J. Rapt. Res. 23(1):20-23 ¸ 1989 The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc.

NEWS AND REVIEWS

RESOLUTION No. 88-01 INFORMATION CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT RAPTOR ELECTROCUTION

WHEREAS, The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., has concernfor the welfare of raptor populations around the world, and;

WHEREAS, the electrocutionof raptors and other is taking place in parts of Europe and Africa due to improperly designedelectrical power pole/insulatorcombinations, and;

WHEREAS, disseminatingof informationon alternativemethods for constructingnew powerpole/insulator combinationsand modificationof existingpoles will decreasethe number of Europeanand African raptors electrocuted,

THEREFORE, be it resolvedthat The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., supportsthe initiation of an international information campaignto disseminatemethods of proper power pole constructionto prevent raptor electrocutionsand to increasethe understandingof the raptor electrocutionproblem.

THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.

GARY E. DUKE, PRESIDENT THE RAPTOR RESEARCHFOUNDATION, INC.

RESOLUTION No. 88-02 MAINTENANCE OF TOP PRIORITY FOR BIRDS OF PREY WITH THE RIVER BIRDS OF PREY AREA

WHEREAS, The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., is composedof professionalraptor biologistsand managersworking with birds of prey, and,

WHEREAS, The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., recognizesthe ecologicalvalue of birdsof prey, and,

WHEREAS, The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., recognizesthe tenuousstatus of many raptor and has concernfor the welfare of raptor populationsaround the world, and,

WHEREAS, the SnakeRiver Birds of Prey Area representsa resourceof internationalsignificance, and,

WHEREAS, top priority has been assignedto the birds of prey and the ecosystemthat supportsthem within the Snake River Birds of Prey Area, and,

WHEREAS, all other activities,barring national securitydemands, should be secondaryto the long-term ecologicalintegrity of the birdsof prey and their supportingecosystem, and,

20 SPRING 1989 NEWS AND REVIEWS 21

WHEREAS, the Idaho Division of Military and National Guard Bureau has proposedupgrading and new constructionof three training facilitiesat the Orchard Training Area (OTA) within the Snake River Birds of Prey Area, and,

WHEREAS, the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act of 1969 was designedto insure a comprehensive examinationof proposedprojects, such as the aforementionedproposal in order to identify potential undesirableenvironmental impacts, and,

WHEREAS, no investigationhas been carried out to determinethe cumulativeimpact of proposedand ongoingactivities, and,

WHEREAS, the 1979 EIS containsstatements which are objectivelyindefensible, e.g. "The National Guard activitieswere assessedas to their impact on the birds of prey ecosystem.As statedin the ElS, these activitieshave had no adverseeffects on the neting[sic] birds of prey or the prey that inhabitsthe maneuver area," [1979 Final Statement,page 9-33],

THEREFORE, be it resolvedthat The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., urges the adoption of "AL- TERNATIVE 1: NO ACTION" until a technicallysound Environmental Impact Statementis produced which coversnot only the proposedactivities of the Idaho National Guard but the ongoingactivities presentlyoccurring there, thus assuringthe birds of prey and their prey basethe long-term protectionas intendedby NEPA.

THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.

GARY E. DUKE, PRESIDENT THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.

RESOLUTION NO. 88-03

THANK YOU 'to THE LOCAL COMMITTEE OF THE 1988 RRF ANNUAL MEETING

WHEREAS, the 1988 Raptor Research Foundation annual meeting was successful,stimulating, and entertainingfor all who participated,and;

WHEREAS, the hostcommittee chaired by Patrick T. Redig and the local arrangementscommittee chaired by Thomas Walkington did an outstandingjob of organizingthe 1988 meeting;finding both comfortable accommodationsand providinglively entertainment,and;

WHEREAS, the program committeechairperson, Joan Galli, organized over 100 excellent scientific presentationsand preparedan exceptionalprogram booklet,

THEREFORE, be it resolvedthat The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., thanks all the membersof the local, host and program committeesfor their long hours of hard work, making the 1988 annual meeting one of the best ever.

THE RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.

GARY E. DUKE, PRESIDENT THE RAPTOR RESEARCHFOUNDATION, INC. 22 NEWS AND REVIEWS VOL. 23, NO. 1

Hawks and Owls of the World: a Distributional and Taxonomic List by Dean Amadon and John Bull, with the genusOtus by Joe T. Marshall and Ben F. King. Proc. Western Found. Vert. Zool., Vol. 3, no. 4, 1988, pp. 295- 357, 2 color plates,cost $10.00 U.S. (obtainablefrom Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 1100 Glendon Ave, Los Angeles,CA 90024, U.S.A.).

