volume 11, 2001 british columbia birds page 1volume 11, 2001 british columbia birds page 5 spring...

Volume 11, 2001 British Columbia Birds Page 1

CONTENTS

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

SPRING WATER BIRD MIGRATION AT ALKALI LAKEAndrew C. Stewart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

BOOK REVIEWS:

THE FEEDERWATCHER'S GUIDE TO BIRD FEEDING, by Margaret A. Barker and Jack GriggsReviewed by Prue Spitmann ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

THE BIRDER'S GUIDE TO VANCOUVER AND THE LOWER MAINLAND, edited by Catherine J. AitchisonReviewed by Kenneth G. Wright -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------- 22

THE MARBLED MURRELETS OF THE CAREN RANGE AND MIDDLEPOINT BIGHT, by Paul H. JonesReviewed by Martin K. McNichol! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23

NATURESCAPE ALBERTA [:] CREATING AND CARING FOR WILDLIFE AT HOME,by Myrna Pearman and Ted PikeReviewed by 1. Laurie Rockwell ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

THE GREAT BLUE HERON, by Robert W. ButlerReviewed by Bryan R. Gates --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26

THE ECOLOGY, STATUS, AND CONSERVATION OF MARINE AND SHORELINE BIRDS OF THEQUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS, edited by Kees Vermeer and Ken H. MorganReviewed by Alan E. Burger ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND EDITOR'S COMMENTS ----------------------------------------------------------30

AMERICAN KESTREL (FALCO SPARVERIUS) APPARENTLY ATTEMPTING TO CATCH SMALL FISHBrian G. Self ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

INCREASED BROAD-WINGED HAWKS IN COASTAL BRITISH COLUMBIADavid Stirling ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13

SECOND CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER MELANERPESERYTHROCEPHALUS IN BRITISH COLUMBIARenee J. Franken and Cameron S. Gillies ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 17


SPRING WATER BIRD MIGRATION AT ALKALI LAKE

Andrew C. Stewart 3932 Telegraph Bay Road Victoria, B.C. V8N 4H7

Abstract -- Water bird surveys were conducted weekly at Alkali Lake during the spring of 1991. Thirty species were encountered between 10 March and 16 June, six of which made up 81% of observations. These most common species were American Wigeon, Canada Goose, American Coot, Mallard, Lesser Scaup and Northern Pintail. Eight species were recorded on this lake during a period in which they are normally absent, scarce or uncommon in the Cariboo region. Peak migration occurred between 23 March and 27 April 1991. The highest numbers and greatest species diversity coincided on the 23 April survey. These results suggest that Alkali Lake is an important staging area in the Cariboo during spring migration and is one of the first areas of open water used by migrant water birds in this region. Key words: Alkali Lake, Reidemann Wildlife Sanctuary, spring migration, water birds. The Cariboo region, with its numerous ponds, sloughs and lakes, has the most concentrated waterfowl nesting habitat in British Columbia. Munro (1958) summarized and compared the status of waterfowl in this region between 1938 and 1958. He concluded that a decline was evident that could be attributed to human activities and encroachment. Recent studies by Savard (Butler and Savard 1985; Savard 1991) describe the distribution, abundance, spring migration and breeding chronologies of waterfowl in the Cariboo aspen parklands near Riske Creek. The high waterfowl values of Alkali Lake resulted in this water body being designated by the province of British Columbia as a wildlife sanctuary. Alkali Lake was also recommended as a high priority area in the Cariboo region for development as a wildlife viewing area (Mol 1991). Although Munro (1945) and Campbell et al. (1990a) provided limited migration and breeding information for Alkali Lake, a systematic water bird survey had not been conducted previously on this water body during the spring migration period. The purpose of this study was to measure the use of Alkali Lake by water birds during the spring migration period and to provide baseline data in support of potential development of this area for wildlife viewing. STUDY AREA Alkali Lake, located about 50 km. south of Williams Lake, is a shallow water body of about 77 ha. in area. The lake is approximately 1.6 km. long and ranges from 400 to 700 m. in width (Figure 1). It lies at an elevation of about 760 m. within the broad valley of Alkali Creek. Alkali Creek enters at the northeast end of the lake and exits at the southwest end, where it eventually drains into the Fraser River about 8 km. downstream. The lower valley of Alkali Creek, which includes Alkali Lake, is in the very dry, warm subzone (xw) of the Bunchgrass Biogeoclimatic Zone (Meidinger and Pojar 1991) within the Fraser River Basin Ecosection (Demarchi 1995). The climate of this biogeoclimatic zone is

characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters with relatively little snowfall (Nicholson et al. 1991). A narrow fringe of emergent vegetation, consisting of cattail (Typha latifolia), bulrush (Scirpus lacustris) and sedges (Carex spp.) forms the lake perimeter (Munro 1945). This marsh vegetation is most extensive at the eastern, inlet, end of the lake.

Figure 1: Alkali Lake (510 46' 32'' North, 1220 16' 14'' West) and an adjacent flooded area (crosshatching) were surveyed for water birds from 10 March through 16 June 1991. Weekly surveys were made from two observation points ⊗ located along the Dog Creek Road. The crosshatched area indicates the approx-imate area of maximum flooding recorded in 1991.

Alkali Lake, also known as Reidemann Wildlife Sanctuary, is closed to hunting, trapping and the discharge of firearms. The sanctuary encompasses the surface area of the lake to its high water mark. A small, private float-plane base is on the north shore of this lake, where aircraft as large as the DeHavilland Beaver operate during the summer. The primary land use around Alkali Lake is cattle ranching and much of the valley bottom along the lower Alkali Creek valley is irrigated for the production of forage crops. Lands surrounding the lake are owned privately (Evans 1993).

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001 METHODS Alkali Lake was surveyed for water birds on 14 occasions at approximately one week intervals between 10 March and 16 June 1991. Surveys were conducted between 07:00 and 10:00 Pacific Standard Time and generally took about one hour to complete. The census area encompassed the lake surface and adjacent flooded areas. Surveys were conducted from a vehicle positioned at two primary observation points (Figure 1) along the Dog Creek Road. Water birds were censused using a variable 20 - 45X telescope on a window mount and 7 x 35 binoculars. For the purposes of this study, water birds were defined as loons, grebes, pelicans, waterfowl (geese, swans, ducks and mergansers) and coots, but did not include waders, shorebirds, gulls, terns or marsh passerines. When conditions prevented counting (i.e. large aggregations, diving activity, etc.), numbers were estimated. Age and sex of water birds were not recorded. The amount of open water was estimated prior to ice leaving the lake. RESULTS Thirty species of migrant water birds used Alkali Lake for foraging and loafing during the 1991 spring. The highest species diversity (22 species) and highest total numbers (2,194 birds) coincided on 23 April (Table 1; Figure 2). Peak migration occurred between 23 March and 27 April.

