DOCSLIB.ORG

Demographics and Habitat Selection for the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella Neglecta) in the Nebraska Sandhills

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Demographics and Habitat Selection for the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella Neglecta) in the Nebraska Sandhills University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research in Agronomy and Horticulture Agronomy and Horticulture Department 2009 Demographics and Habitat Selection for the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) in the Nebraska Sandhills Matthew D. Giovanni University of Nebraska at Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/agronhortdiss Part of the Biology Commons, Plant Sciences Commons, and the Population Biology Commons Giovanni, Matthew D., "Demographics and Habitat Selection for the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) in the Nebraska Sandhills" (2009). Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research in Agronomy and Horticulture. 4. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/agronhortdiss/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Agronomy and Horticulture Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research in Agronomy and Horticulture by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. DEMOGRAPHICS AND HABITAT SELECTION FOR THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK (STURNELLA NEGLECTA) IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS Matthew D. Giovanni A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Major: Agronomy (Applied Ecology) Under the Supervision of Professors Larkin A. Powell and Walter H. Schacht Lincoln, Nebraska December, 2009 DEMOGRAPHICS AND HABITAT SELECTION FOR THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK (STURNELLA NEGLECTA) IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS Matthew David Giovanni, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2009 Advisors: Larkin A. Powell and Walter H. Schacht The prairie ecosystems of the Great Plains region in North America have largely been replaced and fragmented with industrial agriculture and invasive herbaceous and woody plant species. The concurrent and large-scale suppression of wildfire and elimination of grazing by native ungulates may have further decreased the availability and quality of habitat for wildlife. Indeed, 2004 estimates indicate only 30% of historic grasslands in the Great Plains still exist, while the trends of decreased land area enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program and increased land area in commercial agriculture indicate continued loss of habitat. This decrease in habitat availability continues to cause population declines for most grassland bird species in North America. The Nebraska Sandhills (Sandhills) region is the largest continuous mixed-grass prairie system remaining in North America, and is almost exclusively managed for cattle production with rotational grazing and wild-hay supplementation. The Sandhills are also, however, subject to increasing demands of natural resources while biological data for management and conservation planning is minimal at best. The Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is broadly distributed across the temperate grasslands of central and western North America, but long-term abundance data indicate populations are declining across Nebraska and most of the species’ breeding range. The Sandhills are a potential population source for grassland bird species breeding elsewhere in fragmented, lower-quality habitat, but information on the demographic responses of species to land management in the Sandhills is mostly nonexistent. I sampled from a population of Western Meadowlarks in the central Sandhills from 2006- 2008 to understand the relationships between breeding ecology, vegetation structure, and associated land management. Specifically, I report and discuss 1) selection of nest-site habitat by adults as a function of vegetation variables, 2) nest survival as a function of vegetation, researcher-effect, and temporal variables, 3) selection of habitat by fledglings as a function of vegetation variables, and survival of fledglings as a function of climate and temporal variables. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: HABITAT-SPECIFIC EFFECTS OF VEGETATION STRUCTURE ON THE SELECTION OF NEST SITES BY WESTERN MEADOWLARKS (STURNELLA NEGLECTA) IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS........................................................... 1 ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ 2 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 3 METHODS......................................................................................................................... 5 RESULTS........................................................................................................................... 8 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................... 10 LITERATURE CITED..................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 2: ASSESSMENT OF MICROHABITAT, RESEARCHER, AND TEMPORAL EFFECTS ON PREDATOR-LIMITED SURVIVAL OF WESTERN MEADOWLARK (STURNELLA NEGLECTA) NESTS IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS.................................................................................................................... 39 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... 40 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 41 METHODS....................................................................................................................... 43 RESULTS......................................................................................................................... 50 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................... 54 v LITERATURE CITED..................................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER 3: MOVEMENT, MICROHABITAT SELECTION, AND PREDATOR- AND THERMOREGULATION-LIMITED SURVIVAL FOR WESTERN MEADOWLARK (STURNELLA NEGLECTA) FLEDGLINGS IN THE NEBRASKA SANDHILLS.................................................................................................................... 