Vol. 25 No. 4 (1994)

Recent seabird identification guides (e.g., Tuck and Heinzel 1978; Harrison 1983, 1987) and articles on the Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) complex (e.g., Jehl 1982; Bourne et al. 1988) do not satisfactorily address the problem of separating the Manx Shearwater (P. puffinus) from Newell's (P. auricularis newelli) and Townsend's (P. a. auricularis) shearwaters—presumably because Townsend's and Newell's are Pacific Ocean species, while Manx is essentially a bird of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Anza-Borrego Desert is a western extension of the Colorado Desert in San Diego and Imperial Counties, California. Its western portion is dotted with oases and year-round streams that are major attractants for birds.

Although the Five-striped Sparrow (Aimophila quinquestriata) is not uncommon in appropriate habitat in northern and western Mexico, and has occurred regularly in summer in southeastern Arizona since 1969, not much is known about its movements or true numbers. The A.O.U. (1983) called the species a "resident from southeastern Arizona south through eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua to central Sinaloa and western Durango; also in Jalisco," implying the species is non-migratory.

Albinism, leucism, and other patterns of pigment reduction are widespread among birds, with examples having been documented for 50 avian families in North America alone, representing well over 245 species (Ross 1963). Recurring pigment reduction within populations may have interesting behavioral and evolutionary implications (Graves 1992; Holyoak 1978), but most publications documenting albinism and leucism seek simply to add to a growing registry of affected species.

Palacios and Mellink (1992, 1993) have reported on the breeding birds of Isla Montague, northern Gulf of California. Here, we report additional breeding species detected during the 1993 breeding season.Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger). Black Skimmers are locally common year-round in northwestern Baja California and are increasing their numbers on the peninsula (Palacios and Alfaro 1992).

During a trip to Sawmill Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, I observed a Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) swing another Pygmy Nuthatch by the tail. On 30 July 1993, at approximately 12:00 noon, I was watching a small flock of Pygmy Nuthatches working their way down the trunk of a conifer, about 15 feet off the ground.

From November 1992 to June 1993, we conducted biweekly bird surveys at Ojo de Liebre (Scammon's Lagoon) on the west coast of Baja California Sur, México. During our surveys, we found four pairs of Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) breeding on Piedras Island (27°42'18" N, 114°09'36" W), one of five small and relatively low islands inside the lagoon (Figure 1).

Two reports exist in the literature of oxpecker-like behavior in the Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens sensu lato): one with Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in California (Dixon 1944), and one with feral hogs in Florida (Barber and Morris 1980).

Compiled by Mildred Comar