woodlands ing on observed relationships between the focal bird species and both oak species diversity and areal extent, we modeled relative bird abundance while assuming complete loss of Q. agrifolia and complete, partial, or no loss of oak habitat following a disease sweep. Post-SOD projections of bird populations occurring within the range of coast live oak were on average 25–68% smaller and 13–49% more variable relative to pre-SOD estimates. SOD effects were greatest for habitats with low initial oak species diversity. Climatic SOD models predicted that the disease stands to negatively impact populations of all five focal bird species throughout 20% of CaliforniaÕs coast live oak habitats. This study provides the first spatially explicit insights into the potential effects of SOD on avian distribution and abundance. Results may be used to help prioritize conservation plans aimed at minimizing overall community level disturbances resulting from the disease. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction and severe, as exemplified by the reduction of the American chestnut by the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasi- Highly virulent forest pathogens have the potential to greatly tica), which virtually exterminated the tree throughout much reduce or even eliminate tree species at large spatial scales. of its original range within 50 years (McKeen, 1995). Unfortu- For example, within forests of the eastern United States, dis- nately, even with knowledge on how tree diseases affect can- eases caused by fungal pathogens introduced over the past opy composition, it is often difficult to predict a priori the century have significantly impacted the native American cascading effects on the larger community. chestnut (Castanea dentata), American beech (Fagus grandifo- Sudden oak death (SOD) is a disease that currently lia), and American elm (Ulmus americana), in some cases dra- threatens to reduce or eliminate several species of red oaks matically changing forest composition (Houston, 1975; (family Fagaceae) endemic to the west coast of North Amer- Karnosky, 1979; Anagnostakis, 1987). Declines can be rapid ica. Since its detection in 1995, SOD has caused significant * Corresponding author: Tel.: +1 510 642 7888; fax: +1 510 643 8238. E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (W.B. Monahan). 0006-3207/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.08.005 BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 127 (2006) 146– 157 147 Fig. 1 – Southern distribution of P. ramorum (a, black buffer) and locations of BBS routes (b, bold black lines) and CBC circles (c, black circles) used in the study. Three Jepson ecological regions (NW, CW, SW) bounded by 40°N encompass the entire statewide distribution of Q. agrifolia (gray areas). mortality of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) within primar- We focus on five bird species, acorn woodpecker (Melaner- ily coastal areas of central California (Garbelotto et al., 2001; pes formicivorus), NuttallÕs woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii), Hut- Rizzo et al., 2002; Swiecki and Bernhardt, 2002; Garbelotto tonÕs vireo (Vireo huttoni), western scrub-jay (Aphelocoma et al., 2003; Rizzo and Garbelotto, 2003)(Fig. 1(a)). The dis- californica), and oak titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus), chosen ease is triggered by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora for their high dependence on coastal oak habitats for survival ramorum and promotes the rapid development of bleeding and reproduction (Grinnell and Miller, 1944; Pitelka, 1951; bark cankers and foliar pigment degeneration in mature American OrnithologistsÕ Union, 1957; Short, 1971; Miller trees, often resulting in tree death (McPherson et al., 2002; and Bock, 1972; Verner, 1979; Koenig and Haydock, 1999; Cic- Rizzo and Garbelotto, 2003). Known mortality due to P. ero, 2000)(Fig. 2). While SOD clearly stands to negatively impact ramorum is recent, and thus the wildlife impacts are un- populations of such oak-dependent bird species, our goal here known (CalPIF, 2002). is to estimate where in California these SOD-induced losses State and federal wildlife agencies as well as the general will be greatest for both birds and coast live oak. public are becoming increasingly interested in knowing In this study we (1) compare post-SOD relative abundance how SOD stands to negatively impact native species of predictions (mean and CV) for two independent bird census oak-dependent vertebrates. Birds are particularly useful indi- datasets and three different habitat loss scenarios, (2) esti- cators in this regard since excellent survey databases are mate model accuracies with respect to known P. ramorum readily available for both wintering and breeding populations occurrences and climatic SOD models identifying the poten- throughout North America. The most extensive of these are tial current geographical extent of the disease, and (3) con- the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) and North Ameri- sider how our findings might be further impacted by a can Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), both of which have been continued P. ramorum range expansion coupled with anthro- used extensively and