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Noteson v grancyin Brown-headed Nuth tch, with attntion to rec nt range expansion long-termhabitat changes

THECURRENT BREEDING RANGE FrankRenfrow pinewoods.After a periodof gradualhabitat recovery,coinciding with a well-documented OFBROWN-HEADED IN HISTORICALCONTEXT 611South O'Fallon Avenue expansionof the breeding range, a seriesof deleteriousevents has more recently afflicted The historicalnorthern boundary of the breedingrange of Brown-headed Nuthatch is Bellevue,Kentucky 41073 portionsof thesouthern pinewoods, includ- ingseveral years of intense drought, fires, and describedby Bent(1948) as extending from (eraall:[email protected]) storm damage, which were followed by a Arkansas,possibly southeastern Missouri, severeoutbreak of the SouthernPine [Bark] throughnorthern Mississippi and northwest- Beefie(DendroctonusJrontalis). Concomitant ern SouthCarolina, into easternVirginia and with this recent deterioration in the Brown- Maryland,and just into southern Delaware. In ABSTRACT headed Nuthatch's habitat has been a recent Tennesseeand Missouri,its historicalbreed- TheBrown-headed Nuthatch (5itta p. pusilia) seriesof vagrantrecords north of normal ingstatus isuncertain. A record of a paircol- is a permanentresident of thepinewoods of range,which have been verified by multiple lected(AMNH 230089,230090) on 19 March the southeasternUnited Statesfrom southern observersand photographically documented. 1907in ShannonCounty (Robbins and East- Delawarethrough eastern Texas (A O. U. Bothhistorically and in recenttimes, it would eda1992) may pertain to an extirpated breed- 1998), with a weaklydifferentiated sub- seemthat extrafimitalwandering of this ingpopulation in theShortleaf area of species,caniceps, that inhabitssouthern speciescould be triggeredby episodesof southeastern Missouri. Woodruff (1908) Florida(Pyle 1997) and an Endangeredsub- severe habitat loss. describedthe female as flying to andfrom a species,insularis, on GrandBahama Island deadpine in themiddle of a cornfield,a situ- (Smithand Smith 1994). INTRODUCTION ationindicative of possiblenesting, as is the Currentornithological literature designates TheBrown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilia) is March date. Two unconfirmed Tennessee thisspecies as sedentary, with no recognized ayear-round resident ofthe Piedmont and the recordsalso date from this period, one dispersalor irruptivemovements, although southernCoastal Plain regions of thesouth- countedon a ChristmasBird Count (C.B.C.) the A. O. U. Check-list (1998) indicates easternUnited States,with somesecondary, nearKnoxville in 1914,and another along the extralimitalrecords from four states. In fact, disjunctpopulations in southern portions of OcoeeRiver between Copperhill, Tennessee recordsof the species outside of normal range the Cumberland Plateau and lower-elevation and BlueRidge, in 1915 (Trabue werementioned in multiplelate-nineteenth- areasof theAppalachians (Harrap and Quinn 1965). TheseTennessee records were both centurysources, and these appearances 1995).In thesouthern Coastal Plain portions consideredsuspect by Haney(1981). Both, appearto correspond toa periodof extensive of its range,the speciesoccupies Longleaf however,occurred in or very near areasinto loggingof thesouthern pinewoods. Most of Pine(Pinus palustris) forest, once quite vasl whichthe species has expanded its rangein theserecords, however, have more recently but now considerablydiminished in extent recent times. There are also some indications been assumed erroneous and thus omitted andquality. In thePiedmont and northerly that the Delawarepopulation may have fromthe ornithologicalliterature of the reachesof rangein theCoastal Plain, these extendedslightly farther north at onetime twentiethcentury. There were only two nuthatchesshow a decidedpreference for Thisspecies was mentioned in a listof the sightingsofthis species north of nor- LoblollyPine (P taeda).In someupland por- birdsof CapeMay County,New Jerseyin malrange during the first half of tionsof their range, they inhabit the oak-hick- 1857 and as a rare visitant in the southern the twentiethcentury. A second ory-pineforest with a strong element of Short- countiesof NewJersey or Pennsylvaniain clusterof sightingsoccurred leaf Pine (P echinata) 1869 (Stone1965). between 1954 and 1977, Thisspecies apparently reaches its highest Overthe past 40 years,there has been a during a period of populationdensities in Louisianaand North well-documentedexpansion of the breeding • reneweddegradation Carolina (Root 1988). AlthoughBrown- rangeof the Brown-headed Nuthatch into the headedNuthatch is generallydescribed as state of Tennessee,coinciding with more southern sedentary(Norris 1958, Withgot! and Smith modestexpansions into western North Car- 1998),there have been numerous instances of olina,western Virginia, and very recently into vagrancyrecorded over northeasternMaryland. In 1968,two Brown- theyears. With respectto headed were found in Hamilton - thesereports of extralimital County,Tennessee, a first acceptedstate '•:•,••.••,•and loggingofthe individuals, considerations record (Basham1969), with nestingcon- such as changesin habitat, firmedin 1977(Haney 1981). In recentyears, rangeexpansion, and irruption breedingBrown-headed Nuthatches have also ordispersal seem not to have been been found in southwestern Tennessee at "- addressedin a thoroughmanner. PickwickDam, Hardin County (Cardiff 1997, TheBrown-headed Nuthatch (Sittapusilla) isa permanent resident ofthe pinewoods ofthe southeastern .Thisphotograph wastaken inOkaloosa County, Florida on2 February 2000. Photograph byFrank Renfrow.