86 ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... 87 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 88 METHODS....................................................................................................................... 90 RESULTS......................................................................................................................... 95 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................... 97 LITERATURE CITED................................................................................................... 102 vi LIST OF TABLES Chapter 1. Table 1. Models for probability of nest-site selection for Western Meadowlarks in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA, 2006-2008. Model-selection parameters include the number of parameters (K), deviance (Dev), log-likelihood (Loge(L)), Akaike Information Criterion scores for small sample sizes (AICc), relative model differences in AICc (Δi), and relative model weights (wi).................................... 25 Table 2. Logit-scale model coefficients (β) with lower (LCL) and upper (UCL) 95% confidence limits and standard errors (SE) for the global model of nest-site selection probability for Western Meadowlarks in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA, 2006-2008. Asterisks indicate coefficients with confidence intervals that do not overlap zero........................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 2. Table 1. Models of daily survival probability for Western Meadowlark nests in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA, 2006-2008. Model-selection parameters include the number of model parameters (K), deviances (Dev), log-likelihoods (Loge(L)), Akaike Information Criteria for small sample sizes (AICc), relative differences (ΔAICc), and weights (wi)..................................................................................... 75 Table 2. Logit-scale model coefficients (β) with lower (LCL) and upper (UCL) 95% confidence limits and standard errors (SE) for the a priori temporal model of daily survival for Western Meadowlark nests in the Nebraska Sandhills, USA, 2006-2008. Asterisks indicate coefficients with confidence intervals that do not overlap zero........................................................................................................... 76 vii Table 3. Logit-scale model coefficients (β) with lower (LCL) and upper (UCL) 95% confidence limits and standard errors (SE) for the a posteriori nest-site vegetation and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Why Is the Common Grackle Becoming Less Common? Avian Conservation and Ecology 16(2):7
    VOLUME 16, ISSUE 2, ARTICLE 7 Horsley, N. P., and M. P. Ward. 2021. Why is the Common Grackle becoming less common? Avian Conservation and Ecology 16(2):7. https://doi. org/10.5751/ACE-01879-160207 Copyright © 2021 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance. Research Paper Why is the Common Grackle becoming less common? Noah P. Horsley 1 and Michael P. Ward 1,2 1University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2Illinois Natural History Survey ABSTRACT. Despite a generalist life history and a widespread distribution, the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) has declined by more than 58% since 1970. In Illinois, where this study was conducted, the current rate of decline is 7.03% annually. We hypothesized that low reproductive success in intensely agricultural areas is driving population decline. To test this, we quantified the nesting success and post-fledging survival of Common Grackles in central Illinois. Over a 2-year period, we monitored 188 nests and tracked the survival of 53 fledglings. Our estimate for nesting success of 0.622 (95% CI: 0.549-0.695) was much higher than the literature average of 0.267. Similarly, although post-fledging survival had not been estimated previously for Common Grackles, our estimate of 0.617 (95% CI: 0.471-0.764) was relatively high compared to that of other songbirds (range: 0.23-0.87). The most important factor influencing these estimates was ordinal date, which had a negative relationship with both nesting success and post-fledging survival. These results suggest that reproductive success is not the primary driver of population decline in Illinois.
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella Magna
    eastern meadowlark Sturnella magna Kingdom: Animalia FEATURES Phylum: Chordata Two species of meadowlark are present in Illinois: Class: Aves the eastern meadowlark and the western Order: Passeriformes meadowlark. They are very difficult to tell apart by sight, but their song can help identify them. Both Family: Icteridae birds have yellow breast feathers with a large, black ILLINOIS STATUS “v” marking. The white, outer, tail feathers may be seen when the bird flies. The back feathers are common, native brown. The western meadowlark is paler than the eastern meadowlark, and the yellow on its throat touches its cheek. The meadowlark averages nine inches in length (tail tip to bill tip in preserved specimen). BEHAVIORS The eastern meadowlark is a common migrant and summer resident statewide and a common winter resident in the southern one-third of the state. Its whistled song is “tee-yah, tee-yair.” This meadowlark may be seen sitting on fences or wires or flying with short, choppy flaps and a glide. It lives in pastures, hay fields, fallow fields and near row crops. Spring migrants generally arrive in Illinois in March. Migration occurs during the day. Eggs are produced from April through July. The nest is built on the ground. The female constructs the nest of dried grasses in a depression in the ground in a period of about three to eight days. The nest is covered with a domelike, grass canopy, leaving an opening on the side. Two to six, white eggs with red-brown speckles are deposited by the female, and she alone incubates them for the 14-day incubation period.
