NOU Spring Field Days and Annual Meeting, Kimball, May 20–22, 2016

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists\u27 Union was held at the Kimball Event Center on May 20–22, 2016, and was organized by Robin Harding and Betty Grenon. Although it was a long drive for most, 75 birders attended, including guests from Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. On Friday evening, President Dan Leger presented a Michael Forsberg photograph of Burrowing Owls to Betty Grenon in appreciation for her many years of service as Treasurer. The evening program continued with a presentation by Angela Dwyer and Larry Snyder of the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. The Bird Conservancy and Nebraska Prairie Partners are responsible for implementing the Mountain Plover nest protection program. They began counting Mountain Plovers in 2001 and later created a nest incentive program with modest payments to landowners who are willing to have plover nests in their agricultural fields marked with stakes to prevent tillage of that area of the field. Approximately 5% of the total population of 12,500 Mountain Plovers nests in Nebraska and the species is listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The birds often construct two nest scrapes. The female lays a clutch of eggs in one, leaves the male to incubate that one, and then goes on to lay another clutch in the second scrape, which she then incubates. Field trips on Saturday and Sunday morning were led by Kathy DeLara, Bill Flack, Dave Heidt, Wayne Mollhoff, and Don and Janis Paseka. Destinations included Gotte Park in Kimball, Oliver Reservoir, Bushnell, I-80 Exit 1, the Pine Bluffs area in Wyoming, Mountain Plover nests south of Kimball, Golden Eagle nest south of Potter, Hackberry Canyon, Pumpkin Creek, Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, Scottsbluff sewage lagoons, and Wright\u27s Gap Road. Total species count for the weekend meeting was 156

(Micro)evolutionary changes and the evolutionary potential of bird migration

Seasonal migration is the yearly long-distance movement of individuals between their breeding and wintering grounds. Individuals from nearly every animal group exhibit this behavior, but probably the most iconic migration is carried out by birds, from the classic V-shape formation of geese on migration to the amazing nonstop long-distance flights undertaken by Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea. In this chapter, we discuss how seasonal migration has shaped the field of evolution. First, this behavior is known to turn on and off quite rapidly, but controversy remains concerning where this behavior first evolved geographically and whether the ancestral state was sedentary or migratory (Fig. 7.1d, e). We review recent work using new analytical techniques to provide insight into this topic. Second, it is widely accepted that there is a large genetic basis to this trait, especially in groups like songbirds that migrate alone and at night precluding any opportunity for learning. Key hypotheses on this topic include shared genetic variation used by different populations to migrate and only few genes being involved in its control. We summarize recent work using new techniques for both phenotype and genotype characterization to evaluate and challenge these hypotheses. Finally, one topic that has received less attention is the role these differences in migratory phenotype could play in the process of speciation. Specifically, many populations breed next to one another but take drastically different routes on migration (Fig. 7.2). This difference could play an important role in reducing gene flow between populations, but our inability to track most birds on migration has so far precluded evaluations of this hypothesis. The advent of new tracking techniques means we can track many more birds with increasing accuracy on migration, and this work has provided important insight into migration's role in speciation that we will review here

Lincoln County, Nebraska, May 13, 1995, Bird Count

Nine members of the Tout Bird Club counted 99 species between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM. The day was sunny with gusts of west wind up to 50 miles per hour, and the temperature ranged from 40-50° F. The participants were Esther and Harold cunningham, Marie Eavens, Greg Hoover, Pat McEvoy, Nancy and Virgil Norton, and Wilma and Howard Wyman. The list of species reported by Wilma is as follows: pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, American white Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Swainson\u27s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Ring-necked Pheasant, Sharptailed Grouse, wild Turkey, American Coot, Killdeer, American Avocet, Greater Yellowlegs, Upland Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Wilson\u27s Phalarope, Ring-billed Gull, Common Tern, Black Tern, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Eastern Screech-Owl, Long-eared Owl, Chimney swift, Red-headed Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Purple Martin, Blue Jay, Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Townsend\u27s Solitaire, Swainson\u27s Thrush, American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Loggerhead shrike, European Starling, Warbling vireo, Tennessee Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Rufous-sided Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Whitecrowned Sparrow, Harris\u27 Sparrow, Bobolink, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Northern Oriole, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Fall Field Report, August–November 2015