0

5

10

15

20

25

0

5

10

15

20

25

Figure 2: Comparison between the number of birds and number of species recorded by survey date. The highest count (line) and species diversity (bar) occurred on 23 April 1991. The most abundant species, in descending order, were: American Wigeon (Anas americana), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), American Coot (Fulica americana), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) and Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) (Table 1), making up 81% of all water birds recorded on Alkali Lake during the spring of 1991. Of these species, only the Canada Goose was present throughout the census period, although Mallards, American Coots, American Wigeon and Northern Pintails were observed on nearly every

count. Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) and Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) were recorded rarely. The first spring migrants were observed on the initial 10 March survey and included Canada Goose, Northern Pintail and Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). The first migration peak, dominated by Canada Goose, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon and Mallard, occurred on 23 March (Table 1; Figure 3). A second, larger, peak occurred on 23 April and was composed primarily of American Wigeon, American Coot, Lesser Scaup and Mallard.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

10Mar

17Mar

23Mar

28Mar

10Apr

17Apr

23Apr

27Apr

08May

17May

24May

31May

05Jun

16Jun

AMWI

CAGO

MALL

NOPI

AMCO

LESC

Figure 3: Migration chronology of the six most abundant

water birds recorded at Alkali Lake during the spring of 1991.

Peak abundance for the six most common species occurred as follows: American Wigeon (23 March to 27 April), Canada Goose (17 March to 10 April), American Coot (10 to 27 April), Mallard (17 March to 23 April), Lesser Scaup (10 April to 8 May) and Northern Pintail (27 March to 10 April) (Table 1). The arrival dates for most water birds (21 of 30 species) occurred between 23 March and 17 April, and averaged five new species per survey week during that period. Early arriving species, including Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus), Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) and Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) were not recorded after 23 April. The latest arriving water birds were Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythro-rhynchos), Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) and Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), all of which appeared on or after 23 April. No new species were recorded after 24 May. On the initial survey on 10 March, open water on Alkali Lake was confined to a small area at the outlet and was estimated to be less than 3 m. in diameter. From 17 to 23 March, open water of roughly 5 m. diameter was at both the lake inlet and outlet (Figure 4). By 28 March, spring run-off had raised water levels, creating a narrow fringe of


TABLE 1

NUMBERS OF EACH WATER BIRD SPECIES BY SURVEY DATE RECORDED AT ALKALI LAKE FROM 10 MARCH TO 16 JUNE 1991

March April May June Total Species

Code 1 10 17 23 28 10 17 23 27 8 17 24 31 5 16 COLO 0 0 0 0 0 10 1 1 0 0 3 2 2 4 23 PBGR 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 HOGR 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 12 RNGR 0 0 0 0 0 20 70 20 29 28 26 24 26 38 281 EAGR 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 4 0 4 0 0 14 AWPE 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 10 11 6 31 GWFG 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 CAGO 6 500 800 680 136 50 38 2 2 9 1 3 2 5 2,234 TUSW 0 10 132 115 32 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 290 GADW 0 0 0 0 0 6 12 7 15 13 0 8 3 5 69 EUWI 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 AMWI 0 0 300 50 350 120 870 650 84 28 12 11 4 7 2,486 MALL 0 100 80 210 200 75 170 8 30 68 30 73 160 60 1,264 BWTE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 15 15 15 0 48 CITE 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 6 3 14 5 6 6 48 NOSL 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 19 20 18 10 7 10 9 104 NOPI 2 0 330 400 150 20 60 20 9 2 3 5 3 0 1,004

GWTE 0 0 30 150 0 2 40 60 43 2 0 16 6 11 360 CANV 0 0 1 9 63 35 4 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 115 REDH 0 0 0 0 6 20 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 31 RNDU 0 0 14 0 130 20 70 20 12 4 11 2 7 4 294 LESC 0 0 0 14 150 120 250 225 135 49 47 38 20 21 1,069 SUSC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 2 2 0 25 BUFF 0 0 0 11 30 60 10 19 11 4 1 0 0 0 146 BAGO 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 0 2 1 0 2 0 1 18 COGO 2 30 32 22 30 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 126 HOME 0 0 0 2 13 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 COME 0 0 0 0 20 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 RUDU 0 0 0 0 0 60 50 37 23 14 3 4 6 11 208 AMCO 0 0 10 30 250 650 520 400 80 75 27 14 13 16 2,085

Total Birds

10 640 1,729 1,696 1,562 1,312 2,194 1,500 506 325 226 246 296 207 12,449

Number of

Species

3

4

10

15

16

21

22

19

18

18

16

20

17

16

30

1AMCO = American Coot AMWI = American Wigeon AWPE = American White Pelican BAGO = Barrow’s Goldeneye BUFF = Bufflehead BWTE = Blue-winged Teal CAGO = Canada Goose CANV = Canvasback CITE = Cinnamon Teal COGO = Common Goldeneye

COLO = Common Loon COME = Common Merganser EAGR = Eared Grebe EUWI = Eurasian Wigeon GADW = Gadwall GWFG = Gtr. White-fronted Goose GWTE = Green-winged Teal HOGR = Horned Grebe HOME = Hooded Merganser LESC = Lesser Scaup

MALL = Mallard NOPI = Northern Pintail NOSL = Northern Shoveler PBGR = Pied-billed Grebe REDH = Redhead RNDU = Ring-necked Duck RNGR = Red-necked Grebe RUDU = Ruddy Duck SUSC = Surf Scoter TUSW = Tundra Swan

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001 open water around the lake perimeter and flooding an adjacent field at the inlet of the lake. By 10 April, open water at the inlet and outlet had increased to about 3 ha. and 4 ha. in size respectively. The lake was open and free of ice by 17 April.

Figure 4: Small areas of open water were the focal points of

all water bird activity during the early spring of 1991 (Alkali Lake inlet, 23 March 1991).