422 NORTH AMERICAN Stedman2000). In 1995,breeding was con- extralimitalBrown-headed Nuthatches poses to mapthese uneven data or to manipulate firmedat theKingston Steam Plant, 126 km to a particularproblem for thedetermination of themstatistically, thenorth of Chattanooga,in Roane County a givenreports accuracy and thereforefor a Priorto 1850,there seems to beonly one (Nicholson1997). Severalmore breeding clearpicture of vagrancy ordispersal. All 26 mentionof a vagrantBrown-headed Nuthatch records(Figure 1) wereconfirmed over the possiblerecords ofvagrants have been given a in the literature: an individual collected in next severalyears (Hall 1998, Leberman specificdesignation according tothe degree of northernOhio sometime prior to 1838:the 2000). Beginningin 1999, Brown-headed uncertaintysurrounding each record (Tables Nuthatches have also been found at observerand collector of thisspecimen was l-3). Therecords with the greatest amount of none other than Jared Potter Kirtland Cookevillein PutnamCounty, 116 km west of uncertaintyare designatedas "suspect,"in (1793-1877),the noted nineteenth-century Kingston,with breedingconfirmed here in accord with current assessmentat the state naturalist(Kirtland 1838). This specimen was 2002 and 2003 (Stedmanand Walden,in apparentlylost, and the recordis omittedin press).A firstKnox County record in 2002 themost recent ornithological history of Ohio wasindicative ofcontinued northward expan- (Whan 2001). sionalong the TennesseeRiver (Sloane and Duringthe 27-yearinterval between 1876 Palmer-Ball2003). A Brown-headed Nuthatch nest record at and 1903,there were nine possible occur- rencesof vagrantBrown-headed Nuthatches CleburneCounty, Arkansas in 2002was con- (Tables1-3). The first of thesesightings was sideredunusual for the area (Myers and Wal- in NewJersey, where one was carefully stud- lace2002) and may indicate further range iedat a CamdenCounty suet feeder during expansionin thisstate as well. thewinter of 1876(Bent 1948, Stone 1965). In western North Carolina, a similar On 12May 1877,Dr. H. A. Atkinscollected a advanceofbreeding populations has occurred Brown-headedNuthatch at lnghamCounty, fromthe Piedmont region up into higher ele- Michigan.This specimen was subsequently vationsto the west. Pearsonet al. (1942) lost,and the record had been called into ques- listedthis species as unrecorded west of Burke tiondue to possibleconfusion with theRed- County.More recently, breeding populations breastedNuthatch (Sitta canadensis) (Barrows have been confirmedin Buncombe(H. 1912).The nextyear, there was a slightly LeGrand,pers. comm.; Simpson 1992), Clay Figure1. Brown-headedNuthatch • an area of recent north-of-rangerecord at St. LouisCounty, (Renfrow,unpubl.), and Polk Counties(W. rangeexpansion inRoane County, Tennessee on Missourion 6 May 1878(Robbins and East- Forsythe,pers. comm.). 11May 2000. Photograph byFrankRenfrow. erla 1992). A Brown-headedNuthatch was A westwardexpansion into collectednear Philadelphia-- higher-elevationareas in Vir- Table1.Vagrant Brown-headed Nuthatches inthe Great Lakes Region ofthe United States. but not necessarilywithin giniahas likewisebeen L0CAIIONDATE DETAILS SOURCE Pennsylvania--inthe autumn observed,with recentrecords Illinois of about 1885 (McWilliams fromBotetourt, Montgomery, Augusta,Pulaski, and take 11Jul 2001-9 Feb 2002 m.ob./documented** Seme12002 andBrauning 2000). In west- RoanokeCounties (E. Brink- Indiana ern New York, an adult male was collected(CUM 13512) ley,pers. comm., J. Buckdew take 5-6Apr 1932 m.0b./d0cumented* Mumfordand Keller 1984 at ChemungCounty on 24 pers.comm.; Hall 1988). Pro- Midfiõan May 1888 (Levine 1998). jectFeederWatch dataalso In!Thom12 May 1877 specimenlost/credible details Barrows1912 Finally, a Brown-headed indicatesome expansion into NowYork Nuthatchspecimen in the westernVirginia and possibly 24May 1888 specimenCUM13512** Levine1999 collectionof the Reading WestVirginia, although this (hemuntj Museum was collected at hasnot yet been verified by Ohio BecksCounty, Pennsylvania experiencedobservers (W. take? pre-1838 specimenlost/credible details Kirtland1838 ] on 6 September1894 Hochachka,pers. comm.). 