DOCSLIB.ORG

Loggerhead Shrike CONSERVATION PRIORITY in IOWA Lanius Ludovicianus

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Loggerhead Shrike CONSERVATION PRIORITY in IOWA Lanius Ludovicianus IOWA AUDUBON IOWA IBA EDUCATION INITIATIVE PART 4: SPECIES ACCOUNTS STATUS: HIGH Loggerhead Shrike CONSERVATION PRIORITY IN IOWA Lanius ludovicianus Introduction The Loggerhead Shrike is the only one of the worldʼs thirty species of true shrikes that occurs exclusively in North America. It is a year around resident throughout the southern half of the lower 48 states. Northern populations breed throughout the North Central states (including Iowa) and into the Prairie Provinces of Canada, and then migrate to winter in more southerly states. Where resident, this species usually lives in pairs on permanent territories. Some pairs spend the entire year on a single territory; but outside the breeding season, mates may defend neighboring territories, which are coalesced at the beginning of nesting. Like other shrikes, the Loggerhead inhabits grasslands, savanna/shrub habitats, and other open habitats where it feeds on a variety of invertebrate and small vertebrate prey. Compared to most birds, its head is large in proportion to its body size – hence the name Loggerhead, which also means “blockhead.” This shrike, like others, is a small avian predator that hunts from perches and impales its prey on sharp objects such as thorns and barbed-wire fences. Although its foraging behavior mimics that of some raptors, its impaling behavior represents a unique adaptation to the problem of eating large prey without benefit of the stronger feet and talons of raptors. Being both a passerine (perching bird) and top-level predator, shrikes occupy a unique position, not only in the food chain, but also in the avian world. LINK TO IOWA IBA: LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE IOWA AUDUBON IOWA IBA EDUCATION INITIATIVE PART 4: SPECIES ACCOUNTS Despite its wide distribution, the Feeding Habits Loggerhead Shrike is one of the few North This predatory songbird forages mostly on American passerines whose populations large insects, rodents and small birds. The have declined continent-wide in recent breeding season diet consists mainly of decades. Changes in human land-use insects, especially grasshoppers and practices, the spraying of biocides, and crickets, but also beetles, wasps and competition with species that are more various others. tolerant of human-induced changes appear to be major factors contributing to this Loggerhead Shrikes take mice and other decline. small rodents during all seasons, but especially in winter. Small birds may be Habitat Preferences captured throughout the year. The annual Loggerhead Shrikes prefer open country diet also includes spiders, snails, frogs, with short vegetation: grasslands, pastures lizards, small snakes, crayfish, small fish, with fence rows, old orchards, roadsides, and other items. cemeteries, golf courses, agricultural fields, Like other shrikes, the Loggerhead kills its riparian areas, and open woodlands. vertebrate prey by precisely attacking the Breeders usually settle near isolated trees nape area of the neck, and then severing or large shrubs. Its near relative, the the vertebrae in a series of grabs and bites. Northern Shrike, found in Iowa only during A special tooth in the upper mandible winter, by comparison, prefers open probably serves as a device for quickly deciduous and coniferous woodlands. penetrating the spinal cord through the Foraging takes place in landscapes space between the articulating vertebrae, characterized by well-spaced, often spiny, thereby producing partial paralysis, and shrubs and low trees, usually interspersed rendering the quarry easier to kill. with short grasses, forbs, and bare ground Foraging appears to be opportunistic; and including: scrub lands, savannas, prairies, like most predatory species the diet is agricultural lands (especially pastures and adjusted to prey availability. The absence of meadows with hedges or shrubs), and heavy talons and strong feet cause 2 some suburban areas. This species favors problems: self-defense, and holding the fence lines and utility lines and poles for prey once itʼs killed. The first problem is perching, therefore they are frequently overcome by avoiding dangerous prey found along roadways. through hovering, attacking from behind, In many regions, indices of Loggerhead and biting at the base of the skull of prey. Shrike abundance correlate with The second problem is remedied by percentage of pastureland that