THE KINGBIRD (ISSN 0023-1606), published quarterly (March, June, September, December), is a publication of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., which has been organized to further the study of bird life and to disseminate knowledge thereof, to educate the public in the need for conserving natural resources, and to document the ornithology of the State and maintain the official Checklist of the Birds of New York State. Please note our official website address http://nybirds.org Memberships are available in the following annual categories: Individual $22, Family $25, Supporting $30, Contributing $50, The Kingbird Club $1 00, Student $12. Add $8 to all categories for addresses other than U.S. Life Membership is $900. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP should be sent to: Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, PO Box 95, Durhamville, NY 13054. INSTITUTIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE KINGBIRD are $25 to US addresses, $33 to all others, annually on a calendar year basis only. SINGLE COPIES, REPLACEMENT COPIES, or BACK NUMBERS, ($5.00 each) to: Tim Baird, 242 E. State St., Salamanca, NY 14779 with checks made payable to FNYSBC. All amounts stated above are payable in US fhds only. 01999 Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. All rights reserved. Postmaster: send address changes to: THE KZNGBIRD, P.O. Box 95, Durhamville, NY 13054 FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC. 2003-2004 Officers President Kevin J. McGowan, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 Vice-president Andrew Mason, 1039 Peck St., Jcffcrson, NY 12093 Corresponding Secretary Timothy H. Baird, 242 E. State St., Salamanca, NY 14779 Recording Secretary Brenda Best, 5627 Irish Ridge Rd., Durhamville, NY 13054-4 112 Treasurer William B. Reeves, 19 Brian Lane, East Northport, NY 11 73 1-3810 Directors (Term Expiration Dates) Barbara Butler 2004 Berna B. Lincoln 2005 Gail Kirch 2004 Robert Miller 2005 Robert G. Spahn 2004 William Ostrander 2005 continued on inside back cover KZNGBZRD PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS. INC. Volume 53 No. 4 December 2003 pgs. 277 - 380 CONTENTS Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. to Become New York State Ornithological Association, Inc. - Stanley R. Lincoln .............. 278 The Report of The New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) for 2001.. ..................................... 280 New York's First Record of Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis.frrlva) Hugh McGuinness ........................................ 307 The Status and Ecology of The Short-eared Owl (Asio.flarnmeus) in New York State - Kathryn J. Schneider ...................... 3 13 A Discussion of Changes Arising from The 44th Supplement to The AOU Check-List - Shaibal S. Mitra ...................... 33 1 How to Buy the Checklist of the Birds of New York State. ..............332 "The Beastie Boys and The Grasshopper Sparrows" Poem by Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr. ..........................333 Highlights of the Summer Season Guest Editor Andrew Guthrie. ............................... 334 Standard Regional Report Abbreviations and Reporting Deadlines ....... 379 Map of Reporting Regions. ..................................... 380 Editor - Ernanuel Levine Regional Reports Editor -Robert G. Spahn Cover and Artwork - Andrew C. Vallely Computer Advisor - Seymour Schif Circulation Manager - Brenda Best Regional Reports Proofreader - Berna B. Lincoln The Kingbird 2003 December; 53(4) FEDERATION OF NEW YORK STATE BIRD CLUBS, INC. TO BECOME NEW YORK STATE ORNITHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, INC. Stanley R. Lincoln PO Box 296, Somers NY 10589 At the Annual Meeting of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc. on 1 November 2003, at the Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY, the Council of Delegates approved the proposal to change the name of the organization to New York State Ornithological Association, Inc. It will continue to operate temporarily under the original name until all the legal requirements have been met. For some time there had been discussions about whether the organization would benefit from a new name that better describes what it is and does. At the 2002 Annual Meeting in Owego, the question was formally presented and discussed by the Council of Delegates. Though no decisions could be made then, there was general feeling that a name change should be pursued. During the ensuing six months, the Board of Directors asked for input from the Member Clubs on possible names, along with their preferences from a number of names under consideration. After many discussions and debates, the Board recommended the name be changed to New York State Ornithological Association, Inc., and advised the membership of the proposal. Following an open and extensive discussion of the matter at the 2003 Annual Meeting, the Council of Delegates approved the change by a vote of 69 percent; it then unanimously approved the required change to the By-Laws to reflect this decision. Some Member Clubs had negative