Vol. 54 No. 4 (2023)

During the period November 2010 through December 2022, the New Mexico Bird Records Committee reached final decisions on 1188 records involving 154 species plus three species groups, accepting 1051 records. Twenty species were added to the New Mexico state list, including one new to North America north of Mexico, the Rufous-necked Wood-Rail (Aramides axillaris), bringing the state list of species confirmed by specimen, photograph, or audio recording to 552 through 31 December 2022.

The Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli) declined substantially throughout its range after the West Nile virus arrived in California in the 2000s, and neither development of disease resistance nor population recovery have been reported. After surveying 8 occupied sites in 2020 and 22 occupied sites in 2021 for a study of the magpie’s habitat use in urban Sacramento, I continued surveying 15 urban parks in 2022 and 2023 to evaluate population trends over 4 years. The Sacramento magpie population increased consistently by 3–7% per year, suggesting a localized recovery. Since the extent of foraging habitat remained stable, other factors, possibly including development of resistance to the virus (as seen in other species of birds), may be promoting a population increase. These results, however, are local and relatively short term. More work is needed to determine if resistance is developing and to understand longer-term population and disease trends in other parts of the Yellow-billed Magpie’s range.

The first Siberian Rubythroat (Calliope calliope) recorded in the conterminous United States occurred in Santa Clara County, California, on 19 November 2022. The detection was made by a motion-activated trail camera, and the bird was not recorded thereafter.

To investigate the feeding behavior of the Western Grebe (Aechmophorous occidentalis), I observed the actions of one kept in a laboratory pool and fed fish of various sizes and in varying numbers during four trials per day. The grebe consumed fish under 4 cm in length underwater but brought all fish longer that 5 cm to the surface so they could be oriented for swallowing headfirst. The Western Grebe is likely gape-limited in its choice of fish and can only ingest prey that can be swallowed easily.

The Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) occurs year-round through most of its range in California and commonly breeds from March through June. Typically, it feeds almost exclusively on insects. While this may generally be true, I describe here repeated observations of Black Phoebes intentionally consuming seeds from a backyard bird feeder near Sacramento, California.

Thomas (Tom) Scott Heindel was born on 30 June 1936 in York, Pennsylvania, where he spent the early years of childhood.

Index for Western Birds Volume 54.