is present. impaling and storing prey on sharp spines Shrubs and small trees, and the presence in conspicuous places such as on of canopy cover are most important during vegetation, or on barbed wire, or wedging the nesting season. prey into narrow V-shaped forks in shrubs Additional IBA Criteria Species in Iowa that and small trees. Loggerhead Shrikes are utilize the same general type of open well known for this unusual and complex savanna/shrub habitats – and each also a behavior. species of high conservation concern – Impaling probably evolved as a feeding include White-eyed Vireo, Bellʼs Vireo, and adaptation because it enables shrikes to Yellow-breasted Chat. immobilize larger prey than they could otherwise handle. The commonly used LINK TO IOWA IBA: LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE IOWA AUDUBON IOWA IBA EDUCATION INITIATIVE PART 4: SPECIES ACCOUNTS terms cache, larder, and pantry describe of pesticides on Loggerhead Shrikes should the impaling that is used as a means of be conducted. The impacts of habitat food storage, especially during winter when fragmentation certainly need to be food is scarce, or during breeding season addressed. One approach could involve when energy demands are high and comparing size and degree of isolation for caching is a way of dividing labor between blocks of suitable habitat among areas that the parents. Caching may also function as have a stable, declining, or extirpated mate attraction. Loggerhead Shrike population. Breeding Biology Research needed to aid management practices include the following poorly Migrant Loggerhead Shrikes arrive in Iowa understood topics: 1) determining migration by late March or early April, and males tend routes, stopover and wintering areas, and to use the same territories in successive susceptibility to human disturbance; 2) years. evaluating dietary needs and how weather, As with many predatory birds, nesting season, land use, and biocides influence begins quite early in spring – in late April or food availability; 3) determining mortality early May – in Iowa. In courtship the male rates of fledged juveniles and adults performs short flight displays, and provides throughout the annual life cycle in different the female with food. The nest is built by habitats, and at the same time identifying both sexes, and is located in a spot well factors contributing to mortality and causing hidden by foliage in a dense and often population declines; 4) comparing different thorny tree or shrub, usually 5 to 30 feet populations to find where problems are, and above ground but occasionally higher. allowing identification of regions that are Generally 5 to 6 eggs are laid, but the population sources and those that are number may range from 4 to 8. Incubation sinks; and, 5) determining degree of niche is by the female, and usually lasts from 16 overlap between Loggerhead Shrikes and to 17 days. The male feeds the female potential competitors to see whether shrike during incubation, and this food may be productivity is correlated with the presence some that he stored on thorns earlier. Both or absence of these species. parents feed the nestlings, and the young Reproductive studies have not provided leave the nest at about 17 to 21 days of convincing answers to help land managers. age. Fledglings continue to be fed by both Coordinating research efforts to make parents for another 3 to 4 weeks. productivity and mortality estimates Concerns and Limiting Factors comparable and more accurate would make future results most useful. In regions where Loggerhead Shrikes are one of the few Loggerhead Shrike populations are small, North American passerines whose tracking nesting locations and nesting populations have declined continent-wide in attempts would probably be worthwhile. recent decades. Changes in human land- This might identify site-specific problems use practices, the spraying of biocides, and that could be managed for and help competition with species that are more contribute to determining causes of the tolerant of human-induced changes appear decline. to be major factors contributing to this decline. Studying foraging success and overall vigor of nesting shrikes may also provide Although pesticides have not been linked to valuable information for future a reduced reproductive success in this management, but the loss and species, additional studies of other impacts fragmentation of savanna/shrub habitats is LINK TO IOWA IBA: LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE IOWA AUDUBON IOWA IBA EDUCATION INITIATIVE PART 4: SPECIES ACCOUNTS