Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1956-06-01 Birds of the Brigham Young University campus Barid Baran Mukherjee Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Mukherjee, Barid Baran, "Birds of the Brigham Young University campus" (1956). Theses and Dissertations. 7832. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7832 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. BIRDS 01'~ THE BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY CAMPUS A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Z,oology and Entomology Brigham Young University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of iV[ast.er of Science by Barid Baran Mukherjee June 1956 ACKNOV,·LEDGEMENTS The completion of this thesis, to a large extent, was possible because of the aid and assistance of several persons, and the writer here wishes to acknowledge very gratefully their contribution and expresses his deep appreciation to each one of them. The writer finds it difficult to express in words his sincere gratitude a-nd deep appreciation to Dr. C. Lynn Hayward, his Committee Chairman, who spent much of his precious time in helping and guiding this work, and without whose constant encouragement and assistance it would have been impossible for the writer to carry on and complete this study. Appreciation is especially extended to Dr. Lawrence Morris, the writer's committee member, who helped him immeasurably with con- stant encouragement. The author is indebted to Dr. Vas co M. Tanner, the Chairman of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, Brigham Young University, for the many helps and suggestions which he received during this study and for making available his library to complete this problem . .Appreciation is given to Dr. D. Elden Beck, Dr. A. Lester .Allen, and other members of the Zoology Department, who in various ways helped the writer during this study. The writer is also grateful to Dr. Bertrand~~. Harrison, Dr. Howard C. Stutz, Dr. Earl M. Christensen iii of the Botany Department, and Professor Ernest .F. Reimschiissel of the Horticulture Department for helping him in identifying the trees and shrubs of the study area. Finally, the writer wishes to thank Mr. Carr Greer, Campus Engineer, who helped him to prepare the map of the campus, and Mr. Travis Haws, the writer's very close friend and fellow graduate student, who constantly helped him in various ways to complete this study. iv T1U3LI...; OE' CONTENTS Page Li st of Tables . vi List of ll lustrations vii Introduction . 1 Description of the Study Area . 2 ?rocedure and Methods Evaluation of Data . • 15 Check list of Campus Birds . Summary • 47 Bibliography 49 V LIST OF TABLES Table Page I Common Trees of the Brigham Young University Campus . 6 ll Common Shrubs of the Brigham Young University Campus • . • • . 7 Ill a Weather Data of Census Days 13 Illb Weekly Weather Data ..... 14 IV Relative Abundance of Different Species Found on the Campus . • • . • • • • • 20, 21 V Nesting Data • • • 23 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Aerial Photograph of the Study Area . • . • • . • 4 2 Outline Map of the Study Area Showing Distribution of Species . 10 3 Distribution of Species by Month and Their Relative Abundance . • • . • • • • . • • 16 4 Total Number of Species and the Number of New Arrivals by Month . • . • . • . • . • 17 5 Average Number per Hour by Months of Five Most Common Species . • . • • . • • • . • • • 17 6 Representative Habitats of the Campus . • 24. 25 vii INTRODUCTION Ornithologists are generally interested in studying the bird life of a limited area, in different seasons, due to the fact that it gives so much information regarding the distribution, seasonal variation, food, and nesting habits of different species. Although much work has been done on the birds of Utah by many workers. very little information has been published regarding the bird life of particular areas of Utah Valley. ~Nith the idea of determining the bird population of an area of this valley, which has not been studied before, the Brigham Young University campus was chosen for investigation. Situated on a bench, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains and facing Provo City to the west and south, the campus seemed to provide an excellent habitat for many birds with its trees and bushy areas, orchards, cultivated lands, fields and lawns, canal and pond, and protection against hunting. In his study, the writer has tried to furnish some information about the bird life of this area, which includes the seasonal distribution, relative abunciance, habitat preference, and a brief account of the activ- ities of different species of birds which visit or live on the Brigham Young University campus from late summer to early spring. The author has also tried to furnish information concerning the deservability of this study area as a bird habitat. l 2 Previous Literature Regarding previously published work in this field, Hayward (1935) has studied the winter bird population in Bear Lake (Idaho), and has compared that with Utah Lake valleys. He (l948) has also studied the winter bird population of the V1,asatch Chaparral. Besides these two pub- lished works, the passerine birds, wintering at Utah Lake, have been studied recently by Murphy (1951). The food habits of English sparrows in central Utah and the food habits of the birds of Utah have also been studied respectively by Liddle (1936) and Frost (1947). Of course, the last two works are not quite applicable to the present area of study. Description of the Study Area The Brigham Young University Campus chosen for this investi- gation is a relatively small area on the northeastern side of the city of Provo, in the east central part of Utah Valley. According to Cottam (1926), "Utah Valley, with its average elevation of 4, 500 feet, occupies about 560 square miles in the north central part of the state of Utah. It lies in the eastern limits of the Great Basin immediately northeast of the intersec- tion of the 40th parallel with the ll2 meridian, and comprises the political division of the state known as Utah County. The valley, which is approx- imately 38 miles long and 15 miles wide, is separated from Salt Lake Valley on the north of Traverse Mountain, and is limited on the south by a group of low hills which form a spur to the East Tintic Mountains near Mount Nebo. :F'lanking the valiey on the west is Lake Mountain which 3 slopes rather gradually from the western shores of Utah Lake to a height of 3, .JuO feet above them. This m.ountain extends in a north-south direc- tion for 15 miles and is connected by low hills, with the east Tintic Moun- tains on the south and the Oquirrh slopes of Utah Valley suddenly termin- ated by the magnificent and picturesque Wasatch Mountains, which rise above the valley floor from heights of 5, uOufeet to more than 7,000 feet, Mt. Timpanogos, with its elevation of 12, 000 feet, overlooks the valley from the northeast and is the northern member of a huge 1nountain cres- cent that skirts Utah Valley on the east. 11 The study area which includes the Brigham Young University campus only, is situated at an elevation of approximately 4, 600 feet, at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains which form the dominant topographical feature of this region. The whole campus can be divided into two levels. The upper level is situated on the Provo bench which was formed by deposits laid down by the Provo River and other mountain streams issuing into ancient Lake Bonneville. The other level is situated about forty feet lower in elevation at the base of this alluvial deposit. The total area of the campus where this study was made is 201 acres, excluding the lower campus which is not adjacent to this area and which was not included in this study. About two-thirds of this area is covered by buildings and lawns. The south, west. and north sides are bordered with roads. Between the upper and lower flats there is a canal, Fig . 1 Aerial P ho to g rap h of t he Stud y Ar ea 5 about eight to ten feet wide and three to four feet deep, running from the northwestern corner, turning tov,ards the south and then to the east . .An important type of vegetation on both sides of this canal is composed of different kinds of trees, n1ixed with shrubs which form dense undergrowth in certain places. Besides this vegetation area, there are two orchards, :mostly of pear trees, one on the north central and the other on the north•weste:rn corner of the carnpus. There are also trees scatter- ed throughout the campus. The open spaces between the buildings are mostly lawns, with a few flower gardens and clumps of shrubs. .Recently- planted saplings are located on the sides of the foot paths. There are also a .few plots of fallow lands near the orchard, on the north side of the cam- pus. Wheat is grown on some of these fields. vVater is always available on the ca:rnpus, and the lawns, fields, and orchards are irrigated very often throughout the sun1mer. The irri- gation canal which passes through the campus furnishes a nearly constant supply of water for birds. There is also a small pond and a marshy area on the southern border of the carripus. Natural food is abundantly available for the birds of the campus.