6eau!To 21Nov-14 Jan 2002 m.ob./documented** Gilbert2002 (McWilliamsand Brauning There are currently no Wis{onsin 2000; R. Leberman,pers. acceptedrecords of this Rock 1 May1964 documented* Maxson1964 ] comm.). speciesforWest Virginia (W. Dane 14May 1970 documented* Robbins1991 ] Duringthe 51-year interval Argabnte,pers comm., J. Milwaukee between 1903 and 1954, Buckdew,pers. comm.). Oct1971-Jan 1972 m.ob./documented** Robbins1991 Despiteindications of a MilwaukeeNov1977 credibledetails Korducki,pers.comm. I therewas, remarkably, only 26Feb 2000-19 Apr2000 m.ob./documented ** Domagalski,pers.comm. one possiblesighting of a populationdecline in Mary- Milwaukee vagrant Brown-headed landand eastern Virginia (cliff * = acceptedbutwith details insufficient torule out $ittnpygmaeo **: accepted bystate records committee Nuthatch(Table 1). In 1932, 1997), an apparentincrease italicsindicate names ofcounties; "m.oh."indicates multipleobservers in numbers in the winter of two observersreported a sightingof the species in Indi- 1997(11iff 1998) was followed by increased level. Theseflagged records are all included ana (Mumfordand Keller 1984). This record north-of-rangesightings in QueenAnne's withaccepted records in thelables, as they is currentlyaccepted by the IndianaBird County,Maryland, where Brown-headed arein keepingwith a cydicalpattern of his- RecordsCommittee, but without determina- Nuthatchhad not been previously recorded torical occurrenceestablished by those (cliff 1999,2000). tionthat the details adequately rule out the recordsthat have been accepted by states' similarPygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) asa recordscommittees. Ihe ratifiedrecords, as RECORDSAND REPORTS OF possibility(Bruner 1996; D. Gorney,pers. well asthose with credibleextant details, are comm.). BROWN-HEADEDNUTHATCH detailedin thefollowing. Because of thedis- AWAYFROM BREEDING RANGE Duringthe 23-yearinterval between [954 parity betweenverifiable and unverifiable The unevenness in the documentation of and 1977,there were again nine reported accounts,however, there has been no attempt sightings of vagrant Brown-headed

VOLUME57 (2003) NUMBER3 423 Nuthatches(Tables 1-2), pos- largearea of ScotsPine (P Table2.Vagrant Brown-"-h;ad;d Nuth•tc•sinthe northeastern UnitedStates. sylvestris)and AustrianPine siblyindicating another peak Location Date Details Source in extralimitalappearances. (P nigra) that had been Fiveof theseare considered Connecti{ut plantedin the 1880s.This "suspect"records from the Hartford 19Dec 1954 suspectdetails ZeranskiandBaptist 1990 record is also unusual for Northeast(Zeranski and nap- Fairfield 2May 1962 suspectdetails ZeranskiandBaptist 1990 being the only summer list 1990, Halliwell et al. Hartford 13Feb 1966 suspectdetails ZeranskiandBaptist 1990 recordnoted in anynorthern state This bird was first seen 2000),and only one, the 1971 NewJersey on 11July 2001 and was last Milwaukeerecord, has been Camden Winter1876 qedJbledetails Stone1965 seenon 9 February2002 (ph. 28Apr 1962 suspectdetails Halliwelletal. 2000 headedofficially Nuthatch_accepted ThereasaBrown- was a Cape May m North American Birds 55: Wisconsinsighting of a Middlesex9Dec 1989 suspectdetails Halliwelletal. 2000 505). In a remarkableexam- Brown-headedNuthatch on 1 Sussex Fall1968 suspectdetails Halliwelletal. 2000 ple of precisehabitat selec- May 1964in RockCounty Pennsylvania tionby vagrantbirds, a Red- (Maxson1904) and another Philadelphiaarea Fall18857 specimenlost/credible details McWilliams andBrauning 2000 cockaded (Picoidesborealis) had been in Dane Countyon 14 May Berks 65ep 1894 specimen/ReadingMuseum** McWilliams andBrauning 2000 found at this samelocation in 1970. Ihesetwo sightings Franklin 12Aug 1903 suspectdetails McWilliamsandBrauning 2000 were acceptedby Robbins 2000. The rotthatch was (1991), but, aswith theIndi- actuallyobserved in thesame ana report,the detailswere Table3. VagrantBrown-headed Nuthatches inthe central United States. pinetree in whichthe wood- considered insufficient to Location Date Details Source peckerhad been seen to roost (Brock 2001; Semel2002; B. exdudePygmy Nuthatch. A Iowa Brown-headed Nuthatch fre- DuMont1935 Wengelewski,pets. comm.; /ee 9-13May 1893 suspectdetails ph. in NorthAmerican Birds quenteda feederat Milwau- (aLsoHahcod; IL) 55: 118). kee County,Wisconsin from Kansas October1971 throughJanu- In northeasternOhio, the Johnson 25Dec 1997-24Jan 1998 m.ok/documented** 6rzyb0wskJ1998 Brown-headed Nuthatch ary 1972 (Robbins1991). Therewas also one other sight Kentucky returned to the realm of Kirt- recordat MilwaukeeCounty Russell 26Sep 1999-12 Oct 1999 m.ob./documented** Palmer-Ball 2003 land after a 163-yearhiatus in 1977. The observerviewed Missouri (Figure2). This individual frequenteda feeder and was the bird at closerange and St.Louis 6May 1878 credibledetails Robbinsand noted the rich, chocolate Easterla1992 photographedand docu- mentedby multiple observers brown coloration of the head Nebraska from 21 November 2001 CM.Korducki, pets. comm.). Sioux 26Feb 1896 suspectdetails Brunet1896 There was one isolated, through 14 January 2002 * = acceptedbutwith details insufficient torule out Sitto pygmaea ** = acceptedbystate bird records con•nittee (Gilbert 2001). suspectsighting for NewJer- italicsindicate names ofcounties; "m.oh." indicates multiple observers seyin 1989.This was the last POTENTIALINFLUENCES OF of three"suspect" twentieth- centurysightings for thestate, with the two staterecord (Palmer-Ball 