Dean Amadon and John Bull, both of whom are capablescientists and knowledgeableof raptors,have joined forces with 2 other biologistswith intimate knowledgeof owls, Joe Marshall and Ben King, to producethis volume.To me, this publicationhas provenmost useful as a quick referenceand ready sourcefor considerableinformation on raptor names and distribution. The publication for me has also been handy in a general overview of who might be most closelyrelated to whom by looking at the sequenceof names. In format there are 8•/• pagesof introductorymaterial explainingmore or lesseach "group" composition,an overview of the species(also superspecies) and genera,a broadoutline of the limits of distributionand what eachregion contains, a review of what the namesof the habitatsmentioned mean (e.g., tropical vs. rain forest),and a discussionof authors' choicesof vernacular names (based, I suspect,largely on length of time in usage). Lastly, within the introductory material there are severalpages of commentson genera,such as taxa includedwithin a genusand how a given might be related to another. At the beginningof the typical owl (subfamilyStriginae) section,Marshall and King have a one-pagediscussion of Otusowls and give their views on how variousOtus line up systematically.Many of thosediscussed are either insular or Neotropical. The remainder and bulk of the publicationis a phylogeneticlist of named specieswith a few lines under eachthat givesgeneral geographic occurrence with 1 or 2 words on habitat (e.g., semi-openand lightly wooded country). While I generallyfind this publicationvery usefulthere are somedistracting items, however,as I try to use it. I could find no statementas to the cut off date for information acquisition.It's hard to know what data were available to the authors,although there is one literature referenceas late as 1987. Therefore, it is a bit frustratingto read the brief paragraphdescription of Family Cathartidae,for example,and note the still very tenuousalignment of that group with the storks (family Ciconiidae) in view of the excellent paper by Rea (Catharid Affinities: a brief overview tn Vulture Biology and Management, S. Wilbur and J. Jackson,Eds., U. Calif. Press, 1983) and the DNA/DNA hybridizationinformation of C. Sibleyand J. Ahlquist (paperspresented at 19th InternationalOrnith. Congr., Ottawa, 1986; A.O.U. Mississippi,1986), findingswhich removedany doubt, I believe,concerning the Ciconiid-Catharld relationship. There is likewise not enoughdiscussion in the introductorymaterial or in the several-linestatement under each speciesto clarify why a givendiscussion was made.This couldhave been easily handled with moreliterature references If anyoneis qualified to discussrelationships among genera, for example,it is Dean Amadon and additionalinsights into his views would have been invaluable. The material under the heading "Accipitres"would have been a great place for Amadon to have suggestedwhy certain generaare of uncertain positionand affinity and list them. Instead, we are simply told that many genera are of uncertain positionsand then we are referred to Brown and Amadon (,hawks, and falconsof the World, McGraw Hill, New York 1968). The problemis that certainlythere has been new data to help elucidatethe sequentialposition of somegenera in the past 20 years.Kaupifalco and were earlier (1968) placed with the Sub-buteosand in fact Amadon (A revisionof the Sub-ButeonineHawks (Accl- pitridae, Aves), Amer. Mus. Novitates,no. 2741, 1982) placesthem with the sub-buteosas late as 1982. In this current publicationthey are placedbetween Snake Eagles and Harriers and not at all allied with Sub-.The 2 genera are probably correctlyplaced in the current publicationbut there shouldat least have been a footnoteas to why the differencesin thesesequences. The useof somevernacular (common) names needed more explanation.For example,Spiziapterxy is calleda falcon, not a falconeras it has beenearlier. Why the change,especially if the speciesis indeedallied with the Subfamily Polyborinae(Caracaras and relatives) as was apparently done by Amadonand Bull ? The Circusapproximans/spilonotus/ aeruginosiscomplex (superspecies)that are named as Eastern or Western Marsh or Swamp Harrier have other vernacular names used in areas of their occurrencethan those given by Amadon and Bull. C. approximans,from Australo-Papuaand Oceania,has frequently beencalled the AustralasianHarrier (cf. Baker-Gabb, Notornis26:325- 327, 1979, for example)and it seemsthat sucha name is more meaningfuland utilitarian than Swamp Harrier. I found the argumentsand statisticalanalysis of B. Millsap (Biosystematicsof the Gray Hawk (Buteonitidus), unpbl. M.S. thesis,George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA, 1978) rather compelling.His assertionis that if the Gray Hawk is removedfrom Buteoand placedin Austurina(as earlier doneby Amadon1982 and by Amadonand Bull) so shouldthe RoadsideHawk (B. magnirostris),Red-shouldered Hawk (B. linneatus)and Ridgway'sHawk (B. ridgwayz) Whether oneagrees or not, at leastthe argumentsof Millsap merit referenceby Amadonand Bull, if only in a footnote Among owls, especiallyOtus, there seemsto be a lot of lumping of formsrecognized as speciesby other authors SPRING 1989 NF, WS AND RF, VIF,WS 23 without any explanation.For example,no reasonis given for includingOtus petersoni (the descriptionas a new species seemsrather persuasive)with Otus colombianusrather than recognizingspecies status. I am not questioningthe authoritativeknowledge of Marshall and King, but rather I suggestthat we shouldbe informed in a note as to why the decisionwas made. On the other sideof the coin,Bubo bubo traditionally has about 23 geographicraces (subspecies) and 2 normally includedin B. bubo(i.e., ascalaphusand bengalensis)were elevatedto speciesstatus. A footnotesuggesting an earlier precedenceor other reasonsseems in order. Additionally, the above Bubo together with B. capensisare includedas a superspecies.It seemsthat if capensisis relegatedto that associationwith bubo,ascalaphus and bengalensis then the equally similar B. africanusshould have been included. Amadon (pets. comm.)has pointedout 1 typographical error; on page 344 Pseudoscopsgrarnmacus should read P. grammicus. Overall, I highly recommendthe purchaseof this useful publication,especially in view of the vast compilationof material one getsfor the modestprice. I shouldalso call attentionto 2 other publicationsfrom the Western Foundation that concernraptors: Ecologicalaspects of the food habits of insectivorousscreech-owls, by A. Ross, Proceedings#6, 1969, 43 pp, $4.00 U.S., and Parallel variation in North and Middle American screechowls, by J. T. Marshall, Jr., Monograph #1, 1967, 72 pp. $10.00 U.S.--Clayton M. White