To start, a housekeeping item: in the species accounts that follow, whenever I use the term migrant I am referring to fall migration only. Many species, of course, have differing migration strategies and timing in spring and fall. Much of the data used in this report relating to western and Pine Ridge passerines comes from the outstanding banding efforts by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (formerly Rocky Mountains Bird Observatory) at Chadron State Park (CSP) and Wildcat Hills Nature Center (WHNC) in Scotts Bluff Co. This year’s operators were Josh Lefever and Holly Garrod. Related to the Chadron State Park station, Andrew Pierson made this interesting observation: “I was closely involved with the CSP banding station for all of the years prior to the fires (and the first year after when it was temporarily moved down to the pond area) and it was never a very successful operation. It was always way behind the Wildcat Hills site in terms of numbers and diversity. Now, it seems there are single days when they catch a former season’s worth of birds. Is this directly attributable to the fires and subsequent regeneration of new habitat type and/or quality?” This fall and the previous two falls have been noteworthy for the large number of final sighting dates for many species that are pushing against those species’ latest expected dates. This phenomenon is across the board, both in waterbirds like Blue-winged Teal, Whooping Crane, Willet, and Common Tern, as well as passerines, such as Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (see species account for further discussion), Plumbeous Vireo, Summer Tanager, at least 5 species of sparrows, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Lazuli and Indigo Buntings. Conversely, a few winter visitors showed up early, such as “Oregon” and “Pink-sided” Juncos. Surprisingly large numbers of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Philadelphia Vireos appeared, as in previous fall seasons, but unexpected were influxes of Palm Warblers, usually rare in fall, and Black-throated Green Warblers. Each season has its share of noteworthy happenings; this fall , check out the accounts for Osprey, which bred successfully for the first time in Nebraska, Black Rail, a mystery to hopefully be solved next June, a northeasterly nesting of Barn Owl, double-brooded American Kestrel, a tally of 266 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds passing through a Lincoln yard, and two very tardy Baltimore Orioles in Omaha. Rarities this fall were few, but headed by 4th state records of both Black-headed Gull and Black-chinned Hummingbird, the latter, oddly, in far eastern Nebraska. Reports of Cave Swallow and the western subspecies of Nashville Warbler caused struggles with identification criteria, and the presence in the state of the western form of Orange-crowned Warbler was confirmed by the Pine Ridge banding stations mentioned earlier. An update to my note in last year’s Fall Seasonal Report: at that time I mentioned that 18% of the reports I used came from eBird-only contributors. A recheck for this report shows that figure now to be 52%, obviously a significant increase in only one year. I do believe that at some point eBird will largely supersede state and local online groups like NEBirds as the repository and source for Nebraska records as long as the trend of increasing use of eBird continues. However, I believe there still is a need for analysis and comment on the data available, which is probably best done through a Seasonal Report such as this. Finally, some of you may be wondering what my guideline is for including any given species in these accounts, as some do appear some seasons but not in others. I include ALL species that are regular in occurrence for the season at hand; no Northern Shrikes in the Summer Report, for example. I include these regular species whether reported (eBird, NEBIRDS, or personally) or not, as the absence of a regular species is noteworthy. I also include any casual or accidental species that are reported. I believe it is not noteworthy if an unexpected species does not show, so not all casual/accidental species are included in any given season. Thus a casual species such as Gyrfalcon may be reported in one Winter Report but not the next