undoubtedly the major contributing factor to White-eyed Vireo, Bellʼs Vireo, and Yellow- continuing population declines. breasted Chat – each with the same status Habitat Management as a species with high conservation priority in Iowa. Consequently, special attention Recommendations ought to be given to this entire suite of Since reproductive rates are potentially high species. in this species, Loggerhead Shrikes could For more information about conservation expand their current numbers and perhaps efforts for Loggerhead Shrikes, see both the their range if the factors responsible for sections on Woodland Management for recent declines can be identified and Birds and Grassland Management for Birds. eliminated
Load more

Recommended publications
  • First Record of Brown Shrike (Lanius Cristatus) in British Columbia. by Rick Toochin, Peter Hamel and Margo Hearne. Submitted: April 15, 2018
    First record of Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) in British Columbia. By Rick Toochin, Peter Hamel and Margo Hearne. Submitted: April 15, 2018. Introduction and Distribution The Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a small species that is found throughout East Asia breeding south of the northern tundra from Eastern Chukotka Peninsula, Kamchatka Peninsula, Sea of Okhotsk, Japan, Korea, China, from northern Mongolia westward into Central Siberia approximately Yenisei and Anadyr Rivers (Lewington et al. 1992, Brazil 2009, Pyle et al. 2015). This species is highly migratory throughout its vast range. The Brown Shrike winters from India to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines (Lewington et al. 1992). There are 4 subspecies of Brown Shrike found throughout this species range. These include the nominate subspecies of Brown Shrike is (Lanius cristatus cristatus) which is found breeding from eastern Siberia to northwestern Mongolia. This subspecies is highly migratory and travels far to the wintering grounds (Pyle et al. 2015). This subspecies winters in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladeshi, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, southern Vietnam and the Malayan Peninsula (Pyle et al. 2015, Clements et al. 2016). The first Alaska record was tentatively identified as (L. c. lucionensis) (Gibson 1981), but has subsequently been identified as nominate (L. c. cristatus) (Gibson and Withrow 2015). This is the subspecies that now widely accepted as the subspecies that accounts for most, if not all North American records (Hamilton et al. 2007). The second subspecies of Brown Shrike is (Lanius cristatus confuses) which is found breeding in Manchuria and Amurland (Clements et al. 2016). This subspecies winters in Southeast Asia on the Malayan Peninsula and Sumatra (Clements et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Status of the Great Grey Shrike in Britain and Ireland
    Status of the Great Grey Shrike in Britain and Ireland Peter Fraser and John Ryan The Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor is a widespread Holarctic species. The nominate race breeds from Scandinavia and France east to western Siberia, northern populations exhibiting a winter dispersal or short-distance migration to warmer areas, including Britain and Ireland (Cramp & Perrins 1993). Its status in these last countries has not been investigated in detail until comparatively recently. This paper attempts to estimate the current numbers of this attractive shrike visiting these islands. Historical perspective In the first half of the twentieth century, when there were far fewer observers than there are today, records of Great Grey Shrike in Britain seemed to be rather scarce. Bannerman (1953) suggested that the Great Grey Shrike might be 'even [an] annual visitor to our shores'. Two decades later, it was described as both a passage migrant and a winter visitor in 'small, rather variable numbers', being most numerous on the East Coast in October, with most wintering individuals occurring in Scotland (BOU 1971). The first systematic attempt to assess the British wintering population was made during 1981-84, with the Winter Atlas (Lack 1986): records were found to be much more widespread in midwinter than had previously been supposed, and the wintering population was estimated at a minimum of 150 individuals. In Britain, the Great Grey Shrike has long been characterised by considerable annual fluctuations in its numbers. The available records nevertheless suggest that there has been a general decline over the last 40 or more years, and particularly since the 1970s.
