RECENT LITERATURE Edited by Dannyj

J. Field Ornithol., 69(4):661-674

RECENT LITERATURE Edited by DannyJ. Ingold

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES (see also 2, 18, 30) 1. Color changein plasticleg bandscomplicates identification. [Barbveranderungen bei farbigenVogelringen beeintrachtigen die Identifikation.]T. Rodl and H. Flinks.1998. Vogelwarte39:226-228. (German, English summary)--In a long term studyon Stonechats (Saxicolatorquata) in Germanyand the Negevdesert of Israel,the authorsfound that plastic leg bandswould changecolor in as little as 200 days.Light blue bandschanged to light green and pink bandschanged to a dirty white. Dark brown,dark blue, and dark green becamealmost black. This paper shouldserve as a warningto researchersinvolved in long term studieson color-markedpopulations to testthe effectof exposureto weatheron their bandsto preventmisidentification of individuals.[Max-Planck-Inst. fur Verhaltnesphysiologie, D-82346Andechs, Germany.]--Robert C. Beason.

BEHAVIOR

(see also 7, 9, 10, 13, 20, 28) 2. Behaviourin the post-nestlingdependence period of radio-taggedCommon Buz- zardsButeo buteo. A. J. Tyack,S.S. Walls,and R. E. Kenward.1998. Ibis. 140:58-63.--The authorsused radio-tracking to observeCommon Buzzard nestlings leaving their nests.Most fledgedat 43-54 daysof age and beganto venturefrom the nestalmost immediately; however,the distancethat the chickstraveled rarely exceeded 500 m until theyreached approx- imately65 daysold when they beganto travelup to 2000 m from the nest.The buzzards were studiedin two different sessions:one when the mean age of the chickswas less than 65 daysold, and the otherwhen the meanage was greater than 65 days.For chicksless than 65 daysold, older chicks tended to havemuch larger ranges than younger chicks, and chicks travelingfar from the nesttended to haveparents present in the area.Also, chicks traveled fartheraway from the nestin areaswith the leastsurrounding grasslands. These tendencies decreasedwhen the mean age of the chickswas greater than 65 days.The authorsalso studiedthe socialityof the speciesby recordingthe birds'interactions as they mature. This studywas effectively undertaken and exploredseveral hypotheses, including whether broods with parentsthat feed and guardtheir young more frequently will haveyoung that fly farther from their nestsversus young with lesscompetent parents. [The Limes,Linby, Nottingham NG15 8AE, UK.]--R. Todd Steinmetz. 3. Deceptionby helpersin cooperativelybreeding White-winged Choughs and its experi- mentalmanipulation. C. R.J.Bofand, R. Heinsohnand A. Cockburn.1007. Behar. Ecol. SociobioL 41:251-256.--White-wingedChoughs (Corcorax melanorhampos) are cooperative breeders that are constrainedby foodlimitations to the pointthat they are consideredto breedin groupsout of necessity.Such groups may include up to 20 birds,some of whichhave been reported to return to the nestwithout food itemsor havefailed to feed nesdingswith food that theyhave carried to the nest.The authorsexamined the potentialfailure of youngWhite-winged Choughs to providenesdings with food that they had carried to the nestin food-supplementedand control groupsduring one breeding season in Australia.False-feeding in which the providerate its own food occurredsignificantly more often in controlgroups (11%) than in food-supplemented groups(2%). The probabilitythat an individualwould fail to deliverfood differed significantly amongage classes. Two-year old birdsin controlgroups failed to provisionnesdings with food in 30%of theirvisits. Conversely, older birds became progressively more likely to surrenderthe food theydelivered to nests.In addition,the chancesthat a providerwould fail to deliverthe food to nesdingsdecreased significantly (P < 0.001)as the nesdingsapproached fledging. False-feeding in controlgroups occurred in 50 of 387visits (13%) by a singlebird and in 8 of 35visits (23%) bytwo or morebirds; in experimentalgroups false-feeding was quite rare irrespective of whether thevisit was by one or morethan one bird. The authorslist several reasons why they believe false- feedingin White-wingedChoughs conveys a deceptivemessage to the otherproviders in the group,including the ideathat young birds suffer from significant physiological stress by helping

661 662] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Autumn 1998 sincethey have limited foraging skills. Their data supportthis notion sincefalse-feeding peaked in two-yearold birdsand decreasedrapidly with age.The authorsthen summarizeseveral adaptive advantagesthat choughsmay obtainby engagingin thisdeceptive behavior including the tradi- tional explanationsposed by Emlen et al. (Am. Nat., 1991) that providedirect benefitsto the helper (e.g.,helpers have enhanced access to resourcesor a betterchance to mateif the breeder dies).In any case,the authorssuggest that the sameselection pressures that have led to the evolutionof cooperativebreeding in thisspecies (out of necessity)have also, perhaps in an ironic twistof fate,led to the evolutionof habitualcheating. [Evolutionary Ecology Group, Div. of Botany and Zoology, Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia; e-mail: An- [email protected]]--Danny J. Ingold. 4. The relationshipbetween social stress and dominanceis seasonalin GreylagGeese. K. Kotrschal, K. Hirschenhauser, and E. Mostl. 1998. Anim. Behav.SS:171-176.•An inverse relationshipbetween dominance and stresshas generallybeen shownwhen studyingcaptive animals.Using non-invasivesampling methods, recent studiescontradict these findings and reveal dominant individualsmay be more affected by socialstress than are subordinatein- dividuals.Analyses of fecal corticosteroneequivalents in Greylag Geese (Anser anser) (12 singletons,13 paired males with offspring, 18 paired males without offspring) were conducted to determine how seasonalsocial changes may affect stressin malesof different social rank. All categoriesof maleshad higher corticosteronelevels during the mating seasonthan outside, with singletonshaving higher levels than paired males. Dominant males (paired maleswith offspring)had higher stresshormone levelsthroughout the parentalseason than did intermediatemales (paired maleswithout offspring)and subordinatemales (singletons). Intermediate males and subordinatemales did not differ in stresshormone levelsduring the parental season.The authorssuggest that socialstress in gander GreylagGeese is not causedby limited accessto femalesduring the mating season,but by parentaleffort during the rest of the year. [Konrad-Lorenz-Forschungsstellefur Ethologie,A-464S Grunau 11, Aus- tria; e-mail:klf. [email protected].]--Jeffrey P. Duguay. 5. Feather peckingin domesticchicks: its relation to dustbathingand foraging. B. Hu- ber-Eicherand B. Wechler.1997. Anim. Behav.S4:7S7-768.--One problem critical in poultry housingis feather pecking.In domesticchicks, Gallus gallus domesticus, such pecking results in damageto feathers,bodily injuries,and even death. Using 1260 white layer chicks,two hypotheseswere tested.The first hypothesissuggested that if a chick doesnot have access to dustbathingmaterial, it will direct its dustbathingbehavior toward the feathersof conspecifics.The resultsshowed that even with sand present, the chickscontinued to peck at the feathersof conspecifics.The secondhypothesis states that if a chick had little or no litter availableon the groundfor foraging,it would begin peckingat particleson the plumageof conspecifics.As predicted,the resultsshowed a significantdecrease in feather peckingafter the introduction of strawas a foraging material. As Huber-Eicherand Wechler point out, housingsystems should promote foraging behavior. However, further experimentsare nec- essaryto determine the featuresof the material that preventedthe chicksfrom peckingat the feathersof conspecifics.This studyseems to be one which can yield practicalresults. Once the appropriate material is found, it will be very useful in poultry housing. [Abteilung SozialundNutztierethologie. Zoologisches Institut, UniversitatBern, EthologischeStation Hasli, Wohlenstrasse50a., 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.]--Carla Diorio. 6. The down-updisplay of the Mallard: one display,two orientations.E. S. Davis.1997. Anim. Behav.53:1025-1034.--Orientation, shape,and movementare important to the com- munication of information. One of the important courtshipdisplays of the male Mallard, Anasplatyrhynchos, is the down-updisplay. Upon analyzing252 displaybouts, Davis concludes that the down-up displaymay have more than one function. The resultsshowed that when a male gavethe first down-updisplay, it wasorientated broadside to the female,suggesting a courtshiprole. However,subsequent down-up displays in the samebout, but from other males seem to be directed at the first male to display,not the female. It is a reaction of one male to another and, therefore, seemsto represent communicationbetween males. These findingshelp to explain the patternsof Mallard socialdisplays. With thisinformation, many data previouslythought to be inexplicableare now meaningful.For example,previous studies on mate choice grouped these down-updisplays as one. This new information will help Vol.69, No. 4 liecentLiterature [663 distinguishamong the variousfunctions of this behavior.Davis's research is important in understandingcourtship displays of not only Mallards,but in other ducksas well. Further researchcan now be conducted,with increasedawareness that an animal's orientation during courtshipand other socialdisplays may affect the message.[Dept. of Zoology,Univ. of Wis- consin,B142 BirgeHall, Madison,WI 53706,U.S.A.]--Carla Diorio.

