Vol. 31 No. 2 (2000)

Twenty-seven years of observations revealed changes in seabird abundance associated with changes in oceanographic conditions and ocean productivity. The regime shift of 1976, El Niño of 1983–1984, and the prolonged decline in productivity of the 1990s were followed by great declines in several historically common species, particularly those foraging offshore: the Sooty Shearwater, a non-breeding visitor from the southern hemisphere, and three alcids breeding regionally—the Common Murre, Cassin's Auklet, and Tufted Puffin. Species that increased included two offshore foragers associated with fishing vessels (Black-footed Albatross and Northern Fulmar), one inshore-foraging species that nests in southern California and Mexico (Brown Pelican), and an apparently adaptable alcid (Rhinoceros Auklet) that forages inshore and has increased all along the west coast of North America. The decrease of eight offshore species and two abundant, widespread species coinciding with an increase in three fishing-vessel associates and two nearshore foragers imply a decline in oceanic productivity.

We compiled 166 historical and recent records of Burrowing Owl sightings and/or specimens from 61 locations throughout the peninsula of Baja California and associated islands. Thirty-eight records are from the delta of the Colorado River, 57 from northwestern Baja California, 3 from the Central Desert, 12 from the Vizcaíno Desert, and 12 from the Cape region. These records confirm that the Burrowing Owl is a widespread, albeit perhaps uncommon, resident the length of the peninsula. The larger aggregations have been reported from the central and northern portions of the peninsula, while the species is rather rare in the Cape region. About one-half of the records of Burrowing Owls on the peninsula are from spring and summer. Forty-three percent of the records are from agricultural lands, 18% from wetlands, 15% from open desert, and 12% from coastal sage scrub.

We documented the occurrence of eight rare passerines in central Alaska. Our observations of the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Arctic Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Tennessee Warbler, Palm Warbler, Mourning Warbler, and Clay-colored Sparrow provided new distributional information on the occurrence of these species in central Alaska. Mist netting was essential to documenting the geographic distribution of these species because mist-net captures represented the only occurrence of several species. Additionally, many of these records could not have been identified to subspecies without collecting individuals as voucher specimens that could be verified by other scientists.

California Gulls successfully colonized the Salton Sea in 1997 with 22 nesting pairs near Obsidian Butte, extending their breeding range 650 km into one of the world’s hottest environments. Although the colony site is often subjected to seasonal flooding, the number of nesting pairs has increased to at least 40 in 1999. One or two pairs of Laughing Gulls continue to nest sporadically, although unsuccessfully; a nesting attempt in 1994 extended their range 50 km north into Riverside County.

The first Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) recorded in California was banded on 26 September 1998 on Southeast Farallon Island, 42 km west of San Francisco. The bird arrived just prior to the largest wave of migrants on the Farallones in ten years, as hundreds of western birds and several eastern vagrants descended on the island during the next five days. During this period, no Red-throated Pipits (A. cervinus) and only small numbers of American Pipits (A. rubescens) were observed. The Olive-backed Pipit was seen each day through 29 September.

On 18 October 1996, Pike and Wurster recorded Mexico's first Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) at Cataviña, a large oasis located in the Vizcaíno Desert of central Baja California, approximately 360 km south of the international border. They found the bird as it foraged in a yard on Highway 1 approximately 1 km southeast of Hotel La Pinta, just past the crossing of La Bocana, the larger of Cataviña's two streambeds.

During the nonbreeding season, passerine birds may spend more than half their day roosting (Skutch 1989). Nocturnal roost sites are potentially important resources, serving primarily to reduce risk of predation and reduce costs associated with energetic and physiological constraints during inactive periods (Walsberg 1986, Skutch 1989) . Vulnerability and low nighttime temperatures during winter are probably strong selective forces in avian life history; a safe roost site increases a bird's chances of survival in the same way that a safe nest site increases chances of fledging. Despite this apparent importance, little is known of intra- and interspecific patterns of passerine roosting behavior.

Prebasic molt of the primaries in most species of northern hemisphere gulls occurs between April and December (Dwight 1925, Grant 1986, Cramp and Simmons 1983, pers. obs.). Exceptions are mainly transequatorial migrants, both those that molt primaries after they have reached their southern hemisphere winter grounds (e.g., Sabine's Gull, Xema sabini; Grant 1986), and those that suspend primary molt between the summer and winter grounds (e.g., Baltic Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus fuscus; Jonsson 1998). The complete second prebasic molt of the Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) reportedly occurs from May to November, the adult prebasic molt from June to December (Cramp and Simmons 1983, Baird 1994). During the spring of 1999, we noted adult Black-legged Kittiwakes in central California that had not completed their prebasic primary molt. Here we document and discuss this phenomenon.

Birders have long appreciated the value of a guide or manual that is comprehensive in its discussion of identification and its portrayal of intraspecific plumage variability. The first two offerings of the Advanced Birding Video Series clearly illustrate the advantage of video over print media in achieving these goals, particularly with taxa as variable as gulls. Those impressed with the high quality of The Large Gulls of North America will not be disappointed in this follow-up volume covering North America's smaller gull species. In short, The Small Gulls of North America has even more of what made Volume 1 so useful.

For an undertaking this immense and complex, I found surprisingly few points to quibble about. Most of my criticisms concern cases in which the images shown are either at odds with, or are not explained by, the narration or text.

Naturalized nonnative bird species are generally increasing in diversity and abundance in human-modified habitats of North America (Johnston and Garrett 1994, Garrett 1998a). Some of the more recently established species present field identification challenges because they are unfamiliar to many birders and because they may superficially resemble certain native species (Garrett 1998b ). This situation is improving with the recent portrayal of many new naturalized taxa in commonly used field guides (National Geographic Society 1999), but considerable potential for confusion remains.

For those of you who attended the Western Field Ornithologists’ annual meeting in Kernville in July, I don't need to tell you how successful it was and how much all the participants enjoyed themselves. Bob Barnes and his team of volunteers from Kern County really showed us how to organize a meeting that appealed to every one of the 130 or so members who attended. Bob and the Kern crew deserve our unending gratitude. He set a friendly and casual tone at the onset, and it continued that way for the entire meeting. In many respects, the meeting was more like a large family reunion.