DISCUSSION Early Migrant Observations Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis), Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal and American Coot were all observed earlier than they normally occur in the Cariboo region (Roberts and Gebauer 1992). Two Blue-winged Teal observed on 27 April were recorded one day earlier than any prior record for the Cariboo. Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), considered scarce during any time of year in this region, were observed on four occasions between 28 March and 27 April. Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata), Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca), Canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria), Redheads (Aythya americana) and Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) were all observed during the period in which they are considered uncommon in the Cariboo. Roberts and Gebauer (1992) consider the Greater White-fronted Goose to be a casual species in the Cariboo, having been observed on only five occasions previous to this survey. One of these records was of seven birds recorded on Alkali Lake on 19 May 1946 (Campbell et al. 1990a). However, the single Greater White-fronted Goose recorded on the 28 March survey was earlier than any prior record for the Cariboo. Ice Melt Chronology Lakes and streams within the Bunchgrass Biogeoclimatic Zone are among the first areas in the southern and central interior to have open water in spring (Nicholson et al. 1991) and thus are important for migrating waterfowl. Savard (1991) observed that the lakes in his study area nearest to the Bunchgrass zone

were the first to become ice-free. He also noted that waterfowl concentrated on these lakes prior to other water bodies becoming free of ice. In the spring of 1991, Alkali Lake was one of the first water bodies in the Cariboo with open water and to be used by migrant water birds (personal observation). During the initial, 10 March, survey, a small area of open water was observed near the lake outlet. On the 17 and 23 March surveys, small areas of open water were noted at both the inlet (Figure 4) and outlet of the lake. A similar melt pattern was recorded during the spring of 1977, when Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) and Common Goldeneyes were observed on 2 April in small ice-free areas at each end of Alkali Lake (Campbell et al. 1990a). During the spring of 1991, these small ice-free areas were the focus of all water bird activity and remained so until about 28 March, when the lake level rose. At that time, a fringe of open water opened around the marshy perimeter of the lake and flooded into a field at the northeast end (Figure 1) offering significantly more areas for water bird use. At that time, I noted that Canada Geese, Tundra Swans and dabbling ducks favoured these shallow flooded areas, whereas loons, grebes, diving ducks, mergansers and coots remained in the deeper, open areas of the lake. The early snow melt of the Alkali Creek valley and subsequent open water on Alkali Lake appeared to be important to spring migrants, in particular early migrants, such as Canada Goose, Tundra Swan, Mallard, Northern Pintail and Common Goldeneye. Several spring migrants, notably Mallards and Northern Pintails, are known to exploit the first areas of open water in early spring (Bellrose 1978; Butler and Savard 1985). Throughout March, Canada Geese appeared to use this lake primarily for loafing, whereas they foraged mainly on the snow-free agricultural fields that were adjacent to the lake. Timing of Spring Migration Savard (1991) found that spring migrants had usually left his study area in the Riske Creek area by mid-May, but noted that migration and breeding chronology varied among years, depending on weather and spring thaw conditions. The results of this survey indicate that most migrants also leave Alkali Lake by the mid-May period. The large numbers of Mallards recorded on 5 June (Table 1) was attributable to a pre-moult aggregation of males and was not considered to be part of the spring movement. The nearest climate station to Alkali Lake is at Winegrass Ranch, located nearby on the lower Chilcotin River. A comparison of the 1991 spring with long-term records from this station show that mean monthly temperatures were below normal for March, but near normal for April through June (Figure 5). The month of February preceding this survey was considerably milder than normal and may have initiated an early migration for some early spring migrants. However, in general these


Figure 5: Comparison of the mean monthly temperatures

(February - June) for Winegrass Ranch weather station for 1991 and the period 1973-1992.

data suggest that typical spring weather occurred in 1991. Therefore, the timing of spring migration was also presumably near normal. American White Pelican The American White Pelican, first observed on 23 April, was the only B.C. Red-listed (endangered or threatened) species recorded during these surveys (Fraser et al. 1999). The earliest spring record for Alkali Lake is 14 April 1958, when 55 pelicans were observed (Campbell et al. 1990a). Wood (1990) also reports that pelicans first arrive at this lake in mid-April, but provides no specific records or dates. Wood (1990) suggests that Alkali Lake is used as a spring stop-over point for pelicans migrating to their breeding colony on Stum Lake. This seems probable, as the lake is situated along their migration route through the southern interior and April observations coincide with the spring migration period of this species. Piscivorous Water Birds and Fish Wood (1990) has documented the importance of Alkali Lake for summer foraging of the American White Pelican. Other piscivorous water birds recorded during my 1991 survey included Common Loon (Gavia immer), Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena), Hooded Merganser and Common Merganser. The presence of all these species suggests that Alkali Lake is important for piscivorous migrants. Munro (1945) noted that "lake shiners and probably other fishes" were present in Alkali Lake. Although her surveys were not exhaustive, Wood (1990) reported Redside Shiners (Richardsonius balteatus), Lake Chubs (Couesius plumbeus) and Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) in this lake. A thorough inventory is still required to document fully the fish species community and productivity in this lake.

Other Noteworthy Species Other noteworthy species during these surveys include American Bittern (Botaurus lengitinosus), Bald Eagle, (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) and River Otter (Lontra canadensis) (Stewart 1991). Campbell et al. (1990b) describe the Black-necked Stilt as a very rare spring migrant in British Columbia. At the time of this survey the lone stilt observed on 31 May was the latest record for this species in British Columbia. On 10 April, six Bald Eagles were observed around the lake. The behaviour of these eagles, as well as the presence of "feather piles" on the ice, suggested that they were preying upon or scavenging water birds. Spring Wildlife Viewing Opportunities Mol (1991) ranked Alkali Lake as one of the highest priority areas for the development of Wildlife Viewing in the Cariboo region. She determined that the feature attraction at this readily accessible lake was the American White Pelican, which forages here from late June through July. At the time of her work very little specific water bird information was recorded for this water body, as reflected in her sparse inventory data. Evans (1993) outlined a preliminary wildlife viewing development plan and noted a variety of viewing opportunities, including such spring migrants as Tundra Swan and Canada Goose. The results of this survey demonstrate that Alkali Lake provides excellent opportunities for observing water birds. Early records suggest that this is one of the first locations in the Cariboo used by early spring migrants. Impressive numbers of water birds concentrated into small areas of open water, such as at the lake inlet, can be expected during mid- to late March. The viewing site recommended by Evans (1993) near the eastern end of the lake provides one of the best vantages for viewing spring migrants (Figure 4). Though not the most numerous, the Tundra Swan is never-the-less one of the most impressive spring migrants found on this lake. Opportunities to view regionally scarce species, such as Greater White-fronted Goose and Eurasian Wigeon, also appear to be excellent. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Herb Langin and R. W. Campbell for encouraging me to work on this study as well as Julie Stewic and Megan D'Arcy for their assistance in the field. Martin K. McNicholl, Ken H. Morgan and Jean-Pierre Savard made many helpful comments on the draft manuscript. LITERATURE CITED Bellrose, F. C. 1978. Ducks, geese and swans of North

America. Second edition, revised. Stackpole, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001 Butler, R. W. and J.-P. L. Savard. 1985. Monitoring of the

spring migration of waterbirds throughout British Columbia: a pilot study. Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region, [Delta, B.C.]

Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.

M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser and M. C. E. McNall. 1990a. The birds of British Columbia. Volume 1. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria.


M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser and M. C. E. McNall. 1990b. The birds of British Columbia. Volume 2. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria.

Demarchi, D. A. 1995. Ecoregions of British Columbia -

1:2,000,000 scale map. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Resources Inventory Branch, Victoria.

Fraser, D. F., W. L. Harper, S. G. Cannings and J. M.

Cooper. 1999. Rare birds of British Columbia. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Wildlife Branch and Resources Inventory Branch, Victoria.

Meidinger, D. and J. Pojar (Editors). 1991. Ecosystems of

British Columbia. B. C. Ministry of Forests, Research Branch, Victoria.

Munro, J. A. 1945. The birds of the Cariboo parklands,

British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Research D23:17-103.

Nicholson, A., E. Hamilton, W. L. Harper and B. M.

Wikeem. 1991. Bunchgrass zone. pages 125-137 in D. Meidinger and J. Pojar (Editors). Ecosystems of British Columbia. B.C. Ministry of Forests, Research Branch, Victoria.

Roberts, A. and M. Gebauer. 1992. Checklist of Cariboo birds. Williams Lake Field Naturalists, Williams Lake.

Savard, J.-P. L. 1991. Waterfowl in the aspen parkland of

central British Columbia. Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region Technical Report Series No. 132, Delta, B.C.

UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENTS CITED Evans, M. 1993. Wildlife viewing development plan for

the Reidemann Wildlife Sanctuary -Alkali Lake. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Fish and Wildlife, Williams Lake.

Mol, A. L. 1991. Cariboo region wildlife viewing

development plan. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Fish and Wildlife, Williams Lake.

Munro, J. A. 1958. The status of nesting waterfowl in the

Cariboo parklands, British Columbia, in 1958. Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, B. C.

Stewart, A. C. 1991. Observations of spring migrants and

other wildlife in the central Cariboo. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Fish and Wildlife, Williams Lake.

Wood, M. D. 1990. Summer foraging distribution and

habitat use of white pelicans on the Fraser Plateau, B.C. -1989 and 1990. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Fish and Wildlife, Williams Lake.


AMERICAN KESTREL (FALCO SPARVERIUS) APPARENTLY ATTEMPTING TO CATCH SMALL FISH

Brian G. Self

3082 West 13th Avenue Vancouver, B.C.

V6K 2V2 Abstract -- A female American Kestrel peered into water, hovered three times and plunged into the water four times, apparently without catching prey. Small fish were moving conspicuously in the water at the time. Key words: American Kestrel, diet, Falco sparverius, foraging, Iona Island, salt water. The diet of the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is highly varied, consisting mainly of crickets and grasshoppers when and where these are abundant, rodents in some areas, and small birds in others (Audubon 1844; Bent 1937; Sharrod 1978; Palmer 1988; Smallwood and Bird 2002). This note documents a kestrel apparently attempting to catch fish. On 16 August 1999 I was birding at the outer end of the south arm jetty on Iona Island in southwestern B.C. The jetty consists of two 4 m. diameter concrete pipes, partly sunk into gravel with a gravel road along their south side extending 4 km. out from the shoreline into Georgia Strait. I watched a female kestrel which had been frequenting the jetty for the last week, for almost two hours, from 14:15 until a little after 16:00, in good light and from only 10 to 12 m. distance. There is ample weedy growth along the length of the jetty, with many grasshoppers, likely Carolina Grasshoppers (Dissosteira carolina), and numerous other unidentified insects, so there was no shortage of food. I was standing on the viewing platform at the western tip of the jetty approximately 4 m. above the road surface, when the kestrel flew in and perched on a rock overlooking the water's edge below me. After a short time, it was apparent that something in the water had captured her interest, as she peered intently at the surface about 2 m. below her and on three occasions flew up and hovered perhaps 3 m. above it. Each time she settled back on to the same rock perch. Twice while hovering she dropped to almost touch the water surface before returning to her perch. Then to my astonishment, the bird dropped straight off the rock with wings partly unfolded to land belly deep in saltwater and immediately back out again. The bird evidently did not greatly enjoy the sensation of cold water because she spent considerable time vigorously shaking each leg in turn, and carefully drying and preening breast and belly feathers. However, this plunge into shallow water was repeated three times over the next 45 or 50 minutes and each time the leg shaking, preening ritual was carried out. Apparently, none of the immersions gained her any prey, as I could see none through scope or binoculars during the leg and foot shaking. Finally, after another prolonged period of watching the water, the bird flew off back along the jetty.

I immediately walked down to the rock on which she had been perched and also peered down into the water, which was perhaps 5 to 8 cm. deep on a rocky bottom. There were several tiny fish there, only 3 cm. long, but flashing silvery in the sunlight as they moved. This was almost certainly what had attracted the kestrel's attention. Audubon (1844) listed field mice, crickets and grasshoppers as principal prey, while Bent (1937) mentioned the diet as varying considerably according to season and locality. Palmer (1988) detailed a wide variety of prey items caught or scavenged using a variety of foraging techniques. Although most prey items documented have been terrestrial animals (Sharrod 1978; Palmer 1988; Smallwood and Bird 2002), kestrels are known to eat aquatic and semi-aquatic animals. One of Bent's correspondents described a captive female that "would touch no food except living frogs which she killed, eating only the contents of the abdominal cavity." Kestrels wintering in Florida include crayfish in their diet (Sibley 2001). The only published account of American Kestrels eating fish is that of Parkhurst and Brooks (1988), who observed a kestrel take a fingerling Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) and capture another fingerling tossed inadvertently on to grass by hatchery workers. Both of these incidents represented opportunistic seizures of prey, and foraging attempts by American Kestrels directed at fish appear not to have been documented previously. I believe that the kestrel made the attempts to catch the fish only because the movement and reflections had attracted her. Her lack of success may reflect an inability of a normally terrestrial hunting bird to focus on underwater prey, a challenge even to habitual aerial predators of fish, such as terns (Erichsen 1985). The closely related and ecologically similar Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) has been observed to attempt to catch fish at least three times (Batten 1959; Mountford 1975), only one of which was successful (Batten 1959). The presence of fish at the site of this observation suggests that the hovering and plunging by the kestrel represented attempted predation rather than bathing. No information is available on bathing in the wild by this

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001 species (Smallwood and Bird 2002), and bathing in salt water seems unlikely. Furthermore, other species, such as terns that hover and plunge-dive for food regularly do not hover above the water prior to landing on it for bathing bouts. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Mary J. Taitt and Karen L. Wiebe for their constructive comments and suggested improvements to an earlier draft of this note. Thanks must also go to Karen L. Wiebe and Joann Constantinides of the Josselyn Van Tyne Memorial Library of the Wilson Ornithological Society for supplying literature pertaining to foraging and feeding techniques. LITERATURE CITED Audubon, J. J. 1844. The birds of America. Volume 1.