FOOD AND FEEDING

(see also 3, 5, 16, 18, 20, 21) 7. Diet of Common Nighthawks (Chordeilesminor: Caprimulgidae) relative to prey abundance.L. D. Todd, R. G. Poulin and R. M. Brigham. 1998. Am. Midl. Nat. 139:20-28.- Optimal foraging theory predictsthat as prey abundancedecreases the selectionof prey becomesless discriminating with prey consumedin relation to its abundance.The authors attemptedto testthis hypothesisby studyingCommon Nighthawks foraging in the Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewanduring May-August 1995. Comparisonbetween night- hawk diet and insect abundance indicated that the nighthawkswcrc still selectivein their prey choice,which contradictsoptimal foraging theory. The authorssuggest that nighthawks may employselective feeding through habitat choicerather than prey selection.[Biology Dept., Univ. of Regina, Regina, SaskatchewanS4S 0A2, Canada; e-mail: pou- [email protected]]--Tom Leiden. 8. Diet of the Red-cockadedWoodpecker in the ApalachicolaNational Forest. C. A. Hessand E C. James.1998. j. Wildl. Manage.62:509-517.--This studyexamined the relationshipbetween diet and variationin habitat for Rcd-cockadcdWoodpeckers (Picoides bo- reali• RCW). The authorsused a nondestructivetechnique of stomachflushing to determine if diet differedby sex,age, season, or the burn historyof the habitatfor adultand nestling RCWs.Adult RCWsate primarilyarthropods (75% of the total biomass)and a largepropor- tion of their diet (58%) consistedof ants.The ant Crematogasterashmeadi was a major com- ponent of the diet; 74% of all ants carenbelonged to this species.Adult malesate a higher proportion of ants in the winter and summer as compared to adult females.In addition, both sexesate very few fruits and seedsduring the springas compared to all other timesof the year.Nestling diets wcrc comprisedprimarily of arthropods.Spiders, ants, beetles, bcctlc larvae, and centipedeswcrc equallyimportant componentsof the nestlingdiet. Ant availabilitywas examined at 3 siteswith low fire frequencyand 3 siteswith a higher fire frequency. The abundanceof C. ashmeadiwas consistently lower in frequentlyburned sites.In addition, the stomachsamples from malesin frequentlyburned siteshad a lower proportion of ants (including C. ashmeadi).The authorssuggest that differencesbetween adult and nestling diets may bc duc to differencesin nutritional compositionof the variousarthropods. In addition the authorssuggest that fire had an effect on the preybase, and that further studies might examinethe relationshipbetween diet, habitatheterogeneity and demography.[Dept. of BiologicalScience, Conradi Building, Florida State University,Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.]-Kcrri T. Vierling. 9. The food and chickfeeding of Black-belliedStorm-Petrels (Fregetta tropica) at King GeorgeIsland, South Shetlands. S. Hahn. 1998.Polar Biol. 19:354-357.--Thcdiet and chick feedingrate of the Black-bcllicdStorm-Petrel in an Antarcticcolony arc documentedfor the first time in this paper.Hahn comparedstomach contents from spontaneouslyregurgitated samplesand samplesobtained with water offloading.Hc found significantdifferences in the percentof prey taxa recordedbetween these methods and thusbased his analysison data from rcgurgitations.Fish occurredin 53% of the samplesand wcrc the main prey item, followedby crustaceans,found in 50% of the samples.The author alsofound no variation in food compositionbetween breeding and non-breedingbirds or betweenbirds at different stagesof the breedingcycle. Krill (Euphausiasp.) werefound in only 21.7% of the samples which the author suggestsdemonstrates separation of food preferencesfrom the sympatri- cally breeding Wilson's Storm-Petrel.The author also determined that -1 feeding event occurredeach day, suggesting that long feedingtrips were rare. Meal sizesranged from 9.2 to 11 g. Finally,the author suggeststhat regurgitateswcrc biasedsamples of the diet and recommendsfurther researchcombining regurgitates and stomachflushing to further doc- 664] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Autumn 1998 ument the diet of this species.[Institute of Ecology,Dornburger Strabe 159, D-07743Jena, Germany; e-mail: [email protected]. de.]--John C. Carlson. 10. Luxury in freshwaterand stressat sea?The foraging of the Common Tern Sterna hirundo.P. H. Becker,D. Frank, and M. Wagner.1997. Ibis 139:264-269.--Pairsof Common Terns that nest by freshwaterlakes have a constantfood supplyclose to the colonywhich allowsparents to make short foragingtrips and minimize their time awayfrom the nest.By contrast,terns nesting on the seacoasthave long foraging trips and are awayfrom the nest for long periods. Foraging terns nesting inland are limited only by daylight, whereasterns nestingon the sea coastare limited by daylightand tidal cycles.Increased time awayfrom the nest reducesdefense of the nest againstpredators, which may accountfor higher nest predation rates of terns nestingon the coast.Foraging efficiency may alsofavor inland terns which make frequent short foraging trips, comparedto coastalterns which make fewer long trips. Data on weight gain compared to time awayfrom the nest supportsthis hypothesis. Sample sizesare sufficient,although replication over successiveseasons would have been desirable.The conclusionsin this studyshould be regardedcarefully. Total time per day that both parentswere at the nest is missing,and would have been useful to determine if nest predation rates are lower when two parents defend the nest. Furthermore, the inland terns nested near and used a farm pond for foraging versusa natural lake. The conclusionsfail to emphasizethe differencesin food availabilitybetween inland and coastalterns. [Institut fur Vogelforschung,"Vogelwarte Helgoland," An der Vogelwarte21, D-26386 Wilhelmsha- ven, Germany]•Andy Johnson.