2003). ANTHROPOGENICANDNATURAL othersbeing from the 1960s (Halliwdl et al. At Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, a LANDSCAPECHANGES ON BROWN- 2000). Suchoccasional sightings miglu be Brown-headedNuthatch frequented a feeder HEADEDNUTHATCH DISTRIBUTION expected,given the statc's dose proximity to from26 Februarythrough 19 April2000 (R. Thefirst recorded peak in cxtralimitalBrown- the Delawarepopulation, though the water Domagalski,pets. comm.). A littleover a year headedNuthatch records occurred during the barrierof the DelawareBay would certainly later,an individualwas found at LakeCounty, periodbetween 1877 and 1903(Table 4). posean obstacle for at least some wanderers. Illinois,72 km to the southof Milwaukee. Extensivelogging took place in thesoutheast- Between1997 and 2001, therewere five Unlikemost of the othersightings, this bird ern UnitedStates during this same period. north-of-rangerecords of Brown-headed wasnot vlsitrng a feederbut was found in a Ashe(1894) calculatedthe decreasein the Nuthatch (Tables l-3). Each areaot kongleafPine forest bird was docmncntcd and fur- between1880 and 1894, con- nished a first or second state dudingthat the constantly record. The first of these was acceleratingrate of consump- tion would restlit in the com- at Johnson County, Kansas, where a Brown-headed plete eliminationof North Nuthatchfrequented a feeder Carolina'skongleaf Pine for- from 25 December 1997 •,- esi in less than 20 years through 25 January 1998 ß q (Ashc1894). His signilar (Grzybowski1998). A Brown- ,, ' assessment of the state's headed Nuthatch also fre- I LohlollyPine forest predicted quenteda feederin Russell exhaustionof the supply County,Kentucky from 26 ' within15 years.Forest fires Septemberthrough 12 Octo- ,• were also widespreadin bet 1999.This was only about North Carolinaduring this 90 km northof the recently period, with 221,000 ha expandedTennessee breeding Figure2.Observers gatherto watch forthe vagrant Brown-headed Nuthatch atGeauga County, burned in 1880 (Ashe 1895). rangebut nevertheless a first Ohioon 9 December2001. Photograph byFronk Renfrow. In turn-of-the-century

424 NORTHAMERICAN BIRDS im mm mmmm ß mm mmmmmm Mississippi,the developmentof Tennessee. These southern Ten- Table4. Vagrant Brown-headed Nuthatch records b decade. a railroadsystem allowed for nesseepopulations are all within extensive logging activities. 1830 ._GLI therelatively small area of native Wildfireswere also widespread 1840 LoblollyPine that occursin the until conservationmeasures 1850 southernmostportions of the wereenacted during the 1930s. 1860 state.The population at Kingston Turcotteand Watts(1999) 1870 is 100 km north of the native describe how the former NE• IGL 1 CN I 1880 • tNE I rangeof LoblollyPine. A large pinewoods were reduced to 1890 •il ,CN CN, standof plantedLoblolly at blackenedstump forests. Many 1900 thesteam plant entrance was cut of the fires in the South at this as a beede control measure in 1910 time were deliberatelyset in 2000,and the few remaining trees orderto improve livestock for- 1920 ,GL'-i succumbedto pine beetlesin age.Nicholson (1997) consid- 1930 2001.The one Kentucky record of ereda contemporaryestimate of 1940 a Brown-headed Nuthatch also 400,000ha of Tennesseeforest 1950 occurredwithin a largearea of burnedin 1880to be overly con- 1960 GL' ] ] plantedLoblolly Pines. These servative. Robbins and Eastefta 1970 pines still appearedhealthy in (1992) recount how the Short- 1980 2000(Renfrow, unpubl.) but were leafPine region of southeastern 1990 entirelywiped oul by the pine Missouriwas devastated by the 2000 beetlesduring the following year lumber industr) betweenthe suspectdetails • credibledetails I • (B.Palmer-Ball, pets. comm.). 1880sand the early t900s. The finalyears of the twenti- During 1931 and 1932, a acceptedasS. pusdla orS. pygmaea • acceptedasS. pusilla I Central U.S.=CN (ireat LakesU.S. =GL Northeast U.S.=NE ethcentury also brought moder- periodof severedroughts and ateto severedrought conditions forestfires occurred throughout to manyparts of thesoutheastern muchof thesoutheastern United States, with the plantingof koblollyPine in abandoned Unito:lStates, which persisted in manyareas closeto 800,000 ha burnedin the Carolinas, farmlandinareas of the state that had formerly wellinto the summer of 2002.A majorsnow- Georgia,and Floridaat thattime (Holbrook been native deciduousforest. stormin Februaryof 1998 followedby a 1943).This brief period of widespread habitat Ihe recentpeak of vagrantBrown-headed severewindstorm on 16 April 1998caused disruption--whichwas perhaps the worst in Nuthatchrecords during the 1990s has contin- extensivedamage to NationalForest areas, thepast three centuries as far asdrought is uedinto the present decade (Table 4). During particularlythe pine trees,in easternKen- concerned(Cook et al. 