    [Show full text]
  • Stephens Forest
    Field Checklist for Stephens Forest ___Warbling Vireo* ___Kentucky Warbler* * = confirmed or likely area breeder ___Red-eyed Vireo* ___Common Yellowthroat* Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Migratory Species of Greatest ___Hooded Warbler* Stephens Forest Conservation Need ___Blue Jay* ___American Redstart* Iowa Wildlife Action Plan Nesting Species of Greatest ___American Crow* ___Cerulean Warbler* Conservation Need ___Northern Parula* ___Horned Lark* ___Magnolia Warbler ___Greater White-fronted Goose ___Ring-billed Gull ___Bay-breasted Warbler Bird Conservation ___Snow Goose ___Purple Martin* ___Blackburnian Warbler ___Cackling Goose ___Rock Pigeon* ___Tree Swallow* ___Yellow Warbler* ___Canada Goose* ___Eurasian Collared-Dove* ___N. Rough-winged Swallow* ___Chestnut-sided Warbler* Area ___Wood Duck* ___Mourning Dove* ___Bank Swallow* ___Blackpoll Warbler ___Gadwall ___Cliff Swallow* ___Yellow-rumped Warbler ___American Wigeon ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo* ___Barn Swallow* ___Yellow-throated Warbler ___Mallard ___Black-billed Cuckoo* ___Black-throated Green Warbler ___Blue-winged Teal ___Black-capped Chickadee* ___Canada Warbler ___Northern Shoveler ___Barn Owl ___Tufted Titmouse* ___Wilson’s Warbler ___Hooded Merganser ___Yellow-breasted Chat* Belted Kingfisher ___Common Merganser ___Eastern Screech-Owl* ___Red-breasted Nuthatch USFWS ___Great Horned Owl* ___White-breasted Nuthatch* ___Eastern Towhee* ___Northern Bobwhite* ___Barred Owl* ___American Tree Sparrow ___Ring-necked Pheasant* ___Long-eared Owl ___Brown Creeper ___Chipping Sparrow* ___Ruffed
    [Show full text]
  • Studies of Less Familiar Birds 106. Lesser Grey Shrike by I
    Studies of less familiar birds 106. Lesser Grey Shrike By I. J. Ferguson-Lees Photographs by Eric Hoskitig and K. Koffan (Plates 50-54) WHEN THE FIRST VOLUME of The Handbook was published in 1938, only 22 records of the Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanitts minor) in the British Isles were admitted and five of those cannot now be accepted. Only 17 Lesser Grey Shrikes in nearly a hundred years since the first was identified in 1842—yet from the autumn of 1952 to the spring of i960 at least 13 well-authenticated occurrences have taken place, a third of these being trapped and ringed. In 1958 two were recorded (Brit. Birds, 53: 171) and, although there was none in 19 5 9, there have already been two this year. This is yet another illustration of the way in which the greatly increased ranks of competent observers and ringers have shown birds formerly regarded as extremely rare vagrants to be of almost annual occurrence. In this country we tend to think of the Great Grey Shrike (L. excubitor) as a northern breeder which comes to us in winter, and of the Lesser Grey as a southern species. In fact, however, the former with its much vaster range extends considerably further south (as well as north), while the Lesser Grey nests or has nested in the east Baltic states and north-west Russia at 59°N, on the same latitude as Orkney. Its normal breeding range is from NE Spain (Costa Brava) and central and southern France eastwards through Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of the Global Decline in the True Shrikes (Family Laniidae)
    228 ShortCommunications and Commentaries [Auk, Vol. 111 The Auk 111(1):228-233, 1994 CONSERVATION COMMENTARY Evaluation of the Global Decline in the True Shrikes (Family Laniidae) REUVEN YOSEF t ArchboldBiological Station, P.O. Box2057, Lake Placid, Florida 33852, USA The first International Shrike Symposiumwas held Shrike was found in 1975, and of the Northern Shrike at the Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, Flor- in 1982. In Switzerland, these two specieshave offi- ida, from 11-15 January 1993. The symposium was cially been declared extinct. attended by 71 participants from 23 countries(45% In Sweden, Olsson (1993) and Carlson (1993) have North America, 32%Europe, 21% Asia, and 2% Africa). attributed the decline (over 50% between 1970 and The most exciting participation was that of a strong 1990) of the Red-backed Shrike to the destruction and contingent of ornithologists from eastern Europe. In deterioration of suitable habitats. Olsson (1993) ob- this commentary I present the points stressedat the served a large reduction of pastures in the last two Symposiumand illustrate them with severalexamples decades,and considers the Swedish law requiring as presentedby the authors. planting of unused pastures and fallow lands with The Symposiumwas convened to focus attention conifers as unfavorable for shrikes. He also stated that on, evaluate, and possibly recommend methods to nitrogenousand acid-rainpollutants have influenced reverse the worldwide decline of shrike populations. vegetationcomposition and insectpopulations, both Many of the 30 speciesare declining, or have become of which in turn have affected shrikes negatively. In extinct locally. Studies have focused mainly on the the Swedish Bird Population Monitoring Program, five speciesfound closestto placeswhere ornithol- the numbers of Red-backed Shrikes declined from a ogists live: Northern/Great Grey Shrike (Laniusex- high index of 100 in 1975, to a low of 60 in 1981.