SONGS AND VOCALIZATIONS (see also 30) 11. Songrates of Dark-eyedJuncos do not increasewhen femalesare fertile. R. C. Titus, C. R. Chandler,E. D. Ketterson,and V. Nolan Jr. 1997. Behav.Ecol. Sociobiol.41:165-169.- The "fertility-announcementhypothesis" proposed by Moller (Am. Nat., 1991) predictsthat in songbirds in which malesguard their mates,male songrates should peak during their mate's fertile period,and that increasedsong rates will deter or discouragepotentially intruding males. The authorsemployed focal watches, point countsand radiotelemetryto testthe fertility-announcementhypothesis in Dark-eyedJuncos (Junco hyemalis). Specifically they testedwhether songrates are higher when the matesof malejuncos are fertile and when neighboringfemales are fertile. Song ratesdid not differ significantlyin maleswith fertile matesversus those with mates that were presumednot to be fertile, regardlessof which method was used for data collection.Moreover, song rates of male juncos were not higher when neighboringfemales were fertile. These data refute the fertility-announcementhypothesis since males did not ad- vertisetheir intent to defend their territoriesmore vigorouslywhen their mateswere fertile. The data alsosuggest that malejuncos do not use songto attractneighboring fertile females to solicit extra-pair copulations.The authors suggestthat constanthigh-amplitude songs by male Dark-eyedJuncosmay in fact concealthe receptivityof their mate or make it more difficult for neighboringmales to obtaininformation regarding their fertility. [Dept. of Biology,Indiana Univ., Bloomington,IN 47405, USA; e-mail:rtitus@iubacs.]--DannyJ. Ingold. 12. Two-note syllablesin Canary songselicit high levels of sexual display.E. Vallet, I. Beme,and M. Kreutzer.1998. Anim. Behav.55:291-297.--Male songhas been demonstrated to play a role in mate attraction, but little is known about which acousticfeatures in male songattract females.The authorsconducted a play-backexperiment usinga two-noteCanary (Serinuscanaria) syllable from the 'A' song phrase from eight male repertoires. Female responseto the two-note syllablewas compared to two controls: a Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)song and a natural Canary song phrase producedby repeating one-note syllables. Female Canaries performed significantlymore copulation displaysto 5 of the 8 two-note syllablesongs than to either of the controlsongs. The authorsconcluded that specialacoustic features are required to make two-notesyllables sexually attractive and some two-notesyllables may lack thesefeatures. It wassuggested that rapid two-notesyllables provide information about the singerscondition to the female. [Laboratoire de Psycho-physiologieet d'Ethologie, U.R.A.C.N.R.S. 2214, UniversiteParis X-Nanterre, 200 Avenue de la Repub- lique, 92001 Nanterre Cedex, France;e-mail: [email protected].]--Jeffrey p. Duguay. Vol.69, No. 4 RecentLiterature [665

13. Nest-vicinitysong exchanges may coordinatebiparental care of Northern Cardinals. S. L. Halkin. 1997.Anim. Behav.54:189-198.--Singing in nestingfemale Northern Cardinals (Cardinaliscardinalis) may function to inform matesas to whether food is needed. If so, this wouldgreatly decrease the conspicuousmale's number of unnecessarytrips to the nest.Halkin proposed that the probability of a male bringing food to the nest was dependent on the female'ssong. Song data were recorded for five summersfrom thirteenpairs nesting in a nature preserve near Madison, Wisconsin.Halkin found that the responsevocalizations of females seemed to predict their mates' behavior.If the female sang in responseto a call from her mate, he wasmore likely to approachthe nest than if shedid not sing.Females that specifically matchedtheir mates'initial songssignificantly decreased the males'probability of visitingthe nest. These resultssupport the hypothesisthat singingin nestingfemales relays food status informationto foragingmales. However, the smallsample size for the data on songmatching may have biasedthese results. [Dept. of BiologicalSciences, Central ConneticutState Univ., New Britain, CT 06050, USA; e-mail: [email protected]]--R. K. Zinsser.

NESTING AND REPRODUCTION

(see also 3, 5, 9, 10, 22, 24, 27) 14. Synchronousbreeding: Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Puffinus pacificus in WesternAus- tralia. P. K. Dyer andJ. L. Carter. 1997.Emu 97:305-309.--In thispaper the authorscorrect information concerning the breeding ecology,of the Wedge-tailedShearwater. Previous data from the Indian and Pacific Oceans in both the northern and southern hemispheressug- gestedthat this speciesexhibited synchronousbreeding throughout their range. The authors determined that Wedge-tailedShearwaters nesting along the eastern coast of Australia do not exhibit synchronousbreeding. They documentedegg layingat a colonyon Heron Island to be more protractedthan previouslythought. They alsofound that birds at lower latitude coloniesalong the eastern coastof Australia arrived later than birds at higher latitude colonies, although laying timeswere similar.Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are recorded as summer breedersin both hemispheres;however, here the authorssuggest that the timing of breeding of individuals in colonies located in northern Australia is intermediate between the time recognizedfor coloniesin each hemisphereand may representa transitionalstate between "true" southern hemisphere and northern hemisphere populations.Because these birds are not as commonas previouslythought and becauseof their protractedbreeding cycle, the authorsfeel that this speciesis more susceptibleto human disturbancethan is currently recognized. The authors suggestthat this research has raised more questionsthan it has answeredand they encouragefurther researchexamining egg laying dates throughout this trans-hemisphericspecies' range. [SunshineCoast Univ. College,Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Qld 4556, Australia.] --John C. Carlson. 15. Nonbreedingand nestswithout eggsin the LesserBlack-backed Gull (Larusfuscus). M. J. O'Connell, J. c. Coulson,S. Raven, and S. Joyce. 1997. Ibis. 139:252-258.---Atthe TarnbrookFell gullery in Lancashire,Great Britain, the populationof LesserBlack-backed Gulls wasestimated annually by counting the number of nestsand multiplying by two (two breeding gulls per nest). If the nest wasempty at the time of the census,it wasassumed that in the daysfollowing, the nestswould eventuallycontain eggs.In 1992, however,repeated checksshowed that these "empty nests" usuallydid not subsequentlycontain eggs.Data from 62 pairs of gulls showedthat somenests never had eggsand that many pairs of gulls claimed more than one nest, sometimesup to four. These data invalidatethe previousmeth- od of nestcensusing and indicatethat the gull populationsince 1981 hasbeen overestimated. The authorssuggest that a correctionmultiplier of 0.61 must be applied to all gull counts since 1981. Further, the authors investigatedthe behavior of the birds and the relationship of certain behaviors,such as the timing of nest building and territorial occupation,in birds with and without a clutch in their territory. They also,noted a differencebetween the percentageof empty nestsat the Tarnbrook Fell gullery (64%) and the percentageof empty nestsat Walney Island gullery (2%), only 40 km west of Tarnbrook. The authors did not fully explain the reason for including this information, or the implication this difference may have had on their study.[Dept. of BiologicalSciences, Univ. of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.]--R. Todd Steinmetz. 666] RecentLiterature j. FieldOrnithol. Autumn 1998