Tout Bird Club May 14, 1994 Count for Lincoln County, NE

Eight observers (F. Clough, H. and E. Cunningham, G. Hoover, Pat McEvoy, S. Reney, and H. and W. Wyman) obtained a total of 92 species (numbers of individuals not given) between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The day was cloudy and misty at first but sunny later. The list of species for Lincoln County is as follows: Eared Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Turkey Vulture, Swainson\u27s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Ringnecked Pheasant, Wild Turkey, American Coot, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, American Avocet, Solitary Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Semipalmated sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Dowitcher sp., Wilson\u27s Phalarope, Black Tern, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Chimney Swift, Belted KIngfisher, Redheaded Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson\u27s Thrush, American Robin, Gray catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwing, Loggerhead Shrike, European Starling, Warbling Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern cardinal, Lazuli Bunting, Rufous-sided Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Meadowlark sp., Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer\u27s Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Northern Oriole, House Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow

Citizen science reveals complex changes in barn swallow phenology in South Africa over three decades

Palearctic migrants, including barn swallows Hirundo rustica, responded to climate change in Europe from the mid to late 1900s with phenological changes, mostly showing earlier arrival and start of breeding. During this period, barn swallows in the Palearctic exhibited variable patterns of change in the timing of their arrival, breeding and departure from the breeding grounds. At the South African non-breeding grounds, the timing of migration shifted between the 1980s and 2000s, again with geographic variability. To explain these changes further, I examined geographic and temporal variability in the timing of flight feather ('primary') moult, and trends in body weight, in barn swallows ringed in South Africa between 1986 and 2012. Citizen science bird ringing, started in South Africa in 1948, generated all the data used in this project. All data were obtained from the South African Bird Ringing Unit (SAFRING)

Caltech-UCSD Birds 200

Caltech-UCSD Birds 200 (CUB-200) is a challenging image dataset annotated with 200 bird species. It was created to enable the study of subordinate categorization, which is not possible with other popular datasets that focus on basic level categories (such as PASCAL VOC, Caltech-101, etc). The images were downloaded from the website Flickr and filtered by workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Each image is annotated with a bounding box, a rough bird segmentation, and a set of attribute labels

Niche segregation among three sympatric species of swallows in southern Ontario

Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breed sympatrically in southern Ontario but it is unclear how these species differ ecologically, and their coexistence implies niche segregation. I investigated potential interspecific differences in nestling diet and post-fledging movements. Using DNA barcoding of nestling feces and stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, δ2H) of nestling feathers, I found evidence of differences in dietary sources of provisioned young. Barn Swallows showed evidence of provisioning more terrestrial-based prey, Cliff Swallows provisioned an intermediate diet, and Tree Swallows the most aquatic-based diet. To determine post-fledging movements, fledglings were tracked using automated telemetry.Cliff Swallow fledglings differed from the other two species in their post-fledging residency time at the natal site. This information may help to identify potential factors contributing to differential declines operating on the breeding grounds

Are owl pellets good estimators of prey abundance?

Some ecologists have been skeptics about the use of owl pellets to estimate small mammal's fauna. This is due to the assumptions required by this method: (a) that owls hunt at random, and (b) that pellets represent a random sample from the environment. We performed statistical analysis to test these assumptions and to assess the effectiveness of Barn owl pellets as a useful estimator of field abundances of its preys. We used samples collected in the arid Extra-Andean Patagonia along an altitudinal environmental gradient from lower Monte ecoregion to upper Patagonian steppe ecoregion, with a mid-elevation ecotone. To test if owls hunt at random, we estimated expected pellet frequency by creating a distribution of random pellets, which we compared with data using a simulated chi-square. To test if pellets represent a random sample from the environment, differences between ecoregions were evaluated by PERMANOVAs with Bray–Curtis dissimilarities. We did not find evidence that owls foraged non-randomly. Therefore, we can assume that the proportions of the small mammal's species in the diet are representative of the proportions of the species in their communities. Only Monte is different from other ecoregions. The ecotone samples are grouped with those of Patagonian steppes. There are no real differences between localities in the small mammal's abundances in each of these ecoregions and/or Barn owl pellets cannot detect patterns at a smaller spatial scale. Therefore, we have no evidence to invalidate the use of owl pellets at an ecoregional scale.Fil: Andrade, Analia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Menezes, Jorge Fernando Saraiva de. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Monjeau, Jorge Adrian. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Fundación Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin