Records of Rare and Uncommon Birds from RecentSurveys on St. Croix, UnitedStates Virgin Islands

DouglasB. McNair Abstract Introduction This paper containsdata from the first Avifaunalsurveys in theU.S. VirginIslands SapphosEnvironmental, Inc. long-termavifaunal surveys on St. Croix (USVI), in the northern USVI, and on St. conductedsince the 1980s,supplemented Croix beganin the late 1850s(Newton and 133Martin Alley by observationsof other individualsand a Newton 1859a-d; Cassin 1860, Newton rigorousassessment of the literature.The 1860.Wetmore 1927). Like most subsequent Pasadena,California 91105 observationsof 62 speciesincluded here visiting naturalists',the Newton brothers' span2002 throughJuly 2004 and empha- studieson St. Croixwere sporadic, although ([email protected])sizesite-specific breeding information of 23 theirefforts (confined to partsof twoconsec- locally rare or uncommon species (16 utive years)were greater than most other speciesof waterbirdsand sevenof land- short-termstudies that followed them (e.g., Lisa D. Yntema birds). This includes the first and second Cory 1890,1891). Until thework of Norton confirmed breeding (1979, 1981) and PostOffice Box 1488 records of Least Grebe " Sladen (1988, 1992) ( Tachybaptusdomini- from the late 1970s Frederjksted,USV100841-1488 cus) and the first con- .• throughthe 1980s, firmed breeding the onlyearlier long- records of White- term studies were wingedDove (Zenaida o conducted in the ClaudiaD. Lombard asiatica) and Antillean northern USVI by Nighthawk( Chordeiles Nichols (1943), who UnitedStates Fish and Wildlife Service gundlachii).Breeding was director at the informauon on all 23 AgriculturalExperi- FederalBuilding speciesis essentialfor ment Station, and on establishingconserva- St. Croixby HarryA. 3013Estate Golden Rock tion priorities, for BeatW and GeorgeA. both speciesand sites, Seaman,resident nat- Christiansted,USV100820-4355 especially at manmade uralists, sportsmen, Figure1. Oneof two West Indian Whistling-Ducks that scientific collectors. freshwater ponds, restedon a logon one of the lower freshwater ponds at the which had never been CarambolaGolf Resort on 25 October2002. This record was and in the case of CarolCramer-Burke sampled ornithologi- thefirst documented occurrence ofthis species inthe U.5. Sealnanan employed caliF Many vagrants VirginIslands since 1941. Photograph byFloyd E. Hayes. wildlife biologistfor St.Croix Environmental Association and scarce transients 22 years (Seaman arealso documented herein, including one 1980, 1993;Sladen 1988). This paper docu- ArawakBuilding, Suite #3 new verifiedspecies, Connecticut Warbler ments rare and uncommon birds of St. Croix (Oporornisagilis), and the first report of frointhe first comprehensiveavifaunal sur- Christiansted,USV100820 EurasianWigeon (Arias penelope) in the U. veysconducted since the 1980s,especially S.Virgin Islands. The statusof manybreed- for waterbirds, which are the dominant ing andnonbreeding species was frequently groupthere (Raffaele 1989, Leck and Norton reliablyassessed by examiningmaterial in 1991). New informationon criticalspecies FredW. Sladen museum collections, which is essential for such as White-cheeked Pintail (Arias ba- documentationof arian biodiversityon hamensis)and Wilson's Plover (Charadrius PostOffice Box 706 small subtropicalislands like St. Croix, wilsonia)that havepreviously lacked sum- where habitatloss from developmentand mariesof their breeding(and nonbreeding) NewLondon, New Hampshire 03257 other human uses is a continued threat. statuswill be documentedmore fully else-

536 NORTH AMERICAN BIRD 60 where. The focus is on documentation of breedinginformation, which has been neg- lected on St. Croix. 50 Methods

Avifaunalsurveys were conductedfrom 4O February2002 throughJuly 2004, supple- mentedby observationsof other individuals acknowledgedherein; unattributed records 3o are by MeNair(DBM). Informationis in- cludedon onefairly common species, Rud- dyTurnstone (Arenaria interpres), for which 2O thereare sightings of markedbirds. Recent observationsare supplementedwith docu- mentationfor selectedunpublished obser- vationssince the period of Norton and Sladen(from the 1980sto the present).This includesundocumented details of breeding o!!1 informationfor severalspecies by Sladen (FWS) and informationin Divisionof Fish Years: Jan 2002 to Jul) 2004 and Wildlife [DFWl files.Finally, verified records(e.g., photographs by CarolCramer- Figure2. Monthlyrainfall (cm) at St. Croix from January 2002 through July 2004 Burke;hereafter CCB) are emphasized. This (datafrom the United 5tates Department ofAgriculture Experimental 5tabion at Kingshill). includesdocumentation of historicalspeci- mens in museum collections that are essen- F.nvironmentalAssociation, Gallows Bay), adultsresting on a log at oneof the lower tial to reliableassessment of speciesstatus UMMZ (Universityof MichiganMuseum of freshwaterponds on the CarambolaGolf (forvagrants or rareand uncommon birds), Zoology,Ann Arbor), UMZC (University Resort on 25 October 2002 (DBM, F. F.. especiallywhen adequatesummaries are Museumof Zoology,Cambridge, UK), and Hayes;PUC 1, Figure1) wasthe first docu- lacking.Future studies will includeavifau- ZMUC(Zoological Museum of theUniversi- mented occurrence of this West Indian en- hal comparisonsof species composition and ty of Copenhagen,Denmark). demicin the USVI since1941. Latersight- abundance between freshwater and saltwa- Site namesfollow McGuire (1925), Scott ingshave been reported (e.g., Seaman 1955, ter (includingbrackish) sites. and Carbonell (1986), and Imsand and Rodrigues2002), but adequatedocumenta- The emphasisthroughout is on site-spe- Philibosian(1987). A siteis a discretegeo- tionis lacking(but see Seaman 1973, 1993). cific information in salt- and freshwater(and graphicentity (e.g., Southgate Pond, Great WestIndian Whistling-Ducks were for- terrestrial) environments that is critical to Pond) that may includeadjacent habitat merlyresident in mangroveswamp forest conservationof scarcespecies that may be (e.g.,associated beach berm). Several sites on St. Croixand St. Thomas,although pre- declining(or increasing)on smallislands, areoccasionally subdivided where pertinent cisedata are lackingfor St.John (Newton wherethreats to evena few sitesmay seri- for a particularspecies (especially at the and Newton 1859d, Beatty 1930, Nichols ouslydimimsh avian biDdiversity. Ihis in- BuccaneerHotel, which hasseveral impor- 1943, Seaman1993). Newton and Newton cludes manmade freshwater wetlands that tant discrete salt- and freshwater sites for (1859d) statedthis species was pretty com- havenever been systematically sampled be- birds). Sites not listed in the above refer- mon on St. Croix in 1857-1858 and collect- fore in the USVI. Confirmed(e.g., active ences,which only list three freshwater ed twospecimens (whereabouts unknown), nests,adults with flightlessyoung) and pondson St. Croix (CastleBurk Pond, althoughits breedingstatus was not docu- probablebreeding evidence (e.g., adults on CrequeReservoir, Fredensborg Pond), are mented.Beatty (1930) andNichols (1943) territoryfor over10 days; Hayes and Samad listedin AppendixI. TheUVI WetlandsRe- statedthat West Indian Whistling-Ducks 2002)are emphasized to distinguishbreed- serve cited herein is also called French Pond were very rare throughoutthe USVI, al- ingfrom nonbreeding birds unambiguously. (actuallytwo ponds;Imsand and Phili- thoughBeatty added that 15 yearsearlier il The latter may outnumberthe formerat bosian1987). Rainfalldata (January2002 usedto breedon St. Croix, when it wasvery somebreeding sites (e.g., Black-necked Stilt, throughJuly 2004, U.S. Department of Agri- common. Nichols (1943) added that it was Himantopusmexicanus), so this approach culture AgriculturalResearch Station at formerlycommon and still occasionally avoidsthe problem of incompletedocumen- Kingshill;Figure 2) includeda tationof breedingevidence that has charac- 50-year rainfall event during terizedsome avifaunal surveys in the USVI mid-November 2003 (means of (e.g., Dammannand Nellis 1992). Other 40-55 cm dependingon exact than nest data, data on abundancewere location on St. Croix) that fol- based on counts of birds at each site, which loweda year-and-a-halfdrought. includedgeneral observations and mapping The rainfalldata at Kingshillun- of territoriesfor somespecies. Material evi- derstate the severity of the dence (specimens, photographs) are drought,which was more severe archivedat the followinginstitutions: ANSP at most other locations on St. (PhiladelphiaAcademy of Natural Sciences), Croix. DFW (St. Croix, USVI), FMNH (Field Mu- seumof NaturalHistory,, Chicago), NMNH Results (National Museum of Natural History, SPECIES ACCOUNTS Figure3. TwoFulvous Whistling-Ducks thatremained a•5outhga•e Smithsonian Institution), PUC (Pacific West Indian Whistling-Duck Ponduntil 16 May 2004 provided the first verified record for the U.5. Union College,California), SEA (St. Croix Dendrocygna arborea--Two VirginIslands. Photograph byCarol Cromer-Burke.

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 537 Muchlater, two birds were pres- on the historical and current status of ent at SouthgatePond on 2 Jan- White-cheeked Pintails in the USVI will be uary 2004 (CCD, L. Yntema; publishedelsewhere (DBM and E E. Hayes, hereafterLDY) and againfrom in prep.). 25 Februarythrough 16 May HoodedMerganser Lophodytes cuculla- (SEA1, Figure3) andat Krause tus•ne femalewas seen at Rust-op-Twist LagoonRemnant on 3 January Salt Pond on 27 January2004 (DBM, S. 2004;a singlebird waspresent Fromer)during the passageof a coldfront. at Granard South Pond on 10 Singlefemales were seenlater at Fredens- January2004, and one adult in borgPond on 2 March(S. Fromer,LDY), at full breedingplumage was pres- CoakleyBay Salt Pond on 11-17 March ent at the BuccaneerHotel golf (LDY),at SchusterLower Pond on 28April courselink #8 pond (freshwa- (LDY),and at SouthgatePond from 29 April Figure4. Afemale Hooded Merganser lingered on St. Croix into ter) on 13-31July 2004. These to 3 July (SEA2, Figure4). Treatingall summer2004. This molting bird was present at SouthgatePond non-overlappingoccurrences, theserecent reports as one occurrence, this aslate as 3 July(here). Photograph byCarol Cramer-Burke. exceptfor the first and last,are constitutes the fourth occurrence for St. treated herein as one. Thus con- Croix and fifth for the USVI. All birds have seenon WaterIsland and on the St.Jameses sidered,these are the third, fourth, and fifth been temales.Beatty (1945) collectedone cays off St_ Thomas. The last verified occurrences (and first verified record) of bird (FMNH 156719) out of a flock of three records in the USVI until 2002 were seven thisspecies in theUSVI, all at St.Croix. The at Rust-op-TwistSalt Pond on 18 December specimenscollected on St.Croix from 1939- first two occurrences were a flock of nine at 1944,W. Gladfcher(pers. comm.) saw an- 1941 (FMNH 414023, 414094-414099). SouthgatePond from 31 Marchto 10 April otherflock of threeat ProsperityMarsh in Twoof thesespecimens were downy chicks 1970 (Bond1977; E. Roebuck,FWS; where- the late 1970s, and FWS and E. Roebuck collectedon 15January 1941, the only con- aboutsof photographunknown) and short- sawone bird at ProsperityMarsh on 14 De- firmedbreeding record in theUSVI. ly thereaher(19 April)a singlebird at Pros- cember 1981. Nichols (1943) stated that an adult West penty Marsh (FWS, E. Sladen,P. Sladen) Ruddy Duck Oxyurajamaicensis--Ihis IndianWhistling-Duck with sevennestlings and anothersingle bird at Fredensborg speciesis anirregular winter wsitor in small was seenon a pond at SpratBay, Water Is- Pond on 25 October 1983 (Norton 1984a: numbersto St. Croix, but RuddyDucks land on 29 May (year unknown)and re- FWS,pets. comm.). rarelyoccur here during summer. An adult ported second-handinformation that it EurasianWigeon Anaspenelope--One malein full breedingplumage and an adult nested in hollow butts of dead agaves rufous-morphfemale that associated with a femalewere present at FredensborgPond on (Agavespp.) on GreatSt. James Island. Sea- male AmericanWigeon (A. americana)at 24June2002 and I June2003, respectively; man (1973, 1993)stated that a pair nested Windsor South Pond on 15 November 2003 one female or immature bird was seen at on Green Cay off St. Croix; the nest and representedthe first occurrenceof the GranardSouth Pond from 13 Jul), to 2 Sep- dutch of 13 eggswere discoveredon the speciesin theUSVI. tember2002; and againat GranardSouth groundunderneath cactus and a bushon 16 White-cheekedPintail--This species Pond,one female and up to threemales in September1950. West Indian Whistling- breedsat fresh-and saltwater sites, although full breedingplumage were present from 3 Ducksare knownto neston offshorecays until recently,only breedingat saltwater Aprilthrough 10July 2004 (female last seen elsewhere(e.g., Antigua), and it is possible sites or on cays had been documented. 23June), but thesebirds did not breed (SEA this was a whistling-ducknest (although White-cheeked Pintails nested at or near al 3, Figure 5). These summerbirds were possiblyalso a nestof White-cheekedPin- least three freshwater sites in the interior of probablyof the nominateWest Indian sub- tail,which nests regularly on GreenCay). St. Croixduring April andMay 2002, twice species. Seaman (1957b) also stated that West Indi- duringJune 2003, and on at least twelve Least Grebe Tachybaptusdominicus-- an Whistling-Ducksformerly nestedat sitessince mid-November 2003, induding Onepair nested in the northwesternhills at SouthgatePond, which may have occurred, SouthgatePond, where at least10 families CrequeReservoir, where they successfully but documentationis lacking fledgedyoung. The nmnber of documented raisedtwo broods from 3 Februarythrough Re-introduction of West Indian breedingsites has approxi•natelyquadru- 2 June 2002 (Rodrigues2002; DBM, un- Whisding-Duckwould be a highpriority for pled.New information on thenonbreeding publ.data). Three young of the firstbrood the USVI (cf., BVI, Lazell 2002) if suitable status of White-cheeked Pintails in the were first seen on 7 March. Least Grebes wetlandsexist (cf. St. Kitts and Nevis,where USVI was also obtained at only onewetland contains suitable habitat freshwater (and saltwater) for this species;Childress and Hughes ponds,where birds had been 2001). GreatPond, where this species used overlooked(or inadequately to occur on St. Croix (Seaman 1973) and documented).As •nany as 350 wheremangroves have increased for over birds in a singleflock have thepast decade, would probably be thebest been presentsince February re-introduction site for this nocturnal 2002 at link #8 pond on the speciesin theUSVI. West Indian Whistling- BuccaneerHotel golf course Ducksprefer nesting in cavities,and place- wherepinmils are fed, a pro- ment of artificialcavity structures at Great nounced change from the Pondwould be a prerequisitefor re-intro- highcount of 23 at theBucca- duction efforts. neer Hotel (apparentlyone Fulvous Whistling-DuckD. bicolor-- pond) in 1972 (Leek 1975). Onebird was present at the VI Agricultural Pintails are also fed at two Figure5. Thispair of Ruddy Ducks at GranardSouth Pond on 6 April2004 StationMiddle Pondon 18 November2003, sites on St. Thomas where waslater joined by two adult males, also in full breeding plumage, but during the mid-Novemberrainfall event. birdscongregate. Full details thesebirds did not breed. Photograph byC•ral Cramer-Burke.

538 NORTH AMERICAN BIRD werelast seen on 26 April(three young, first voir on St. Croix) would not have been numbers(ca. 35 pairs) have nestedhere. brood),23 May (adult pair), and 2 June overlooked in the 1980s. The National Park Service (NPS) claimed (two young,second brood). Eggs (second Pied-billedGrebe Podilymbus podiceps-- that as many as 100 pairs have recentl5 clutch) incubatedon a low mound of dead A nestwith fiveeggs located by DBM(DFW (April2001) nested at BuckIsland (Witmet vegetation2 m fromshore on 28 Marchhad 1, Figure7) wasfound placed at the pond et al. 2002), but thisfigure has never been hatchedby 16 April, whenboth broods surfaceover a crotchof dead twigs and confirmed,and supporting data are lacking. wereattended by adults.The pair andsec- branches of a tree that had fallen into one of A setof two eggswas collected on St. Croix ond broodpresumably left in responseto thelower ponds at theCarambola Golf Re- asearly as 10 March 1924 (whereabouts un- rapidlyfalling water levels with the onset of sort in mid-December2002, but this breed- known),probably from Buck Island but per- a prolongeddrought; Creque Reservoir ing attemptfailed. At the samesite, a new hapsfrom Green Cay (see below), because dried out completelyby mid-June.This nestwith four eggswas discovered during Brown Pelicans do no! nest on St. Croix breedingrecord is the first for St. Croix. May 2003,and four smallyoung with par- proper(contra Beatty 1930). CrequeReservoir re-filled during mid-No- ents were later seen in June. A new nes! On GreenCay, about 50 pairsof Brown vember 2003. An adult Least Grebe in with one eggdiscovered on 1 November Pelicansnested from May throughSeptem- breedingplumage was detected on 22Janu- 2003, at the samesite, failedbecause of ris- ber 2000 (duringsuccessful rat eradication ary 2004 and thereafterthrough 15 June ingwaters from the mid-Novemberrainfall conductedfrom June 2000 to Februar) (with occasionalabsences) but remained event. Pied-billed Grebes also nested in the 2001; CDL). In the Caribbean.Brown Peli- unmated.However, a pair raisedfour con- smallerpool at theBuccaneer Hotel Waste- cansare one of only two seabirdsthat com- secutivebroods (from four nests) at Wind- water Treatment Ponds during January monlynest on cays occupied by rats (Camp- sotNorth Pond from February through July 2004, when threeof four eggshatched and bell 1991).Brown Pelicans again formed a 2004;one, four, three, and four young suc- theyoung fledged. These nests with eggs are breedingcolony on Green Cay in 2003, cessfullyfledged, respectively (LDY, S. the first to be documented in the USVI. Oth- whencensuses were conducted by CDL and Fromer,DBM; SEA4, Figure6). This pair er nestswith eggsand familygroups with DBM from 23 April throughSeptember, alsobuilt a fifth nestin lateJuly, in prepara- recentlyhatched young have been seen on whenca. 48 pairsnested (DFW 2, Figure8), tion for another breedingattempt. This at least 12 other freshwaterponds on St. and in 2004, when over 60 pairs nested breedingrecord is thesecond for St.Croix. Croix.The breeding status of thePied-billed (nest-buildingbegan as early as 5 December Otherwise,Least Grebes have only been Grebewill be fully documentedelsewhere 2003and egg-laying began in Februaryand reportedon St. Croix during Christmas Bird (McNairet al., in prep.). March).Nest success was high in bothsea- Counts from 1999-2002 (_<6birds; a count White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethonlep- sons(CDL andDBM, in prep.). of 20 at FredensborgPond is erroneous) turus Two pairsnested in low limestone Reliableinformation on fledglingsuccess apartfrom some recent reports of nonbreed- crevices(1-2 m abovesea level) at Canegar- of Brown Pelicans has never been obtained ing birds.This includes one adult seen by denCliff, where they successfully raised one beforeon either of thesetwo caysoff St. LDYaway from Creque Reservoir at nearby youngeach in 2002. In 2003and 2004, one Croix excep!on GreenCay in 2003 and Annaly Pond on 17-18 December2000. pair fledgedone young from the same 2004. Long-termmomtormg of coloniesat Otherrecent reports include single adults in crevice;all birdsdeparted by May (CDL;T. Buck Island,Green Cay, and elsewherein breedingplumage at HermitagePond on 5- Lance,pers. comm.). Birds may remain into the northernUSVI and BV1is stronglyrec- 14 October 2003 and at Williams Pond on June,and two to fourpairs have nested here ommended(Comprehensive Wildlife Con- 6-19January 2004 (LDY,DBM), but these since before 1980 (Seaman 1980, 1993; servationPlan; Hayes et al. 2005). birds were unmated (the latter bird may Norton 1988a; R. Philibosian,FWS, and T. AmericanBittern Botaurus lentigmosus-- havemoved to nearbyCreque Reservoir). Lance,unpubl. data), the only breeding site One bird was flushedat the margin of At WindsorSouth Pond, a singleimmature on St.Croix. Seaman (1980, 1993) reported Schuster Lower Pond on 15 November (probablyfrom the first brood)was seen about10 breeding pairs at CanegardenCliff 2003. This marks the third occurrence for from20 May through23 July 2004, where- before 1980. lmsand and Philibosian (1987) St Croix and the fifth in the USVI. The first as one to two adults in nonbreeding reportedthis speciesnesting nearby at bird (adult female) on St. Croix was collect- plumagewere present 14-29 July. Also on 14 Watchho(Vagthus Point) peninsula,but ed by Seaman(1954b; USNM 599682) at July,an immature(probably from the sec- this reporthas beenretracted (R. Phili- Anguillaon 7 October1953, and S. Fromer ond brood)was at LongfordLower Pond, bosian,pets. comm.). In the nineteenth flushedanother bird from the margin of the theonly occurrence from outside the north- century,Newton and Newton(1859d) stat- upperpond at the CarambolaGolf Resort westernhills. Reportsearlier than [999 ed that they sometimesob- have nol been substantiated (contra Bond served tropicbirds on St. I: t- 1984, Raffaele 1989; also see Bond 1986), Croix,probably this species. exceptfor oneadult ca. 1998-1999that was Brown Pelican Pelecanus retrievedfrom a smallpond at GrovePlace occidentalis--Theonly con- (fide LDY), also outsidethe northwestern firmed breedingsite of this hills. federallylisted endangered In the northern USVL Least Grebes re- speciesat St. Croix before centlybred at severalsites on St. Thomas 2000 was along the north and St. John (E E. Hayes,unpub[. data). slopeof BuckIsland (Seaman Least Grebes also nested on St. Thomas and 1961, Seaman and Randall St.John more than 60 yearsago (Nichols 1962, Collazo et al. 1998, 1943). The recentspate of LeastGrebes 2000, Witmer et al. 2002). since 1999 and confirmed nest records on More recent data on Buck Is- all three large islandssuggest that this landinclude seven pairs nest- [i•ur• 6.Ibis adult te•t 6re• (with• mate)sutt•sfully ral•d four ton•tu- speciesis re-occupyingbreeding range in ing in treeson 7 August2002 tire •oo& • •i•sor •orthP•d fromJa•ary tht•h July2004. lhe pairwas theUSV1 (DBM and E E. Hayes,in prep.),as (adultsincubating eggs; E A. •ildin• ama inpr•arat•n for their fi•h br•din•a•empt on 24 July (hem). breedingat somesites (e.g., Creque Reser- Mayor,DBM), although larger Photograph• (aral (ramer-B•rke.

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 539 on 17 December 2000. o the southeastern corner of Great Blue Heron Ardea SouthgatePond on 24 April. herodias--Prewousb,undoc- ' Black-crownedNight-Herons umented at St. Croix was one nested in the same White pair that nestedwith Great Mangrovesin 1984 and 1988, Egrets(A. alba) (and Black- when 10 nests(3-7 m high) crownedNight-Herons [Nyc- were active on 11 March and ticorax nycticorax])at UVI 30 Aprrl, Wetlands Reserve on 28 respectively.Some 22 nests April 1985,when a nestin a were built in 1984 (by 18 Black Mangrove (Avicennia April, when somenests had germinans)contained three eggs,although some young downyyoung (FWS). Also, hadalready fledged from oth- two adult Great Blue Herons er nests; Norton 1984b, were on an empty nest Sladen1992, FWS, unpubl. Green Ca), on 2 June 1985, data).Other reports of breed- fromwhich one juvenile with ing on St. Croixat the former pinfeatherson its headseen KrauseLagoon and the UVI Wetlands Reserve (Scott and on 11 May at nearbySouth- Figure7. This Pied-billed Grebe nest was built over a foundationofdead twigs and small branches of gate Pond may have been a treethat had fallen into one of the lower ponds atthe Carambola GolfResort. The eggs in the nest Carbonell 1986, Rodrigues raised(FWS). The onb, doc- aredifficult tosee in this photograph (20December 2002). œhotograph by14/. Coles. 2002) have not been substan- umentedhistorical breeding tiated(although at the latter record was at MangroveLagoon on St. fledglingsin another nest (LDY, DBM, site on 28 April 1985, adultswere on two Thomas,where two pairsnested, low in CCB). The only otherconfirmed breeding neststhat lacked eggs or young)The only mangroves,near a single pair of Great recordson St.Croix, in May-June1985 and documentedbreeding record of Black- Egrets (Nichols 1943). One Great Blue on 15June 1988, consisted of singlepairs at crownedNight-Herons on St. Croix since Heron clutch was collectedon 21 April mixed heronries that nested in xeric wood- the 1980swas a colonyof about15 pairs 2005 (WFVZ 155641). land on GreenCa), and in a RedMangrove (with smallnumbers of GreatEgrets) at a GreatEgret--This species is not known at SouthgatePond, respectively (FWS, un- small mixed mangroveswamp in Estate to breedin the USVI excepton St. Crmx publ. data).The onb, confirmedbreeding Longfordalong the south shore at Halfpen- (Raffaele1989; DFW, unpubl.data), other record in the northern USVI was a nest with n),Bay in 2003.Man), of the 12 largeBlack- than one pair that purportedlynested at threeeggs 1.2 m highin a smallmangrove crownedNight-Heron young seen at some MangroveLagoon, St. Thomas,where three on StevenCa); off St. Johnon 21 April of the low, well-hidden nests were about to largeyoung were seen in a neston 2] April (Nichols 1943; WFVZ 155647, year un- fledgein late March; all but about three (),earnot given;Nichols 1943). Th•srecord known). younghad fledgedby earl),May Twenty wasnot verified,and the nest, among man- The first Tricolored Heron in the USVI ),earsearlier, on 26 March 1983, 25 birds groveroots, was only 75 cm abovewater, was observedby Danforth(1930) at Ben- roostedat thissite, although breeding was which would be unusual. Leck and Norton ders(= Benner)Lagoon, St. Thomason 4 not documented (FWS). (1991) statedGreat Egrets had nested on St. January1927. Seaman (1993) observedTri- Black-crownedNight-Herons remain John,but we can find no basisfor this state- colored Herons only three times on St. scarcein the northernUSV1, although the ment. All breedingrecords have heretofore Croix, where the first bird was collected at firstconfirmed breeding record recently oc- beenfrom coastal environments, including Krausekagoon in 1941 on 20 (not 21) Sep- curredat St.Thomas (Hayes et al., in prep.). the onb, uplandnest records. A singlepair tember(Beatty 1944; FMNH 156303,adult Black-crownedNight-Herons have nested in (with young)nested in a largeTamarind male). Tricolored Herons have remained freshwaterswamps on PuertoRico (Raffaele (Tatnarmdusindica) on the berm of Great generallyscarce in the northernUSVI but 1989) but not in the USVI. Nonetheless,on Pondon St. Croix on 26 Jul), 1983 (FWS). are uncommon on St. Croix. Nonetheless, St. Crmx, Black-crownedNight-Herons oc- At leasttwo pairsagain nested in this tree breedingrecords remain scarce even here_ cur in greaternumbers and at proportional- on 30 April 1988.Unusual, therefore, was a Green Heron Butoridcs virescens--Two to ly morefreshwater than saltwater sites com- colon),of fivepairs on nests,agmn in a large three pairs nestedaseasonally (December pared to Yellow-crownedNight-Herons Tamarind,but •n the interior at Caste Burk 2003 throughFebruary 2004) at Southgate (Nyctanassaviolacea). Pondfrom March through May 2004.This Pond.probably an indirectresponse to the American Flamingo Phoenicopterus constitutes the first confirmation of breed- mid-November 2003 rainfall event. The five tuber--Europeansare responsiblefor the ing at a freshwaterwetland in theUSVI. actwenests {eggs and young)were built in extirpationof this speciesfrom St. Croix TricoloredHeron Egrettatricolor--Two White Mangroves(Laguncularia racetnosa) andpossibly from St. Thomas(Newton and pairsnested during April and May 2002at a in the samearea used by breedingcoots Newton 1859d,Wetmore 1918), although mixedheronry in a largeisolated clump of Fulicaspp. At ManningBay Lagoon, a single substantialnumbers may have remained on Red Mangroves(Rhizophora mangle) 5 m freshGreen Heron egg was found floating St. Croixinto the earl),nineteenth century, tall alongAlucroix Channel, St. Croix. Both on the wateramong Red Mangroves on 10 as the),did in the BV1(mainly at Anegada nests were 2-3 m above water; the one nest January2004, and at least 12 "drop"eggs Island;Lazell 2001. 2002). Threeof only examinedon 21 April containedtwo eggs. were seenalong the westernshoreline of four reportsof flamingosin the USVI since At leastone pair again nested at thiscolon), GreatPond during the latterhalf of March the 1960s have been one bird at Krause La- siteduring April and May 2004. At Great (LDY, DBM, CCB). goonRemnant on 3 November1967 (Sea- Pond,three adults were present (two build- Black-crownedNight-Heron--The first man 1973, 1993), three birds at West End •nga nest)at a mixedheronry in RedMan- confirmedbreeding records in theUSVI oc- Salt Pond in 1995 (M. Evans), and an im- groves8 m tall on 20 March 2004, and on curred in 1982, when FWS discovered13 matureat Ruth Island on 25 September 27 Marchone adult was feeding three large nestsin White Mangroves(7-10 m tall) at 1996 (later in October at West End Salt