or conflicting opinions on the wisdom of making this change, the most common objection relating to the perceived "professional" implications of the word ornithological. In considering the new name, it is helpful to turn to the purpose of the organization as stated in the By-Laws: "The purposes of this Corporation are to further the study of birds, bird life and lore; to foster, inculcate and disseminate knowledge and appreciation thereof; to preserve and protect birds and other wildlife and their environment; and to educate the public in the need for conserving natural areas and resources. To achieve these purposes, the Corporation shall be empowered to conduct educational programs; publish and distribute documents and other printed matter; cooperate with governmental agencies and other educational and charitable organizations with similar objectives; and to document the ornithology of the state, and maintain the official Checklist of the Birds of New York State." The primary reason for making the change is to better describe what the organization is and what it does. It is also intended to send a clearer message that membership is open to all who have an interest, individuals as well as clubs, and by so doing to potentially attract a wider membership to support expanded and improved operations. 278 The Kingbird 2003 December; 53(4) The unique activities of the organization, all ornithological, include: Publication of The Kingbird, New York's journal of ornithology, now in its 53rd year of uninterrupted quarterly publication. Appointment, direction and sanction of the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC), which evaluates ornithological records. Publication of the official Checklist of Birds of New York State, based on NY SARC decisions. A formidable history of initiating, and with others as necessary, coordinating the preparation and publication of books documenting the ornithology of the state. These include: Birds of New York by J. Bull (1 974) The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State edited by R. Andrle and J. Carroll (1988) Bulls S Birds of New York State edited by E. Levine (1998) The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State, a major update underway and planned for publication in about 2006. While not a reason itself for the choice of name, it is certainly noteworthy that there are at least 35 other states with bird-related organizations having missions and programs similar to ours here in New York and 27 of them have names which include "ornithological" or variations thereof. Examples include: Connecticut Ornithological Association and Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. Perhaps also of interest here is that two of our Charter Member Clubs, both being continuous in their membership and support, are the Buffalo Ornithological Society and the Genesee Ornithological Society. Those two groups jointly hosted the first organizing meeting, and the Genesee Ornithological Society was the host of the first formal Annual Meeting at the Rochester Museum of Arts and Science in 1948. For a history of the formation of the organization and its first 50 years of operations and activities, readers are referred to the Golden Anniversary Issue of The Kingbird, Vol. 48, Supplement 1, September 1988, by S. Lincoln. It is important to point out that this name change is not intended to, and does not, in any way change the purposes, activities or structure of the organization. The 52 Member Clubs continue to be, through their appointments to the Council of Delegates, the voting body of the newly named New York State Ornithological Association. And birding activities by the state's birders continue to be recognized and encouraged as the indispensable basis and support of the mission of the association. The Kingbird 2003 December; 53(4) REPORT OF THE NYSARC COMMIITEE FOR 2001 Over the past year, the New York State Avian Records Committee (hereafter NYSARC or the Committee) deliberated on a total of 177 reports covering 93 separate species, an all-time high for the Committee. The reports involved 78 separate sightings from 2001, an additional 16 reports from previous years, 9 second-round and 6 third-round reviews from 2000, and one second round from 1996. The increase in contributions is gratifying and marks a steady upward trend in reporting. Ultimately this means that the birding community is working together to create a more comprehensive account of the New York State avifauna. Part of the increase reflects the growing use of the Internet as a means to exchange birding information. The Committee has made good use of this new medium to (i) highlight the reporting procedure, (ii) provide a simple mechanism for submitting written reports and other forms of documentation and (iii) remind birders of the species requiring review that have been reported across the state. Written descriptions and photographs were provided by 100 separate observers, and one or more sightings were reported from 30 out of the 62 counties in the state. Counties with the most reports were Suffolk (24 ), Nassau (22) and Oswego (18), a notable shift from the previous few years.