Hawks in Flight: the Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors by Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton. Houghton-Mifflin Company,Boston, 1988. 254 pp. Cost for hardback$17.95 U.S.

Birdwatching has becomea well establishedhobby and avocation with numerous •field guides" attesting to its popularity. More recently,specialty field guides(e.g., shorebirds,waterfowl, gulls, amongothers) are being published at an increasingrate. Guides for "hawkwatchers"are no exceptionto this trend. With the addition of A Field Guide to Hawks of North America (reviewedJ. Raptor Res. 22:74) and now Hawks in Flight, hawkwatching has blossomed into a recognizedsubset in the birdwatching family. Hawks in Flight differs considerablyfrom more conventionalstyle field guides.Missing are schematicillustrations with typical colorationand shadingsaccompanied by pointersto easily recognizable"field marks." The "Peterson System,"as noted by Roger Tory Peterson'sforwarding remarks, servesto simplify observationsfor the novice. Hawks in Flight is a natural extensionto Peterson's"field marks," under conditionsunique to hawkwatching (i.e., accurateidentification of flying raptorsfrom often fleetingobservations at extendeddistances). The authors'overall premiseis that many of the shading,shape, behavioral, or other characteristicsubtleties, not readily observablewith smaller birds, are visible on raptors in flight, even at extreme distances. More notable changesfrom averagefield guide format are that all illustrations are pen and ink sketchesof raptors from anglestypical in the field (rarely directly overhead).The photo appendix following the main text is all black and white. The authors reasonedthat black and white illustrations and photos best approximate field conditions, typicallypoor lighting compoundedby distanceand optics.Also lackingare brief natural historyand habitat descriptions on each species.Only information regarding range, migration, and detailed flight identification characteristicsare providedfor eachof 23 speciesin 7 identificationchapters. The authorsomit non-migratory,occasional, or rare migrant raptors from the 39 speciesknown to occurin North America, although many are noted through comparisonswith subiectbirds. Field identification of subspeciesis coveredfor such speciesas Red-tailed Hawk (Buteojamaicensis), Merlin (l•lco colurnbarius)and PeregrineFalcon (Falcoperegrinus). Pertinent or cautionaryrecognition notes for each speciesare set in italics which aids in field use. Each identification chapter concludeswith a summary of how to differentiatebetween other similar species.A sectionon-"Telling AccipitersApart" is the bestI have read and reflects the authors'familiarity with the subject.There is a slanttowards eastern raptors, probably due to the authors'experience and knowledgewith hawk watchingstations found there; such does not detractfrom the usefulnessof this guidefor westerners,however. Finally, this is a "non" field guide in that it is bestread beforeentering the field. One endpaperprovides an excellentquick-reference of overheadillustrations for the 23 subjectraptor speciesin flight,all in the samescale. The oppositeendcover has raptor topography and head-onprofiles, also useful as a quick- reference.There is a brief but usablebibliography. The index is detailedand functional.I found only one error; there are 10 speciesof harriersnot 9 as notedin the chapteron harrier identification.I found no typographicalerrors. I had the opportunity to use much of the information provided in this guide through teaching a courseon raptor identificationlast summer,and was amazedat how characteristicsof flight (buoyancyin flight, rate of wing beats,head- body size comparison,chord-span length ratio, etc.) were more readily observablethan color,tail-bars, etc. This guide providesmuch more identification information than Hawks of North America. However, the two guides appear to complimenteach other. Hawks in Flight will make raptor identification more accurateand interestingfor noviceand experts,whether usedalone or in conjunctionwith other field guides--John W. Martin 24 NEWSAND REVIEWS VOL. 23, NO. 1