540 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Pond;w. C. Knowlesand M. Evans,unpubl_ Snowy Plover C. alexandrinus--Oneju- (clutchof two eggseach year and one young data).The earliestbird wasprobably an es- venile was looselyassociated with other fledgedin 2003;CDL, DBM). One to occa- capedcaptive flamingo from St. Ihomas; shorebirds at a small roost on the beach be- sionallytwo pairs of oystercatchershave the provenanceof the later birdswas un- sidea tetnporarytidal poolat CoakleyBay, nestedalong the northeasternand north- known. In addition, a flock of 6-12 Ameri- St. Croixon 14 October2002. SingleSnowy westernshores of Green Cay for over 20 can Flamingosthat includedsome imma- Ploverson St. Croix were detectedeight years(FWS, CDL, and DBM,unpubl. data). tureswas present at theWest End Salt Pond timesbetween February 1989 and Septem- Along the rocky exposednorthwestern from December 1992 to June 1993 (M. ber 1996, althoughpublished details are shoreof St.Croix, A. MackayandJ. Rebholz Evans,k. E. Yntema).Ihese birdsmay have lacking.Gorman and Haig(2002) alsocite discovereda pair at a nestwith threeeggs at wanderedfrom Anegada Island, where they other occurrences in the USVI, where a smallcove (in SweetBottom Estate) just were successfullyre-introduced in 1992 Snow),Plover is not a residentspecies and westof DavisBay on 17 April 1990.Anoth- (flamingoswere once abundant on Anegada hasnever been provento breed_It breeds er pairat a nestwith oneegg was discovered Island; Lazell 2001, 2002), or from else- nearbyin BVI onAnegada Island, which has on 7 May 2003at Judith Fancy (just outside wheresuch as Hispaniola. An earlier(1987) extensive,wide sandy beaches(Gorman Salt RiverBay), but this nest failed.Ihese trial restorationeffort to Guana Island, BVI andHaig 2002). The onepurported historic two reportsare the first confirmationof failed,but effortsare underway again to re- egg set in the USVI, at St Croix (Beatty breedingoystercatchers on St. Croixproper. introducethe speciesthere (Lazell 1987, 1930, Seaman 1993, Gorman and Haig Black-necked Stilt--Ihe first confirmed 1996, 2001, 2002). 2002), was probably that of a Wilson's freshwaterbreeding records in the USVI oc- OspreyPandion haliaetus---Although the Plover,although Snowy Plovers may have curredon St. Croix in short grassat the WestIndian race ridgwayihas not bredin nestedon salinefiats in Jerusalem(part of marginof GranardSouth Pond (nestwith the Virgin Islands (Wiley 1984, Norton the formerKrause Lagoon). one egg discoveredon 4 May, but nest 1989b, contraNellis 1979), a few immamres Wilson'sPlover--Forty to forty-fivepairs failed),at the golf courselink #9 pond of (includingsome of the continentalrace car- breed at ca. 15 sites at which over 35 nests theBuccaneer Hotel (pair with threedowny olinensis;Leek 1975, Wiley 1984, Norton have been discovered. The most suitable site youngca. [our days old on 11 May),and at 1989c) may remainthrough the summer is GreatPond, where up to 10 pairsoccur leagues Bay Pond (pair with one pre- (e.g.,at ManningBay from 2002-2004). A and wherenonbreeding numbers are high- fledgedyoung on 14June) in 2004.Black- similar situationhas prevailedin Puerto est year-round.Full detailswill be pub- neckedStilts nest at manysites in saltwater Rico,where since the 1990sseveral pairs lishedelsewhere (DBM, in prep.).Unusual wetlands. (includinga pairon 30 March2003; R. Ro- at this latitudewas a nestwith four eggsat Willet Catoptrophorussemipalmatus-- driguez,pets. comm.) have built nestsbut Krause Lagoon Remnant from 14 June Thisspecies used to nestat KrauseLagoon, not laid eggs(J. A. Colonand A. G. lossas, through3 July2004. whereBeatty (1943) first confirmedbreed- pers.comm.). An ill Ospreyat FortunaBay, AmericanOystercatcher Haematopus pal- ing on 11-21May 1942(downy chicks two St. Thomason 15 September2002 (found liatus--Oystercatchersnest annually off St. daysold collectedon 1 June1942; FMNH deadon 17 September)had been banded as Croix on two nearshorecays (Green Cay, 415953-415954). Ihe last nestson St. Croix a nestlingnear BarnegatLight, NewJersey, Ruth Island),where they have been con- proper were discoveredby FWS during on 2July 1994. firmedbreeding (Yntema and Sladen1987; 1985-1986.At KrauseLagoon Remnant (in American Coot F. americana and FWS, unpubl. data). At Ruth Island,two a largeopen area between Hovensa and Alu- CaribbeanCoot F. caribaea•A colonyof pairsnested during May 2002 (when one croix Channel),one nest contained4 eggs sevento eightpairs of bothspecies nested in pairwas seen with onedependent juvenile), on 18 May 1985,and the same nest had one manglarsof White Mangrovesfrom winter andone pair each nested during spring 2003 chick and three eggs (two pipped, one 2003 through spring 2004 at Southgate and 2004. At Green Cay,one pair nested crushed)on 26 May;three territorial adults Pond,their most suitable breeding site in the duringApril and May 2002 through2004 wereat thislocation during mid-June 2004. USVI.One to threepairs of cootshave also At the formerAlumina plant (now St. Croix nested on St. Croix at five freshwater farm RenaissancePark) from 5-9 May 1986,one pondssince 2002. Full detailswill be pre- nestwith foureggs was located between the sented elsewhere on the historical and cur- mainplant and the largesettling pond. Two rent breedingstatus of cootsin the USVI pairsnested at Hovensain 1986. One pair (and eastern Caribbean; McNair 2006) as with two chicks4-6 daysold were seenin well as on their breedingecology at South- the southeasterncorner near the sludge gate Pond (McNair and Cramer-Burke,in farms on 9 June. Another nest with four press). eggswas found nearby, inside a machinery American Golden-Plover Pluvialis domini- and equipmentscrap yard south of the ca--Lateduring autumn migration was one sludgefarms on 11June; three chicks (prob- juvenileresting on the beachberm at Man- ablyfrom this nest) 3-4 daysold wereseen ningBay on 14 December2002. One bird there on 30 June. Ruth Island, where nests wasalso seen on St.Croix in earlyDecember andyoung have been found during May and 1984 (Norton 1985a), and one or two birds earlyJune (Yntema and Sladen 1987), is the each were seen in late December 1985 on the only currentdocumented breeding site in St. Croix, St. Ihomas, and St. John Christ- the USV1.Two pairs of Willets nestedon masBird Counts.Beatty (1930) statedthat Ruth Islandin 2002, when on 29 May two he shot a male from a flock of three at Krause nestswith threeand four eggs, respectively, Lagoonon 29 December1921, but we have were foundby DBM on the sandybeach beenunable to locateany specimen. Ameri- nearthe northern tip andat thesouthern tip can Golden-Ploversoccur regularly though Figure8. Twohealthy nestling Brown Pelicans were still nearthe top of moundedcoral rubble (DFW rarelyin easternNorth America during De- notyet large enough to stray from their nest at GreenCay 3-4, Figures9a, 9b). In 2003, onenest with cember(Paulson and Lee 1992). (11May 2003). Photograph byT. Lance. twoeggs was again found on thebeach near

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 541 the northerntip and was active al Batist Point, where it was from 1-27 May. In 2004, CDL roostingwith six other turn- foundone nest with four eggson stones on tidal wrack. Two 23 May,again near the top of the more marked Ruddy Turn- coral dome at the southerntip, stoneswere seen the following but no eggsor adultswere pres- winter at ProtestantCay, one ent on 29 May.Willets, probably from l0 October2002 through localbreeding birds, are most fre- 5 March2003 (roostingat the quently seen foraging east or old east dock with 20 other west of Ruth Island at six other turnstones on the latter date), sitesalong the southshore from the other bird on 10 January West End Salt Pond to Great and 26 February2003. One of Pond. the three birds at Frederiksted Beatty(1943) statedthat Wil- Harbor and the bird at Batist lets were regularwinter visitors Point in 2002, from different to St. Croix, and he collecteda fe- cohortsin 2001 (9-18 May and maleWestern Willet (subspecies 29 May through4 June,respec- inornatus) at Hammer Pond (a tively),may have returned to St. brackishsalt pond severelyal- Croix in 2003-2004,although tered by developmenton the individuals from the same co- easternside of Sah RiverBay at , hortcould not be distinguished Judith Fancy) on 24 October from each other. One turnstone 1933 (Danforth 1935; USNM in a flockof eightwas seen by 354058). Seaman(1973), in ad- DBM and CDL foragingin tidal dition to Krause Lagoon, also wrack on the windward side of stated that Willets were found Green Cay on 23 April 2003, most regularlyat Judith Fancy, and two more birds, in full althoughwe do not know if they breedingplumage and basic evernested there. FWS (unpubl. plumage,respectively, were seen data)found that 2-8 Willetsreg- at Frederiksted Harbor on 1 ularlyoccurred year-round on St. June and 11 November 2003. Croix, most frequently with Thus, six of the minimum num- Whimbrcls(Numcnius phaeopus) ber of seven marked Ruddy at GreatPond during winter (al- Turnstonesremained for long thoughonly reported on 4 outof periodsat two of the mostfa- 21 yearson St. Croix Christmas vorable siteson St. Croix (Fred- Bird Counts).Currently, Willets eriksted Harbor, Protestant have mainly been seen on St. figures•, •. 0n• 0ft•0 •ill•t n•stsfound 0n •ut• Island Cay), where both anthro- four•s •nd•s •l•t•d n•r t• t0• • st•ntily Croixduring the breeding season pogenic and natural habitats from 14 April throughJuly, al- fromtl• u• ([i•ur•9•). •to•r•5 • ß •, (rocky coasts,sand) beaches) though single birds were also providedforaging and roosting seenduring autunm 2003 at GreatPond (23 Ruddy Turnstone--Atle•t sevenbirds sites,including an apparent plentiful supply October)and ManningBay Lagoon(4-11 originally captured,banded, and color- of food from humanrefuse. In the nearby November). •arked during migralion in hte spring LesserAntilles, single RuddyTumstones Whimbrel--Unlike in the northern USV1 (May to earlyJune) 1999-2002at Delawa• bandedin New Jerseyand Virginiahave (Hayeset al., in prep.), small numbersof Bay,Delaware (one bird) and New Jer•y beenrecovered in Martiniqueduring Au- Whimbrelsare regularlyreported in man- (six birds; Kathy Clark, Endangered gust and September (Buden and grovelagoons on St. Croix (and lessfre- NongameSpecies Program, New JerseyDi- Wctenkamp1993). quentlyon thebeach or on openheadlands), vision of Fish • Wildlife, pers. comm.) Red Knot Calidris canutus--Most knots especiallyat Great Pond (Sladen lO92). were resightedat [our siteson •t. Croix in the USVI havebeen reported at Krause Numbers have declined (maximum of seven (FrederiCted •arbot, Batisl Poinl, •reen LagoonRemnant, or beforethen at Krause birds), probablybecause Red and Black Cay, ProtestantCay) from Janua• 2002 Lagoon(Scott and Carbonell1986, Sladen Mangroveshave rapidly increased at Great throughMarch 2004. 1988; FWS, unpubl. data). This included Pondand less open mudflat is available. From7 Januarythrough 9 May 2002,up the first occurrence on 11 December 1921 MarbledGodwit Limosafedoa•ne bird to three birds in the same flock were ob- (Beatty1930) and the only knownspeci- at the largecooling pond of St. Croix Re- se•ed by E E. Hayesand DBM at Frede•k- mens (male, female) collectedin the USVI naissancePark on 25 September2002 rep- stedHarbor. These birds fed amonga flock on 19 August 1939 (FMNH 158094- resented the fourth occurrence on St. Croix of • manyas 50 tumstonesalong the wa- 158095). Knots were nol recorded in the (and the USVI). Earlierautumnal vagrants terfronton an exposedlimestone shelf (le• USVI during spring migrationuntil the weretwo birdsat KrauseLagoon on 11 No- frequentlyon the sandy•ach) andoppor- 1980s,which include our onlyJune reports vember 1921 (one shot, whereabouts un- tunisticallyon fish and otherfood left by on 17-29 June 1982 and 9-30 June 1986 known;BeaUy 1930), one fernalecollected humanson the pier • well • on •o• left (KrauseLagoon Remnant: the largecooling on 9 October 1939 (FMNH 127032), and on the grassyla• of a park. [urnstones pondof St. CroixRenaissance Park; Norton oneindividual at LongPoint from 14 Sep- alsoroosted on new and abandoned pier pil- 1982, 1986c; Sladen 1988; FWS). Still temberthrough 5 October1988 (Norton ings.DBM alsosaw one other marked bird scarcein spring,one bird was seen on 4 May 1989a; FWS). on 29 Ma•h alongthe south-centralcoast 2002 by DBM andA. S. L. Rodrigues,this