highly successful to study avian distri- pogenic climate change by modeling the future geographical bution and abundance (Bock and Root, 1981; Root, 1988; Price extent of the disease in the year 2050. et al., 1995; Koenig, 1998), as well as model the potential community-level effects of SOD on California birds (Monahan and Koenig, 2005). Our approach here estimates 2. Methods the population-level consequences of SOD using the two independent datasets whose seasonal timing and methodol- 2.1. Data overview ogies are quite different and thus to some degree complementary. Bird distribution and abundance data were obtained from We use the statistical relationship between relative bird Audubon Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) (Butcher, 1990) and abundance and oak species diversity and oak areal extent to the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) (Sauer et al., quantify expected avian population declines and census size 2003). A single CBC involves between a few and over 100 peo- fluctuations resulting from a reduction in oak diversity and ple counting all the birds they can during a single day within either complete, partial, or no loss of oak habitat. Permanent the last two weeks of December within a 24 km diameter cir- change to coast live oak habitats is probable since Q. agrifolia cle (total area approximately 450 km2). Sites are usually cen- suffers extensive SOD mortality (Rizzo and Garbelotto, 2003), tered on some geographic landmark and are in many cases and because large portions of its geographic range are ex- surveyed year after year. CBC analyses utilized data from pected to experience disease sweeps as P. ramorum continues the 38 years between 1960 and 1997, inclusive. For each spe- to expand throughout California (Meentemeyer et al., 2004; cies x count combination, we standardized observer effort Guo et al., 2005). by using the log-transformed (log(x + 1)) number of birds 148 BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 127 (2006) 146– 157 Fig. 2 – Statewide range maps of five oak-dependent bird species (gray + black areas), acorn woodpecker (a), NuttallÕs woodpecker (b), HuttonÕs vireo (c), western scrub-jay (d), and oak titmouse (e), intersected with coast live oak habitats (black areas only). Intersections encompass 10% (acorn woodpecker) to 17% (NuttallÕs woodpecker and HuttonÕs vireo) of the bird speciesÕ California distributions. counted divided by the number of Ôparty-hoursÕ of observa- (Q. garryana), valley oak (Q. lobata), interior live oak (Q. wislize- tion. We then determined the mean and coefficient of nii), and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus). The analyses thus variation (CV; SD/mean · 100) of this value (Ôbirds per party considered all tree species of oaks in mainland California; hourÕ) across all years the count was performed as an esti- shrub oaks were not included. mate of overall relative abundance and variability of the spe- Distributions were generated for Q. agrifolia occurring in cies at that site. Breeding Bird Surveys consist of 3-min the absence of all other focal oaks and for all possible combi- censuses at a series of 50 stops, 0.8 km apart, conducted once nations of 1, 2, and P3 additional oak species.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Phenotypic Flexibility in Passerine Birds Seasonal Variation of Aerobic
    Journal of Thermal Biology 36 (2011) 430–436 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Thermal Biology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jtherbio Phenotypic flexibility in passerine birds: Seasonal variation of aerobic enzyme activities in skeletal muscle Eric T. Liknes 1, David L. Swanson n Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, USA article info abstract Article history: Improved winter cold tolerance is widespread among small passerines resident in cold climates and is Received 1 March 2011 generally associated with elevated summit metabolic rate (Msum ¼maximum thermoregulatory metabolic Accepted 26 July 2011 rate) and improved shivering endurance with increased reliance on lipids as fuel. Elevated Msum and Available online 2 August 2011 improved cold tolerance may result from greater metabolic intensity, due to mass-specific increase in Keywords: oxidative enzyme capacity, or increase in the masses of thermogenic tissues. To examine the mechanisms Phenotypic flexibility underlying winter increases in Msum, we investigated seasonal changes in mass-specific and total activities Seasonal acclimatization of the key aerobic enzymes citrate synthase (CS) and b-hydroxyacyl CoA-dehydrogenase (HOAD) in Citrate synthase pectoralis, supracoracoideus and mixed leg muscles of three resident passerine species, black-capped b-Hydroxyacyl CoA-dehydrogenase chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and white-breasted nuthatch Poecile atricapillus (Sitta carolinensis). Activities of CS were generally higher in winter than in summer muscles for chickadees Passer domesticus Sitta carolinensis and house sparrows, but not nuthatches. Mass-specific HOAD activity was significantly elevated in winter relative to summer in all muscles for chickadees, but did not vary significantly with season for sparrows or nuthatches, except for sparrow leg muscle.