    [Show full text]
  • Subspecies and Ecology of Meadowlarks in Northwest Arkansas Robert Lowery Arkansas State University
    Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science Volume 21 Article 8 1967 Subspecies and Ecology of Meadowlarks in Northwest Arkansas Robert Lowery Arkansas State University Earl L. Hanebrink Arkansas State University Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas Part of the Ornithology Commons, and the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Recommended Citation Lowery, Robert and Hanebrink, Earl L. (1967) "Subspecies and Ecology of Meadowlarks in Northwest Arkansas," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 21 , Article 8. Available at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol21/iss1/8 This article is available for use under the Creative Commons license: Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Users are able to read, download, copy, print, distribute, search, link to the full texts of these articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 21 [1967], Art. 8 26 Arkansas Academy of Science Proceedings, Vol.21, 1967 THE SUBSPECIES AND ECOLOGY OF MEADOWLARKS IN NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS Robert Lowery and Earl L. Hanebrink Arkansas State University INTRODUCTION j^l-\ior-ti\/c»c \a/oko +i r<- TheTkck objectives of<~*-f thistl-ilr- studyc+ii/-Jw were +/"».to: (1)/ 1 \ rlotormincdetermine thetko statusc+n r\fof the eastern and southern subspecies of meadowlarks in northeastern Arkansas: Sturnella magna magna and Sturnella magna argutula respectively, (2) determine the status of the western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta neglecta, and (3) compare the habitat preference and relative abundance of meadowlark species on Crowley's Ridge with that of the adjacent western delta region.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Structured Decision Making to Prioritize Species Assemblages for Conservation T ⁎ Adam W
    Journal for Nature Conservation 45 (2018) 48–57 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal for Nature Conservation journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jnc Using Structured Decision Making to prioritize species assemblages for conservation T ⁎ Adam W. Greena, , Maureen D. Corrella, T. Luke Georgea, Ian Davidsonb, Seth Gallagherc, Chris Westc, Annamarie Lopatab, Daniel Caseyd, Kevin Ellisone, David C. Pavlacky Jr.a, Laura Quattrinia, Allison E. Shawa, Erin H. Strassera, Tammy VerCauterena, Arvind O. Panjabia a Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, 230 Cherry St., Suite 150, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA b National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 1133 15th St NW #1100, Washington, DC, 20005, USA c National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 44 Cook St, Suite 100, Denver, CO, 80206, USA d Northern Great Plains Joint Venture, 3302 4th Ave. N, Billings, MT, 59101, USA e World Wildlife Fund, Northern Great Plains Program, 13 S. Willson Ave., Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Species prioritization efforts are a common strategy implemented to efficiently and effectively apply con- Conservation planning servation efforts and allocate resources to address global declines in biodiversity. These structured processes help Grasslands identify species that best represent the entire species community; however, these methods are often subjective Priority species and focus on a limited number of species characteristics. We developed an objective, transparent approach using Prioritization a Structured Decision Making (SDM) framework to identify a group of grassland bird species on which to focus Structured decision making conservation efforts that considers biological, social, and logistical criteria in the Northern Great Plains of North America. The process quantified these criteria to ensure representation of a variety of species and habitats and included the relative value of each criterion to the working group.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Meadowlark B168 (Sturnella Neglecter)
    Western Meadowlark B168 (Sturnella neglecter) STATUS: No official listed status. Common resident at low elevations; late summer and fall transient at higher elevations. DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Breeds in grasslands and pastureland from annual grass- land up to chaparral zone, with or without moderate shrub cover, and generally in drier sites. Some upslope movement in late summer and fall. SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Open terrain. BREEDING: Breeds from early February to late July, with peak from late April to late June. Nests in depression on ground, among grasses or other low vegetation. Clutch size from 3 to 7, with mode of 5. TERRITORY/HOME RANGE: Home range same as territory. In Wisconsin, breeding territories ranged from 3 to 15 acres (1.2 to 6.1 ha), with mean of about 7.5 acres (3 ha) (Lanyon 1956). FOOD HABITS: Insects and seeds, gleaned from grasses and live or dead annuals, or from the ground, make up the majority of the diet. Turns over clods and digs in soft earth. OTHER: REFERENCES: Bryant 1914, Grinnell and Miller 1944, Lanyon 1957. 260 Yellow-headed Blackbird B169 (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) STATUS: No official listed status. Rare spring and fall migrant. DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Prefers large, marshy areas with water of considerable depth and patches of open water. Forages in moist, open areas and in marshes; requires marshes only during breeding season. SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Marshes for nesting; open terrain. BREEDING: Possibly breeds in the western Sierran zone at low elevations from mid-April to late July, with peak from late May to mid-July. Nests in emergent vegetation, usually cattails or bulrush, from 0.5 to 3 ft (0.2 to 0.9 m) above water, usually near edge of vegetation farthest from shore.