Chevalier, Philadelphia (reprinted by Dover, New York, 1967).

Batten, L. A. 1959. Kestrel catching a fish. British Birds

52:314. Bent, A. C. 1937. Life histories of North American birds

of prey. Part 2. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 170. (reprinted by Dover, 1961).

Erichsen, J. T. 1985. Vision. pp. 623-629 in B. Campbell

and E. Lack (Editors). A dictionary of birds. Buteo Books, Vermillion, South Dakota.

Mountford, G. 1975. Kestrel apparently attempting to

catch goldfish. British Birds 68:157. Palmer, R. S. (Editor). 1988. Handbook of North

American birds. Volume 5. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.

Parkhurst, J. A. and R. P. Brooks. 1988. American

Kestrels eat trout fingerlings. Journal of Field Ornithology 59:286-287.

Sharrod, S. K. 1978. Diets of North American

Falconiformes. Raptor Research 12:49-121. Sibley, D. A. 2001. The Sibley guide to bird life &

behavior. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. Smallwood, J. A. and D. M. Bird. 2002. Falco sparverius

America Kestrel. No. 602 in A. Poole and F. Gill (Editors). The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia.


INCREASED BROAD-WINGED HAWKS IN COASTAL BRITISH COLUMBIA

David Stirling 3500 Salsbury Way

Victoria, B.C. V8P 3K8 Abstract -- The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a recent fall migrant on southern Vancouver Island. Sightings have increased at other hawk watch sites in western North America. Key words: Broad-winged Hawk, Buteo platypterus, fall migrant, increase, Victoria, western North America. The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a rare summer visitant to the Peace River Lowlands, casual elsewhere in the interior and probably breeds (Campbell et al. 1990). It is considered to be a recent addition to the avifauna of B.C. Nine records were cited by Campbell et al. (ibid) outside of the Peace River Lowlands, the first for B.C. being one at Okanagan Lake in May 1965. The first record for the west coast of North America was on 11 December 1966 in California. Since then, it has become a regular migrant in California (Campbell et al. 1990). There were no records from Vancouver Island until 28 September 1990 (Siddle 1991a,b), when two were observed soaring over Rocky Point. Since then, Broad-wings have been seen every year over one or more of the lookouts in the area known as Becher Bay Headlands (480 19' North, 1230 34' West) (Table 1). The skies over Becher Bay Headlands have been well documented as a marshalling area for Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) and raptors (Stirling 1988). Becher Bay Headlands, 25 km. west of Victoria, encompasses several lookouts on southern Vancouver Island, including Mount Matheson, Rocky Point, Cheanuh Overlook and sites within East Sooke Regional Park. South-bound raptors and particularly Turkey Vultures concentrate there before crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Migration has been monitored there since 1988 (Edwards and Greig 1994; Stirling 2000). One was also seen in nearby Victoria on 22 October 2002 (Cecile 2003), a probable melanistic bird was observed at Island View Beach on 22 October 1990 (Siddle 1991a), and near the opposite end of Vancouver Island, one flew over Triangle Island off Cape Scott on 3 September 1994 (Bowling 1995). The Hawk Migration Association of North America's fall 1998 Flyway Report shows that no Broad-wings were seen at the Pine Pass, B.C. (440 30' North, 1220 42' West), which would seem to be the logical route for migrants from the Peace Lowlands to the south-west coast (Sherrington 1998a). On the Alberta side of the Rocky Mountains only 20 were seen at the Lorette lookout (500 58' North, 1150 8' West), where 7,918 Golden Eagles (Aquila chryseatos) were recorded in 1998 (Sherrington 1998b), but at Windy Point (500 40' North, 1140 34' West) 734 Broad-wings, 219 on 15 September, were recorded (Smith 1998). The compiler states "Broad-wings were

observed almost daily between August 19 and September 30...the growth in numbers in the last decade has been spectacular." This count, begun in 1967, recorded its first Broad-wing in 1988, when 72 were seen (Smith 1998). On the Pacific Flyway in 1998, the only site reporting Broad-wings in Washington and Oregon was Chelan Ridge, Washington, where seven were seen over a period of four days (van der Geld 1998). As in most of British Columbia, Broad-winged Hawks are new to Washington's avifauna (Larrison 1977; Clark and Anderson 1984). Farther south in California, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory reported 103 in 1998 (McDermott 1988). In the lower mainland of B.C. one was reported on the unlikely date of 3 February 1999 in North Vancouver (Bowling 1996b), one was seen over Vancouver on 15 September 2000 (Bain and Shanahan 2000), an immature was chased across Hastings Street at Heatley Avenue, Vancouver on 5 September 2002 (Martin K. McNicholl, personal communication), and an adult was at Watershed Park, Vancouver on 1 October 2002 (Cecile 2003). In 2003, McNicholl also observed an immature in atypically open habitat on a fence post near the southwestern corner of Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island, Richmond on 11 July 2003 (Bain 2003) and presumably the same bird on a piling in the middle arm of the Fraser River close to more typical habitat of shoreline trees by an open field north of Richmond's Dinsmore Bridge on 5 August 2003. It was also reportedly seen at or near the latter site on 23 July 2003 (Bain (2003)) by another observer. Further inland, two documented at Eaglet Lake in 1989 were the first for the Prince George area (Weber and Cannings 1990), where they have since become regular. Broad-wings have nested both there and near Golden (Bain 2002). Records have also been published from Bridesville (Bain and Shanahan 2000), Black Mountain/Kelowna (Charlesworth 2000; Bain and Shanahan 2000), Mugaha Bay near MacKenzie (Bain and Shanahan 2000) and the West Kootenays (Bain 2002). A follow-up note documenting these records in full would be warranted. The increase in Broad-wing reports can be attributed partly to the phenomenal increase in bird-watching activity and the discovery of many more hawk migration

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001

TABLE 1

BROAD-WINGED HAWK OBSERVATIONS AT BECHER BAY HEADLANDS, VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C.