542 NORTH AMERICAN BIRD time at nearbyManning Bay Lagoon, where 1991;FWS, pers.comm.). adult in breedingplumage roosted with otherRed Knots have been seen recently. Gull-billed Tern 5tonka nilotica--One to otherterns at RuthIsland on 29 May 2002. White-rumpedSandpiper C. fuscicollis-- two adultsassociated w•th otherspecies of The only other springoccurrences on St. One adult in partialbreeding plumage was terns in 2002 at several sites in the West Croix were birds associatingwith other observedby DBMand CDL with othersmall End(especially the salt pond, a favoritesite; terns at the West End Salt Pond, from mid- sandp•persat GreatPond on 24 April 2003. Leck 1975) from7-25 May and at the large Junethrough 7 July 1983 (maximumof 13 The only other springreports in the USVI coolingpond of St. Croix RenaissancePark Common Terns,including eight adults in (also at St. Croix) were a flock of 12 at from 15July through25 September.Gull- breedingplumage) and two pairs from 7 KrauseLagoon on 5June1933, five birds at billed Ternsare a regularthough generally June through12 July 1985 (Norton 1983, SandyPoint National Wildlife Refngesand scarcevernal and autumnalmigrant on St. 1985b;FWS). Birds reported at St.Croix on flatson 13 May 1982, one eachin 1983 at Croix, where the first reportsoccurred in three Christmas Bird Counts were not sub- the Aluminaplant (now St. Croix Renais- 1933-1934(Beatty 1936), not 1954 (contra stantiated. sance Park) and Grea• Pond on 21 and 28 Leck 1975). The only specimensfrom St. Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus--Three April, respectively,and one bird at Sandy Croix were collectedin 1940-1942(April- adultswere seen by DBMand PA. Mayorin Point on 8 May 1986 (Beatty1936, Norton June; August-September;FMNH 127861- the vicinityof severalother seabirds on 21 1986b:FWS). The report of five birdsat 127862, 158803-158809; UMMZ 124893), May 2003 at the FAD A buoy (1200 m wa- Great Pond on 5 April 2002 (Rodrigues whichmay have been pre- and post-breed- ter depth), 5.5 km northwestof Buck Is- 2002) was not substantiated.Reports of ing birdsfrom the formercolony at Cock- land,St. Croix.This report is oneof few of White-rumpedSandpipers in the USV1on roach Cay off St. Thomas(Beatty 1941, thispelagic species off St. Croix (FWS, un- Christmas Bird Counts have also not been Nichols 1943). publ.data), where it hasundoubtedly been substantiated. RoseateTern S. dougallii--Thistern was overlooked.The only specimenknown to PectoralSandpiper C. melanotos-•One onlyseen during autumnal migration, flying nsis a juvenilecollected off St. Croixon 24 bird was roostingwith othershorebirds on eastbetween Green Cay and the mainland September1944 (USNM 121845). 14 April 2003 at ManningBay Lagoon. The (onebird, 19 August;flock of seven,30 Au- SootyTern Sternafuscata--The only ex- only otherspring reports in the USV1(also gust)or just northof GreenCay (flockof tant specimen(juvenile) collectedon St. at St. Croix) were at SouthgatePond, one 70, 27 September)in 2002. The speciesis Croix was in the interior at Estate Granard bird on 2 May 1982and a flockof 10 on 6 rarelyreported from St. Croix,where it was on 14 August 1986 (UMMZ 228335), al- May 1984(FWS; not 12 May,contra Norton not reliablydocumented (Newton [1859b] thoughBeatty (1930) statedhe shota male 1984b).The reportof onebird at St. Croix presumablymisidentified this species) until (whereaboutsunknown) on therocks along on a Christmas Bird Count was not sub- 1972(Leck 1975), contra Beatty (1930) and the coast at Hams Bluff on 20 March 1924. stantiated. Nisbet(1980), even thoughRoseate Terns An injuredbird was also given to the St. Ruff Philomachuspugnax--One male, are common to abundant summer residents CroixAnimal Shelter on 23 September1986 mmnly•n nonbreedingplumage and loosely m the northern USVI. (whereaboutsunknown; FWS). associatingwith Greater(Tringa melanoleu- Common Tern Ste•na hirundo--One Brown Noddy Anousstolidus--An adult ca) andLesser (T. flavipes)Yellowlegs, was with an injuredwing that landed in a boat presenton 5-6 April2004 at thelargest set- just off BuckIsland, St. Croixon 2 May tlingpond (for redbauxite tailings) on St. 2003was retrieved by NPSpersonnel and Croix Renaissance Park next to the An- eventnallysent to rehabilitatorT. Lance, guilla Landfill.This is the secondreport but the bird never recovered from its in- for St. Croix. The first was one bird in juries and died in July (specimennot floodedfields at Prosperityon 9 October saved).The only specimenswere collect- 1985 (Norton 1980a; FWS). Raffaele edoff St. Croix fromJnly through October (1989)stated one other report exists for St. in 1939-1940 (FMNH 158950-158952). Croix, but it has not been located. The Thus,the bird photographedon a seawall specieshas also been reported once during nearFrederiksted during May 1973(Leck autumn at St. Thomas (Norton 1981; Leck 1975) bas not the first record for St. and Norton 1991). Croix. The only other reportsof Brown Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus Noddy for St. Croix are severalin the tricolor--Oneadult of thisrare species on 1980s(FWS, unpubl.data). St. Croix (Sladen 1988) was seen in 2002 White-crownedPigeon Patagioenas at GreatPond on 4 August,our earliestre- leucocephala--Theonly documented port duringautumn migration. breedingsite on St. Croixafter Hurricane Ring-billedGull Larusdelawarensis-- Hugoin 1989 was Ruth Island(Knowles Up to two first-yearbirds were present at 1997, 1999; McNair, in prep.). This Frederiksted Harbor from 1-21 December speciescontinnes to breedthere, but pop- 2003 and later at St. Croix Renaissance ulationsurveys in 2002-2004 also docu- Park besidethe AnguillaLandfill on 13 mentedca. 15other breeding sites in man- January2004. groveand littoral habitatson St. Croix Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus includingall four cays.All sitescontain fuscus An adult was notedwith several low numbers of breeding pairs (<12 LaughingGulls (L. atricilla) in Chris- pairs/site), except at Ruth Island and tianstedHarbor on 4 August2003 (C. Great Pond, where an estimated 40-100 Figures10a, lob. This single Antillean Nighthawk egg (repre- Faanes).The only other report of this sentinga complete dutch) was laid on caliche rubble in an aban- pairs nest at each of these two sites. specieson St. Croix (and the USVI) was donedindustrial area at theSt. Croix Renaissance Park (Figure White-crownedPigeons typically breed also an adult at SandyPoint on 8 May 10a).A young chick was present seven days later on 22 July 2002 from April through September(when 1986 (not 8 March, Leck and Norton (Figurelob). Photo9raphs byM. A. Mahoney. adultswith two recentlyfledged young on

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 543 GreenCay were observedas of moist, closed forest MangroveCuckoo Coccyzus minor--This late as the 27th), but J. W. alongguts where per- cuckoois generallymuch less numerous in Wiley, CDL, and DBM also manent or temporary the USV1in mangrovewetlands than in discovered three active nests streams used to flow xeric forestand thorn scrub,as well as moist on Green Cay in January more frequently.Bri- forest (Robertson 1962, Askins and Ewert (2003),when breeding is or- dled Quail-Doveswill 1991;DBM, pers.obs.). At St. Croix,Wauer dinarily rare. Followingthe alwaysbe generally un- and Sladen (1992) reportedMangrove mid-November rainfall event common because of Cuckoosin mangroveswamp forest at Sug- of 2003. White-crowned Pi- their exactinghabitat ar Bayin 1987,and remnantswamp forest geonsnested during winter Figure11. This probable first-year Connecticut requirements, but im- thereafter HurricaneHugo still supports in mangrovewetlands and Warblerlanded on the deck of a boathalfway proved watershed somebirds (up to threesinging during sur- littoral woodland on at least betweenVirgin Gorda, BVI, and St. Croix, USVI managementand re- veys from October2002 throughApril [our sites (Buccaneer Hotel, on8 October2002. Photograph by6. Kunkel. growthand expansion 2003). MangroveCuckoos breed in man- Great Pond,Sugar Bay, UV1 of forests will increase grovewetlands during the winter (e.g., in Wetlands Reserve). Full details of recent their prospects.Singing males (and other Januaryat AnegadaIsland, BVI; LaBastille populationsurveys on St.Croix will bepub- birds) were presentfrom 2002-2004in at and Richmond1973), so observersshould lishedelsewhere (DBM, in prep.). In the least 18 sites, with a maximum of six males be alert to documentbreeding during this northernUSV1, breeding was confirmed in per site (MI. Eaglenorth slope).The most period (Beatty 1930). The only other 2003 at Mangrove Lagoon, St. Thomas accessiblelocation, with aboutfive pairs, is recordsof birdsin mangrovewetlands on St. (Hayeset al., in prep.). alongCreque Dam Road,where the pair at Croix from 2002 throughJuly 2004 were White-winged Dove Zenaidaasiafica-- the lowest elevation (ca. 100 m) was tend- singlesinging males at CoakleyBay Salt Apartfrom a smallpopulation introduced in ing onefledgling (that had just left thenest Pond (19 September2002) and St. Croix 1965 that did not persist(Seaman 1963, and was almostcaptured) on 2 June2002. RenaissancePark (27 May 2003) and one 1964,1965), this species was formerly a ca- The apparentsouthwestern limit of their bird at ProsperityMarsh on 10 April 2004 sual spring and summer vagranton St. rangein the northwesternhills is a gut (LDY).While Hurricane Hugo in September Croix (Bond 1960, Norton 1989c). White- alongsideMahogany Road, which contains 1989 decimatedmangrove forest on St. winged Doves have recently established a temporarypool next to a USGSgage sta- Croix (muchless damage in the northern themselvesthere as a permanentresident tion at EstateJolly Hill. This areacontains USVI), MangroveCuckoos may always have (since 1999; L. LeBlanc,unpubl. data). two pairsof quail-doves(including adults beengenerally scarce in mangrovewetlands However,birds are generally less numerous w•th two juvenileson 3 April 2003; LDY, exceptmature swamp forest (e.g., they are duringwinter (suggestingcontinued move- unpubl.data), and the temporarypool fre- currentlyabsent from immature mangrove ment between the USVI and Puerto Rico, quentlyprovides them with freshwater. wetlandsat GreatPond, which has recenfiy whichis the presumedorigin of thesebirds Oneadult was poached there in April2002. becomeone of the largestmangrove tracts andwhere this species has greafiy increased; Nearbyin Prosperity,one Nrd was shot•n on St. Croix). Rivera-Milan2001, pers. comm.). White- the late 1960s,an adult male was collected Antillean NighthawkChorderies gund- wingedDoves have been seen on St. Croix at ProsperityGarden on 19 May 1938 lachii--The first confirmed nest records on on at least 23 sitessince 2002, all sitesbut (USNM 354229), and another bird was St. Croix,where Antillean Nighthawks are one (CarambolaGolf Resort)in the dry seenat Prosperityin 1926 (Danforth1930, near the easternlimit of their breeding zone (the same habitat preferencethe Seaman 1968). It is uncertain if Bridled range(at AnegadaIsland, BV1 and recendy specieshas in PuertoRico). White-winged Quail-Dovesstill occurat ProsperityThe at Guadeloupe;A. Levesque,pers. comm.), Doveshave not nestedat all sites.Breeding only extralimital site for Bridled Quail- were discovered at St. Croix Renaissance is concentratedat Ruth Island (14 nestsdis- Dovesever reported on St. Croixwas east of Park. Females were flushed off three clutch- covered in 2003) and several sites in the Christiansted at Estate Mount Welcome esof one eggeach placed on calicherubble EastEnd (breedingconfirmation includes about 0.6 km eastof SpringGut Road, in an abandoned industrial area between the one bird that had just fledgedat the St. whereR. O'Reillyheard two birdssinging main plant and largestcooling pond. The Croix Yacht Club). The number of adult ca. 1995. firstnest, co-discovered by P E Mahoneyon birdson St.Croix during the main breeding Bridled Quail-Dovesused to be not un- 15 July 2002,was photographed by M. A. season(Mareh-July) is small (ca. 75-100), commonin thewestern part of St.Thomas Mahoney(DFW 5-6, Figures10a,b). Two and althoughincreasing, White-winged (Nichols1943), where the one egg collected nests400 m apartin 2003 were activefrom Doves occupy rather restrictedhabitat, by Nicholsis now •n the VVTVZ(155672). 23-27 May and 23 May to 9 June,respec- where they may remainlocal and uncom- Thisspecies remained locally fairly co•nmon tively;the latter nestmay havebeen suc- mon.Birds have also occupied the northern on St. Thomas until at leasl the mid- to late cessful.In 2004, two downychicks from USV1(Hayes et al., in prep.).Full detailson 1950s(Seaman 1955, 1957a). Recent reports one nestwere discoveredby CDL and J. theirrapid range expansion throughout the have been scarce. Three birds were detected Wakefield in the same area at St. Croix Re- USV1will bepublished elsewhere (DBM and in 2003 by E E. Hayesat PerseveranceBay naissancePark on 24-27 May.At a second E E. Hayes,in prep.). duringJanuary and February, while one bird site (Hovensa),they discovered three nests. Bridled Quail-Dove GeoOygon washeard singing in a ravineabove Char- The first nest, which was later abandoned, mystacea--ThisWest Indian endemicwas lotteArealie by DBM on 5 February. hadone egg on 30 May.Two downy chicks thoughtto havepossibly been extirpated Yellow-billedCuckoo Cocc_vzusameri- were observedat the secondnest in June. from St. Croix followingHurricane Hugo canus-Thisspecies is generallyuncommon The thirdnest had twoyoung fledge in late (Wauer and Wunderle 1992), but Bridled duringautumn migration •n the USVI, •n- June. All nestswere in tank fields in the Quail-Doveshave persistedor new hirds cludingSt. Croix (McNair et al_ 2002). vicinity of storage tanks. Antillean havere-estabfished a small population in Thus, somewhat unusual was a modest Nighthawkis a locallyuncommon summer gutsof the northwesternhills (Rodrigues "fallout" of 12 birds (10 at the St. Croix residentfrom mid-Aprilto mid-Auguston 2002; DBM, unpubl.data). This columbid YachtClub) seen by DBM and E E. Hayeson the south s•de from the West End eastward is closelyassociated with denseunderstory 24 October 2002. to EstateCanegarden, and its status appears

