Radar And Visual Observations Of Autumnal (Southward) Shorebird Migration On Guam

Several species of shorebirds migrate between eastern Asia and the southern Pacific islands, Australia, and New Zealand. Observations made from Guam (13°25′N, 144°45′E) during autumn 1983 indicate that a significant number of birds take a direct route over the western Pacific Ocean. Radar observations and ground counts of migrants on Guam showed two periods of autumnal migratory activity. The first, largely adult birds, was in August and September. The second, largely juveniles, was in late September and October. Radar indicated that large numbers of birds passed over the island to the south with no evidence of compensation for drift by the easterly winds. Comparison of radar and ground observations on Guam showed that only a small subset of migrants stop on the island, suggesting that some species may make nonstop flights between eastern Asia and the South Pacific

Neotropical Bird Migration During The Ice Ages: Orientation And Ecology

Reconstruction of breeding habitat of North American Neotropical migrants 18,000 years ago and 9,000 years ago indicated major shifts in both location and composition of plant communities relative to present conditions. Increased vegetation in xeric areas may have compensated, at least in part, for the reduction in breeding habitat due to glaciation. Autumnal flights of Neotropical passerine migrants flying on constant headings from North America to Central and South America were simulated under present wind conditions and for winds during periods of glaciation at 18,000 and 9,000 years ago. The 155 degrees average headings currently observed for Atlantic migrants were found to function well during periods of glaciation and may have been more generally useful during those times than at present

Bird Migration Through A Mountain Pass Studied With High Resolution Radar, Ceilometers, And Census

Autumnal migration was studied with high-resolution radar, ceilometer, and daily census in the area of Franconia Notch, a major pass in the northern Appalachian Mountains. Under synoptic conditions favorable for migration, broadfront movements of migrants toward the south passed over the mountains, often above a temperature inversion. Birds at lower elevations appeared to be influenced by local topography. Birds moving southwest were concentrated along the face of the mountain range. Birds appeared to deviate their flights to follow local topography through the pass. Specific migratory behavior was not associated with species or species groups. Under synoptic conditions unfavorable for southward migration, multimodal movements probably associated with local flights were as dense as the southward migrations described above. Avian migrants reacting to local terrain may result in concentrations of migrants over ridge summits or other topographic features

Radiotelemetry Of Heart Rates From Free-Ranging Gulls

A lightweight radiotelemetry system with a range of 80 km was used to monitor heart rate from free-ranging Herring Gulls on flights of up to 20 km. Heart rate varied from 130 beats/min in a resting bird to 625 beats/min for sustained flight. Soaring birds showed rates similar to those of birds sitting quietly on the ground. Simultaneous records of telemetered heart rate and intraspecific conflict on the nesting island revealed that cardiac acceleration preceded overt visual communication. Intensely aggressive behavior was accompanied by heart rates approaching those of sustained flight. Heart rate as a measure of metabolic cost indicates that the gull\u27s behavioral adaptations for long-distance flight, food location and intraspecific communication result in major energy savings

Review Of A Field Guide To The Birds Of Cuba By O. H. Garrido

Garrido and Kirkconnell (curators, National Museum of Natural History of Cuba) offer the first field guide devoted solely to the birds of Cuba. Written and illustrated by Cuban nationals, it is a significant contribution to ornithology within that country. Although presented as a field guide, the book is more like an avifauna handbook such as the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (v. 1, CH, Feb\u2792; v. 2, CH, Dec\u2794; v. 3, CH, Jan\u2797). The book begins with a description of the paleontology, ecology, and avian conservation problems of the island. Species accounts follow with not only detailed distribution of the species on the island but habitat, voice, and food of each bird. There are 51 excellent plates showing all but two of the 354 species on the island. Distribution maps are large and clear. The book should be included in any library with an interest in the birds of the New World tropics either for travel or research. The English translation from the Spanish is excellent and nontechnical; there is an index to species names (Spanish, English, and scientific). Suitable for all levels of readers

Review Of Orangutans: Wizards Of The Rain Forest By A. E. Russen

A fascinating firsthand account of the behavior and intelligence of orangutans, Russon\u27s book is also an account of the successes, failures, and politics of orangutan rehabilitation in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Although Russon is a primatologist, this is a personal, not a scholarly book. Like Jane Goodall\u27s autobiographical writings on her work with chimpanzees, it illustrates the behavior of apes by anecdote rather than by data or analysis. The work overviews what is known about orangutans, followed by a history of the author\u27s experiences at Camp Leakey, the orangutan rehabilitation center directed by Birute Galdikas. Russon soon finds herself embroiled in the problems of rehabilitating these apes, the behavior of animals raised by humans, and the economic forces that lead to the destruction of their habitat, which produces the orphaned orangutans in need of help. The book is lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs by the author on almost every page. There are no citations, but the bibliography contains four to ten references for each chapter. Minimal index. The book is superbly produced and will be an important addition to most libraries. All levels