Date

Number Observed

Site

Sources

28 September 1990 2 Rocky Point Siddle (1991a, 1991b)28 September 1991 1 raptor watch Editors (1991)29 September 1991 1 East Sooke Park Editors (1919);

Siddle (1992a, 1992b)30 September 1991 1 unconfirmed Rocky Point Siddle (1992a, 1992b)12 September 1992 1 East Sooke Park

(Beechey Point) Siddle (1993a, 1993b);

van der Geld (1993)27 September 1992 1 East Sooke Park Bain and Holder (1992)

17-29 September 1994 2 East Sooke Park Bain (1994)18-28 September 1994 3-4 Rocky Point Migration

Monitoring Station Bowling (1995)

25 September 1994 1 Sooke Bain (1994)10-24 September 1995 up to 6 East Sooke Park Bain and Holder (1995a)

10 September – 1 October 1995

4-7 Rocky Point Banding Station

Bowling (1996a, 1996b)

30 September 1995 1 Becker Bay area van der Geld (1996)27 October 1995 1 Mount Newton Bain and Holder (1995b)

19 September 1996 1 Rocky Point Bain and Holder (1996)last week of

September 1996 5 or + East Sooke Park Bain and Holder (1996)

28 September 1997 1 Rocky Point Bowling (1998)5 September 1998 2 Rocky Point

Banding Station Bain and Shanahan (1998)

26 September 1998 1 Rocky Point van der Geld (1999)September 1998 up to 8 Rocky Point

Banding Station Bain and Shanahan (1998)

Fall 1998 at least 6 southern tip of Vancouver Island

Shepard (1999)

20 September 1998 4 Rocky Point Shepard (1999)Fall 1999 at least 25 Rocky Point Shepard (2000)

7 October 1999 7 Rocky Point Shepard (2000)24 September 2001 5 Rocky Point

Bird Observatory Bain (2001)

21 September 2002 2 Rocky Point Bird Observatory

Bain (2002)

Volume 11, 2001 British Columbia Birds Page 15 sites in recent years. The Broad-wing is rather inconspicuous on its breeding grounds. It perches in or below the forest canopy rather than on snag tops and it soars only briefly. In contrast, Broad-wings on migration are highly visible, often moving and soaring en masse, presenting an exciting spectacle for the hawk-watcher. Their winter range is from southern Mexico to Peru, occasionally farther north. In western Canada, the Broad-wing is a summer visitor and breeder in the aspen parklands and the southern portion of the boreal forest from Manitoba to northeastern B.C. (Campbell et al. 1990). Forest fires, logging and land clearing for agriculture have opened up large areas of the southern boreal forest, particularly in Alberta and northeastern B.C., artificially increasing the aspen parkland component. This new habitat has, perhaps, benefited the Broad-wing, resulting in increased populations and further range expansion - good news in an otherwise depressing raptor scene. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Martin K. McNicholl for his editing and suggestions. LITERATURE CITED Bain, M. 1994. Cross Canada round-up. August and

September 1994. Birders['] Journal 3:228-239. Bain, M. 2001. Cross Canada round-up. August and

September 2001. Birders['] Journal 10:218-237. Bain, M. 2002. Cross Canada round-up. August and

September 2002. Birders['] Journal 11:162-182. Bain, M. 2003. Cross Canada round-up. June and July

2003. Birders['] Journal 12:134-156. Bain, M. and P. Holder. 1992. Cross Canada round-up.

August and September 1992. Birders['] Journal 1:328-336.

Bain, M. and M. Holder. 1995a. Cross Canada round-up.


Bain, M. and P. Holder. 1995b. Cross Canada round-up.

October and November 1995. Birders['] Journal 4:261-278.

Bain, M. and P. Holder. 1996. Cross Canada round-up.


Bain, M. and D. Shanahan. 1998. Cross Canada round-up.


Bain, M. and D. Shanahan. 2000. Cross Canada round-up. August and September 2000. Birders['] Journal 9:210-231.

Bowling, J. 1995. British Columbia/Yukon regional.

National Audubon Society Field Notes 49:87-92. Bowling, J. 1996a. Autumn migration. August 1 -

November 30, 1995. British Columbia/Yukon region. National Audubon Society Field Notes 50:99-105.

Bowling, J. 1996b. Winter season 1995-1996: December

1, 1995 - February 29, 1996. British Columbia/Yukon region. National Audubon Society Field Notes 50:208-213.

Bowling, J. 1998. The migration season: August 1 -

November 30, 1997. British Columbia - Yukon region. Field Notes 52:111-113.


M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser and M. C. E. McNall. 1990. The birds of British Columbia. Volume 2. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria.

Cecile, D. E. 2003. The fall migration: August through

November 2002. North American Birds 57:105-106.

Charlesworth, C. 2000. Raptor spectacle at Black

Mountain. B.C. Birding 10(4):27. Clark, W. S. and C. M. Anderson. 1984. First specimen

record of the Broad-winged Hawk for Washington. Murrelet 65:93-94.

Editors [Henshaw, B. and P. Holder]. 1991. Cross-Canada

round-up. Birders['] Journal 1:28-30. Edwards, Y. and R. Greig. 1994. Hawks migrating over

Vancouver Island [:] where do they go? Cordillera 1(1):30-33.

Larrison, E. J. 1977. A sighting of the Broad-winged

Hawk in Washington. Murrelet 58:18. McDermott, F. 1998. Fall 1988 flyway reports. California.

Hawk Migration Studies 25(1):29-32. Shepard, M. G. 1999. Fall migration: August through

November 1998. North American Birds 53:92-94. Shepard, M. G. 2000. Fall migration: August through

November 1999. British Columbia-Yukon. North American Birds 54:93-94.

Sherrington, P. 1998a. Fall 1998 flyway reports. Pine

Pass, British Columbia (440 30' N, 1220 42' W). Hawk Migration Studies 25(1):34.

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001 Sherrington, P. 1998b. Fall 1998 flyway reports. Mount

Lorette, Alberta (500 58' N, 1150 8' W). Hawk Migration Studies 25(1):34

Siddle, C. [R.] 1991a. The autumn migration August 1 -

November 30, 1990. British Columbia/Yukon region. American Birds 45:142-145.