1996)--coincided this period,negative factors affecting the tuckyand Tennessee. Walker (1998) cites fre- withthe 1932 Brown-headed Nuthatch sight- southernpinewoods have included increased quentoccurrence of tree-destroyingstorms ing in Indiana. logging,drought, fire, stormand hurricane andtropical cyclones along the Atlantic coast Thesubsequent peak in extralimitalBrown- damage,and an extensiveoutbreak of the in the late 1980sand 1990sas adversely headedNuthatch reports in themid-twentieth SouthernPine Beetle. During the mid-1990s, affectingRed-cockaded Woodpecker popula- century(Table 4) coincidedwith another the resurgenceof logging in the Southwas tions,and these factors clearly helped to pre- periodof intensifiedlogging of thesouthern staggering:the previous record production of cipitatethe recentoutbreak of the Southern pinewoods.During the 1950s and 1960s, log- southernpine lumber--4.95billion board PineBeetle, which has affected the pinewoods gingwas increased in orderto optimizelum- meterscut in 1902 wasnot approached again in Alabama,eastern Kentucky, western North berand pulp production during a periodof until 1996, when 4.64 billion board meters Carolina,and eastern Tennessee, aswell as the markedeconomic growth in theUnited States. wereharvested (Walker t998). fragilemaritime pine forestsof the barrier Th•sincrease was also a possiblefactor in the Stedman (1996) describeshow extensive islands of North Carolina and to a lesser noticeable decline in Red-cockaded Wood- clear-cuttingofpine forests in northernMissis- extentVirginia. This pine-beetle outbreak was peckerpopulations during this same period. sippi may have caused Brown-headed particularlysevere on the Cumberland Insectinfestations were also a contributing Nuthatches to move north into southwestem Plateau,prompting the March2001 removal factorin theloss of LoblollyPine, fromKentucky of thestate's last 17 withover 42,000 ha defoliated bythe Red-cockadedWoodpeckers by the koblollyPine Sawfi) (Neodiprion U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(Sted- taedaelinearis) in easternTexas dur- man and Stedman2002, Palmer-Ball ing the early 1950s(Walker 1998), 2003).A massiveamount of logging for instance. (Figure3) hasalso been carried out, In Tennessee,despite an overall , I ostensiblyfor pine-beetlecontrol decreasein naturally-occurring ' measures,but this hasalso had a dev- koblolly-ShortleafPine and oak- astatingeffect on the actual and pinehabitat, there had I•een alarge potentialnesting habitat for Brown- increasein pine plantations over the headedNuthatch (keberman 2000, pastcentury, prior to therecent pine- Renfrowunpubl.). beetleoutbreaks. Over 200,000 ha of koblollyPine seems to havebeen pine plantationsexisted by 1991, particularlyhard hit bypine beetles, mostlyof koblollyPine and mainly whose invasions could themselvesbe on the CumberlandPlateau (Nichol- Figure3. Alogging operation inan area infested bySouthern PineBeetle inBledsoe cyclicalin nature.There are histori- son1997). Similarly,in NorthCar- StateForest, Tennessee, 25September 2001. Note the brown-needled pinetrees calaccounts of unusualpine mortal- olina, Potteret al. (1980) describe inthe background. Photograph byFrank Rentrow. ity in NorthCarolina in 1797,which

VOLUME 57 (2003) NUMBER 3 425 Table5. Vagrant Brown-headed Nuthatch records by seasonal occurrence. I IL 2001-02 I oH 2OOl-O2I KY 1999['--'I I WI 2000 KS199%98 I NJ 1989 ø W! 1977I ? I ? I WI 1971-72 I ? I W! 1970 o I NJ 1968 '> I CT 1966ø WI 1964 o CT 1962 o CT 1954 NJ 1962 o PA 1903 o IN 1932 o. PA 1894 • NE 1896 o IA'IL 1893 o .... I PA? 1885 NY 1888 o • INJ 1876 9 I MO 1878 o MI 1877 o ?• OH pre-1838 •? JUL ] AUG I SEP I OCT I NOV I DEC I JAN I FE3 I MAR I APR I MAY I JUN ? dateor locationuncertain o singledate record .. additionaldates recorded q I verified,extended period of observations I ? I uncertaintime period

mayhave been due to a SouthernPine Beetle Alongwith disturbancefrom logging and nation, the stem of the ShortleafPine devel- outbreak (Walker 1991). Nevertheless, fires,cyclical failures of the conecrop ma T' opsa doublecrook just belowthe ground. LoblollyPine may have become weakened by alsoaccount for somevagrant occurrences. Consequently;stands more than 100 years old a more recent environmental threat. Ihis Ihe LongleafPine ecosystem is markedby beginto deterioraterapidly: LoblollyPine speciesis similarto WhitePine (P. strobus) in heaD' seedproduction, usually at intervalsof lacksa dominanttaproot and is thusparticu- itssensitivity to increasedlevels of ultra-violet fiveyears, but intervalsas infrequentas 10 larly susceptibleto wind-throwas it ages (UV-B)radiation. Particularly high levels of yearsoccasionally take place (Walker 1998). (Walker1998). Although fire is an essential thisradiation measured during the summer of Iheseprolonged periods of restare