    [Show full text]
  • Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 Sponsored by Senators GIROD, STEINER HAYWARD
    79th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2017 Regular Session Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 Sponsored by Senators GIROD, STEINER HAYWARD Whereas many Oregonians feel that it is time to adopt the osprey as our state bird, valuing the raptor as a fitting symbol of Oregon’s rugged independence, strength and resilience; and Whereas other Oregonians favor the western meadowlark, already our unofficial state bird, considering the songbird’s peaceful, mellifluous song to be an emblem of gentle beauty and culture within this state; and Whereas the question of whether the state bird should be a raptor or a songbird presents a false dichotomy; and Whereas sometimes the best answer to an “either-or” question is “and”; and Whereas Oregon is not wholly represented by one climate or region of the state; and Whereas Oregonians, themselves, cannot be categorized as only one type of person; and Whereas a multifaceted Oregon calls for two types of state bird: the state raptor and the state songbird; and Whereas the western meadowlark brings to mind the open fields and meadows spread across the state; and Whereas the osprey evokes Oregon’s lakes, rivers, streams and ocean; and Whereas the western meadowlark’s song and bright colors have delighted generations of Oregonians; and Whereas the osprey in flight, with its striking markings against the sky, causes Oregonians to stop and stare in wonder; and Whereas embracing the excellent qualities of one bird does not derogate those of the other; and Whereas while most states are content to be limited to one state bird, Oregon recognizes the need for another, understanding that there is room in the hearts of Oregonians for two symbolic birds; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon: That we, the members of the Seventy-ninth Legislative Assembly, designate the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) as the official state raptor of Oregon; and be it further Resolved, That we designate the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) as the official state songbird of Oregon.
    [Show full text]
  • AOU Classification Committee – North and Middle America
    AOU Classification Committee – North and Middle America Proposal Set 2016-C No. Page Title 01 02 Change the English name of Alauda arvensis to Eurasian Skylark 02 06 Recognize Lilian’s Meadowlark Sturnella lilianae as a separate species from S. magna 03 20 Change the English name of Euplectes franciscanus to Northern Red Bishop 04 25 Transfer Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis to Antigone 05 29 Add Rufous-necked Wood-Rail Aramides axillaris to the U.S. list 06 31 Revise our higher-level linear sequence as follows: (a) Move Strigiformes to precede Trogoniformes; (b) Move Accipitriformes to precede Strigiformes; (c) Move Gaviiformes to precede Procellariiformes; (d) Move Eurypygiformes and Phaethontiformes to precede Gaviiformes; (e) Reverse the linear sequence of Podicipediformes and Phoenicopteriformes; (f) Move Pterocliformes and Columbiformes to follow Podicipediformes; (g) Move Cuculiformes, Caprimulgiformes, and Apodiformes to follow Columbiformes; and (h) Move Charadriiformes and Gruiformes to precede Eurypygiformes 07 45 Transfer Neocrex to Mustelirallus 08 48 (a) Split Ardenna from Puffinus, and (b) Revise the linear sequence of species of Ardenna 09 51 Separate Cathartiformes from Accipitriformes 10 58 Recognize Colibri cyanotus as a separate species from C. thalassinus 11 61 Change the English name “Brush-Finch” to “Brushfinch” 12 62 Change the English name of Ramphastos ambiguus 13 63 Split Plain Wren Cantorchilus modestus into three species 14 71 Recognize the genus Cercomacroides (Thamnophilidae) 15 74 Split Oceanodroma cheimomnestes and O. socorroensis from Leach’s Storm- Petrel O. leucorhoa 2016-C-1 N&MA Classification Committee p. 453 Change the English name of Alauda arvensis to Eurasian Skylark There are a dizzying number of larks (Alaudidae) worldwide and a first-time visitor to Africa or Mongolia might confront 10 or more species across several genera.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity and Ecological Potential of Plum Island, New York