Siddle, C. R. 1991b. Noteworthy bird sightings -- fall

1990. British Columbia Birds 1:23-33. Siddle, C. [R.]. 1992a. The autumn migration August 1 -

November 30, 1991. British Columbia/Yukon region. American Birds 46:139- 142.


1991. B.C. Birds 2:40-49. Siddle, C. [R.]. 1993a. The autumn migration. August 1 -

November 30, 1992. British Columbia/Yukon region. American Birds 47:136-139.


1992. B.C. Birds 3:43-49. Smith, W. 1998. Fall 1998 flyway reports. Windy Point,

Alberta (500 40' N, 1140 34' W). Hawk Migration Studies 25(1):34-36.

Stirling, D. 1988. Ptarmigan ptracks [:] Getting there on a low energy budget. B.C. Naturalist 26(4):5.

Stirling, D. 2000. Becher Bay Headlands. page 315 in J. I.

Zalles and K. L. Bildstein (Editors). Raptor watch. A global directory of raptor migration sites. Birdlife Conservation Series Number 9. Birdlife International, Cambridge and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, Pennsylvania.

van der Geld, A. 1993. Pacific Northwest region. Hawk

Migration Studies 19(1):60-61. van der Geld, A. 1996. Pacific Northwest region. Hawk

Migration Studies 22(1):62-64. [van der Geld, A.] 1998. Pacific Northwest. Hawk

Migration Studies 24(1):106-108. van der Geld, A. 1999. Pacific Northwest. Hawk

Migration Studies 25(1):24-28. Weber, W. C. and R. J. Cannings. 1990. The autumn

migration. August 1 - November 30, 1989. American Birds 44:144-149.


SECOND CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Renee J. Franken and Cameron S. Gillies

Tierra Consulting Box 245, Windermere, B.C. V0B 2L0

Abstract -- A Red-headed Woodpecker observed on 22 June 1998 in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia is the second documented occurrence in the province. This raises the status of Red-headed Woodpecker in British Columbia from accidental to casual. Key words: British Columbia, East Kootenay, extralimital occurrence, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, Red-headed Woodpecker. The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) breeds exclusively in North America. In Canada, it breeds in southern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, southern Ontario and southwestern Quebec and formerly bred in southern New Brunswick (Godfrey 1986; Page 1996). It also breeds southward to central Texas, the Gulf coast and Florida, extending west into Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico (American Ornithologists' Union 1998; Smith et al. 2000). In Canada, the Red-headed Woodpecker occasionally wanders eastward to Nova Scotia, westward to Alberta and very rarely into British Columbia (Godfrey 1986; Page 1996). On 22 June 1998 we observed an adult Red-headed Woodpecker near Fairmont Hot Springs in the East Kootenay (500 21' 35” North, 1150 54' 35” West). The bird was observed for more than three hours and photographs were taken (Figure 1). During this time we observed the bright red head, neck and breast, black upper back and large white patches of the wings and upper rump that characterize adult Red-headed Woodpeckers (Bent 1939). It could not be located on the following day. John M. Cooper confirmed identification from these photographs. The bird was foraging in an area locally known as the Dutch Creek Burn at the southwestern end of Windermere Lake. This area was burned in 1971 by an intense forest fire and is now primarily grassland habitat with some Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration and standing snags of Douglas-fir. This is consistent with a well-documented preference by Red-headed Woodpeckers for open wooded areas, such as burned or logged-over forests or open areas with large scattered trees (Bock et al. 1971; Conner 1976; Smith et al. 2000) with snags considered an important component of their nesting habitat (Sedgwick and Knopf 1990; Smith et al. 2000). The Red-headed Woodpecker at Fairmont Hot Springs was seen perching on, and flycatching from, snags. Although Red-headed Woodpeckers are omnivorous, consuming insects, spiders, worms, berries, seeds, nuts and even eggs, nestlings, lizards and mice (Short 1982; Ehrlich et al. 1988; Smith et al. 2000), they forage primarily by fly-catching, therefore frequenting open habitat (Bent 1939; Godfrey 1986; Smith et al. 2000). There was no indication of breeding

occurring, although this area resembles breeding habitat described elsewhere (Bock et al. 1971; Conner 1976; Godfrey 1986; Sedgwick and Knopf 1990; Smith et al. 2000). In British Columbia, the Red-headed Woodpecker is considered to be of accidental occurrence (Campbell et al. 1990b). Previous reports of Red-headed Woodpeckers in British Columbia include a record of a pair at Pass Creek, near Robson on 25 June 1890 (Macoun and Macoun 1909), a photo record of an adult from 11 to 13 July 1965 near Lavington east of Vernon (Rogers 1965; Grant 1966; Godfrey 1986; Campbell et al. 1990b) and a sight record near Skookumchuk in the East Kootenay area on 18 June 1989 (Kinley 1989). However, only the Vernon record was verified (Campbell et al. 1990b). The Red-headed Woodpecker is more common in eastern North America but ranges into western North America. It is considered uncommon in Manitoba (Taylor 2003) and rare in Saskatchewan (Smith 1996), and is declining in both provinces (Smith 1996; Taylor 2003). In Alberta, the Red-headed Woodpecker is considered to be a casual wanderer, not known to breed (Semenchuk 1992). Records in the mountains and foothills adjacent to British Columbia include one at Gorge Creek west of Turner Valley, Alberta on 13 June 1961 (Salt and Wilk 1966; Sadler and Myres 1976; Wiseley 1979), one at Waterton, Alberta on 14 May 1966 (Sadler and Myres 1976), one at Kananaskis, Alberta near Seebe on 27 June 1969 (Merilees 1969; Sadler and Myres 1976), one in Kananaskis Provincial Park, Alberta (now Peter Lougheed Provincial Park) on 24 June 1976 (Salt 1976; Wiseley 1979; Pinel et al. 1991) and one near Hinton, Alberta on 10 June 1997 (Schaffer 1997). Red-headed Woodpeckers also occur regularly in eastern Montana (Montana Bird Distribution Committee 1996). In Idaho, the Red-headed Woodpecker is considered casual or accidental (American Ornithologists' Union 1998). It is not known to have occurred in Washington state (Washington Bird Records Committee 1997). The Red-headed Woodpecker is considered to be the eastern ecological counterpart of the western Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis), both in habitat selection

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001

Figure 1. Two views of Red-headed Woodpecker observed near Fairmont, B.C. in 1998.