1988 LESLIE BROWN MEMORIAL GRANT RECIPIENTS

Robert E. Simmons, Ph.D. Amount Received: $600 Project: ReproductiveEcology of Wahlberg'sEagle

Rob Simmonswas born in Kent, Englandin 1957and studied astrophysics for an honorsdegree at LondonUniversity Realizingthe folly of his ways,he switchedto Ornithologyand movedto AcadiaUniversity in Canadafor his M.Sc researchon polygynyand populationdynamics of the Northern Harrier. His newfoundlove of behavioralecology in general,and harrier matingsystems in particular,led Rob to SouthAfrica in 1983 wherehe hasstudied a varietyof raptors,including Black Harriers, Red-breastedSparrowhawks, African Marsh Harriers (for his Ph.D.) and Wahl- berg'sEagle. Rob is currentlylooking at reproductiveconstraints, population regulation and breedingbiology of Wahlberg'sEagle, a studyfunded in part by the LeslieBrown Memorial Award. His theoreticalinterests are broad, rangingfrom life historystrategies, cainism and populationdynamics to the evolutionof sexualbehavior. When not with his binocularsor computer,Rob enjoysrunning, squash,cricket, golf and food,and more recently,making faces at his two-month-old daughter.

VOL.1(1) MAY 1986

oA RAPTOR. FILE I:'OR.RAPTORPI-IILL:•So

GABAR Amount Received: $400

The African raptor researchjournal GABARwas establishedin 1986 by RobertSimmons, David Allan and Phoebe Barnard in order to fill a gap highlightedby recentconferences on African predatorybirds. The nameof the journal is both that of an ubiquitoussmall African Goshawk [the Gabar Goshawk,Micronisus (Melierax) gabar], and an acronymfor the journal's subject,the Growth and Biologyof African Raptors.The journal featuresboth refereed articleson recent research,a forum for discussionof controversialissues and ideas, a sciencereview summarizing selectedpapers from internationaljournals, informal shortnotes, and news. The journal has beenedited jointly by SPRING 1989 NEWS AND REVIEWS 25

Rob Simmons(Chief Editor) and PhoebeBarnard (Copy Editor), with representativesin Botswana,Kenya, Namibia, SouthAfrica, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and will in the future be edited by John Mendelsohn and David Allan. GABAR hasrecently become affiliated to the newly formedAfrican Raptor Information Centre (ARIC) as the centre'sscientific publicationand has a readershipof closeto 1000. Editorial correspondenceregarding GABAR should be addressedto the new Editor, John M. Mendelsohn,State Museum, Box 1203, Windhoek 9000, Namibia, and subscription/ membershipenquiries to ARIC's Secretary,Shelley Berkow, ARIC, Box 59507, Karenpark 0118, Republic of South Africa.

1989 Leslie Brown Memorial Grant. In memoryof one of the mostinspired and productiveraptor biologistsof recent decades,The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., announcesthe availability of up to $1000 to providefinancial assistance to promotethe researchand/or disseminationof information on birds of prey. Applicantsmust submit a resume, specificstudy objectives, an accountof how funds will be spent, and a statementindicating how the proposedwork would relate to other work by the applicant and to other sourcesof funds. Proposalsconcerning African raptors will receivehighest priority betweenproposals of otherwiseequal merit. Application material must be received by 1 October 1989. Proposals,donations and inquiriesabout tax-exempt contributions to the fund shouldbe sentto: Jeffrey L. Lincer, Ph.D., Chairman, RRF Leslie Brown Memorial Fund, 4718 Dunn Drive, Sarasota, FL 34233, U.S.A.

