Vol. 25 No. 2 (1994)

This paper summarizes the results of our studies of birds of the Arctic coastal plain of Alaska from 1971 to 1993, incorporating both numerous published and unpublished reports. Our objective is to synthesize the considerable data accumulated since oil extraction began in the Prudhoe Bay area and to provide a detailed account of all species within three contiguous regions so that future changes in species composition and status may be assessed.

The information available to distinguish adult female and young Calliope Hummingbirds (Stellula calliope) is incomplete. Using any one of the many field guides currently on the market, one can identify adult males with ease, but adult females and young often present more of a problem. Few attempts have been made until now to separate adult females from young birds of either sex because the technical information this requires has not been available.

The nominate subspecies of the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) has recently been listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (Salata 1993). Atwood (1992) estimated the subspecies' population in the United States, as of 1991, at between 1,811 and 2,291 pairs. Critical to management and protection of the California Gnatcatcher is a clear understanding of its nesting phenology.