    [Show full text]
  • Discrimination of Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapillus) Chick-A-Dee Calls Produced Across Seasons
    ABC 2020, 7(2):247-256 Animal Behavior and Cognition DOI: https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.07.02.14.2020 ©Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) Discrimination of black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) chick-a-dee calls produced across seasons Erin N. Scully1, Kimberly A. Campbell2, Jenna V. Congdon1, and Christopher B. Sturdy*,1,2 1Department of Psychologya, University of Alberta 2Neuroscience and Mental Health Instituteb, University of Alberta *Corresponding author (Email: [email protected]) Citation – Scully, E. N., Campbell, K. A., Congdon, J. V., & Sturdy, C. B. (2020). Discrimination of black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) chick-a-dee calls produced across seasons. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 7(2), 247-256. doi: https://doi.org/10.26451/abc.07.02.14.2020 Abstract – While black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) primarily produce fee-bee songs in spring, they produce chick-a-dee calls year-round with call production peaking in the fall. This call serves multiple functions, including food location, flock communication, and predator alarm. As seasons change, the meaning of the call may also change. For instance, flock communication could be more important in the fall than in the spring, and food type and availability change according to season. To determine if the chick-a-dee call varies acoustically across seasons in a predictable manner, we conducted an operant go/no-go discrimination task that examined black-capped chickadees’ ability to categorize calls produced in two different seasons: fall and spring. We found that birds trained to respond to vocalizations produced in either fall or spring learned to discriminate at the same rate as birds trained to respond to pseudorandomized stimuli, suggesting that none of the groups demonstrated category learning, relying instead on rote memorization.
    [Show full text]
  • Programs and Field Trips
    CONTENTS Welcome from Kathy Martin, NAOC-V Conference Chair ………………………….………………..…...…..………………..….…… 2 Conference Organizers & Committees …………………………………………………………………..…...…………..……………….. 3 - 6 NAOC-V General Information ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..………….. 6 - 11 Registration & Information .. Council & Business Meetings ……………………………………….……………………..……….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………..…..……...….. 11 6 Workshops ……………………….………….……...………………………………………………………………………………..………..………... 12 Symposia ………………………………….……...……………………………………………………………………………………………………..... 13 Abstracts – Online login information …………………………..……...………….………………………………………….……..……... 13 Presentation Guidelines for Oral and Poster Presentations …...………...………………………………………...……….…... 14 Instructions for Session Chairs .. 15 Additional Social & Special Events…………… ……………………………..………………….………...………………………...…………………………………………………..…………………………………………………….……….……... 15 Student Travel Awards …………………………………………..………...……………….………………………………..…...………... 18 - 20 Postdoctoral Travel Awardees …………………………………..………...………………………………..……………………….………... 20 Student Presentation Award Information ……………………...………...……………………………………..……………………..... 20 Function Schedule …………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………..…………. 22 – 26 Sunday, 12 August Tuesday, 14 August .. .. .. 22 Wednesday, 15 August– ………………………………...…… ………………………………………… ……………..... Thursday, 16 August ……………………………………….…………..………………………………………………………………… …... 23 Friday, 17 August ………………………………………….…………...………………………………………………………………………..... 24 Saturday,
    [Show full text]
  • Black-Capped Chickadee (Poecile Atricapilla) Alec Lindsay
    Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) Alec Lindsay Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne Co., MI 10/30/2008 © Jerry Jourdan This species is sponsored by: Petoskey Regional Audubon Society (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) Ubiquitous, social, and tolerant of human Province of Ontario. Their southern range extends only partially across Illinois, Indiana activities, Black-capped Chickadees are and Ohio, where the Carolina Chickadee arguably among Michigan’s most easily becomes more common. recognized birds. Year-round residents of urban, rural and wilderness habitats, Black-capped Distribution chickadees are also regular visitors to bird Some of the earliest accounts of chickadees in feeders. Unlike