    [Show full text]
  • A Large Scale Survey of the Great Grey Shrike Lanius Excubitor in Poland: Breeding Densities, Habitat Use and Population Trends
    Ann. Zool. Fennici 47: 67–78 ISSN 0003-455X (print), ISSN 1797-2450 (online) Helsinki 10 March 2010 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2010 A large scale survey of the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor in Poland: breeding densities, habitat use and population trends Lechosław Kuczyński1,*, Marcin Antczak2, Paweł Czechowski3, Jerzy Grzybek2, Leszek Jerzak4, Piotr Zabłocki5 & Piotr Tryjanowski2,6 1) Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, PL-61- 614 Poznań, Poland (*corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected]) 2) Department of Behavioural Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, PL-61-614 Poznań, Poland 3) Institute for Tourism & Recreation, State Higher Vocational School in Sulechów, Armii Krajowej 51, PL-66-100 Sulechów, Poland 4) Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Szafrana 1, PL-65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland 5) Opole Silesia Museum, Department of Natural History, św. Wojciecha 13, PL-45-023 Opole, Poland 6) Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71 C, PL-60-625 Poznań, Poland Received 8 Apr. 2008, revised version received 9 Feb. 2010, accepted 15 Apr. 2009 Kuczyński, L., Antczak, M., Czechowski, P., Grzybek, J., Jerzak, L., Zabłocki, P. & Tryjanowski, P. 2010: A large scale survey of the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor in Poland: breeding densities, habitat use and population trends. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 47: 67–78. The great grey shrike Lanius excubitor is declining in western Europe but relatively stable, or even increasing populations still exist in central and eastern Europe. It is a medium-sized passerine living in diverse, low-intensity farmland.
    [Show full text]
  • Food Larders of the Southern Grey Shrike Lanius Meridionalis
    North-Western Journal of Zoology 14/2 - 2018 273 Fejervary, G.I. (1912): Über Ablepharus pannonicus Fitz. Zoologische Jahrbücher feeding areas include both arable land and pastures inter- 33: 457-574. spersed with scattered trees or shrubs that can provide natu- Ferreiro R., Galán, P. (2004): Reproductive ecology of the slow worm (Anguis fragilis) in the northwest Iberian Peninsula. Animal Biology 54: 353-371. ral hunting perches (Ajder & Baltag 2017). Their diet is pre- Fischer, J. (1884): Die Zwergschleiche (Ablepharus pannonicus Fitz.) in der dominantly composed of insects supplemented by verte- Gefangenschaft. Zoological Garden 25: 314-316. brates (Karlsson 2004, Morelli et al. 2013, Taibi et al. 2009). Herczeg, G., Kovács, T., Korsós, Z., Török, J. (2007): Microhabitat use, seasonal activity and diet of the snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii fitzingeri) in Caching is performed by shrikes to demarcate territories, comparison with sympatric lacertids in Hungary. Biologia 62: 482-487. store food for inclement weather or periods of stress in the Lewke, R.R., Stroud, R.K. (1974): Freeze branding as a method of marking breeding cycle, divide labor between the breeding pair and snakes. Copeia 1974: 997-1000. Pasuljević, G. (1965): Ritam dnevne i sezonske aktivnosti Ablepharus kitaibelii for “aging” while deterrent chemicals in prey decompose (Bibron et Bory) u Jugoslaviji. Glasnik Prirodnjačkog Muzeja u Beogradu (Yosef & Pinshow 2005). The diet in use pellets of Southern Serija B 20: 311-314. Grey Shrike has been well studied in Europe, especially in Pasuljević, G. (1966): Prilog poznavanju ekologije Ablepharus kitaibelii (Bibron et Bory). Zbornik Filozofskog Fakulteta u Prištini 3: 459-463.