followed ingredientin maintainingthe healthof the 1993may have been due to depletedozone by exceptionallyprolific production. southernpinewoods, historical accounts levelsin theupper atmosphere (Little 1995). During the 1800s,hea D, mast yearswere describeperiodic, uncontrolled wildfires dew Climaticwarming may' also be a [actorin the recorded in 1845, 1872, and 1892 (Schwarz asiatingvast areasof maturepines (Ashe recent outbreaks of Southern Pine Beetle in 1907). Irruptivebehavior during years of 1895,Walker 1991). severalareas, as the beetlehas a highbrood cone-cropfailure might be a likelyresult, as is mortality at temperaturesbelow -9 ø C the case in Red-breasted Nuthatch. In addi- OTHERFACTORS THAT MAY INFLUENCE (Wahlenberg1946). tion to the data compiledabove, unvetted DISTRIBUTIONOF BROWN-HEADED h is not difficultto imaginethe negative ProjectFeederWatch reports indicate some NUTHATCH effectsthat the combinedevents of logging, slightnorth-of-range movement detected at Anothernatural factor that possibly'limits fires,and other disruptions of habitatmight bird feeders. Extralimital Brown-headed rangeexpansion in Brown-headedNuthatch havehad on Brown-headed Nuthatch popula- Nuthatchesare reportedintermittently at is its primaD preference[or pineseed wings tionsbv theclose of thenineteenth century. A feeders,venturing out of theirusual haunts as nestingmaterial (Norris 1958). Ihis may' half-centurylater, Burleigh (1958) wunessed everyfive to sevenyears, or roughlT' when the explainwhy mostpopulations are in areas howthe species decreased from cmnmon and pine-seedcrop [aris(Dunn and Tessaglia- with at leastsome component of Loblolly widespreadto scarceand localafter logging Hymes1999). Somevertical migration and Pine,Longleaf Pine, or SlashPine (P elliottit). operationshad decimatedthe pinewoods irruptivcbehavior, possibly tied to conecrop Ihesethree species have seed wings roughly aroundAthens, Georgia. Ihe Brown-headed abundance,has alsobeen suspected in the twicethe size of ShortleafPine, Virginia Pine Nuthatchhad to adaptto a radicallychanged PygmyNuthatch (Bent 1948, Marthysen (P virginianus),and PitchPine seed wiugs. landscapeafter the clearingof the pine 1998). This westerncounterpart to Brown- The latter three specieshave rangesthat forests.Pough (19'}6) describes this species headedNuthatch also shows a modestpattern extendwell to the northof the rangeof the asbeing attracted to decayingsnags in burns of vagrancyeast to Nebraska,Kansas, North Brown-headedNuthatch, while the former and clearingsas well as to youngseedling Dakota, Minnesota,and Iowa that can be three do not. pineson abandonedfarmland. This descrip- plausiblytied to episodesof intensivelogging, Interspecificcompetition and hostility tion of habitatpreference differs from the extremedrought, and extensiveforest [ires between the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta maturepinewoods described as their primary (Ren[row,unpubl.). cawlinensis)and the Brown-headedNuthatch habitat in both earlier and more recent times. In addition to fluctuations in natural food has beencited as a limitingfactor in the Ihesemid-century accounts ped•aps support supply;Brown-headed Nuthatches are cer- rangesof bothspecies (Root 1988, Harrap and theinference that habitat degradation during tainlysubject to naturallandscape degrada- Quinn 1995). However, the author has themiddle twentieth century can be linked to tion.So•ne pine species, [or instance,are pre- observedboth speciesin mixed oak-pine thisperiod of renewedvagrant sightings. disposedto a limitedlife cycle.Upon gcrmi- forestsfeeding peacefull T in closeproximity:

426 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS eachkeeping to theirpreferred oaks or pines 11 were within 120 km of one of the Great appearto be the bestexplanatory model for respectively,in locationsas widely separated Lakes.Of these,three were at Milwaukee and thesevagrant occurrences, which probably fol- as western South Carolina and eastern Texas. four others were not more than 160 km dis- lowcycles of natural as well as anthropogenic In the Piedmontregion of Georgia,where tant.This clustering of recordsmay reflect the degradationof the southern pinewoods. bothspecies are common, they can occasion- generallack of signiftcamareas of coniferous allybe found foraging at differentlevels in the habitatbetween the GreatLakes region and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS sametree with little or no ammosnynoted. thesouthern pinewoods, aswell as the physi- First and foremost,I would like to acknowl- Thus,it wouldappear that these species seg- calharrier to furthermovement posed by the edgespecial thanks to Bill Whan,the editor regateby habitatand niche as well asdiver- lakes themselves. A clear reluctance to cross of the OhioCardinal, who providedinvalu- gentforaging