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS to have been stablesince ca. 1985, when the (2002-2004)but regularlyonly at threeof on 19 January 2003 at Francis Bay, St. first birds (three individuals) discovered these (FrederikstedHarbor, Fredensborg Thomas. On St. Croix, birds (all females sincebefore 1970 (fideG. A. Seaman)were Pond,Hovensa). The largestdaily numbers whennoted) have been seen each year s•nce seen at Golden Grove on 14 July 1985 were noted at FredensborgPond and the 2002 at a total of sevensites: up to three (FWS). Maximumcounts have been 10 birds CarambolaGolf Resortduring mid-April birdsin BlackMangroves at GreatPond from duringJune 1988 and on 4 August1986 throughmid-May (18 birds)and late August 18 Februarythrough 22 March2002 (DBM, (Norton 1987a, 1988b) and nine birds at La throughearly September (23 birds),which A.S.L.Rodrigues), one in pondsidevegeta- Reineon 20 August2002, the last date birds presumablyincluded vernal and autumnal tion at Mountain Mint Dairy Farm at Estate havebeen heard calling. Recent reports on migrants.Autumnal timing coincided with Petronellaon 24 February2002, one in large St. Thomas (no confirmed nest records) are the departureof four birds(including one shadetrees along the waterfront at Frederik- summarizedby Hayeset al. (in prep.).The female) from the FrederikstedPier after 27 stedon 2t)April 2002 (latest spring report in clutchof two eggscollected on St. Thomas August(2002). Threepairs nested there in theUSV1), one at a pondon theReef Condos (Nichols 1943) is now in the collectionsof lateralbrackets affixed to the tip of the pier golf courseon 3 March 2003, one at Fre- WFVZ (155634). fromMay throughJuly, 2002 through2004 densborgPond from 27 Januarythrough 25 Nighthawksp. Choralelies sp.--One silenl (and earlier; Raffaele1989, basedon FWS, February2004, two at WindsorSouth Pond birdwas flying along the waterfront at Fred- unpubl.data). At leasttwo pairsnested at on 27January 2004 (oneremaining until 18 erikstedon 3 November2003, the latestoc- Hovensaon the eastside of the refineryin March: LDY), and three at Granard South currence in the USV1. 2004 (5-10 birds seen regularly),where Pondon 25 February2004. BlackSwift Cypseloidesniger•ne bird CDL observedthem from May throughJul) PalmWarbler Dendroica palmarum--This was observedon 12 August2002, flying in pipesat openingsto fire waterlines on warblerhas been an infrequentwinter resi- northwardabove a pastureat Prosperity.The top of two tanksof two emergencyprocess dent in the USVI (Pashley1988, Raffaele onlyprevious reports for theUSVI were sin- units which have not been used for several 1989,Askins et al. 1992;although see Beat- glebirds at Frederikstedon 23July 1933, at years(W. Bradford, pers. comm.; CDL). Two ty [1930]who was the first individual to re- SpratHall Beachon 23 March1983, at Sprat pre-fiedgedchicks at one nest were ob- port Palm Warblersin the USVI, at St. Hall Estateon 6 June 1985, and on 9 May servedin July.Reports of CaribbeanMartins Croix).The onlyreports on St. Croixsince 1990 (Danforth 1934, Norton 1990; FWS). at St. Croix on three Christmas Bird Counts the 1980shave been single b•rds in scrubbe- Several of these birds were with Caribbean have not been substantiated. side Great Pond on 16 January2002 (Ro- Martins(Progne dominicensis). CaribbeanMartins also nested at the tip of drigues2002) and 23 October2003. in a Purple-throated Carib Eulampis the FrederikstedPier (oneor 2 pairs)and at pasturebeside the V1 AgriculturalStation jugularis--Onebird was seen foraging in a Hovensa(6-8 pairs)in the 1980s.At Hoven- Middle Pondfrom 23 Februarythrough 28 bougainvilliaalong the waterfrontat Fred- sa(e.g., May-June of 1985-1986),birds nest- March 2002, and in low beach scrub at the erikstedon 29July 2002 by CDL,A. Mack- ed in drainpipes of oil bargesalong the northerntip of Ruth Islandon 1 May 2003. ay, and threeother individuals. The only dock, in lighters,and in other structures Hayeset al. (in prep.)also recently reported otheroccurrence on St. Croixwas one pho- (FWS, unpubl.data). Birds also nested at a singlebtrd at St. l'homas. tographedby FWS at a feederin BellevueEs- two other locations the latter half of the ConnecticutWarbler Oporornisagilis-- tate on 3 Ma) 1987, althoughthe photo- twentiethcentury, in 1975-1976along the G. Kunkelphotographed a probable imma- graphsare not diagnostic(Norton 198To; northwesterncoast in cavesunder low-lying ture that landed on the deck of a boat locat- DBM,pers. exam.). The long, decurved bill rockabove the beachjust westof DavisBay ed about halfwaybetween Virgin Gorda, suggeststhe bird was a female.The only oth- (4-6 pairs;FWS) and from 1981-1983at BV1,and St. Croix, USV1on 8 October2002 er occurrencein the USV1, also at a feeder CanegardenCliff (3-5 pairs),where as many (DFW 7, Figure11). Thisbird and other in- duringspring 1987, was at St.John in Cruz as five birds have been seen since 2002 dividualsin a smallflock that probably were Bayon 30 March(Norton and Hobbs 1987; (CDL). Martinsalso may havenested in Connecticut Warblers were observed at not 17April, contra Raffaele 1989) Thisbird mooringbits (of theformer Alumina plant) nightas theywere illuminated by the deck wasalso probably a female. at Alucroix Harbor from 5-14 June 1983 lightsof theeast-bound cruise ship M/V Cen- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus (FWS). Otherwise,no other information on tury.This furnishes the firstverified record varius--Oneindividual was seen foraging in confirmedbreeding sites in the USVI exists (and second occurrence) of Connecticut BlackMangroves on 13 December2002 at sincethe first half of the twentiethcentury Warbler in the USV1. The first was one im- SugarBay, St. Croix. On St.Thomas, one im- (Beatty1930. Nichols1943; Seaman 1973, matureat theformer Alumina plant (now St. maturefemale was seen by B. Hayesand E E. 1980). Croix Renaissance Park) on 30 October Hayesat TurpentineRun from 28 February BankSwallow Riparia ripariadne bird 1988 (FWS, R. Wauer). through8 March2003. Thesetwo reports wasseen at SouthgatePond from 22 May Common Yellowthroat Geothlvpis arethe only documented occurrences of the through1 June2004 (DBM,LDY), the first trichas--Thiswarbler has been an infrequent rare Yellow-belliedSapsucker in the USVl springoccurrence for St.Croix. wnter residentin the USV1(Pashley 1988, sincethe 1980s,although the firstbxrd was Yellow-rumped(Myrtle) Warbler Den- Raffaele1989, Askinset al. 1992, Wauer and reportedlong ago at St. Croix (Newton droicacoronata coronata--This species has Sladen 1992) since an immature male was 1860), and four other birds were collected been an infrequentwinter residentin the firstreported in 1958 at St. Croix (Seaman on St. Croix and St. Thomas from 1859 USVI (Pashley1988, Raffaele 1989, Askins 1959; ANSP 169929). Some reports on through 1866 (UMZC 261Pic1331bl13, et al. 1992) sinceit wasfirst seen by Beatty Christmas Bird Counts at St. Thomas and St. 26/Pic/33Po/17;two specimensin ZMUC). (1936) in 1935 (not 1933, contraPashley Croixare probably not credible. Recent valid Mostbirds reported in the USV1,when dis- 1988), who soonthereafter collected a male reportsof singlebirds at freshwaterwetlands tinguishable,have been iramatures, usually at the West End Salt Pond, St. Croix on 27 on St.Croix in 2002were on 15February, 23 females(Newton 1860, Beatty 1930, Seaman December 1937 (USNM 355750). Recent re- February,and 28 Marchat ProsperityMarsh, 1954a;specimen data). portsstrongly suggest Myrtle Warblers are at theVI AgriculturalStation Middle Pond, Caribbean Martin--This martin oc- associated with fresh- and saltwater environ- and at FredensborgPond, respectively, tn curred at ten salt- and freshwater sites from mentsin the USVI (cf., Beatty1936). These 2003 at Cruzan Rum Pond on 21 December, 10 February through 27 September reportsinclude two birds seen by E E. Hayes and in brackish wetlands in 2004 at South-