    [Show full text]
  • Grey Shrikes Unless Noted Otherwise
    Trends in systematics Speciation in shades of grey: Grey Shrike L elegans, while other great grey shrike taxa were left undetermined for the time being. the great grey shrike complex The purpose of this short paper is to present an Sometimes clear-cut species limits are hard to update on geographic variation in the great grey come by. A number of widespread Palearctic spe- shrike complex based on recent genetic studies cies and species complexes display an intricate (Gonzalez et al 2008, Klassert et al 2008, Olsson pattern of geographical (plumage) variation. et al 2010) and to show current implications for Information on patterns of genetic variation can species limits within this complex. Olsson et al be a tremendous help in clarifying relationships (2010) sampled by far the most extensively and between populations but the results are not al- agree with Gonzalez et al (2008) and Klassert et al ways unambiguous. The great grey shrike complex (2008) on the basic structure of the phylogeny. is one such diffcult case. Many may have been Therefore, Olsson et al (2010) is referred to below, surprised to note the treatment of great grey shrikes unless noted otherwise. in the second English edition of the Collins bird guide (Svensson et al 2009) in which two species Results are recognized: Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubi- The recovered mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tree tor and Iberian Grey Shrike L meridionalis. The lat- (fgure 1) shows a deep split between two large ter now only includes the birds from Iberia and clades, representing up to several million years of south-eastern France.
    [Show full text]
  • 4Th International Shrike Symposium SYMP04-1 Thoughts on the Evolutionary Pathway of Impaling in True Shrikes
    ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Vogelwarte - Zeitschrift für Vogelkunde Jahr/Year: 2003/04 Band/Volume: 42_2003 Autor(en)/Author(s): Kristin Anton Artikel/Article: SYMP04: 4th International shrike symposium 25-41 © Deutschen Ornithologen-Gesellschaft und Partner; download www.do-g.de; www.zobodat.at 42. 1-2 Symposium Abstracts (SYMP04) 25 2003 SYMP04: 4th International shrike symposium Convener: Anton Kristin Instituteo f Forest Ecology ofSAS, Sturova 2, Zvolen, SK-960 53, Slovakia ( [email protected]) Shrikes are an interesting bird group combining the features o f the passerines and birds of prey. A considerable number of questions connected with their evolution, ecology and behaviour have still remained open. Many species shrink their range, dramatically decreasing their abundance. This fact was also a reason to create the International Shrike Working Group and to ensure a regular contact among shrikeologists having their own web page and e-mail group as well as regular meetings. The first International Shrike symposium was held in January 1993 in Lake Placid, Florida, and it was organized under chairmanship ofR euven Y osef from Israel. This symposium was attended by 71 participants from 23 countries. Then followed the meetings organized in Eilat, Israel (1996) and Gdansk, Poland (1999). In this year, the year of the 10th anniversary of this event, the fourth con­ tinuation of this symposium will be held in Chemnitz. We plan together 21 lectures and 9 posters by authors from 17 countries over the whole world. The contributions deal with exciting problems of evolution of feeding strategies, with open questions in breeding biology, distribution of food supply and suitable habitats.