many other “feeder birds,” Michigan (Barrows 1912) indicate chickadees chickadees are a scatter-hoarding species, have been breeding across both peninsulas of storing individual food items in thousands of the state for a long period. Black-capped caches that they remember and return to over Chickadee distribution changed slightly between long periods of time (Hitchcock and Sherry the two Atlas periods. Chickadees were reported 1990). For a small bodied bird like a chickadee, from over 3,700 Atlas blocks during MBBA II, supplemental feeding can have positive impacts compared with over 4,100 blocks in MBBA I. on winter survival (Wilson 2001). Chickadees Reports of chickadees were clearly widespread typically spend the fall and winter months in across the state, yet fewer than a quarter of larger chickadee flocks with linear dominance reports were confirmed breeding records. With hierarchies, where males dominate females and the exception of Lenawee and Hillsdale older birds dominate new recruits (Glase 1973).
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Modelling and the Ecology of the Marsh Tit (Poecile Palustris)
    HABITAT MODELLING AND THE ECOLOGY OF THE MARSH TIT (POECILE PALUSTRIS) RICHARD K BROUGHTON A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2012 Bournemouth University in collaboration with the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. 2 ABSTRACT Richard K Broughton Habitat modelling and the ecology of the Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) Among British birds, a number of woodland specialists have undergone a serious population decline in recent decades, for reasons that are poorly understood. The Marsh Tit is one such species, experiencing a 71% decline in abundance between 1967 and 2009, and a 17% range contraction between 1968 and 1991. The factors driving this decline are uncertain, but hypotheses include a reduction in breeding success and annual survival, increased inter-specific competition, and deteriorating habitat quality. Despite recent work investigating some of these elements, knowledge of the Marsh Tit’s behaviour, landscape ecology and habitat selection remains incomplete, limiting the understanding of the species’ decline. This thesis provides additional key information on the ecology of the Marsh Tit with which to test and review leading hypotheses for the species’ decline. Using novel analytical methods, comprehensive high-resolution models of woodland habitat derived from airborne remote sensing were combined with extensive datasets of Marsh Tit territory and nest-site locations to describe habitat selection in unprecedented detail.
    [Show full text]
  • Marsh Tit (Poecile Palustris) Potential Habitat Management Issues
    Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) Areas and status: Largely confined to the lowlands of England and Wales. Continuous decline since 1970. BoCC red list. Woodland type: Range of lowland broadleaved woodland types. Preferred habitat niches: Dense, diverse shrub layer within mature woodland. Larger woods preferred (low probability of presence in woods <10ha; territories 2.5 to 8ha). Nests in natural cavities, most frequently in ash. May use woodpecker holes, does not respond well to nestboxes, however nest site availability is not generally limiting Potential habitat management issues associated with decline: Deer or livestock browsing leading to poor shrub layer and grazing limiting regeneration Shade leading to deterioration of shrub layer ©Mike Langman (rspb-images.com) Clearance of understorey during thinning operations Senescence of understorey due to insufficient management Lack of connectivity between smaller woodlands, or between suitable habitat within larger blocks Potential habitat management solutions: Prescription Comment Establish ability to control grazing and browsing Possibly fencing to exclude stock to maintain a healthy shrub layer and protect coppice regeneration and growth . Encourage at least 40% understorey cover . Thin to restore crowded, immature, even-age Select to encourage high canopy and dense shrub layer regeneration. Aim for a stands lacking vertical structure. Partially halo varied structure with mature canopy and at least 40 % understory cover. thin around crowded trees to encourage growth Rotational harvesting/cutting of underwood To maintain continuity of suitable structure. Manage rotationally for continuity of cover at around 4 m height . Restore neglected coppice Restore to long rotation coppice cycle (≥15 years) with standards, small-scale harvesting system better.
