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123 most of the carcass. A Common blossoms, and fruit by these and Grackle was frequently observed to resident birds at that time.of year prey on migrant passerines in this could often have exceeded the rate of parkette in the spring of 1992 replenishment. Therefore, the small (Davidson 1994). Although White size of the park and its use by a throated Sparrows will eat dog food relatively large number of stranded in captivity (J. B. Falls, pers. comm.), migrants probably led to a food there are no reports of this species shortage. This in turn would have eating the remains of vertebrates in forced the White-throated Sparrow to the wild. search for alternative sources of food and thus to scavenge the carcass of a The sparrow's use of this member of its own species. extraordinary food source may have been due to the lack of accessible sources of this species' usual types of Literature cited food. The parkette is small Davidson, A.H. 1994. Common Grackle (approximately 36 x 30 m) and only predation on adult passerines. Wilson Bulletin about half of the area is covered with 106: 174-175. grass, shrubs, or trees (Davidson Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birders' Handbook. Simon & 1994). It is also surrounded by office Schuster, New York. towers in excess of 50 storeys in Lowther, J.K. andJ.B. Falls. 1968. height, which probably severely Zonotrichia albicollis White-throated Sparrow, restrict movements of migrant birds pp. 1364-1392 In: A.C. Bent (O.L. Austin Jr. out ot the parkette. Given that there led.) ), Life Histories of North American were approximately 10 to 30 migrant Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Towhees, passerines in the parkette on days Finches, Sparrows, and Allies. Part 3, United States National Museum Bulletin 237. prior to observation (pers. obs.), the Washington, D.C. rate of consumption of insects, seed, Anthony L. Lang, Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1. Book Reviews Finches and Sparrows: An Identification Guide. 1993. By Peter Clement, illustrated by Alan Harris and John Davis. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Hardcover, 500 pages, 73 colour plates and 281 range maps plus line drawings. $76.95 Canadian. This book is one of the latest in a detailed and comprehensive series which includes such classics as identification guides are syntheses of Seabirds, Shorebirds, Waterfowl, the current knowledge on each group Swallows and Martins and most from worldwide sources. recently Warblers. These extremely In Finches and Sparrows, 290 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 3 124 species in three mainly Old World Finches that were re-split in 1993 by families, Fringillidae, Estrildidae and the American Ornithologists' Union Passeridae, are beautifully illustrated. are considered one species with the Well-marked subspecies and morphs Old World forms. Also included are are also depicted. The 73 colour well-known cagebirds like the Java plates are grouped at the beginning of Sparrow and Zebra Finch, and other the book. On the opposite pages are Eurasian, Australian and African colour-coded range maps and key finches. Therefore the book is useful descriptions of adult male, adult for identifying escaped cagebirds. female and juvenile of each species. There are a few minor errors. For For more information, the reader is example, the sexes of adult Common referred to the detailed species Redpolls of the nominate subspecies accounts on identification, plumages, are not alike as stated on page 243, subspecies, voice, habitat, behaviour, and Godfrey's The Birds of Canada is status, distribution, measurements listed throughout the text as having and selected references. The artwork been published in 1979 instead of is magnificent. However, in a few 1966 (first edition) or 1986 (revised species the shapes are off, for edition). example, the Pine Grosbeaks on Plate I would have preferred more 31 are too chunky and big-headed information on plumage and molt. and their bills are too heavy. Species like the American Goldfinch The title of the book is somewhat that have a pre-breeding molt and misleading to North Americans distinctive breeding plumage are because our native sparrows described in the same way as species (subfamily Emberizinae) like the Song that acquire their breeding dress Sparrow and Vesper Sparrow are not through wear such as redpolls. In included since they are not true many cases, Clement does not sparrows. Our North American distinguish clearly between juvenile sparrows are in fact "buntings", but (first covering of feathers before I'm not advocating changing the molt) and first year plumages. names! Clement reserves the name It is difficult to recommend this sparrow for the true sparrows in the expensive book to strictly North family Passeridae such as the American birders because only 20 or introduced House Sparrow and so out of the 290 species are found European Tree Sparrow. The book here. Notwithstanding, this beautiful includes familiar winter finches such and brilliant reference work should as Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, be in the libraries of all well-travelled Pine Grosbeak, redpolls, crossbills, birders and those who yearn to be. etc. The three North American Rosy- Ron Pittaway, Box 619, Minden, Ontario KOM 2KO. ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1994 125 Birds of Tropical America A watcher's introduction to behaviour, breeding and diversity. 1994. By Steven Hilty. Chapters Publishing Ltd., Shelburne, Vermont 05482. Softcover, 304 pp. $12.95 Canadian. While visiting a Toronto book store The author confesses that, recently I was surprised to see this because tropical environments are book, along with seven others of its enormously complex and dynamic, it kind, in the usual nature field guides is often difficult to answer even section. The title immediately simple questions of those appealed to me; indeed, when I saw environments. With a Ph.D. in the name of the author with whom I Zoology and his vast experience he was familiar because of a few path answers most to my satisfaction as crossings in several neotropical each page contains several thought countries, I knew that I wanted it. provoking items and loads of For the past two decades Steve has information. l~d birding tours throughout South I've often wondered why I have and Central America for Victor had many sightings of King Vultures Emanuel Nature Tours. His previous that appeared as mere dots in the sky book, A Guide to the Birds of whereas I have seen five in a nearby Colombia, has been praised by Robert tree on just one occasion? Why do Ridgely, author of the Birds of they fly so high? Why were there so Panama, when he stated "No other many more colourful large birds in book on neotropical birds comes close the tropics? As the majority of to this one" . tropical birds are dull in colour, why Last week, fully armed with my do drab, sparrow-sized antbirds never new book, a tooth brush and shaver, leave their dark, forest floor habitat? I confidently headed into our local Answers to these and hundreds of hospital prepared for abdominal others are contained in this book. surgery. Mter a few hours of There are many enlightening regaining consciousness, I took up the statements regarding our North book and was immediately American migrants, as well .. One transported once again to the thrill that surprised me concerned our and excitement of tropical birding. Eastern Kingbird, fearless during his The back cover title, I realized, was northern nesting period, as he easily truthful when it said "The Book That scares off crows and blackbirds from Picks Up Where Field Guides Leave his often exposed nest site, Hilty says Off!" that the kingbird pugnacity is traded After almost twenty-five years of for docile subordination to virtually birding the neotropics, during which all of its tropical relatives, and its time I achieved a fair list of birds territoriality is traded for a period of Iand field guides!), I have found that nomadic wandering. Gathering in I wanted to learn more about the large flocks, nervously acting like lives of those birds. I never got the waxwings that wheel and turn on a answers to many questions that I had dime, they plunge into giant fruiting in the field, as a new bird sighting trees. Humph! Their winters are immediately after would cause me to spent as fruit-eaters! forget. VOLUME 12 NUMBER 3 126 In that I hope I have you hooked the eye could see. This lucky on getting this book to read, may I observation had to take place add a last personal and unforgettable between its crowded, Amazon basin observation regarding Eastern winter home and our open, green Kingbirds? On 1 April 1970, along areas where it chooses to nest. with my long-time birding This book has no glossy pages, companion, Norm Chesterfield of only information-crammed text. I Wheatley, Ontario, I stood at the top make no apologies for making this of Cerro Azul, a hill near Panama review sound more like a eulogy of City, where, after stepping out of a Steve Hilty's work than a critique. bus, we gazed down in the valley It's excellent and the price is unlike below us to see· a wide swath of that of other tropical bird books! Eastern Kingbirds flying north and extending in both directions as far as Jim Wilson, Box 385, Dorset, Ontario PDA lEO. Photo Quiz by Bob Curry Most readers will quickly have allowing for at least probable identified last issue's quiz waterbird identification at great distances over with the stout dagger-like bill as a the water. Moreover the white loon. In addition to the fairly obvious forepart of the throat and neck overall impression, only grebes and extend well onto the sides and the loons have the feet set so far back on crown and nape are pale grey which the body.