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 545 gate Pond from 21 Januar) the northern Lesser Antilles Table1. Estimated area (ha a) for five wetland types on each main island through11 February. and L. n. coryiat Saba(closest Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (St.Thomas b,St. John, St. Croix) inthe United States Virgin Islands. to St. Croix). The abundance Loxigillariootis--This bullfinch St.Tho•s St.John St.Croix AllIslands andrarity of ridgwayiand coryi wasfirst reported in southeast- at St. John and St. Croix, re- Number/Area(ha) Number/Area(ha)Nu•er/Area (ha) Number/Area(ha) ernSt. John in 1971(Raffaele WetlandIype spectively,would also corre- and Roby 1977) and is now spondto the abundanceand widelydistributed over the en- Freshwaterponds 31 7.5 8 1.6 199 43 238 52.2 rarityof thesetwo subspecies tire island (Norton 1979, 1981: I•ixedswamps' 2 7.8 1 0.3 7 9.1 10 17.1 at their nearest source to the E E. Hayes,unpubl. data). It is Saltflats 7 4.1 26 6.7 31 54.5 64 65.3 USVI. However,the timingof generally common to abun- Saltponds 35 16.8 33 43.8 42 228.8 110 289.3 HurricaneDonna, 11 yearsbe- dant in xeric forest (Askins Mangrovewetlands d 76 73.3 46 38.6 92 145.7 214 257.6 forebirds were first reported in and Ewert 1991) but remains southeastern St. John (al- ^11WeUands 151 109.5 114 91 371 481.1 636 681.6' generallyscarce in moistforest thoughthey were alreadylo- onSt. John (e.g., one male seen callyfairly numerous), and the Calculatedfrom data in CDC (2001). The minimum surface area for each wetland by E E. Hayesat 215 m; cL, rarity of coryi at Saba,from Norton 1979). is0.014884 ha(= 1600square feet). where it would hence be un- IncludesWater Island butnone ofthe other islands orcays offSt. Thomas. Lesser Antillean Bullfinches likely to disperseto St Croix 'Atype of saltwater wetland. werefirst reportedat St. Croix (wherethe subspeciesis un- Indudesallfour types ofmangroves (forest,woodland, shrubland, fringing) listed byCDC (2001). in 1979, in moist forestat New confirmed),suggests that hur- Canaan,where one pair was Differenceofrounding error ofO.2 ha from the five wetland types. ricanetransport to the USVI is present until at least 1984, unlikely.Hurricane transport whena neslwith abandonedeggs was dis- wasone female at a feederon 30 January of birdsonly to St.John, then later to St. coveredon 28 July (Norton 1984c,2000• 2002 (Rodrigues2002). Croix--withouttransport of birdsto inter- not 1983, contra keck and Norton 1991). Lesser Antillean Bullfinches on St. veningislands in theBV1 given that similar Therearer,only two other sites were discov- Thomashave recentlybeen seenat three habitatsexist on theseislands--appears to eredat St. Croixduring the 1980s,in 1985 sites,at RedHook, where E E. Hayesob- be unlikely(Bond 1972, 1974,1978). (Norton 1985b), and one bird was seenon served two femaleson 27 March 2003 (for LesserAntillean Bullfinches may have one date at Salt River in the late 1980s thepreceding month one pair had apparent- hada naturalrange expansion to theUSVL (Wauer 1988). Since 1997, at leastone bird ly beenpresent here, where a femalehad unaidedby hurricanetransport. The appar- wasdetected at theUSDA Experimental For- onceflown out of a Bananaquit[Coereba entrange expansion to St.Thomas may rep- est in EstateThomas from 12-15May (E. flaveola]nest, fide E E. Hayes),and during resentrecent arrivals from nearby St. John, Garcia,R. Garcia),and one pair at Belvedere August2003, when D. Spencersaw a pair where bullfinches are numerous and occur Estateon the north-facingslope of the on a hillsidenear Havensight and several in similar habitat. However, bullfinches northwesternhills has built or attemptedto pairsin northeasternSt. Thomas. should then have occurred earlier on St. buildnests most years in a yardwhere its oc- The originand status of the LesserAntil- Thomas, not much later than on St. Croix currence has nonethelessbeen erratic (S. leanBullfinch in theUSVl is puzzling. It pri- (althoughhurricane transport to St. Croix Fromet,unpubl. data). In 1997-19q8,single marilyoccupies xeric habitats on St.John, could account for this difference in the tim- youngwere noted in nestsin smallTurpen- where it is numerous,moist forest on St. ing of their arrival at the two islands). tine(Bursera sirearuba) trees during October Croix,where it israre and local, and has per- Bullfinchesmay have possibly arrived si- and November. Bullfinches have also been hapsonly recently established itself in xeric muhaneouslyon St.John and St. Croix,be- detectedat nearbyresidences in Belvedere habitatat severalsites on St.Thomas. Only causeunlike St. John, birds on St. Croix Estate, where its occurrencehas also been onebird has been collected, at St.John (Raf- could have been overlooked earlier because erratic,and not too distantat Be•zysJewell fade and Roby 1977), which is one sub- theyare rare and local here. If simultaneous Estate(adult male on 14May 2004) and Lit- species(ridgwayi) from the northernLesser arrival occurred, later movement to St. tle FountainEstate (pair in yardduring ear- Antilles. Lesser Anfillean Bullfinch has still Thomasmay represent a continuation of a ly April 2004;fide S. Froruer).Recently, up not beendocumented from BVI (exceptfor naturalrange expansion unaided by hurri- to 15 birdswere reportedin moistforest unconfirmedreports from Norman and Pe- cane transport. along CrequeDam Road at and near the terislands in 1972[Raf[aele and Roby 1977] LesserAntillean Bullfinches also may reservoir(Rodrigues 2002; DBM, unpubl. buteven if correctbullfinches did not persist have been introduced to all three main is- data),which is probably the primary current there [Mireckiet al. 1977]). Thus,bullfinch- lands in the USVI, or have arrived on these site (somereports of otherbirds on recent esare unknown between source populations islands as the result of a combination of a Christmas Bird Counts froin lowland areas in the Lesser Antilles and the USVI natural range expansion(by hurricane of St. Croixare probablyincorrect). Single Raffaeleand Roby(1977) arguedthat transportor unaidedby hurricanes)and in- birds(female or male)were also reported in hurricanetransport of birdsfrmn the north- troductionof birds. Raffaeleand Roby moistforest in 2002 on 21 Julyand 17 Au- ern LesserAntilles was probablythe most (1977) documentedthat cagedbirds were gustat andnear a permanentspring in a gut likely modeof origin for birdsat St.John. releasedat nearbyTortola in 1971,but they on the northslope of Mr. Eagle.A female Norton (1984b) later invoked a similar ar- did not persistthere (or on Normanand Pe- was alsoseen in mangroveforest at Sugar gumentfor the arrivalof birdsat St. Croix, ter islands;MireeLi et al. 1977). The Puerto Bayon 3 January2003. One pair was present albeit from a different hurricane (David in RicanBullfinch (L. portoricensis)on St.John in thickvegetation along the north coast be- 1979 rather than Donnam 1960). Hurricane also did not persist(Bond 1964, Ralfaele tweenCane and DavisBays on 25 October transportof bullfinchescould possibly ac- 1989). Thus, the two inadvertentintroduc- 2003,and another bird was nearby on the countfor the species'current distribution tionsof bullfinchesto theVirgin Islands of same date. All of these aforementioned sites and abundancein the USV1, based on the which we are aware did not result in estab- arein northwesternSt. Croix. The only reli- pathsof thesetwo hurricanes and proximi- lishmentof populationsof eitherspecies. ablereport from the EastEnd of St. Croix ty to sourcepopulations, L. n. ridgwayiin However, LesserAnfillean Bullfinches have

546 NORTH AMERICAN BIRD notoccupied the larger cays that contain ap- HouseSparrow Passer domesticus--Raf- BVI in 1995 (Petrov]c2003). HouseSpar- propriatehabitat or expandedtheir range fade(1989) states this species inhabited the rows also reached two islands in the Lesser east-or westwardfrom the USV1(as pre- area of Miller Manor Hotel in Charlotte Antilles (St. Martin and Guadeloupe)in dictedby Raffaele1989), whtch is highlyin- Amalie, St. Thomas in the early 1950s. 1999,where House Sparrows are now at the consistentwith a naturalrange expansion HouseSparrows were not reportedthere- southeasternlimit of theirrange in theWest for LesserAntillean landbirds,where their afterin CharlotteAmalie except by Robert- Indiesand wherebreeding was confirmed distributions are otherwise continuous son (1962), who statedthey were estab- on both islandsin 2002 (Levesqueand through the BVI thence to the USVI lishedon St.Thomas, and by Norton(1993, Clergeau2003). The simultaneous arrival of (Robertson1962). Regardless,the origin 1995),who reported that one entered a ceil- HouseSparrows in theUSVI and the timing and status of the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch ing cavityof a buildingin an urbandistrict and pathof theirsubsequent range expan- in theUSVI remains puzzling, including the in 1981,though otherwise House Sparrows sionin the easternCaribbean suggest that primaryrestriction of btrdson St.John to did not reappearin the capitaluntil 1984. birdsdid not arriveon boatsshipping grain. xeric forest but on St. Croix to moist forest. Apparently,a residual population remained assuggested earlier by Raffaele(1989) and Lesser Antillean Bullfinches from all three in CharlotteAmalie, although no otherde- Norton (1995), but that their rangeexpan- main islands in the USVI must be collected tails are available. sion was natural. to perform morphometricand genetic HouseSparrows reached all threemain On St. Croix, House Sparrowsare now analysesto determinethe most likely origin islandsin the USVI duringthe mid-1990s, widelydistributed and numerousin urban of this polytypicspecies and to elucidate althoughthis rangeexpansion is poorly areas,at industrialsites including rural or whetherthe range expansion was by natural documented.Their presumptive arrival was semi-ruralareas, and at many agricultural means,introduction by humans,or a com- from Puerto Rico, where House Sparrows areaswith livestocksuch as the equine race- bination thereof. wereestablished by- 1972 and have since in- trackacross from Henry E. RohlsenAirport Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus lu- creased,especially in the early 1990s or (formerly)Mountain Mtnt DairyFarm at doricjanus--An adult male tn breeding (Moreno 1997). HouseSparrows reached EstatePetronella. Large numbers (>75) for- plumagewas seen at the CarambolaGolf the Culebraarchipelago, just west of St. merly feedingin now defunctlivestock Resort,St. Croix on 30 Mareh 2002. The Thomas,by 1993. The first two birds yardsat MountainMint DairyFarm often only otherreports of Rose-breastedGros- reachedSt. John at Cruz Bayon 12-15July roostednearby in mangrovesat GreatPond. beaksin the USVI have also been during 1993 (Norton 1993), and W. Henderson spring,an adultmale at St.John on 25-26 first observedHouse Sparrows at CoralBay Discussion April 1964(Bond 1964) and one bird at St. ca. 1993.House Sparrows reached Tortoh, Observationsof 62 specieson St. Croixem- Croix on 31 March 1968 phasizedsite-specific con- firmed breedingevidence of (Bond1968). Single birds have Appendix1.Site numbers, names and geographic coordinates onSt. Croix for sites not alsobeen reported at St.John 23 locallyrare or uncommon listedin McGuire (1925), Scott and Carbonell (1986), or Iresand and Philibosian (1987). on three Christmas Bird species,especially for 16 wa- terbirds. This includes the Counts,but further details are Site 5ire SiteCoordinates lacking.Raffaele (1989) stated Number Name NLata/W Long a first and second breeding that Rose-breasted Grosbeak records of Least Grebe, full had been reported from St. FreshwaterPonds documentation of the first Ihomas, but documentation breeding records of Great 1 AnnalyPond 17.74646/ 64.85276 for this claim has not been lo- Blue Heron, Tricolored 17.75208/ 64.67507 cated. 2 BuccaneerHotel: golf course Link #8 pond Heron, and Black-crowned Bobolink Dolichonyx 3 BuccaneerHotel: golf course link #9 pond 17.75277/ 64.67736 Night-Heronin the 1980s, oryzivorus--Singlemales were 4 BuccaneerHotel: Wastewater Treatment Pond 17.75312/ 64.67333 plus subsequentconfirma- seen at Schuster Lower Pond 5 CarambolaGolf Resort Lower Ponds 17.74278/ 64.81641 tion of breedingof the latter (LDY, CCB) and flying over 6 CarambolaGolfResort Upper Pond 17.74984/ 64.82368 two speciessince 2002, the FredensborgPond on 28 April 7 CruzanRum Pond 17.70555/ 64.82808 first breeding records of White-cheeked Pintail, Grea! and6 Mayof 2004, respective- 8 GranardSouth Pond b 17.71056/ 64.70720 ly. The only other springoc- Egret,and Black-necked Stilt currenceof a Bobolinkon St. 9 HermitagePond 17.74967/ 64.80918 in freshwater environments Croixis one male collected by 10 LongfordLower Pond 17.71060/ 64.69569 (manmadeponds), and the G. A. Seamanon 9 May 1959 11 ReefCondos Golf Course Pond # 2 17.75339/ 64.61003 first breeding records of (Bond 1966; ANSP 16c1933). 12 SchusterLower Pond 17.75373/ 64.65785 AmericanOystercatcher from Shiny CowbirdMolothrus 13 SchusterUpper Pond 17.75132/64.65691 St. Croix proper.Also, addi- bonariensis--Recentreports by 14 TeaguesBayPond 17.75909/ 64.61368 tional breedinginformation S. Fromet, LDY, and CCB at [or Pied-billedGrebe, White- 15 VIAgricultural Station Middle Pond 17.72312/ 64.80725 feedlotsand animal pens on tailedTropicbird, Brown Peli- WilliamsPond 17.73382/ 64.88170 WindsorFarm included two 16 can, Green Heron, American maleson 22 December1002, 17 WindsorNorth Pond 17.76125/ 64.77360 Coot, CaribbeanCoot, Wil- and in 2004 one male on 4 18 WindsorSouth Pond 17.75775/ 64.77155 son's Plover, and Willet is March,six birds on 18 March, 0therSites documented.The tinyWhite- two females on 4 May, one tailed Troptcbirdcolony at CanegardenCliff will proba- maleon 22 June, and a Fair on 1 St.Croix Renaissance Park' 17.69584/ 64.76728 24 July.As well as beingrare bly soonnaturally disappear on St. Croix, ShinyCowbirds Coordinatesgivenusing deomal system. from St. Croix. Documenta- are rare in the northern USVI NamedManchenil Pondin Rodfigues (2002}. tion of breedinginformation (contraLeck and Norton 1991; ForreedytheMarlin Marietta Alumina Corporation plant(old alumina refinery}; partof K•use Lagoon Remnant. for eightspecies cited herein althoughsee Norton 1981). (White-cheeked Pintail, Pied-