    [Show full text]
  • Summary of Avian Resources of the Puente-Chino Hills Corridor
    Summary of Avian Resources of the Puente-Chino Hills Corridor Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, California Scott; T.A. Cooper, D.S. Dept. of Earth Sciences University of California Riverside, CA 92521 January 1999 Executive Summary During spring and summer of 1997 and 1998, we conducted a distribution survey of birds and associated habitats of the Puente-Chino Hills for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. From over 300 stationary points and nearly 50 walking transects, we recorded evidence of breeding for nearly 100 bird species, including such localized and declining taxa as Northern Harrier, Golden Eagle, Prairie Falcon, White-tailed Kite, Cactus Wren, Least Bell's Vireo, Loggerhead Shrike, Homed Lark, California Gnatcatcher, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Grasshopper, Bell's Sage and Rufous-crowned sparrows, and Tricolored Blackbird (see Appendix B for Latin names). We documented widespread nesting of Say's Phoebe, a species recently rediscovered as breeding in Southwestern California (see Gallagher 1997). Our surveys essentially confirm the recent extirpation of Burrowing Owl in the region, a species common in the early 1980s (D. Cooper, pers. obs.) last recorded in 1993 (C. Schlotterbeck, pers. comm.). The exotic and semi-native grasslands of the Puente-Chino Hills may represent their greatest contribution to the breeding bird community of coastal Southern California, as so much of this habitat has been permanently lost to urbanization. Species restricted to grasslands were probably the most restricted in distribution, occurring in three main areas, the Shell Property east to Brea Canyon/57 Freeway, Upper Tonner Canyon (vic. of San Bernardino/Los Angeles Co.
    [Show full text]
  • Brown Shrike Lanius Cristatus on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean
    139 AUSTRALIAN FIELD O RNITHOLOGY 2003, 20, 139- 141 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean PETERS. LANSLEY', JAMES WATSON2 and ROBERT F. FARNES3 14 Cairn Court, Frankston, Victoria 3199'' (Email: [email protected]) 2Biodiversity Research Group, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TB, United Kingdom 3616 Mt Clay Road, Heywood, Victoria 3304 *Corresponding author Summary This paper reports on sightings of a Brown Shrike Lanius crista/us on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. The bird was seen opposite the Christmas Island golf course in a coastal thicket (Pandanus sp.) from 28 December 1996 to 3 January 1997. The Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC, case number 299) has accepted this record as the first of this species in an Australian territory. Notes on its identification are presented. Introduction The Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus is widespread and common in Asia, and is a regular migrant to Sumatra, Java and Bali in Indonesia during the austral summer (MacKinnon & Phillipps 1993). There have been several sightings from Europe including Britain (Levington et al. 1992), and from North America (Lefranc & Worfolk 1997). This species is most likely to be confused with the Isabelline or Rufous-tailed Shrike L. isabellinus, which occurs as a visitor to parts of Asia in the austral summer (Grimmett et al. 1999). The sighting A single bird was found by James Watson on 28 December 1996, opposite the Christmas Island (CI) golf course in a coastal thicket (Pandanus sp.) along the cliff-top. It was identified by all observers (Robert Farnes, Peter Lansley, Peter Milburn, Bill Watson and James Watson) as an adult Brown Shrike.
    [Show full text]
  • MCAS Miramar Least Bell's Vireo Final Report
    Coachella Valley Riparian Birds Progress Report 2017 Riparian Bird Nest Monitoring and Cowbird Management in the Coachella Valley Annual Progress Report 2017 March 23, 2018 Prepared For: Coachella Valley Conservation Commission Prepared By: San Diego Natural History Museum 1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101 Lori Hargrove, Kevin Clark, Kim Ferree, & Philip Unitt Least Bell’s Vireo incubating, Whitewater Preserve (Photo by K. Ferree, 2 May 2017) i Coachella Valley Riparian Birds Progress Report 2017 Table of Contents Title page......................................................................................................................................... i Table of contents ........................................................................................................................... ii List of acronyms ........................................................................................................................... iii List of tables.................................................................................................................................. iv List of figures ..................................................................................................................................v List of appendices ........................................................................................................................ vii Background and objectives ...........................................................................................................1 Objectives .....................................................................................................................................2
    [Show full text]