16. Costs and benefits of surplus offspring in the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni).J. M. Aparicio.1997. Bchav.Ecol. Sociobiol.41:129-137.--Lesser Kcstrcls arc a nidicolousspe- cies whoseclutch size varies between 2 and 6 eggs,but which averagesabout 4.5. Lesser Kcstrclsproduce about 2 fledglingsper nest attempt. There have bccn severalhypotheses put forth to explain the production of surpluseggs and offspring,like that which occursin LesserKcstrcls. These include the (1) bet-hedginghypothesis which posesthat parentsliving in an unpredictableenvironment lay large clutchesto maximize their reproductivesuccess in good-foodyears, (2) ice-boxhypothesis which suggests that surpluseggs and/or offspring serve as a food supplyfor the older nestlingsduring poor-foodyears, (3) progeny-choice hypothesiswhich statesthat parentsproduce extra offspringand then kill or abandonthose with the lowestfitness, and (4) insuranceegg hypothesiswhich postulatesthat although parentscan predictfuture feedingconditions for raisingoffspring, one or more surpluseggs can serveas insurancein caseof the failure of any egg. Through the manipulation of Lesser Kcstrclbroods by adding one chick when an egg failed to hatch or eliminating one when the entire clutch had hatched,Aparicio set out to test which of the abovehypotheses best explainsthe production of surplusyoung in this species.Redundant chicks wcrc costlyboth in terms of offspring and adult survival.Parents which attempted to raise as many chicksas there wcrc eggsin the clutch wcrc significantlyless successful than parentswhose brood sizeswcrc reduced by one at hatching.Redundant-chick parents produced fewer offspring of lower quality and with a reduced chance of survivalthan reduced-chickparents, cvcn when annual food availabilitywas controlled for. Moreover,adult survivalof redundant-chick pairswas significantly lower than that of adultsin reduced-chickpairs. These data support only the insurance-egghypothesis (scc above), although parentscould suffer reproductive setbackswhen all of the eggshatch. [MuscoNacional dc CicnciasNaturales (CSIC), J. Gu- ti6rrcz Abascal2, E-28006Madrid, Spain;e-mail: [email protected]]--DannyJ. Ingoid. 17. Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus breeding in southwestFrance. [Conuresveu- vesMyiopsitta monachus nidificatrices dans le Sud-Ouestde la France.]C. Adde. 1998.Alauda 66:66-67. (French).---They may take over the world if we let them! They may be a pretty green parrot and interestingnovelty at feeders,but they are alsoserious agricultural pests in their nativeArgentina--and becomingestablished wherever they've been introducedvia the pet trade. Now they have nestedin southwestFrance: a typical,bulky twig nest on a beamunder the eavesof a dwelling.[Quartier Le More, F 40160Parentis-en-Born, France] .- Jerome A. Jackson. 18. Experimentallyreduced paternity affects paternal effort and reproductivesuccess in Pied Flycatchers.J. T. Lifjcld, T. Slagsvoid,and H. Ellcgrcn. 1998. Anita. Bchav.55:319- 329.-•Thc authorsremoved 27 monogamouslypaired male Pied Flycatchers(Ficedula hypo- leuca)from their nest at variousstages, and for variableperiods of time during their matc's fertile period, to determine if parental effort is affectedby reducedpaternity in thisspecies. Extra-pairpaternity, as evidencedby genetic markers,was higher in nestsin which males wcrc detained (67% of nests)than is normallyfound (15-17% of nests)for this studypop- ulation. Male Pied Flycatchersreduced their parental effort with reduced paternity.There wcrc positiverelationships between paternity and male parental effort (mcan percentageof male feeds to the brood over the observationperiod), and betweenpaternity and reproductive success(nestling body mass,tarsus length, brood size). The authorscaution that these data may not applyto non-experimentalconditions. [Zoological Museum, Univ. of Oslo,Sars gate 1, N-0562 Oslo,Norway; e-mail: [email protected].]--Jcffrcy P. Duguay.

MIGRATION, ORIENTATION, AND HOMING (see also 36) 19. Clues to the migratory routes of the eastern flyway of the western Palearctics• ringing recoveriesat Eilat, Israel [II--Falconiformes]. R. Yoscf.1998. Vogclwartc39:203- 208.-•At the north end of the Red Sea, Eilat is a known concentrationpoint of migratory raptors. Of 3224 birds banded, only 32 birds of 6 specieswcrc recoveredelsewhere. The most commonlyrecovered species was the Steppe Buzzard (Buteobuteo) with 19 recoveries from 1829 birds banded. The Levant Sparrowhawk(Accipiter brevipes) was the secondmost Vol.69, No. 4 RecentLiterature [667 common with 6 recoveries of 764 banded birds. Most of the recoveries were from the breedq ing groundsin easternEurope and Russia,but a few recoverieswere from the wintering groundsin Africa.The longestinterval between banding and recoverywas 12 yearsand 2 monthsfor a SteppeBuzzard. Although these data indicate the breedingand wintering locationsof raptorstransiting at Eilat, more data are neededto substantiatethese findings. [International BirdwatchingCenter, P.O. Box 774, Eilat 88106, Israel.]--Robert C. Beason. 20. Migratoryfueling in Blackcaps(Sylvia atricapilla) under perceived risk of predation. T. Franssonand T. P. Weber. 1997. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 41:75-80.--Body massin birds, both in terms of the amount of weight gained and how long that massis maintained, hastraditionally been viewedas a tradeoffbetween the risksof predationand starvation.In migratorybirds, the responseto predationrisk could vary if the levelof riskfluctuates be- tweenforaging and non-foragingperiods. In anycase, details regarding how small passerines behavein termsof weightgain and fuel departureload at migratorystopover sights with a high predationrisk are lacking.In this study,Fransson and Weberexamined the behavior of Blackcapsexposed to a high predationrisk at a simulatedstopover sight in the laboratory. Initially (duringthe first two days)Blackcaps exposed to a stuffedSparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)significantly increased their food intake and fat depositionrate. The averagenight activityin the Sparrowhawkgroup increased significantly after the firsttwo nights(more so than both the control group and thoseexposed to a plasticbottle e.g., disturbancegroup), indicatingtheir intentionto leaveearlier with a slightlylower departure load. Since the birds in thisstudy had nowhereto hide duringnon-foraging bouts, they may have perceived the risk of predationto be equallyhigh during both periods.The authorspose that in such instances,the birdshave nothing to looseby increasingtheir foragingtime. Thus, thesedata supportthe notion that birdsare able to adjuststopover foraging behavior to the levelof predationrisk. [Sweden Museum of NaturalHistory, Bird Ringing Centre, Box 50 007,S-104 05, Stockholm,Sweden; e-mail: [email protected]]--DannyJ. Ingold.