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 547 billed Grebe, Great Egret, Green Heron, importantto wetlandbirds other than the marionfor individual species accounts cited American Coot, Caribbean Coot, Wilson's 18 listed (Appendix 1). The creationof herein,the significanceof occurrencesof Plover, Black-neckedStilt) and some other man-madefreshwater ponds, now 10% of thesespecies is betterassessed at a regional waterbirdsnot citedherein (e.g., Least lern the total amount of wedand habitat on St. level,e.g., the easternCaribbean (cf. Mc- [Stemaantillarum]) requires more extended Croix,has helped offset the loss of saltwater Nair et al. 1999, 2002). treatment(e.g., Cattle Egret [Bubulcus ibis]: wetlands,at leastfor speciesnot restricted McNair et al.. in prep.; American and to saltwater, and led to a pronouncedin- Acknowledgments CaribbeanCoots: McNair 2006). Of the total creaseof some species(e.g., Common Thisstudy was partially funded by a grant of 24 speciesof waterbirdsthat havebeen Moorhen[Gallinula chloropus]; DBM, un- from the United States Fish & Wildlife Ser- provento neston St. Croixsince the late publ.data). vice (FederalAid Program,Wildlife Con- 1850s (excludingthree speciesextirpated Freshwaterponds or brackishsites that servationand RestorationProject W-15). sinceapproximately the middlehalf of the lackappreciable tidal inflow have water lev- W. Bradford, K. Clark, J. A. Colon, O. twentiethcentury: West Indian Whistling- els that may fluctuategreatly. on either a Davis, S. Fromer, T. Lance, L. LeBlanc,P. A. Duck,Least Bittern [lxob•ychus exilis], Clap- seasonalor annual basis,which affectshabi- Mayor,R. O'Reilly.R. Philibosian,E Rivera- per Rail fRailusIongirostris]), we failedto tat availabilityand quality for wetlandbirds Milan, A. S. L. Rodrigues,A. G. Tossas,J. confirmonly one species that has previously (suchas their ability to occupyor breedat a Wakefield,and J. W. Wiley contributed nestedat leastonce on Sc Croix(this study; site). Saltwater wetlands without tidal in- theirobservations and/or answered queries DBM,in prep.),that being Ruddy Duck (one lets,such as SouthgatePond in the semi- about the avifauna of St. Croix or other in- breedingrecord at Rust-op-Iwistduring the arid easternend of St. Croix,regularly dry formation,W. Coles,E E. Hayes,I. Lance, early twentiethcentury; Seaman 1993). out duringspring and summer unless rain- and M. A. Mahoneycontributed some pho- However,Ruddy Ducks have subsequently fall is plentiful(Sladen 1992). By mid-sum- tographs,the ConservationData Center of nestedat SouthgatePond (in 2005;McNair mer 2002, water levels in most freshwater the Universityof the VirginIslands shared et al., in prep.). pondsand somebrackish siies were low unpublisheddata on wetlandsin the USVI, Long-termsurveys of wetlandbirds, cou- (andsome salt- and freshwater ponds dried J. Gonzalezand R. Vasquezprovided rain- pledwith rigorousassessment of historical out completely).The largecooling pond at fall data,R. Corado(Collections Manager, data (since the 1850s) and wetland status St. Croix RenaissancePark, which had been Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoolo- canprovide major impetus for theirprotec- one of the three most favorable sites for gy), J. E Dean(Collections Manager, Divi- tion and conservation. The field work of many speciesof wetlandbirds (especially sionof Birds,Department of SystematicBi- Nortonand Sladcn was performed after the shorebirds)on St. Croix (Sladen1988), was olog), SmithsonianInstitution), J. Fjeldsfi partialor completeloss (degradation or de- flushedwith hypersalincwater then drained and N. Krabbe(Zoological Museum of the struction) of some saltwater (and brackish) afterautumn 2002. Consequently.wetland Universityof Copenhagen,Denmark), J. G. wetlands in the northern USVI and on St. birdsother than breeding Least Terns and a Hinshaw(University' of MichiganMuseum Croix. This lossaccelerated oser the past few other speciesrarely occurred at these of Zoology),L. Josephand N. Rice (Or- 40-50 yearsbecause of development.In all, sitesuntil the heasT rainfallof mid-Novem- nithologyDepartment, Academy of Natural ca. half of the mangrovewetlands have ei- ber 2003. Sciencesat Philadelphia),R. Symonds ther been degradedor destroyedon St. We alsodocumented breeding informa- (University Museum of Zoology Cam- Croix,where only about150 ha is now left tion for sevenspecies of landbirds(White- bridge,UK), and D. Willard (Collections (Table 1). Unfortunately.we cannotinfer crownedPigeon, White-winged Dove, Bri- Manager,Ornithology, Field Museum of exactly what wetland birds were lost at dled Quail-Dove, Antillean Nighthawk, NaturalHistory) contributed data from mu- manysites because supporting data are lim- Caribbean Martin, Lesser Antillean seumcollections, E E. Hayesreviewed the ited. Our moslimportant saltwater weftand Bullfinch,and HouseSparrow). This in- penultimatedraft of the lnanuscript,and P today.Great Pond, has virtually no avian in- cludesthe firstconfirmed breeding records A. BuckleS L. R. Bevier,and A. Jaramillo re- formation before the 1980s. In addition, of White-winged Doves and Antillean viewedthe submittedmanuscript. Copies lack of site specificityof somebird reports Nighthawks.The currentbreeding distribu- of unpublishedreports listed below are hasalso reduced our abilityto assesssite ef- tion and abundance of White-crowned Pi- available from DBM. fectsof habitatloss (or gain).Nonetheless, geonsand the d)namicrange expansion of saltponds and mangrovewetlands are still the White-wingedDove requiremore ex- Literature cited thedominant wetland types in theUSVl. in- tendedtreatment than presentedherein. •skins, R. A., and D. N. Ewert. 1991. Im- cluding St. Croix (CDC 1001; Iablc 1). BridledQuail-Doves appear to haverecov- pactof HurricaneHugo on bird popula- Mangrovewetlands are obviouslystill im- ered from any declinewrought by Hurri- tions on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. portantfor waterbirds,but our obscrvauons caneHugo, whereas the influenceof hum- Bio,opica23: 481-487. also document the value of manmade cane transporton the rangeexpansion of Askins, R. A., D. N. Ewcrt, and R. L. Norton. ponds,which had been previouslyover- theLesser Antillean Bullfinch, though prob- 1992. Abundanceof winteringmigrants lookedexcept [or a few pondssuch ,cs the ablyless likely than previously suggested, is in fragmentedand continuousforests in largest(2.95 ha), FredensborgPond. lhe still unsolved. As for wetland birds, our the U.S. Virgin Islands.Pp. 197-206in loss(or gain)of specificsalt- and freshwater breedinginformation on hndbirdsis essen- Hagan,J.W., III, andD. W.Johnston, eds. wetlandsshould be trackedcluscl) in fu- tial in prioritizingspecies and sites. Etologvand Conservationof Neotropical ture,such as the creationof pondson the We have also documented herein one MigrantLandbiuls. Smithsonian Institu- three golf coursesof St. Croix sincethe new verifiedspecies (Connecticut Warbler) tion Press,Washmgion, D.C. 1960s. plus the first (unverified)occurrence of Beatty,H. A. 1930.Birds of St.Croix. Journal Freshwaterponds in the USV1were first EurasianWigeon in the USVIin additionto of theDepartment o.[ Agriculture of Puerto constructedduring the secondquarter of recordsor reportsof manyother vagrants Rico 14.3: 135-150. the twentiethcentury, and mostare on St. and scarcetransients, such as West lndian --. 1936. New bird recordfor St. Croix, V. Croix, which has over 125 viable ponds Whistling-Duckand AmericanFlamingo, 1. Auk 53: 456-457. (CDC 2001, lable 1; DBM, LDY, and CCB, whichhave not recovered from past human --.. 1941. New bird records and some pers.ohs.). St. Croix hasfreshwater ponds persecution.Other than avifaunisticinfor- notesfor the Virgin Islands.Journal of

548 NORTH AMERICAN BIRO Agricultureof theUniversity of PuertoRico January-February2000. Pitin'e14: 107- Trmidad. 25.4: 32-36. 112. lmsand, S., and R. Philibosian. 1987. Ex- --.. 1943. Records and notes from St. Collazo,J. A., T. A. Agardy,E. E. Klaas,J. E. ploringSt. Croix.Travelers Information Croix,Virgin Islands. Auk 60:110-111. Saliva, and J. Pierce. 1998. An inter- Press,Pasadena, California. --.. 1944.Some new records for theVirgin decadalcomparison of populationpa- Knowles, W. C. 1997. Determination of Islands, U.S.A. Auk 61: 146. rameters of Brown Pelicans in Puerto breedingcharacteristics of the White- --.. 1945.Hooded Merganser in St.Croix, Ricoand the U.S.Virgin Islands. Colonial crownedPigeon (Columba leucocephala): VirginIslands, U.S.A. Auk 62: 461. Waterbirds 21: 61-65. breedingpopulation size, nesting season- Bond,J. 1960.Fifth Supplement tothe Check- Collazo,J. A., }. E. Saliva,and J. Pierce. alitS numberand successon St. Croix, hst of Birdsof the WestIndies (1956). 2000. Conservation of the Brown Pelican U.S.Virgin Islands. Final report, Pittman- Academyof NaturalSciences of Philadel- in the West Indies. Pp. 39-45 in RobertsonGrant WI0, Study1, Division phia,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Schreiber,E. A., and D. S. Lee, eds.2000. of Fishand Wildlife, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin ---. 1964.Ninth Supplement to the Check- Statusand Conservationof WestIndian Islands. list of Birdsof the WestIndies (1956). Seabirds.Society of CaribbeanOrnitholo- Knowles, W. C. 1999. Determination ot Academyof Natural Sciences,Philadel- gy,Special Publication 1. populationsize and trends of columbids phia,Pennsylvania. Conservation Data Center (CDC). 2001. on St. . 1966. EleventhSupplement to the VirginIslands Rapid Environmental Assess- Croix,U.S. Virgin Islands. Annual narrative Check-listof Birds of the West Indies ment:St. Croix,St. Thomas,and St.John. report,Pittman-Robertson Grant W12-3, (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Study1, Divisionof Fishand Wildlife, St. Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. Thomas,U.S. VirginIslands. Croix,U.S. Virgin Islands. . 1968. ThirteenthSupplement to the Cory,C. B. 1890.On a collectionof birds LaBastille, A., and M. Richmond. 1973. Check-listof Birds o] the West Indies madeduring the winter of 1889-90,by Birdsand mammalsof AnegadaIsland, (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, Cyrus S. Winch, in the islandsof St. BritishVirgin Islands. Caribbean Journal Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. Thomas,Tortola, Anegadaand Virgin of Science13: 91-109. --.. 1972. SeventeenthSupplement to the Gorda, West Indies. Auk 7:373-375. Lazell,J. 1987.Flamingos, iguanas, and the Check-listof Birdsof the West Indies ---. 1891. A list of the birds collected in restorationof rarespecies. The Island Sun (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, the islandsof St. Croix and St. Kitts, West 1307 (18July): 14 + 22. SunEnterprises Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. Indies,during March and April, and in Ltd.,Tortola. British Virgin Islands. --.. 1974. NineteenthSupplement to the Guadeloupeduring August, September, --. 1996. GuanaIsland: a naturalhistory Check-listof Birds of the West Indies and October, 1890. Auk 8: 47-49. guide.The Conservation Agency Occasion- (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, Dammann,A. E., and D. W. Nellis. 1992. A al Paper1: 1-20. Philadelphia,Pennsylvama. NaturalHistory Atlas to theCays of theU. ----. 2001. Restoration of the Greater --.. 1977. Twenty-firstsupplement to the S. VirginIslands. Pineapple Press, Inc., Flamingo(Phoenicoptetus tuber) to Ane- Check-listof birds of the West Indies Sarasota,Florida. gada,British Virgin Islands.Pitirre 14: (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, Danforth, S. I. 1930. Bird recordsfrom the 113-114. Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. VirginIslands. Journal of theDepartment --. 2002.Restoring vertebrate animals in --.. 1978.Twenty-second Supplement to the ofAgriculture of PuertoRico 14: 107-134. the British Virgin Islands. Ecological Check-listof Birdsof the WestIndies ---. 1934. Ihe BlackSwift (Nephoecetes Restoration 20: 179-185. (1956). Academyof NaturalSciences, nigerniger) in St_Croix. Auk 51: 84. Lock, C. E 1975. Notes on unusual and rare Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. . 1935.Supplementary accotint of the birds of St. Croix. Condor 77: 107. ---. 1984. Twenty-fifthSupplement to the birds of the Virgin Islands,including Leck, C. E, and R. L. Norton. 1991. An An- Check-listof Birdsof the West Ind•es Culebraand adjacentislets pertaining to notatedChecklist of the Birdsof the U.S. (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, Puerto Rico, with notes on their food VirginIslands. Antilles Press, Christianst- Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. habits.Journal of Agricultureof theUni- ed, St. Croix. ---. 1986.Twenty-sixth Supplement to the versityof PuertoRico 19.4: 439-472. Levesque,A., and P Clergeau.2003. First Check-listof Birds of the West Indies Gorman,L. R., andS. M. Haig.2002. Distri- colonizationof the LesserAntilles by the (1956). Academyof Natural Sciences, butionand abundanceof SnowyPlovers HouseSparrow and its rangein theWest Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. in eastern North America, the Caribbean, Indies.Abstract 55. ScientificProgram of Buden,D. W., andR. L. Wetenkamp.1993. and the Bahamas.Journal of Field Or- the FourteenthRegional Meeting of the North American bird band recoveries nithology73: 38-52. Societyfor the Conservationand Study of from the LesserAntilles. Ornitologia Hayes,E E., D. B.McNair, J. J. Pierce,and R. CaribbeanBirds, 21-25 July 2003,Hilton Neotropical4: 83-90. Platenberg.2005. A Planfor Research, Tobago,Trinidad and Tobago. Campbell,E. W. 1991.The effectof intro- Management,and Conservation of Wildlife McGuire,J. W 1925.Geographic Dictionary ducedroof rats on birddlversily of Antil- in the UnitedStates Virgin Islands. Divi- of the VirginIslands of the UnitedStates. leancays. Journal of FieldOrnithology 62: sionof Fishand Wildlife, Department of SpecialPublication 103. U.S. Coastand 343-348. Planningand Natural Resources, Govern- GeodeticSurvey, Department of Com- Cassin,J. 1860.Catalogtie of birdsfrom the mentof the UrntedStates Virgin Islands. merce. Government Printing Office, island of St. Thomas,West Indies, col- Hayes,E E.,and 1. Samad. 2002. Avifauna of Washington,D_C. lectedand presented to the Academyof the "dragoh'steeth": the BocasIslands, McNair, D. B. 2006. Review of the status of Natural Sciencesby Mr. RobertSwift. northern Gulf of Paria, between American and Caribbean Coots in the With notes.Proceedings of the Academy of Venezuelaand Trinidad. Pp. 62-85 in UnitedStates Virgin Islands. North Amer- NaturalSciences of Philadelphia13: 374- Hayes,E E., andS. A. Temple,eds. Stud- ican Birds 59: 678-684. 379. iesin Trinidadand Tobago Ornithology Ho- McNair, D. B., and C. Cramer-Burke. In Chddress,R. B., andB. Hughes.2001. The nouringRichard ffi'ench. Occasional Paper press.Breeding ecology of Americanand statusof theWest Indian Whistling-Duck 11,Department o[ LifeSciences, Umver- Caribbeancoots at SouthgatePond, St. (Dendrocygnaarborea) in St. Kitts-Ncvis, sity of the West Indies,St. Augustine, Croix:use of woodyvegetation. Wilson

