AMERICAN BIRDS 1989 A sensonnljournnl devoledIo the birds of Ihe America• Published by the National Audubon Society AMERICAN BIRDS Winter 1989 ... from the editor's desk Volume 43, No. 5 N ADDITIONTO BEING THE LAST ISSUE IN VOLUME43, THISIS THE Peter A. A. Berle firstissue to reach you in thenew decade. The 1980s were, President and Publisher in general,very goodto American Birdsand consequently J.P. Myers to you, our loyal readers. We saw progress,experimentation, a Senior Vice President for growth in readership.and publication of some really solid Science and Sanctuaries information for anyone interested in birds. Susan Roney Drennan Editor-in-Chief A review of a few statistics for this past decade indicates Vice President for that we've shown healthy expansion. In 1980, we published Science Information 9s0 total pages,247 of which were devotedto regionalreports. Victoria Leidner In 1989, of our total 1394 pagespublished. 404 of them com- Managing Editor prised regional reports. Kenn Kaufman Associate Editor In 1980, there were 1320 Christmas Bird Counts involving Geoffrey S. LeBaron 32,000 participants.In the following decade,the countsthem- Christmas Bird Count Editor selvesincreased by more than 240 with increasedparticipation Ann R. Mesnikoff of more than 10,000 people. Absolutely remarkable numbers Administrative Assistant when one considersthe modest beginningsof the 25 pioneer Tyrone A. Horton birders who conducted the first Christmas Bird Counts on Circulation/BusinessManager ChristmasDay in 1900, at sites from ScotchLake, New Bruns- Harry C. LeGates, Jr. wick, to Pacific Grove, California. PublicationsBusiness Manager Chandler S. Robbins In the decadejust endedwe broughtyou more identification, Technical Editor distribution, behavior, and migration articles, a goodmany of Willet T. Van Velzen which were accompaniedby color and black-and-white illus- Editor trations.We startedsome much appreciatedcolumns like "The BreedingBird Censuses Practiced Eye", "Facts, Inferences, and ShamelessSpecula- Calvin L. Cink and Roger L. Boyd tions", and "American Birding". Our ICBP columns, covering Co-editors conservationtopics directly impacting bird populations, are WinterBird-Population Studies apparently just what birders crave. ADVISORS In this issue, we introduce you to a new column that will Carl E. Bock parade under the headline "Birding for Fun" written by Paul Mary H. Clench R. Ehrlich, co-author of The Birder's Handbook. Paul is Amer- John Farrand, Jr. Frank B. Gill ica's foremost ecologist and no one has contributed more Thomas R. Howell broadly to that scienceor explained its larger implicationsto Frances C. James the world through his writing. Fortunately for us, he discov- Kenneth C. Parkes ered early on that birding is habit-forming and, by his own Roger Tory Peterson admission, he's hooked. I invite you to read his columns for Olin Sewall Pettingill, Jr. James V. Remsen unqualifiedpleasure; the profit in knowledgeand understand- Joseph R. Siphron ing will accrue quite without effort. Alexander Sprunt, IV Glen E. Woolfenden In the 1990s, we'd like to structure American Birds so that Dale A. Zimmerman it meets the needs of our readers. Let us know what you'd like AMERICANBIRDS is publishedfive times a year. to see in these pages. Editorial and business offices are located at 950 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022 (212) 546-9191 Subscriptions,all in U.S. $: One year $27.50, Two With this issue we send the fondest best wishes for a Happy years$50. Canadaand Foreign$32.50, Libraries and New Decade from our entire staff and most of all GOOD Institutions$15., Spnng Issue (AutumnMigration), BIRDING in 1990. Summer Issue (Winter Season), Fall Issue (Spring Migration),Winter Issue (Nesting Season) all $5.00 each. Checks and money orders in U.S. $ only --Stay tuned!l! should be made payable to AMERICAN BIRDS. S.R.D. Second class postagepaid at New York, N.Y. and additionalPost Offices. Copyright¸ 1990 by The NationalAudubon Society Postmaster:Send address changesto AMERICANBIRDS, 950 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10022, ISSN 0004-7686. RETORTS, REFLECTIONS, AND THOUGHTFUL REFUTATIONS I have been following with interest adapt and become fit to any change any of our help. If they can't adapt and trepidation the articles of J.P. in environment. Take for examplethe then they will die, but if they are able Myers in recent issuesof American crypticcolorations of mothsor insects to adapt there may be a new species. Birds. that look like leaves and sticks;they At present we do not even know the I am aware that the format intended are all adaptedto escapefrom preda- probabilityof an animal beingable to to pique one's interest and also to be tors. Thus how can we be sure that adapt because we have not given a witty and informative. Alas, in my the tortoise will not devise some way sportingchance to evolution. Why not opinion the resultsare disappointing. of protectingitself from ravens?And leave our selfishnessand greed in Where does science enter the pic- how are we sure that our seabirds will trying to savethe lastjelly beans.Who ture? Surely Mr. Myers does not ad- not adapt to the so often unfortunate knows, perhaps we will end up with vocate the destruction of thousands of more. Sorry environmentalists. gulls and rovens without addressing the cause: if that is the cause, on the This is your page. To do with as Cin-Ty Lee explosion of bird numbers, i.e. the you please,We hope that you will Riverside, CA expansion of land fill dumps. Where be provoked, excited, energized, is the data? Surely he does not use and challengedby Pete Myers' col- hearsayevidence as the spur to con- umn, and we dedicate this spaceto trol. your insight, opinions, ideas, rec- I enjoyed your article "Gulls and But then is he really advocating ommendations, questions, com- what gulls eat" (Volume 43, Number control? Who knows?I am sure you plaints, challenges,and daydreams. 2). You almost got it right--up to the realize that evocative satire always in Write to Retorts, American Birds. conclusion. the end must make a clear definitive 950 Third Ave., New York, NY In the game of life, nature has the point. 10022. last laugh. Whatever happens in the Mr. Myers articles don't quite long run is natural. Most, if not all, work and in the end appear somewhat specieson earth today are doomed to oil spills in our oceans?Gulls have vacuous. extinction. Intrusion, rather than its adapted so well to our creations;they opposite, is the grand self-delusion. can often be found by the thousands Tony Lauro And favoring,for example,terns over on city dumps. Could a new species AmityviIIe, NY gulls is an aestheticdecision not an arise out of all our creations? ethical one. We do not condemn ants for being An example from my own experi- I enjoyedreading J. P. Myers's col- so sophisticatedthat they can build ence: Some years ago some enthusi- umn regardingthe extent to which we such magnificent underground struc- astswanted to bring the PeregrineFal- interfere with the processof nature. tures, sowhy shouldour technological con back to the SusquehannaValley He chosean excellent example which achievements be restricted in certain and, with great enterpriseand expec- is the present dilemma that exists be- areas?It is becauseof technologythat tations, attempted to raise some tween the desert tortoise and the raven we are still living here today. I cannot youngatop an old bridgepiling out in in the Mojave desertof southern Cal- think of many people,even naturelov- the middle of the fiver where,presum- ifornia. ers, who can survive out in the wil- ably, they would be safe. Unfortu- To save the tortoises, particularly dernesswithout any essential items. nately, for the birds and their attend- babies, ravens must be controlled or, Nature meant for ants to build cities, ants, the young were picked off by in other words, killed. Is it becauseof raise aphids, and become kings of the Great Horned Owls. The cries of out- beauty or awe that we want the tor- insect world, and similarly, nature rage were loud and fierce, and de- toise or any other endangeredspecies also meant for us to become kings of mands were made for the annihilation to live? Whatever the reason, above the animal kindgom and createthings of the owls. It seemed to me that the all, we just want to seeit in its natural that were once beyond any creatures owls have survived where the falcons habitat, or perhapswe are waiting for imagination. couldn't and have just as much a pioneeringscientist to discoversome When we interfere with nature's "right" there as any other species.It valuable medical use for the tortoise. process,we are in fact destroyingthe was just that some people preferred Plain selfishness,I say. If the tor- process of evolution (that's how we peregrinesto Great Horned Owls. I toise was meant to die, let it die. That got here, remember!).I am not in the am neutral on that one. is the way nature is supposedto go. least bit suggestingthat we carelessly I find that I try to annihilate dan- We would not even be here if some build cities all over our existing natu- delions(a pretty flower) and cultivate crazy maniac from outer space kept ral lands (I wouldn't even think of roses, but I realize that that is just the dinosaurs alive. that!). What I am trying to say is that prejudiceon my part and part of me Charles Darwin with his extraordi- we should, at least once in a while, nary ideas,wrote that in order for an allow the animals and plants of this organismto surviveit must be able to world evolve by themselveswithout Continuedon page 1382 1248 American Birds, Winter 1989 A good case can be made for the natural occurrence of Eurasian Siskins in North America, but femalescan easily be c fused with Pine Siskins # Eurasian Siskins in North America- , istinguishingfemales from green-morphPine Siskins lan A.