    Biodiversity and ecological potential of Plum Island, New York New York Natural Heritage Program i New York Natural Heritage Program The New York Natural Heritage Program The NY Natural Heritage Program is a partnership NY Natural Heritage has developed two notable between the NYS Department of Environmental online resources: Conservation Guides include the Conservation (NYS DEC) and The Nature Conservancy. biology, identification, habitat, and management of many Our mission is to facilitate conservation of rare animals, of New York’s rare species and natural community rare plants, and significant ecosystems. We accomplish this types; and NY Nature Explorer lists species and mission by combining thorough field inventories, scientific communities in a specified area of interest. analyses, expert interpretation, and the most comprehensive NY Natural Heritage also houses iMapInvasives, an database on New York's distinctive biodiversity to deliver online tool for invasive species reporting and data the highest quality information for natural resource management. planning, protection, and management. In 1990, NY Natural Heritage published Ecological NY Natural Heritage was established in 1985 and is a Communities of New York State, an all inclusive contract unit housed within NYS DEC’s Division of classification of natural and human-influenced Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources. The program is communities. From 40,000-acre beech-maple mesic staffed by more than 25 scientists and specialists with forests to 40-acre maritime beech forests, sea-level salt expertise in ecology, zoology, botany, information marshes to alpine meadows, our classification quickly management, and geographic information systems. became the primary source for natural community NY Natural Heritage maintains New York’s most classification in New York and a fundamental reference comprehensive database on the status and location of for natural community classifications in the northeastern rare species and natural communities.
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science
    Some Studies of the Spermatozoa of Certain Species of the Icteridae (Blackbirds) John P. Allen, J. Hill Hamon, and Robert W. McFarlane Indiana State University and the University of Florida Abstract This study was made to determine whether measurememnts of sperma- tozoa of some members of the family Icteridae (Blackbirds) could be used in a statistical analysis in distinguishing these species and sub- species from one another. The twelve Icterids studied were Sturnella neglecta confluenta, Sturnella magna argutula, Quiscalus quiscula versicolor, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Icterus parisorum, I. bullockii bullockii, I. spurius, Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus, A. p. mearnsi, A. p. nevadensis,, A. p. floridanus, and Cassidix mexicanus major. The sperm cells could not be distinguished to species level by simple microscopic observations because they were so similar in apparance. Measurements of the sperm head, acrosome, nucleus, mid-piece, principal piece, end-piece, and total length of sperm were made. The date were analyzed by the One-Way analysis of variance and the Scheffe test of the comparison of measurement means by pairs. These tests provide criteria for distinguishing between most of the twelve blackbird forms studied. There are few studies of the morphology of avian spermatozoa, and they are widely scattered in the literature. Wilson (3) suggested that avian species may be distinguished from one another by sperm characteristics. McFarlane (2) clearly demonstrated that the orders of bi ds could be separated on the basis of sperm anatomy. He made a general study of the gross morphology of the sperm of a wide sample of forms representing many orders, families, genera, and species.