    [Show full text]
  • Third North American Ornithological Conference a Joint Meeting Incorporating The
    Program for the Third North American Ornithological Conference a joint meeting incorporating the One Hundred and Twentieth Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union 72nd Annual Meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society The 2002 Annual Meeting of the Raptor Research Foundation The 2002 Symposium of the Sección Mexicana del Consejo Internacional para la Preservación de las Aves (CIPAMEX) 21st Annual Meeting of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists/ Société des Ornithologistes du Canada The 2002 Workshop of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds 24 - 28 September 2002 in New Orleans, Louisiana Local Host Institutions Tulane University The Audubon Nature Institute - 1 - Committee on Local Arrangements Tom Sherry and Kimberly Smith, Co-Chairs Art Exhibitions: John O’Neill and Douglas Pratt (Co-chairs), Josie Babin, Anne Bradburn, J. Randal Slocum Audio-Visual: Jim Ingold (Chair), Josie Babin, Cindy Gulledge, Bryan Sigel, Phil Stouffer, Carlos Valderrama Consultants: Hank Bart, Bonnie Bowen, Bob Cashner, Kai Fujita, Bette Loiselle, Anne Jakob and her staff of UNO Conference Services, Bob Thomas Field Trips: Jennifer Coulson (Chair), David Muth, Dan Purrington, Amy Smith-Kyle, Peter Yaukey Fund-Raising: Jim Ingold (Chair), Tom Sherry Graduate Student Coordination: Donata Roome (Chair) Listserve Manager: Van Remsen Logo Design: Michael Wilcox Publicity: Jennifer Coulson (Chair), Tom Sherry Resolutions: Ellen Paul Scientific Program: Phil Stouffer (Chair), Rebecca Holberton, Jim Ingold, Brian Millsap, Frank
    [Show full text]
  • Paridae Species Tree
    Paridae: Tits & Chickadees Fire-capped Tit, Cephalopyrus flammiceps Cephalopyrus Yellow-browed Tit, Sylviparus modestus Sylviparus Sultan Tit, Melanochlora sultanea Melanochlora Coal Tit, Periparus ater Rufous-naped Tit, Periparus rufonuchalis Periparus Rufous-vented Tit, Periparus rubidiventris Yellow-bellied Tit, Pardaliparus venustulus Elegant Tit, Pardaliparus elegans Pardaliparus Palawan Tit, Pardaliparus amabilis Bridled Titmouse, Baeolophus wollweberi Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus Baeolophus Juniper Titmouse, Baeolophus ridgwayi Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor Black-crested Titmouse, Baeolophus atricristatus Gray Crested-Tit, Lophophanes dichrous Lophophanes Crested Tit / European Crested-Tit, Lophophanes cristatus White-fronted Tit, Sittiparus semilarvatus Chestnut-bellied Tit, Sittiparus castaneoventris Sittiparus Varied Tit, Sittiparus varius Iriomote Tit, Sittiparus olivaceus White-browed Tit, Poecile superciliosus Sombre Tit, Poecile lugubris Pere David’s Tit, Poecile davidi Marsh Tit, Poecile palustris Caspian Tit, Poecile hyrcanus Poecile Black-bibbed Tit, Poecile hypermelaenus Willow Tit, Poecile montanus Sichuan Tit, Poecile weigoldicus Gray-headed Chickadee, Poecile cinctus Boreal Chickadee, Poecile hudsonicus Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli Mexican Chickadee, Poecile sclateri Eurasian Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus Azure Tit, Cyanistes cyanus Palma Blue Tit, Cyanistes palmensis
    [Show full text]
  • Sichuan & Tibetan Plateau Tour Report