HABITAT USE AND TERRITORIALITY

(see also 7, 8, 10, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 35) 21. Habitatpartitioning among sympatric wintering Common Eiders Somateria mollis- s/maand King EidersSomateria spectabilis. J. O. Bustnesand O. J. Lonne.1997. Ibis 139: 549-554.--Kingand Commoneiders wintering in coastalNorway segregate by speciesbased on waterdepth and characteristicsof the seabottom. Common Eiders usually feed in water 0-10 m deep,with an averagefeeding depth of 7.4 m. Bycontrast, King Eiders feed in water over 10 in deep, with an averagefeeding depth of 20.4 m. CommonEiders fed in kelp forests,over sand/rock substrates,urchin barrens,and corallinealgal substrates, always avoid- ing deep water cobblesubstrate. King Eidersavoided sand/rock substrate and urchin barrens,preferring deep water cobble, kelp forestsand corallinealgae. Timing during the season wasa factor that influenced substratepreference, and both specieshad different sub- stratepreferences at differenttimes. Segregation prevailed throughout the winterwhile the duckswere feeding,with water depth a more importantsegregating factor than substrate type.King Eidersare smallerand lessbuoyant, which makes them betteradapted energeti- callyfor deep divingthan the largerCommon Eiders. Segregation in winteringeider pop- ulationsvirtually eliminates competition between the two species,suggesting that the evolution of thesespecies was heavily influenced by competitionfor food.Sample sizes were ad- equate,and resultsare well-illustratedin a seriesof figures.[Foundation for NativeResearch and CulturalHeritage Research, Dept. of ArcticEcology, Storgata 25, N-9005Tromso, Nor- way]•Andy Johnson. 22. Territorysize in the Lincoln'sSparrow (Melospiza lincolnii). E. Wortman-Wunder. 1997. Southwest.Nat. 42(4):446-453.--The author studied the territory size and relation- shipsof the Lincoln'sSparrow in GarfieldCo., Colorado during June and July 1995. Detailed measurementswere made of 29 territories at two siteswithin Fourmile Park along the Four- mile Creek (elevation2600 m). The populationdensity was low with 0.5 to 1.4 Lincoln's Sparrowpairs per hectare.Vegetation analyses indicated that both siteshad a similarcom- positionof densewillows, open scattered shrubs and grasses. Vegetation composition did not 668] RecentLiterature j. FieldOrnithol. Autumn 1998 vary with sparrowterritory sizeor placement of territory, even though peripheral territories were larger than central ones. The amount of time Lincoln's Sparrowsspent defending resourcesand protectingtheir nestswas not correlatedwith territory size.Observations suggestthat competitionfor spacewas minimal in the studyareas. [Dept. of Biology,EPO, Univ. Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.]--Tom Leiden. 23. No relationshipbetween territory size and the risk of cuckoldry.M. Rodrigues. 1998. Anim. Behav.55:915-923.--It has been suggestedthat maleswith larger territoriesare lesslikely to be cuckoldedthan maleswith smallerterritories. Therefore, territory sizeshould be larger during the fertile period of the female and smallerafter egg laying. Male territory sizefor the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopuscollybita) was estimated during the pre-fertile,fertile, and post-fertileperiods of the breeding season.During each of the breeding stages,three 15 rain periodswere spent in each male's territory to determine home range size. Male territory size decreasedfrom the pre-fertile to the fertile period. It is suggestedthat a larger territory may keep a residentmale further from his mate and thus facilitate male intrusion and extra- pair copulations.Rodrigues points to the need for an operational definition of territoriality. [A/C V. Arruda, Departamento do Ecologiae Zoologia,Universidade Federal de SantaCar- tina, 88040-900Florianopolis-SC, Brazil; e-mail: [email protected].]--Jeffrey P. Duguay.

ECOLOGY

(see also 4, 16, 17, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 35, 37) 24. Breedingbird communitiesof the CarinthianKrappfeld: habitatpreferences, bird communitystructure, and management.[Die Vogelweltdes Krappfeldesin Karnten: Brutz- eitliche Habitatpraferenzen,Strukturbeziehungen und Managementvorschlage.]R. Lentner. 1997. Egretta40:85-128. (German,English summary)--Line transects were usedto census studyareas in the Krappfeld, Austria. During 1994, 96 speciesof birds were recorded, 55 of which were breeding. This is higher than predicted based on the speciesarea curves for central Europe. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) and Yellowhammer (Emberizacitrinella) were the mostcommon and widespreadspecies. The relativelyhigh density(1 pair per 6-7.5 ha) of Red-backedShrike (Lanius collurio)indicates that the area contained good habitat for that species.Skylarks characterized the open farmland, the mostcommon habitat type. Fields adjacentto woodlotshad more breedingspecies (mean = 17) than fieldswithout woodlots (mean = 4). Quail (Coturnix coturnix) and Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) characterized fallow fields. Forest edgeshad the greatestnumber of avian speciesand numbers. Coal Tit (Parus ater), Woodpigeon (Columbapalumbus) and Dunnock (Prunella modularis)were character- istic species.Wetlands and riparian habitat were characterizedby Savi'sWarbler (Locustella luscinoides),Marsh Warbler (Acrocephaluspalustris) and Reed Bunting (Emberizachoeniclus). Partridge (Perdix perdix) and Quail were mutually exclusivein their occurrence.Partridge were found in hedges and small woodlots and Quail in corn fields. The Yellowhammerwas the best indicator speciesof extensivelytilled agriculturalland. [Inst. fur Zoologieder Uni- versitat Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.]--Robert C. Beason. 25. The importanceof spatialscales in long-termmonitoring of colonialCharadriifor- mes in southernFrance. N. Sadoul.1997. Colon. Waterbirds20:330-338.--Nine speciesof coloniallynesting Charadriiformes have been monitored for 40 yearsin 3 ecologicallydistinct localitiesin the Camargueregion. The author discussesthe data in the context of 3 spatial scales:region, locality,and colony.At the regionalscale Avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta) and Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) have declined in numbers, while Gull-billed Terns (S. nil- otica), Little Terns (S. altnfrons)and Black-headedGulls (Larus riditrundus)have remained substantiallythe same, and Yellow-leggedGulls (L. cachinnans),Slender-billed Gulls (L. gene/), Mediterranean Gulls (L. melanocephalus),and SandwichTerns (Sterna sandvicensis) have increased exponentially.The author used the Leslie Matrix Model to simulate population trends in the latter 4 speciesand concluded that immigration rather than local recruitment is the major cause of the exponential growth. In the case of the Slender-billedGull the increasethroughout the western Mediterranean may reflect emigration from the Black Sea and suggestsconservation problems on a very large spacialscale. In comparingregional and local scalesthe author usesexamples of the Yellow-leggedGull, in which the population Vol.69, No. 4 RecentLiterature [669 increaseis similar in the region and all 3 localities(explained by immigration and local recruitment), and the smaller speciesin which trends in the localitiesdiffer (explainedby local constraints),thus suggestingfurther analysisat the colony level. As an example of colonydynamics, the increasein area of a commercialsalt producing locality led to increases in breedingsites from 1953-1973for the smallerCharadriiformes, but the trendwas reversed when the landscapestabilized, and breeding siteseroded and resultedin competitionwith Yellow-leggedGulls for stablenesting localities. Hence the smallerspecies decreased in abundance and the larger prosperedas result of local stability.The author concludesthat changes in bird numbersare not alwaysa measureof population health, and that breedingsuccess may be a better indicator of environmentalconditions. Further, immigration may obscure local conservationproblems. However, comparisons of trendsat different spacialscales and amongspecies increase the usefulnessof censusdata. This is a complexbut interestingpaper. [StationBiologique de la Tour du Valat,Le Sambuc,13200 Arles, France.]--William E. Davis,Jr.