1988 STEPHEN R. TULLY MEMORIAL GRANT RECIPIENT

Gian Basili graduatedfrom ColoradoCollege in 1987 with a B.A. in Biology.Since then, Gian has spentone year workingas a teacher'sassistant in the Departmentof Biologyat ColoradoCollege. Gian has participatedin numerous PeregrineFalcon management projects, including population surveys in Utah's canyoncountry and in the Wasatch Mountains and releaseprojects in Wyoming and Colorado. Gian's career objectivesare in foreign conservation,with specificinterest in endangeredspecies. After finishing a researchproject on raptorsin Venezuela,Gian plansto enter a graduatestudy programin tropical raptor ecology.

1989 StephenR. Tully Memorial Grant. The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., announcesthe availabilityof the StephenR. Tully Memorial Grant to providefinancial assistance to promotethe research,management, and conservation 26 NEWS AND REVIEWS VOL. 23, NO. 1 of birds of prey. Individualsdemonstrating serious interest in raptors,particularly students and amateurswith limited accessto major grantingagencies, are eligible.Applicants must submit3 copiesof the following:resume (vitae), study plan (5 pagesmaximum), an accountof how fundswill be spent,and a statementindicating how the proposedwork wouldrelate to otherwork by the applicantand to othersources of funds.Applications must be postmarkedby 10 September1989, and addressedto StephenR. Tully Memorial Grant, 5666 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise,ID 83709, U.S.A. Grant awards will bc announcedat the annual Raptor ResearchFoundation meeting 10-14 October 1989 in Veracruz, Mexico.

Hawk Mountain-Zeiss Raptor ResearchAward. The Hawk Mountain SanctuaryAssociation awarded its 1989 researchgrant to SuzanneM. Joy, a M.S. candidateat ColoradoState University. Her projectis entitled "Nest-site characteristicsand foragingbehavior of Sharp-shinnedHawks in mature aspenand coniferhabitats." The Hawk Mountain SanctuaryAssociation is now acceptingapplications for its thirteenthannual award to support studentresearch on birdsof prey. Supportfor this award is providedby Carl ZeissOptical, Inc. Up to $:2000in funds are available and will be awarded to one or two recipients.To apply, a studentapplicant should submit a brief descriptionof his or her researchprogram (five pagesmaximum), a curriculumvitae, a budgetsummary including other funding anticipated,and two lettersof recommendationto Dr. JamesC. Bednarz,Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association,Route 2, Kempton, PA 19529, U.S.A. The deadline for applications is 15 November 1989. The Association'sboard of directorswill make a final decisionin February 1990. Only undergraduateand graduatestudents in degree-grantinginstitutions are eligible to apply. The awardswill be grantedon the basisof the project'spotential to improve understandingof raptor biologyand its ultimate relevanceto the conservationof raptor populations.The funds are no longer restrictedto studiesin North America and applicationsfrom anywhere in the world will be considered.

The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., 1989AnnualMeeting and II WesternHemisphere Meeting of the World Working Group on Birds of Prey. The annual meetingof The Raptor ResearchFoundation, Inc., will be held in conjunctionwith the II Western HemisphereMeeting of the World Working Group on Birds of Prey on 10-14 October 1989 at the Hotel Mocambo in Veracruz City, Veracruz, Mexico. The meetingwill focuson the biology, ecologyand conservationof neotropicalraptors, as well as wintering ecologyof Nearctic raptors in the Neotroplcs. For further informationcontact: Mario A. Ramos, Chairperson,RRF-WWGBP 1989 Meeting, Mexico Project Officer,World Wildlife Fund, 1:250Twenty-Fourth Street,Northwest, Washington, D.C. :20057U.S.A.; Telephone (:20:2):295-4800, or Eduardo E. Inigo-Eliasand Michael W. Collopy, Departmentof Wildlife and RangeSciences, 118 Newins-Ziegler Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL $:2611-0504,U.S.A.; Telephone (904) $9:2-4851.

Request For Assistance.I am anxiousto locate a male Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica)to pair with my female which is one of only two in England. Any help or suggestionsfor further correspondencewould be most welcome.Marshall Lee, 88 Priestwood Avenue, Brachnell, Berkshire, ENGLAND RDI:2 1X9.