    SICHUAN & TIBETAN PLATEAU TOUR REPORT 8th May to 28th May 2014 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Either for rarity value, excellent views or simply a group favourite. Sukatschev’s Laughingthrush • Crested Ibis • • Black Baza • Barred Laughingthrush • Severtzov’s Grouse • Red-winged Laughingthrush • Tibetan Snowcock • Spotted Laughingthrush • Blood Pheasant • Chinese Cupwing • Temminck’s Tragopan • Brown Parrotbill • Koklass Pheasant • Great Parrotbill • Blue Eared Pheasant • Przewalski’s Nuthatch • Chinese Monal • Sichuan Treecreeper • White Eared Pheasant • Sooty Tit • Lady Amherst’s Pheasant • Pere David’s Tit • Black-necked Crane • Tibetan Grey Shrike • Himalayan Rubythroat • Sichuan Jay • Firethroat • Collared Crow • Indian Blue Robin • Hume’s Ground-tit • Emei Shan Liocichla • Streaked Rosefinch Crested Tit-warbler • Slaty Bunting • Pallas’s Reed Bunting • White-browed Tit-warbler • SUMMARY: Our exploration of amazing Sichuan started in the huge city of Chengdu, before we ventured into the mountainous wilderness that is a constant backdrop to our birding. Past experience really helped us in securing several new species for this tour and we also had the added excitement of some brilliant passage migrants as well. Longcanggou gave us Sichuan Treecreeper and Pere David’s Tit, plus many other crackers! Fantastic views of Firethroats followed, as well as a couple of migrating Pallas’s Reed Buntings found at over 3400m, before we reached Balangshan. A veritable feast of rare and stunning birds were seen here, such as Chinese Monal and Tibetan Snowcock. Moving on to Mengbishan and its Sichuan Jays preceded another exciting visit to the stunning Tibetan Plateau. There’s just too many good birds but, as always Black-necked Cranes, cute Ground-Tits and elegant Blue Eared- Pheasants stole the show.
    [Show full text]
  • SICHUAN TOUR REPORT 6Th May to 25Th May 2017
    SICHUAN TOUR REPORT 6th May to 25th May 2017 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS Either for rarity value, excellent views or simply a group favourite. • Smew • Snowy-cheekeD Laughingthrush • Chinese Grouse • Barred Laughingthrush • Snow PartriDge • Giant Laughingthrush • Verreaux’s Monal-PartriDge • SpotteD Laughingthrush • Tibetan Snowcock • ReD-wingeD Laughingthrush • Temminck’s Tragopan • Buffy Laughingthrush • Koklass Pheasant • Emei Shan Liocichla • Chinese Monal • GolDen-breasteD Fulvetta • White EareD Pheasant • Rufous-taileD Babbler • Blue Eared Pheasant • SpectacleD Fulvetta • GolDen Pheasant • Great Parrotbill • LaDy Amherst’s Pheasant • Three-toeD Parrotbill • Black-necked Crane • Grey-hooded Parrotbill • Pere DaviD’s Owl • Fulvous Parrotbill • Chinese Tawny Owl • GolDen Parrotbill • Saker Falcon • Przewalski’s Nuthatch • Tiger Shrike • Wallcreeper • Sichuan Jay • Sichuan Forest Thrush • Collared Crow • Long-taileD Thrush • White-browed Tit • Chinese Rubythroat • Pere DaviD’s Tit • Firethroat • GrounD Tit • Tibetan Snowfinch • Chinese Wren Babbler • Rufous-necked Snowfinch Tibetan Lark Maroon-backed Accentor • • • Sooty Bushtit • Przevalski’s Finch • Black-browed Bushtit • Collared Grosbeak • White-browed Tit-Warbler • Dark-rumpeD Rosefinch • Crested Tit-Warbler • StreakeD Rosefinch • Sichuan Bush-Warbler • Sharpe’s Rosefinch • Baikal Bush Warbler • Long-taileD Rosefinch • GolDen-fronteD Fulvetta • Three-banded Rosefinch • Chinese Babax • ReD-fronteD Rosefinch • Black-streakeD Scimitar-Babbler • Crimson-browed Finch • Rusty-cappeD Fulvetta • Slaty Bunting SUMMARY: Sichuan continues to proviDe some of the most memorable birding on the planet, with its combination of high quality target species and stunning scenery. Amongst the 325 species seen on this tour, it is always the ‘chickens’ that stanD out anD this year’s tour gave us increDible looks at 3 Displaying male Temminck’s Tragopans, point-blank views of male Chinese Monal, anD an increDibly confiding male Golden Pheasant.