    [Show full text]
  • Lagoon Flyer
    BUENA VISTA AUDUBON SOCIETY LAGOON FLYER VOLUME 47 / NUMBER 8 / OCTOBER 2018 Tricolored Blackbirds: A Desperate Tale With a Hopeful Ending Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. It was downhill from there. Glossy black with epaulets of red and white, the Tricolored Blackbird once abounded. In the 19th century, one author stated they were “the most abundant species in San Diego and Los Angeles counEes.” EsEmates set some colonies at more than a million birds. Since then, though, the populaEon has declined conEnuously and precipitously. In the last decade alone, the Tricolored Blackbird populaEon has decreased by more than two thirds, to an all-Eme low of 145,000. What the heck is going on with these birds? The short answer is habitat loss, climate change, an abundance of predators, and a lack of protecEon. But aNer a decade of effort by conservaEon groups, in April 2018, the California Fish and Game Commission officially listed the Tricolored Blackbird as “threatened” under the California Endangered Species Act. Meanwhile, California Audubon has collaborated with an alliance of farmers, researchers, governmental agencies, and conservaEon organizaEons to implement an acEon plan to reach a goal of 750,000 birds. October’s speaker, Dr. Rosamonde Cook, has been at the center of this story since 2004. From Central to Southern California, she has conducted populaEon research and worked closely with efforts to stage the comeback of this once-common species. It’s a complex tale and no one is be\er able to shed light on the Tricolored Blackbird’s perilous journey. Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Social: 6:30 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • The Phylogenetic Relationships and Generic Limits of Finches
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62 (2012) 581–596 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev The phylogenetic relationships and generic limits of finches (Fringillidae) ⇑ Dario Zuccon a, , Robert Pryˆs-Jones b, Pamela C. Rasmussen c, Per G.P. Ericson d a Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden b Bird Group, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Akeman St., Tring, Herts HP23 6AP, UK c Department of Zoology and MSU Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA d Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden article info abstract Article history: Phylogenetic relationships among the true finches (Fringillidae) have been confounded by the recurrence Received 30 June 2011 of similar plumage patterns and use of similar feeding niches. Using a dense taxon sampling and a com- Revised 27 September 2011 bination of nuclear and mitochondrial sequences we reconstructed a well resolved and strongly sup- Accepted 3 October 2011 ported phylogenetic hypothesis for this family. We identified three well supported, subfamily level Available online 17 October 2011 clades: the Holoarctic genus Fringilla (subfamly Fringillinae), the Neotropical Euphonia and Chlorophonia (subfamily Euphoniinae), and the more widespread subfamily Carduelinae for the remaining taxa. Keywords: Although usually separated in a different
    [Show full text]
  • Notas Breves RANGE EXTENSIONS of TWO SPECIES of “RED-BREASTED” MEADOWLARKS (ICTERIDAE: STURNELLA) in COLOMBIA
    Ornitología Colombiana No2 (2004):37-40 37 Notas Breves RANGE EXTENSIONS OF TWO SPECIES OF “RED-BREASTED” MEADOWLARKS (ICTERIDAE: STURNELLA) IN COLOMBIA Ampliaciones de las distribuciones de dos especies “pechirrojas” de Sturnella (Icteridae) en Colombia Juan Carlos De Las Casas1 Departamento de Biología y Grupo de Ornitología Universidad Nacional GOUN, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. Correo Electrónico: [email protected]. F. Gary Stiles Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Apartado 7495, Bogotá. Correo Electrónico:[email protected] Ivón A. Bolívar Departamento de Biología y Grupo de Ornitología Universidad Nacional GOUN, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá Johanna I. Murillo Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Nariño, Pasto, Nariño ABSTRACT We present new distributional records of two species of “red-breasted” meadowlarks of open grasslands and pastures in Colombia. The Red-breasted Blackbird S. militaris is recorded for the rst time along the Colom- bian Amazon, where it probably arrived in the 1990’s following the establishment of cattle raising in the area. We report the Peruvian Meadowlark (S. bellicosa) for the rst time from Colombia, from the Tumaco area of Nariño, and present observations on its behavior. We also report two specimens of this species from the same area taken 35 years ago, suggesting that this range extension is not recent but has been overlooked. Key words: Colombia, distribution, meadowlarks, new records, Sturnella bellicosa, Sturnella militaris. RESUMEN Presentamos nuevos registros de distribución para dos especies “pechorrojas” del género Sturnella, aves de pastizales abiertos, en Colombia. Se informa de los primeros registros de S. militaris a lo largo del Río Amazo- nas en Colombia, donde aparentemente llegó después del establecimiento de la ganadería extensiva en la zona en la década de los 90.
    [Show full text]