POPULATION DYNAMICS

(see also 14, 22, 24, 25, 32, 33, 37) 26. Long-termmonitoring and conservationof heronsin Franceand Italy. H. Hafner and M. Fasola.1997. Colon. Waterbirds 20:298-305.--Internationally important populations of heronsand egretsuse the wetlandsof southernFrance and NorthernItaly, including freshwater marshesand ricefields(Italy) and brackishand saltwaterlagoons. Monitoring of breedingand wintering populationshas been conductedin Italy for 21 yearsand in France for 29. In this paper the authorsreview the informationcollected and assessthe current understandingof populationregulation, vulnerability factors, and conservationpriorities in the contextofspacial and temporalscales. They report on the populationdynamics of residentCattle Egrets(Bub- ulcusibis), short-distant migrant Little Egrets (Egrettagarzetta), and long-distancemigrant Pur- ple Herons (Ardeapurpurea). Winter weatherwas the main populationcontrol factor for Cattle and Little Egrets,and hydrologicalconditions in the Africanwintering grounds had a significant effecton PurpleHeron populations.The authorsconclude that 25 yearsis the minimum time-scalefor assessingthe effectsof climaticperturbations, but that aspectsof breedingbiology may be assessedin 10 yearsor less.The appropriatespacial-scale depends on the questions asked,e.g., small-scale for questionsof breedingparameters to large-scalefor questionsinclud- ing wintering grounds.Long-term studies make possibleevaluation of conservationinitiatives, identificationof vulnerabilityfactors, and establishmentof conservationpriorities. Breeding colonysite protection has been the main conservationstrategy historically, but current threats involveforaging habitat, e.g., changingrice cultivationpractices and managingmarshes for hunting, grazing, and reed harvesting.The authors conclude that future conservationand researchprograms should include theseissues. [Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, le Sambuc,F-13200 Aries, France.]--William E. Davis,Jr. 27. Long-termstudies and conservationof Greater Flamingosin the Camargueand Mediterranean.A. R. Johnson.1997. Colon. Waterbirds20:306-315.--In this paper the author discussesthe spacialand temporal scalesfor the studyand conservationof the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterusruber), a speciesin which individualsmay live 30 yearsor more. In the Camarguedelta, where water levelshave long been managedfor salt production,numbers of breedingpairs and chickshave been monitoredsince 1947. Unpredictabledistur- bances,such as harshwinters may causesignificant adult mortality,and strongwinds, heavy rainsor uniqueevents may strongly affect breeding success--in 1987 a child'sballoon caused a breeding-colonypanic resultingin the lossof 3000-4000 eggsand chicks.Erosion of colony sites,disturbance by airplanes, and predation by gulls led to the cessationof breeding in 1963, but conservationmeasures led to resumption of breeding in 1969 and a breeding island was subsequentlybuilt. The flamingoscolony grew to 20,000 pairs by 1986, with >50,000 flamingospresent in southernFrance in someyears. The author suggeststhat sat- uration of the Camarguecolony has led to the colonizationof other areasin the western Mediterranean,and emphasizesthe need for activemanagement of flamingo colonies.Fla- mingosare opportunists,with somebirds sedentary and othersmigratory. More than 220,000 recoveriesand resightingsof Camargue-bandedbirds suggeststhat moststay within the western Mediterraneanbasin. Flamingos regularly feed in rice-paddiesand may eat rice as well 670] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Autumn 1998 as invertebrates.During nesting,most Camarguebirds forage within 10 km of the colony, but may forage up to 70 km away.Elsewhere, they may be forced by drying conditionsto forage as far as 180 km from colonies,emphasizing the need to conserveeven distant foraging locations.The irregular episodesof high mortalityamong theselong-lived birds, and their varied dispersalpattern, necessitatelong time-scaleand large spacial-scalestudies in order to gain an understandingof their populationdynamics. [Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc,13200 Arles, France.] --William E. Davis,Jr. 28. Philopatry and nomadism:contrasting long-term movementbehavior and population dynamicsof White Ibisesand Wood Storks. P. C. FrederickandJ. C. Ogden. 1997.Colon. Waterbirds20:316-323.--In this paper the authorscompare and contrastthe breeding strat- egiesand movementsof White Ibises (Eudocimusallms) and Wood Storks (Mycteriaameri- cana)--specieswith similar rangesin the southeasternU.S., that breed and forage in dynamic wetlandswhich producefood resourcesthat are highly unpredictablein time and location. White Ibis populationestimates from 1930-1992 suggestfluctuations from 51,000 to 169,000 breedingpairs with severedecreases between 1976-1992. An overalldecrease of 90% in the Evergladesregion of Florida wasconcomitant with an expansionof the breedingrange into 5 states.Wood Storkshave declinedin numbersby about50% from earlycentury estimates of 15,000-25,000pairs, and experienceda range expansioninto northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, with a substantialcollapse in the south Florida breeding population. White Ibisesshow weak philoparry,and tend to quicklyabandon colonies and establishnew onesin responseto degradedbreeding conditions.Wood Storksshow strong philoparry, even during suboptimalconditions, and change colony locationsgradually. Hence the longevity of stork coloniesis greater. The authors suggestthat these contrastingstyles are related to differencesin foraging strategies,with ibisesrelying largelyon invertebrateprey associated with shallow,short hydro-periodwetlands, while storkseat large fish associatedwith more permanentwetlands. In addition,storks have a larger foragingrange than ibises.The authors suggestthat conservationstrategies for the 2 speciesshould be different with an emphasis on preservinga networkof short-hydroperiodwetlands for White Ibises,and the preservation of colony sitesand a mosaicof surroundingwetlands for Wood Storks.Although many of the historical movementsof both speciescan be traced to anthropogenic factors, natural disastershave alsobeen implicated.The authorsconclude that the well being of both species at the scale of decadesor centuries would require preservationof a variety of wetlands ecosystemsat a landscapescale. [Dept. of Wildlife Ecologyand Conservation,P.O. Box 110430, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville,FL 32611-0430 USA; email: [email protected].]-- William E. Davis,Jr. 29. Population dynamicsand conservationof Snail Kites in Florida: the importance of spacialand temporalscale. R. E. Bennettsand W. M. Kitchens.1997. Colon. Waterbirds 20: 324-329.--Data from 271 radio-taggedSnail Kites (Rostrhamussociabilis) suggest that in Flor- ida Snail Kitesconstitute a singlenomadic population in which birdsoften movethroughout their range through a network of local habitats.The authors suggestthat the population is limited by drought sincethe kite's food, Florida apple snails(Pomacea paludosa), is aquatic and has limited resistanceto drought. Droughtsoccur periodically,but becauselocal rainfall patternsare variable,local drying out of wetlandsoccurs with high frequency,while simul- taneousdrying throughoutthe Snail Kite'srange is rare. The responseof Snail Kitesto local drought is simplyto move to a new location.The authorsargue that current conservation effortsare flawed. Keepingsmall wetlands flooded during drought maybe counterproductive becauseprolonged flooding may damage vegetation critical to kite foraging and nesting habitat. Currently designatedcritical habitat is mostly in the Lake Okeechobee and Ever- gladeswatersheds that are in closeproximity and often dry simultaneously.Hence theyargue that conservationefforts should be at the regionallevel with protectionof wetlandsin other watershedswhere drying may be asynchronousand thus provide drought refugia. [Dept. of Wildlife Ecologyand Conservation,Florida CooperativeFish & Wildlife ResearchUnit, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville,FL 32611-0450USA; email: [email protected].]--WilliamE. Davis,Jr. 30. Estimatingthe size of Little Grebe (Tachybaptusruficollis) breeding populations. R. Gutierrezand J. Figuerola.1997. Ardeola 44:157-161.--The breedingpopulation of Little Vol.69, No. 4 Rt•œt•tLiterature [671

Grebeswas censusedat the Llobregar Delta near Barcelonain northeastern Spain during April-May 1994. Becauseof their secretivebehavior, small grebes are often difficult to census, thus the authorscompared two techniques:(1) call countsand (2) systematicnest searches. Censuseswere conductedby two equally experiencedgroups in the same area on the same or followingday. Estimates based on callswere 19% belowthose based on nestsearches, with the number of pairs underestimatedat 9 of 24 sitesand overestimatedat only one site.Ten of 76 pairsobserved nested in reeds (Phragmites)or cattails(Typha) in the centerof ponds; 66 nested in reeds along the edges.Most pairs not detected by calls nested in the cattails. [ReservesNaturals Delta del Llobregar,Department d'Agricultura, Ramaderiai Pesca,Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes,612-614, 2n. E-08007Barcelona, Spain.]--Jerome A. Jackson.