strategies. theGreat Lakes has been noted even in long- ableassistance in the procurementof refer- distancemigrant passefines. Dunn and Nol encesources, provision of contactinforma- TENTATIVECONCLUSIONS: PATTEl?NS OF (1980) foundthat migratingwarblers, the tion,and the reviewof severalpreliminary DISPEI?SALAND VAGRANCY AND THEll? juveniles in particular.would sometimes draftsof themanuscript in progress. Wendell POSSIBLECAUSES returnto landafter starting to crosslake Erie. Argabrite,Dan Balser, Edward S. Brinkley, Jay Despiteassertions to the contrary(Norris (The absenceof historical or modern Cana- Buckelew,Robert Domagalski, Erica Dunn, 1958,Withgott and Smith 1998), there is evi- dian reports of Brown-headedNuthatch WayneForsythe, Don Gorney, Tom Halliwell, dencethat somedispersal of Brown-headed [Godfrey1979; K. Roy.pers. comm.] is there- WesleyHochachka, John Idzikowski,Ann Nuthatchoccurs on an irregularbasis. An fore unsurprising.)Withgott and Smith Johnson,Robert Kennedy, Mark Korducki, analysis(Table 5) of vagrantBrown-headed (1998) describethe flight of the Brown- Laurielarson, Harry LeGrand, Robert Leber- Nuthatchrecords indicates high seasonal vari- headedNuthatch as fairlyweak, slow, and man,Tony Leukering, Stan Lincoln, Brainard ability.Ten records cluster in thespring, from short-distanced.In Bent (1948), flight is Palmer-Ball,Sebastian Patti, Nick Pulcinella, April and May,whereas one is fromMarch, describedas gently undulatingbut with DaveRintoul, Kayo Roy, Brad Semel, Steve and there are none from June. Six recent strongand rapid wing-beats. The latter Stedman,Mark Szamyr,Bill Wengelewski, recordsare of extendedduration, one in the descriptionis muchmore in agreementwith andKristof Zyskowski all providedinforma- earlyspring and five from the fall and winter, theauthor's observations ofthe species, which tion on recordsand occurrences.A special oneof thesebeginning in July; the remaining occasionallyexecutes swift, direct flights thanks to Linda Gilbert and the rest of the nine extralimital records are also from the fall acrossexpanses of openwater one km or Gilbertfamily for allowingseveral hundred and winter. Whereas natural and anthro- more(pers. obs.). Tail length in thisspedes is observers,including this author, to viewthe pogenicalterations of habitatappear to corre- relatively shorter than in Red-breasted Ohio Brown-headed Nuthatch from their spondcrudely to large-scale temporal patterns Nuthatch,but relativewing lengthis about backyardand kitchen window. of extralimitalrecords, seasonal patterns are the same,which mayindicate that Brown- muchmore difficuh matters for speculation. headedNuthatch might well be capableof LITERATURECITED Ihe springrecords may pertain to unmated suchextended flights. AmericanOrnithologists' Union. [A. O. U.]. birdsin searchof newterritory, possibly due Analysisof extralimitalrecords by region 1998.Check-list ofNorth American birds, to habitatshortages in theirnatal areas, while yieldsdifferent results for each period of wan- Seventhedition. Washington, D.C., Amer- the fall and winterrecords may pertain to dering. VagrantBrown-headed Nuthatch icanOrnithologists' Union. individualsfleeing habitat disruption or cone recordsfrom the 1800sare ahnostequally Ashe, W. W. 1894. The forests,forest lands, cropfailures. Ihese lattermay also involve divided betweenthe Northeast,the Central, andforest products of easternNorth Car- juveniledispersal, as is thecase with falland andthe Great Lakes regions (Table 4), possi- olina.North Carolina Geological Surv• winter vagrantoccurrences in many other blyindicative of thewidespread habitat degra- Bulletin 5. arianspecies (Berthold 2001). dationthat took place throughout the South- --. 1895. Forest fires: their destructive Due to their proximityto the northern eastduring this period. There are no records work,causes and prevention. North Car- boundaryof the breedingrange, the Ken- fromthe Central region during the mid-1900s olinaGeological Survey Bulletin 7. tuckS Missouri,New Jersey, and Pennsylvania andonly one suspect record from the North- Barrows,W. B. 1912.Michigan birdlife. recordsand reportsmight be bettercatego- eastduring the mostrecent period. These MichiganAgricultural College, lansing, rizedas pertaining to limitedshort-range dis- moreregionall)' specific dtstinctions may indi- Michigan. persal rather than "vagrant• occurrence, catenuthatches' responses to differing habitat Basham,B. 1969 Four additionsto the Ten- thoughthe distinctionbetween designations changesin areasroughly south of thevagrant nesseestate list. Migrant 40: 36. of "dispersive"versus "vagrant" is oftenonly sightings. Bent, A. C. 1948. Life historiesof North a semamicone. Nevertheless,similarities in The plantingof koblollyPine in areas Americannuthatches, , thrashers, periodsof occurrencedo seemto link 23 of whereit