    [Show full text]
  • Separation of Willow Tit and Marsh Tit in Britain: a Review Richard K
    BB Nov 2009 - edit 22/10/09 18:55 Page 604 Separation of Willow Tit and Marsh Tit in Britain: a review Richard K. Broughton ABSTRACT Separation of the British races of Willow Tit Poecile montana and Marsh Tit P. palustris is notoriously difficult. Numerous identification criteria have been proposed during the past 50 years, based primarily on information gained from examination of birds in the hand, although none are judged to be wholly reliable.The best separation feature for birds in the field is considered to be voice, yet the vocal repertoires of both species have not been fully documented. Despite some work to assess the reliability of distinguishing characteristics, some current texts continue to place emphasis on discredited criteria for field identification, or on those of use only for in-hand examination. This paper reviews the separation criteria in the current literature in order to clarify the most important and reliable characters for the separation of this species pair. New information is provided from examination of skins and live birds, and on diagnostic vocalisations. A clarification of the races occurring in Britain is also provided. Recommendations are made for the key criteria to be used for field, photographic and in-hand identification, with a primary focus on voice, bill marks, cheek pattern, plus wing and tail measurements and the presence or absence of a clear wing panel. Introduction have conservation implications. Both species In Britain at least, separation of the Willow Tit have undergone significant changes in popula- Poecile montana kleinschmidti and the Marsh tion and/or range in recent decades (Baillie et Tit P.
    [Show full text]
  • Direct and Indirect Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer on Forest Bird
    Direct and Indirect Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer on Forest Bird Communities THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Lawrence Charles Long Graduate Program in Entomology The Ohio State University 2013 Master's Examination Committee: Dr. Daniel A. Herms, Advisor Dr. Mary M. Gardiner Dr. Kathleen S. Knight Dr. Amanda D. Rodewald i Copyrighted by Lawrence Charles Long 2013 ii Abstract Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmare) is an exotic invader in North American forests. The buprestid wood borer has killed millions of ash trees since its discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002. Because North American ash trees lack an evolutionary history with EAB, it has the potential to functionally extirpate the genus Fraxinus from the North American continent. Widespread, simultaneous ash mortality is likely to initiate a cascade of direct and indirect ecological effects. Forest infestation by EAB and subsequent loss of ash trees may lead to altered habitat and food availability for native insectivores such as birds. The objectives of this research were to: (1) determine utilization of EAB as a food resource by non-migratory bark-gleaning birds, (2) quantify forest regeneration in response to EAB-induced ash tree mortality and (3) determine the impact of EAB-induced regeneration on forest bird communities. Bird/vegetation monitoring plots were established during the winters of 2011 and 2012 in 51 forested stands throughout agricultural western and central Ohio as well as along the Huron river watershed in southeastern Michigan. During the spring of 2011 and 2012, point counts were conducted at each of the three plots per site.
    [Show full text]