Volume 11, 2001 British Columbia Birds Page 19 and feeding habits (Bock et al. 1971; Cannings et al. 1987). In the Dutch Creek Burn, seven pairs of breeding Lewis's Woodpeckers were found during 1998 (Cooper and Beauchesne 2000). The Lewis's Woodpecker is an uncommon woodpecker of the dry southern interior of British Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990b). It, too, is a flycatching woodpecker that prefers nesting in open habitat, such as burns (Cannings et al. 1987; Campbell et al. 1990b). Similar to the Red-headed Woodpecker, the Lewis's Woodpecker is also thought to be declining in much of its range because of loss of suitable habitat (Cooper et al. 1997). No interaction was observed between these species. The Red-headed Woodpecker is considered "Vulnerable" in Canada by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) because of population declines throughout most of its range (Page 1996). Habitat loss, through the removal of dead trees, is thought to be the primary cause of its decline (Page 1996) but competition for nest cavities with European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) is also thought to be a significant factor (Kilham 1983; Pitcher 1991; Ingold 1994). Our sighting of a Red-headed Woodpecker in British Columbia and recent sightings in western Alberta occurred despite declines in numbers over much of its range. Although the Red-headed Woodpecker has strayed into parts of southern British Columbia and western Alberta in the past, the decline in overall numbers makes these extralimital sightings even more unusual and interesting. The status of Red-headed Woodpeckers in British Columbia can now be raised from "accidental" (only one record) to "casual" (two to six records) as defined by Campbell et al. (1990a:148). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund for funding the Lewis's Woodpecker study through a contract to Manning, Cooper and Associates during which we made this observation. Many thanks to John M. Cooper for encouraging us to write this note and for reviewing it and providing many comments and suggestions. Thanks also to Chris R. Siddle and Mary J. Taitt for their helpful reviews. LITERATURE CITED American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of

North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington.

Bent, A. C. 1939. Life histories of North American

woodpeckers. U. S. National Museum Bulletin 174. Bock, C. E., H. H. Hadow and P. Somers. 1971. Relations

between Lewis' and Red-headed woodpeckers in southeastern Colorado. Wilson Bulletin 83:237-248.

Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser and M. C. E. McNall. 1990a. The birds of British Columbia. Volume 1. Nonpasserines. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria.


M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser and M. C. E. McNall. 1990b. The birds of British Columbia. Volume 2. Nonpasserines. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria.

Cannings, R. A., R. J. Cannings and S. G. Cannings.

1987. Birds of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria.

Conner, R. N. 1976. Nesting habitat for Red-headed

Woodpeckers in southwestern Virginia. Bird-Banding 47:40-43.

Cooper, J. M. and S. Beauchesne. 2000. Inventory of

Lewis's Woodpecker breeding population and habitat in the East Kootenay. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Wildlife, Branch, Victoria. Wildlife Working Report Number WR-100.

Cooper, J. M., C. Siddle and G. Davidson. 1997. Status of

the Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) in British Columbia. Wildlife Working Report Number WR-91, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria.

Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin and D. Wheye. 1988. The

birder's handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster, New York.

Godfrey, W. E. 1986. The birds of Canada (revised

edition). National Museums of Canada, Ottawa. Grant, J. 1966. The Red-headed Woodpecker near

Vernon, British Columbia. Murrelet 47:45. Ingold, D. J. 1994. Influence of nest-site competition

between European Starlings and woodpeckers. Wilson Bulletin 106:227-241.

Kilham, L. 1983. Life history studies of woodpeckers of

eastern North America. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club No. 20.

Kinley, T. 1989. Rare woodpecker spotted. B.C.

Naturalist 27(3):16. Macoun, J. and J. M. Macoun. 1909. Catalogue of

Canadian birds. Geological Survey of Canada, Department of Mines, Ottawa.

British Columbia Birds Volume 11, 2001 Merilees, W. J. 1969. Red-headed Woodpecker in the

Kananaskis Valley. Blue Jay 27:216. Montana Bird Distribution Committee. 1996. Skaar's

Montana bird distribution. Fifth edition. Montana Natural Heritage Program Special Publication No. 3, Helena.

Page, A. M. 1996. Status report on the Red-headed

Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa.

Pinel, H. W., W. W. Smith and C. R. Wershler. 1991.

Alberta birds 1971-1980. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Provincial Museum of Alberta Natural History Occasional Paper No. 13.

Pitcher, E. B. 1991. Red-headed Woodpecker

(Melanerpes erythrocephalus). Pages 260-261 in R. Brewer, G. McPeek and R. J. Adams, Jr. (Editors). The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing.

Rogers, T. H. 1965. Nesting season June 1, 1965 - August

15, 1965. Northern Rocky Mountain-intermountain region. Audubon Field Notes 19:564-567.

Sadler, T.S. and M. T. Myres. 1976. Alberta birds 1961-

1970. Provincial Museum of Alberta Natural History Occasional Paper No. 1.

Salt, J. R. 1976. Report on the vertebrate fauna of

Kananaskis Provincial Park. Volume 2. Peregrine Research & Documentation, Edmonton.

Salt, W. R. and A. L. Wilk. 1966. The birds of Alberta.

Second edition. Queen's Printer, Edmonton. Schaffer, W. 1997. Red-headed Woodpecker sighting

north of Hinton, Alberta. Alberta Naturalist 27:69.

Sedgwick, J. A. and F. L. Knopf. 1990. Habitat relationships and nest site characteristics of cavity nesting birds on cottonwood floodplains. Journal of Wildlife Management 54:112-124.

Semenchuk, G. P. 1992. The atlas of breeding birds of

Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists, Edmonton.

Short, L. L. 1982. Woodpeckers of the world. Delaware

Museum of Natural History Monograph Series No. 4.

Smith, A. R. 1996. Atlas of Saskatchewan birds.

Saskatchewan Natural History Society Special Publication No. 22, Regina.

Smith, K. G., J. M. Withgott and P. G. Rodewald. 2000.

Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythro-cephalus. No. 518 in A. Poole and F. Gill (Editors). The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Philadelphia.

Taylor, P. 2003. Red-headed Woodpecker Pic a tete

rouge. pages 244-245 in P. Taylor (Editor). The birds of Manitoba. Manitoba Naturalists Society, Winnipeg.

Washington Bird Records Committee. 1997. Checklist of

Washington birds (fourth edition). Washington Birds 6:7-31.

Wiseley, A. N. 1979. A preliminary review of birds and

their habitats in Kananaskis Country. Kananaskis Country Planning Team, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Energy and Natural Resources, [Calgary].

volume 11, 2001 british columbia birds page 1volume 11, 2001 british columbia birds page 5 spring...

Documents