is notnative has most likely played a and their allies. United StatesMuseum Bul- the 26 possiblerecords, and it is curiousthat significantrole in expansionof thebreeding letin 195: 1-55. recordsor reportsof the speciesin areas range,and the suddenloss of theseplanted Berthold,P. 2001. : a gozeral between the near and far extremes of pinesdue to the recentpine-beede outbreak survey.Oxford University Press, New extralimitaloccurrence are lacking. There are may be a factorin the recentincrease in York. no crediblerecords from Illinois, Indiana, or vagrant occurrences. Brock,K.J. 2001.Ihe nestingseason: Mid- Ohioaway from the Great Lakes, which may In sum, Brown-headedNuthatches occa- diewesternPrairie region. North American haveas much to do with the panemsof sionallywander considerable distances, and Birds 55:438-441 human settlementalong the lakes,which thislimited dispersive (or irruptive)behavior Brunet,A. W. 1996.Report of theIndiana clearlyconcentrates observers of birds,and appearsto bea responseto severehabitat loss Bird Records Committee 1992-1995. Indi- likewisewuh the concentratingeffect of the and degradation,with which all peaksin anaAudubon Quarterly 74: 78. lakes'coastlines on vagrantpassefines. The reportsof extralimitalnuthatches show corre- Burleigh,I. D. 1958.Georgia Birds. Univer- comparativelylarge number of occurrencesin lation.Forest fires, droughts, and shortages of sityof OklahomaPress, Norman, Okla- theGreat Lakes region, and more specifically breedingplaces are some of theprimary rea- homa. in the Milwaukeearea in particular,is note- sonsfor so-called "escape movements" in birds Cardiff,S. W. 1997.Ihe springmigration: worthy:out of a totalof 26 possiblerecords. (Berthold 2001). Such movements would CentralSouthern region. Field Notes 51:

VOLUME 57 (2003) NUMBER 3 427 880-884. Appalachia.North American Birds 54: Mountains:a guide for theBlue Ridge Park- Comstock,R. L. 1963.Brown-headed 381-384. way,Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah Nuthatchin ChickamaugaPark, Georgia. Levine,E., ed.1098. Bullk Birds of New York NationalPark and Neighboring areas. Uni- Migrant34: 94. State.Cornell University Press, Ithaca, versityof North Carolina Press, Chapd Cook,E. R.,D. M. Meko.D. W Stahle,and New York. Hill, North Carolina. M. K. Cleaveland.1996. Tree-ringrecon- Litde,C. E. 1995.The dying of the trees: the Sloane,C., andB. Palmer-Ball,Jr. 2003. The structionsofpast drought across the pandemicinAmericak forests. Penguin, winterseason: Iennessee and Kentucky. coterminousUnited States:tests of a New York. North American Birds 57: 209-211. regressionmethod and calibration/verifica- Matthysen, E. 1998.The nuthatches. T.& A. Smith,E W., andS. A. Smith.1004. Prelimi- tionresults. Pages 155-169 in: Dean,J. S., D. Poyser,London. naryassessment of the Brown-headed D. M. Meko,and T. W Swetnam,eds. Tree Maxson,M_ 1064. Brown-headed Nuthatch Nuthatchin the Bahamas.Bahamas Jour- Rings,Environment, andHumanity. Radio- at Milton.Passenger Pigeon 27: 11. nalof Science2: 22-26. carbon. Tucson. Arizona. McWilliams,G. M., and D. W Brauning Stedman,S.J. 1996.Ihe winterseason: Cen- Dumont,P. A. 1935.An oldrecord of the 2000.The birds of Pennsylvania Cornell tralSouthern region. Field Notes 50: Brown-headedNuthatch in Iowa and Illi- UniversityPress, Ithaca, New York. 179-182. nois. Wilson Bulletin 47: 240. Myers,B.M., and P.A. Wallace 2002. The ---. 2000. The winter season:Central Dunn,E. H., andE. Nol 1980.Age-related springmigration: Central Southern. North Southernregion. North American Birds 54: migratorybehavior ofwarblers. Journal of American Birds 56: 315-317. 187-190. FieldOrnithology 51: 254-269. Mumford,R. E., andC. E. Keller.1984. The Stedman,S.J., and B.H. Stedman 2002. Notes Dunn,E. H., andD_ L. 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A. 1988.The nestingseason: Palmer-Ball,Jr., B. 2003. Annotated checklist Dover,Inc., New York. Appalachianregion. American Birds 42: ofthe birds of Kentucky: second edition. Sutton,G. M. 1967.Oklahoma birds' their 433-436. KentuckyOrnithological Society, ecologyand distribution, with commo•ts on --. 1998.The fall migration: Appalachian Louisville,Kentucky, theavifanna ofthe southern Great Plains. region.Field Notes 52: 56-60. Pearson,I. G., C. S. Brimley,and H. H. Brim- Universityof OklahomaPress, Norman, Halliwell,T., R. Kane,L Larson,and P. ley1942. Birds of North Carolina. Bynum Oklahoma. Lehman.2000. The Historical Report of PrintingCompany, Raleigh, North Car- Tmbue,L. O. 1965.A reviewof Tennessee theNew Jersey Bird Records Committee olina. Christmascounts. Migrant 36: 36-44. RareBird Reports Through 1989. Records Potter,E. E,J. E Parnell,and R. P.Ieulings. Turcotte,W. H., andD. L. Watts1999. Birds ofNew Jersey Birds 26: 1-44. 1980.Birds of the Carolinas. 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