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 4 549 Bulletin 118. the RoseateTern (Sternadougallii) in ogy63: 121-128. McNair, D. B., E. B. Massiah, and M.D. North America and the Caribbean. U.S. Petrovic,C. 2003.Status of theHouse Spar- Frost. 1999. New and rare speciesof Fish and Wildlife Service, Contract Re- row in the BritishVirgin Islands.Abstract Nearericlandbird migrantsduring au- port 50181-084-9,Newton Corner,Mass- 22. ScientificProgram of the Fourteenth tumn for Barbados and the Lesser An- achusetts. RegionalMeeting of the Societyfor the tilles.Caribbean Journal oJ Science 35: 46- Norton, R. L. 1979ßNew recordsof birds for Conservationand Study of Caribbean 53. the Virgin Islands.American Birds 33: Birds,21-25 July 2003, Hilton Tobago, MeNair,D. B., E Sibley,E. B. Massiah,and ] 45-146. Irinidad and lobago. M.D. Frost. 2002. Ground-based Nearc- --. 1981ß Additional records and notes of Raffaele,H. 1989.A Guideto theBirds of tic-Neotropiclandbird migration during birdsin theVirgin Islands. American Birds PuertoRico and the Virgin Islands. Second autumnin the easternCaribbean. Pp. 86- 35: 144-147ß edition. Princeton University Press, 103in Hayes,E E., andS. A. Iemple,eds. --. 1981. West Indies region.American Princeton,New Jersey. Studiesin Trinidadand Tobago Ornithology Birds 35: 231-232. Raffaele,H. A.,and D. Roby.1977. The Less- HonouringRichard ffrench. Occasional Pa- 1982. West Indiesregion. American er AntilleanBullfinch in the Virgin Is- per 11, Departmentof LifeSciences, Uni- Birds 36: 1019-1020ß lands. Wilson Bulletin 89: 338-342. versityof the Westlndies, St. Augustine, 1983. West Indiesregion. American Rivera-Milan,E E 2001.Transect surveys of Irinidad. Birds 37: 1030. columbidnests on PuertoRico, Vieques, Mirecki, D. N., J. M. Hutton, C. M. Pannell, 1984a.West Indies region. American and Culebra Islands. Condor 103: 332- T. J. Stowe,and R.W. Unite. 1977.Report Birds 38: 25]-253. 342. of the Cambridgeornithological expedi- 1984b.West Indies region. American Robertson,W. B., Jr. 1962. Observationson tion to the BritishVirgin Islands1976. Birds 38: 968-970. the birdsof St.John, Virgin Islands. Auk Churchill College, Cambridge,United 1984c.West Indies region. American 79: 44-76. Kingdom. Birds 38: 1064-1065. Rodrigues,A. S.L. 2002.U.S. VirginIslands Moreno,J. A. 1997. Reviewof the subspe- 1985a.West Indies region. American rapidbird assessment.The NatureCon- cific statusand origin of introduced Birds 39: 214-215. servancyof the U.S. VirginIslands. 114 finchesin PuertoRico. Caribbean Journal 1985b.West Indies region.American pp. + appendicesi-1II. oJScience33: 233-238. Birds 39: 965-966. Scott,D. A., and M. Carbonell(compilers). Nellis, D. W. 1979. Record of Puerto Rican --. 1986a.West Indies region. American 1986.A Directoryo.[ Neotropical Wetlands. ScreechOwl, TurkeyVulture and Osprey Birds 40: 163-164. International Union for Conservation of fromSt. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Wilson --. 1986b.West Indies region. American Nature and Natural Resources(1UCN), Bulletin 91: ] 48-149. Birds 40: 528-529. Cambridge,United Kingdom, and Inter- Newton, A. 1860. [Letterto the editorl. Ibis, --. 1986c.West Indies region. American national Waterfowl and Wetlands Re- Series3, 2: 307-308. Birds 40: 1259-1260. searchBureau (IWRB), Slimbridge,Unit- Newton, A., and E. Newton. 1859a. Obser- --. 1987a.West Indies region. American ed Kingdom. vationson the birds of St. Croix, West In- Birds 41: 151-152. Seaman,G. A. 1954a.Yellow-bellied Sap- dies,made benveen February 20th and --. 1987b.West Indies region. American suckeron Anegada,British West Indies. August6th, 1857 by Alfred Newton, and, Birds 41: 493-494. Wilson Bulletin 66: 61. betweenMarch 4th and September 28th, 1988a.West Indies region. American --. 1954b.American Bittern in VirginIs- 1858by EdwardNewton. Ibis, Series 3, 1: Birds 42:485-486 lands. Wilson Bulletin 66: 148. 59-69. 1988b.West Indies region. American --. 1955.Wildlife resources survey of the Newton, A., and E. Newton. 1859b. Obser- Birds 42: 1343-1344. Virgin Islands No. 4-R: Unpublished vationson the birdsof St. Croix, Westln- 1989a.West Indies region. American quarterlyreport (June), St. Croix. d'es,i madebewveen February 20 th and Btrd.• 43: 174-175. --. 1957a.Wildlife resourcessurvey of August6th, 1857 by Alfred Newton, and, 1989b.West Indies region. American the VirginIslands No. 4-R: Unpublished betweenMarch 4th and September 28th, Birds 43: 371-372. quarterlyreport (March), St. Croix. 1858by EdwardNewton. Ibis, Series 3, 1: 1989c.West Indies region. American --. 1957b.Wildlife resources survey of 138-150. Birds 43: 1372-1373. the VirginIslands No. 4-R:Unpublished Newton, A., and E. Newton. 1859c. Obser- 1990.West Indiesregion. American quarterlyreport (September), St. Croix. vationson the birds of St. Croix, West In- Birds 44: 501-502. --. 1959. New bird recordsfor St. Croix, dies,made between February 20th and 1993ßWest Indiesregion. American VirginIslands. Wilson Bulletin 71: 96. August6th, 1857 .by Alfred Newton, and. Bird• 47:1154. --. 1961.Wildlife resources survey of the betweenMarch 4th and September 28th, -- 1995.West Indies region. Field Notes Virgin Islands No. 4-R: Unpublished 1858by EdwardNewton. Ibis, Series 3, l: 49: 313-314. quarterlyreport (June), St. Croix. 252-264. .2000. WestIndies regionß North Amer- ß1963. Wildlife resources survey of the Newton, A., and E. Newton. 1859d Obser- ican Birds 54: 223-225. VirginIslands No. 4-R: Unpublishedan- vationson the birdsof St. Croix, West In- Norton, R. L., and A. Hobbs. 1987. First nual report(1962-1963: June 1963), St. dies,made between February 20th and recordof Purple-throatedCarib for the Croix. th August6 ,1857 by AlfredNewton, and, GreaterAntilles and notes on vagrantsin ---. 1964.Wildlife resources survey of the betweenMarch 4th and September 28th, the Virgin Islands.Caribbean Journal of VirginIslands No. 4-R:Unpublished an- 1858by EdwardNewton. Ibis, Series 3, 1: Science 23: 462-463. nual report(1963-1964: June 1964), St. 365-379. Pashley,D. N. 1988. Warblersof the West Croix. Nichols,R_ A. 1943.The breedingbirds of Indies.1. The Virgin Islands.Caribbean ---. 1965.Wildlife resources survey of the St. Thomasand St.John. Memoirs of the Journalof Scicnce24:11-22. VirginIslands No. 4-R: Unpublishedan- Societyof CubanNatural History "Felipe Paulson, D. R., and D. S. Lee. 1992. Winter- nual report (1964-1965:July 1965), St. Poey"17: 23-37. ing of LesserGolden-Plovers in eastern Croix. Nisbet. I. C. T. 1980. Status and trends of NorthAmerica. Journal of FieldOrnithol- .1968. Wildliferesources survey of the

550 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS VirginIslands No. 4-R: Unpublishedan- nualreport (1967-1968: 1968), St. Croix. ---. 1973. Sticksfrom the Hawk• Nest. PrestigePress, St. Croix. The Friends of ----. 1980. Ay-Ay: an Island Almanac. MacMillan, London. ---. 1993.Every Shadow is a Man:a Jour- North American Birds ney Back into Birdsand Time. Antilles GraphicArts, Gallows Bay, St. Croix. Seaman,G. A., andJ. E. Randall.1962. The mortgooseas a predatorin the VirginIs- lands.Journal of Mammalogy43: 544- SUPPORT THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT 546. Sladen,E W. 1988. Somenew recordsand OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, observationsof birds in the Virgin Is- THE ABA'S JOURNAL OF lands. American Birds 42: 1227-1231. . 1992. Abundance and distribution of ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD waterbirdsin twotypes of wetlandson St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.Ornitolog•a Caribefia 3: 35-42. Stengel,C. A. 1998.The surveyof the salt pondsof theU.S. Virgin Islands. Final re- Since its inception, the fund has allowed for port. EPAWetlands Protection C-21. Di- vision of Fish and Wildlife. many improvements to the journal's look and Wauer, R_ H. 1988. Salt Rive•s terrestrial feel. The journal is now mailed in a protective faunaof specialconcern. Unpublished re- port, U.S. National Park Service, St. wrapper to insure its delivery in one piece. Croix. The content has benefited from an increase in Wauer, R. H., and E W. Sladen_1992. Im- portanceof Virgin Islandsmangrove page count which has allowed for additional habitatsto migrantand winteringbirds. articles with even more detailed analysis. The Ornitolog•aCaribe•a 3: 50-54. Wauer,R. H., andJ. M. Wunderle,Jr. 1992. amount of color pages has increased which The effect of HurricaneHugo on bird populationson St. Croix,U.S. VirginIs- has allowed for expanded Pictorial Highlights lands. Wilson Bulletin 104: 656-673. and an occasional Photo Salon. Wetmore,A. 1918. Bonesof birds collected by Theodoorde Booyfrom kitchen mid- dendeposits in theislands of St.Thomas All of this has been made possible and St. Croix. Proceedingsof the United States National Museum 54: 513-522. with your generous contributions. Wetmore,A. 1927. The Birdsof PortoRico andthe Virgin Islands. New York Academy of ScienceScientific Survey of PortoRico There are more plans in the works for future andVirgin Islands. Volume 9, parts3 and 4: 245-406. issues but the fund does need your continued Wiley,J. W..1984. Status of theOsprey in the support. To become a "Friend of NAB", simply West Indies_Pp. 9-16 in Westall,M. A., donate $50 or more. Each "Friend of NAB" ed. Proceedingsof the SoutheasternU.S. and CaribbeanOsprey Symposium. Inter- will be recognized annually in the first issue nationalOsprey Foundation, Inc., Flori- da. of each volume of North American Birds Witmer,G. W., E Boyd,E. Campbell,III, J. Wakefield, and Z. Hillis-Starr. 2002. The eradication of introduced rats at Buck Is- land ReefNational Monument, St. Croix, Send donations to: U.S.Virgin Islands. Final report. U.S. De- partmentof Interior,National Park Ser- vice, Buck Island Reef National Monu- The Friends of NAB, ABA, ment, Christiansted, St. Croix. U.S. 4945 N. 30th Street, Suite 200 VirginIslands. Yntema,J. A., and E W. Sladen.1987. Ruth Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3151 Islandsurvey. Final report,endangered speciesproject ES-i, StudyliB, Job lIB-1. Divisionof Fishand Wildlife, U.S.Virgin lslands.•_•

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