ZOOGEOGRAPHY AND DISTRIBUTION

(see also 17, 19, 97, 98, 99)

SYSTEMATICS AND PALEONTOLOGY

31. Essentialisticand evolutionarythinking in the field of systematicornithology during the 19th and 20th centuries.J. Haffer. 1997.J. fur Ornithogie 138:61-72. (German, English summary).--Haffer tracesthe pattern and processof the waywe classifybirds at the species level from the late 18th century through the late 20th century, identifying two major schools of thought that he refers to as "essentialisticmicrotaxonomy" and "evolutionarymicro taxonomy." He tracesthe intellectual lineage of these schoolsboth in Europe and in North America,noting the originsof essentialistic(typological) classification with Buffon and Lin- naeus and a sharp transition to evolutionaryclassification beginning in the late 19th century--a result of the developmentof conceptsassociated with Darwinian evolution.Begin- ning •th the Wilson (Alexander Wilson, 1766-1813) School in North America, and the Pallas (Peter Simon Pallas,1741-1811)-Schlegel (Hermann Schlegel,1804-1884) Schoolin Europe, Haffer leadsus through the developmentof early typologicalspecies and subspecies concepts.He refers to the evolutionarymicrotaxonomy school in North America as the Baird (Spencer Fullerton Baird)-Coues(Elliott Coues,) school.In a graphic "phylogeny" (p. 63) of essentialisticand evolutionary microtaxonomists,Haffer showsseparate European and North American lineagesof essentialisticpractitioners, but converginglineages of evolutionary microtaxonomistswith Ernst Mayr and his biological speciesconcept as the clear "key- stone" bridging North American and European schools.From this convergence,however, Haffer forseesa split into two new schoolssupporting different speciesconcepts: one with wide specieslimits resultingin relativelyfew polytypicspecies, and the other with narrow specieslimits resulting in numerous monotypicspecies. Haffer givesus an important historicalperspective on the waywe view bird species.Since this article was publishedwe have seen further developmentof his predicted split. Unfor- tunately many developmentsand major contributionswhich have shapedsystematics in the past thirty years (e.g., numerical taxonomy;the work of CharlesSibley) are not discussed. But this is a brief review,laying the foundation for a more in depth analysis.Although Darwinian evolution provided opportunityfor a major paradigm shift, I would argue that the developmentof modern computersand molecularsystematics have been toolsthat have facilitated an even greater, more abrupt turning point. [Tommesweg60, D-45149 Essen, Germany].--Jerome A. Jackson.

EVOLUTION AND GENETICS

(see also 16, 18, 31) 39. Populationgenetics and the spatialscale of conservationof colonialwaterbirds. V. L. Friesen. 1997. Colon. Waterbirds 20:353-368.---The author suggeststhat conservationof waterbirdsis more effectiveat the populationlevel than at the colonylevel. The spatialscale of populationscan be determined either by direct observation(e.g., demographicssuch as dispersalrates or reproductivesuccess) or by moleculargenetics studies. Establishing this spatialscale facilitates determination of severalimportant conservation factors: (1) estimating gene flow (important in predicting whether birds are likely to naturally recolonize areas where they have been extirpated by natural or anthropogenicfactors), (2) assessingthe 672] RecentLiterature j. FieldOrnithol. Autumn 1998 impact of mortality eventson geneticdiversity, (3) identificationof "source"and "sink" populations,(4) appropriatenessof captivebreeding and translocationefforts, (5) establishing uniqueness(genetic distinctiveness) for settingconservation priorities (e.g., discovering "cryptic" species),and (6) determiningeffective population size (the number of individuals that actually contribute to the gene pool). The author presentsa discussionof a variety of moleculargenetics techniques (e.g., allozymeelectrophoresis, mitochondrial DNA, variable number tandem repeats,randomly amplified polymorphicDNAs) including their strengths and weaknesses.Case studies of murres, murrelets,and guillemotshighlight the effectiveness of severalof thesetechniques. For example,Thick-billed Murres ( Uria lomvia)from different coloniesin the Atlantic showedno differentiation in allozymesor mtDNA suggestingthat theyare all part of a singlepopulation and that lossof a singlecolony would not significantly affect the population'sgenetic resources.However, murres from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceansare highly differentiatedand are probablygenetically isolated populations. Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphusmamoratas) are currently divided into North American (B. m. marmaratus)and Asiatic(B. m. perdix)subspecies, but cytochromeb and allozymestudies suggestthat the North American subspeciesis more closelyrelated to Kittlitz's Murrelet (B. brevirostris)than to its own Asiatic subspecies,suggesting that both are actually "cryptic" speciesrequiring separateconservation management. Studies of other speciessuggest that spatialscales of populationsvary widely.The author concludesthat we have a long way to go before we reach a comprehensiveunderstanding of spatialscales of colonialwaterbirds or use this information for conservationpurposes. We need more rigorous analyses,larger samplesizes, more comprehensivecoverage, and the useof multiple methods.This is a clear, concise,well-written paper that shouldbe of interestto anyonestudying colonial waterbirds. [Dept. of Biology, Queen's Univ., Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; email: frie- [email protected].]--William E. Davis,Jr. 33. Genetic variation and gene flow in populationsof Common Starlings(Sturnus vul- gaffs). P. J. de la Cruz-Cardiel,S. J. Peris,B. Deceuninck,and J. A. Elena-Rossello.1997. Ardeola44:173-181. (Spanish, English abstract, table, and figure captions).--Inthe past60 years,populations of European Starlingsin western Europe have grown and expanded into the Iberian peninsula.The rate of expansiononto the Iberian peninsulahas been at a rate of about 4.2 km/year. Expansionhas been linked to agriculture and the anthropophilic nature of the species.In many areasit associateswith the Black Starling (Sturnusunicolor) and the birds nest in mixed groups.Birds from three populationson the Iberian peninsula were included in this study:Sudanell, Aranda, and Biarritz. The Sudanell sample included 18 breeding birds; the Aranda sample included 15 wintering birds; the third sample, 15 breeding birds. Using electrophoresisthe authorsexamined 30 loci from 14 enzymesystems. Heterozygosity(H = 0.090), percentageof polymorphicloci (P = 26.6%), and average number of allelesper locus (A = 1.27) were similar to valuesfound in other birds.Inter- populationgenetic diversity was about 3.9%. High geneflow wasevident among populations and the sampleswere consideredto be from the samegene pool. [Departamentode Biologia Vegetal,Facultad de Biologia,Universidad de Salamanca,37007 Salamanca, Spain. I--Jerome A. Jackson.

PHYSIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT

(see also 8, 34)

PLUMAGES AND MOLT

(see also 5) 34. Molt of Northern Shovelerswintering in South Texas. W. D. Tietje and J. K. Vree- land. 1997 Southwest.Nat. 42:454-459.--Molting requireslarge amountsof energy,compa- rable to that required for reproduction. Environmentalfactors can bc critical to the molting process.The authors studied severalmolting parametersof the Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeate)during a winter of normal temperaturesand low rainfall (1982-1983), and a winter of record low temperaturesand high rainfall (1983-1984). Two diverseareas wcrc selected along the Gulf CoastalZone of Texas:one freshwaterwetland, the other a saltwaterwetland. Over 400 shovelerswcrc collected and the molt intensity (e.g., mcan count of emerging Vol.69, No. 4 RecentLiterature [673 feathers) was analyzed againstage, sex and body weight. Shoveler molt intensity wasgreater during the year of higher rainfall (1983-1984) which is consistentwith previousreports. Adult and juvenile males achievedpeak molt intensityin February,one month earlier than adult and juvenile females. Only in juvenile males was there a correlation between molt intensity and body condition. The authors did not find any differences in molt intensity between the fresh-and saltwaterhabitats, even though freshwaterwetlands provide a greater diversityand abundanceof food itemscompared to saltwaterwetlands. [Wildlife and Fisheries SciencesDept., TexasA & M Univ., CollegeStation, TX 77840, USA.]--Tom Leiden.

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (see also 8, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29) 35. Effect of firewood harvestingon birds in a California oak-pine woodland. P. A. Aigner, W. M. Block and M. L. Morrison. 1998. J. Wildl. Manage. 62:485-496.--This study examined the responseof breeding bird communities to experimental firewood harvest in an oak-pine woodland. The studyoccurred in the foothills of northern Sierra Nevada, Cal- ifornia, and consistedof a total of 60 3.1-hastudy plots. In 30 treatmentplots, 23% of the total tree basalarea wasremoved; old growth treesor treeswith nestcavities were preserved. Thirty control plots had no such treatment applied. The authors censusedthe bird communities one year prior to the treatment and 2 years post-treatment.A total of 99 species were recorded in this study, and treatment effects were species-specificand often varied among years.Population trends for 14 specieswere affectedby the harvesting.Ten species showedincreased populations, 2 had decreasedpopulations, and 2 had varyingpopulation changes.Six of the 10 specieswhich respondedpositively to harvestingused brush piles regularly.This studysuggests that small-scalefirewood harvests of the magnitudeused in this studyhad little negativeimpact on the bird communityin the short term (2 years).However, the authorscaution that they used a conservativeharvest and small areaswere harvested. Additionally,the effectson uncommon speciesmay have gone undetected and the authors note that factorssuch as site fidelity may influence responsesover the long term. [Dept. of EnvironmentalScience, Policy, and Management,University of Californiaat Berkeley,Berke- ley,CA 94720, USA, and Schoolof Forestry,Northern ArizonaUniversity, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA] .--Kerri T. Vierling. 36. Bird flight characteristicsnear wind turbines in Minnesota. R. G. Osborn, C. D. Dieter, K. F. Higgins, and R. E. Usgaard 1998. Am. Midl. Nat. 139:29-38.•As interest in- creasesin the use of wind energy as an alternativeenergy source,so does awarenessof bird mortalitycaused by wind turbines.Research has focusedon finding waysto decreaseavian mortalitythrough designchanges as well asthrough the placementof turbinesvis-•-vis breeding, wintering or migrating birds. The authors monitored the abundance and behavior of birds for twenty months at the Buffalo Ridge Wind ResourceArea in Minnesota. Seventy specieswere recordedat the site, of which 39 were consideredresident. Red-winged Black- birds (Agelaiusphoeniceus), Common Grackles(Quiscalus quiscula) and Mallards (Anasplat- yrhynchos)were the most abundant species,while raptorsconstituted only 4% of the birds surveyed.Two aspectsof flight patternswere studied:how closebirds flew to the towersand how high off of the ground they flew. Waterfowl and raptors flew the closestto the towers, but migratingwaterfowl flew at heightswell abovethe turbines.The only instanceof mortality reported by plant workers,and not verified by the authors,was that of a Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis).The low percentage of raptors and the tubular design of the towers possibly preventedfurther avian mortality.The AmericanKestrel (Falcosparverius) was considered to be most at risk since it flew at heights that were within the blade-sweptarea. Passerines generallyflew at heightswell below the blade height, and were thus not at much risk of colliding. The authorsconcluded that the Buffalo Ridge Wind ResourceArea is not a major threat to residentor migratory birds. [Dept. Wildlife and FisheriesSciences, South Dakota StateUniv., Brookings,SD 57007, USA.] Tom Leiden. 37. Europeanwoodpeckers and anthropogenichabitat change:a review.G. Mikusinski and P. Angelstam.1997. Die Vogelwelt118:277-283.--Mikusinski and Angelstamreview Eu- ropeanwoodpecker population trends from 1970-1990as reflectedin data from the Euro- 674] RecentLiterature J.Field Ornithol. Autumn 1998 pean Bird Database.For their analysisthey divide speciesinto three groups:omnivores, anteaters,and forest insectivores.Of ten Europeanspecies, none showsan overallincrease; six are declining.Woodpecker diversity remains greatest at high altitudesand in economically less developedareas of eastern Europe. To understandpopulation changes,the authors argue that we need to be looking at populationsat local, landscape,and continentallevels. Within Europe, woodpeckerdiversity decreases to the north and southeastas a restlit of treelesstundra and steppe biomes. Human-induced deforestationassociated with human populationgrowth and agriculturaldevelopment in central and westernEurope haverestilt- ed in large areaswith few or no woodpeckersand patchesof high altitude forest (areas unsuitablefor agriculture;Catabrian Mountains, Pyrenees, montane southern Germany, lower Alps, Carpathian and Scandinavianmountains) with high woodpeckerdiversity. These montane forest habitatshave had greater spatial and temporal contiguitythan remaining forest habitatsof adjacent lowlands.Also importantly,the montane forestshave retained more of their natural forestdynamics as a restlitof lessintensive forestry practices--less even- age management,greater tree speciesdiversity. The BialowiezaForest of Poland is cited as an exampleof a lowlandforest of easternEurope that retainshigh woodpeckerdiversity as a result of less-intensiveforestry and protectionof the forest as a hunting preserve. Among EuropeanWoodpeckers, the omnivorousGreat SpottedWoodpecker (Dendrocopos major)is the greatesthabitat generalistand seemsto have the most stablepopulation. The SyrianWoodpecker (Picoides syriacus) is similarlygeneralized and stable,showing range in- creasesin central Europe. The ant-eatingBlack Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), because of its size and forest interior habitats, is more affected by forest lossesthan other anteaters (Green Woodpecker,Picus viridis;, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Picus canu•, Wryneck, Jynx tor- quilla) which can use forest edge or even open areas.However, the latter speciesare being negativelyaffected by a number of human activitiesthat are reducing ant populationsand by decreasedavailability of suitable nesting sites.Forest insectivoresthat depend on deciduous trees (Middle-spottedWoodpecker, Picoides medius; Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, P. mi- nor; White-backedWoodpecker, P. leucotos)are declining rapidly as a restlit of deciduous forest losses.The Three-toed Woodpecker (P. tridactylus)has had local increases,but is generallyrestricted to high altitude or boreal conifersand showingsigns of decline as a restlit of intensification of forestry practices. [Grimso Wildlife ResearchStation, Dept. of ConservationBiology, Swedish Univ. of AgriculturalSciences, S-730 91 Riddarhyttan,Swe- den.]--Jerome A. Jackson.