Coccyzus Americanus Research Articles

Copulatory Behavior of a Pair of Yellow-Billed Cuckoos

Copulatory Behavior of a Pair of Yellow-Billed Cuckoos

Review of the Status of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in California: Sacramento Valley Populations

Decline in populations of western race of Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus ameri.. canus occidentalis) in California was noted by Grinnell and Miller in 1944, who stated: because of removal widely of essential habitat conditions, this bird is now wanting in extensive areas where once found. The paucity of recent records (table 1) has led ornithologists to speculate that Yellow-billed Cuckoo may presently be absent from much of its former range. Guy McCaskie (pers. comm.) suggests that area above Laguna Dam on Colorado River may be the last stronghold for Yellow-billed Cuckoo in California. The relative scarcity of reports in recent years may not reflect Yellow-billed Cuckoo's status since this species arrives late in spring (late May and June), nests in areas seldom visited by field ornithologists, and is furtive and thus easily overlooked. During July and August 1972, I located Yellow-billed Cuckoos at 15 localities along Sacramento River in Sacramento Valley, California (fig. 1). This paper presents data on status and habitat of this population and reviews information concerning past and present status and distribution of Yellow-billed Cuckoo in California region.

The Nasal Mites of Birds from Louisiana. VIII. Additional Records and Description of a New Species (Acarina: Dermanyssidae, Ereynetidae, Epidermoptidae, and Cytoditidae)

Sternostoma pirangae sp. n. from the nasal passages of Piranga rubra is described. The new species is most similar to Sternostoma tangarae Fain and Aitken, but differs in having 7 pairs of large cylindrical subapical setae on tarsi II to IV, slightly more rounded podosomal plate which is longer than wide, and 6 solenidions on the sensorial area of tarsus I. New host records are established for Sternostoma lanorium Fain from Lanius ludovicianus, Astrida caprimulgi Fain from Caprimulgus carolinensis, Boydaia spatulata Fain from Sialia sialis, Cytonyssus therae Hyland from Coccyzus americanus, and Turbinoptes strandtmanni Boyd from Tringa solitaria. Also collected were Ptilonyssus Castro from Dendroica pinus, P. japuibensis Castro from Pipilo erythrophthalmus, P. thryothori Pence from Thryothorus ludovicianus, P. hoseini Fain and Aitken from Vireo griseus, P. toxostomae Pence from Toxostoma rufum, Tinaminyssus belopolskii Bregetova from Florida caerulea, Colinoptes cubanensis Fain from Colinus virginianus, Congocoptes furmani Fain from Centurus carolinus, and Cytonyssus troglodyti Pence from Thryothorus ludovicianus. The systematics of the sairae species group of the genus Ptilonyssus is discussed and Ptilonyssus constrictus Ford is regarded as a synonym of P. Castro. Examination of some additional specimens of Louisiana birds has revealed several new and additional host and geographic records for nasal mites and a new species, Sternostoma pirangae. The materials and methods, including the designations used in the following descriptions, have been previously outlined (Pence, 1972a). Family Dermanyssidae Subfamily Rhinonyssinae Genus Tinaminyssus Strandtmann and Wharton Strandtmann and Wharton, 1958, Contrib. Inst. Acar. Univ. Md. 4: 161. Synonymy: Domrow, 1969, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales 93: 305. Tinaminyssus belopolskii (Bregetova) Bregetova, 1950, Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 71: 1005. Additional host record: 7 9 9, 1 N from Florida caerulea, little blue heron, Mandeville, La., 15 September 1972, D.B.P. Received for publication 16 April 1973. * Present address: Department of Veterinary and Zoological Medicine, Texas Tech University School of Medicine, Lubbock, Texas 79409. Genus Sternostoma Berlese and Trouessart Berlese and Trouessart, 1889, Bull. Biblioth. Sci. Ouest 2: 128. Sternostoma lanorium Fain Fain, 1956, Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 53: 156. New host record: 1 9, 1 8 from Lanius ludovicianus, loggerhead shrike, Mandeville, La., 9 September 1972, D.B.P.

Important Birds from Blue Point Cottonwoods, Maricopa County, Arizona

The Salt River currently consists of four basic divisions: deeply channeled river from Roosevelt Lake upstream, irrigation reservoirs from that point downstream to Stewart Mountain Dam, dry river channel from Granite Reef Dam downstream to the confluence with the Gila River, and the fourth area, a short segment from Stewart Mountain Dam to Granite Reef Diversion Dam (about 10 miles long) representing what little remains of the native river. During the 1970's this portion is scheduled to be inundated by Orme Reservoir, part of the Central Arizona Project. Blue Point Cottonwoods, located approximately 2 miles upstream from the confluence of the Verde with the Salt River, is the only large stand of mature cottonwoods (Populus fremontii), with its attendant mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) understory, left on the entire Salt River. These cottonwoods will be covered by Orme Lake, thus virtually completing the extirpation of native riparian groves along the Salt River. This virgin grove extends for nearly a mile along the north side of the river. A narrow marsh of open water approximately one-half mile long, edged with arrowweed (Pluchea sericea) and salt-cedar (Tamarix sp.), and containing several dense stands of cattails (Typha domingensis) contributes to the diversity of the habitat. Azolla sp., a water fern unrecorded for central Arizona, grows profusely with duckweed (Lemna sp. ) in the marsh. Field work at Blue Point Cottonwoods has contributed much to our knowledge of birds in the central lowlands of Arizona. In the past, many important specimens and records were obtained from the area by Lyndon L. Hargrave, Allan R. Phillips, and Lewis D. Yaeger. Some of the more important records for the Salt River Valley include: the only specimens of the Ferruginous Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) during this century (Hargrave; Phillips); the only specimen of the Common Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) (Phillips); the only Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) specimens (Phillips and Yeager); the only nesting record of the Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) (Phillips and Yeager); and the only Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni) specimens (Phillips; Johnson and Simpson). The northernmost specimen for the Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) was collected here by Simpson and Werner (Condor 60:68, 1958). While the following species nest at one or two other localities in the Salt River Valley, Blue Point Cottonwoods and the nearby river is the only area left that is both large enough and stable enough to support them all: Green Heron (Butorides virescens), Yellowbilled Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii), Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia), Yellowthroat (Goethlypis trichas), Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra), and Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea). Considering the ephemeral nature of the other habitats, the loss of Blue Point Cottonwoods may also mean the loss of most or all these species as breeding birds in the Salt River Valley. Our recent field work in this area has resulted in several additional distributional records of some interest. All specimens mentioned in the following species accounts are in the Johnson-Simpson-Werner (JSW) collection, now housed at Prescott College, Prescott, Arizona. Our thanks to Lyndon L. Hargrave and Allan R. Phillips for critical reading of the manuscript. Least Bittern. Ixobrychus exilis. According to Phillips, Marshall, and Monson (The birds of Arizona. Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson. 1964. p. 7), the only previously documented nesting of this species in Arizona was by Simpson and Werner (loc. cit.). Our specimen (JSW no. 925) was collected on 9 July 1969 in a dense stand of cattails in the marsh. It is a juvenile female with down on the legs, wings, neck, and head, and was accompanied by one or two other juveniles, presumably nest mates, and at least one adult. At least one additional adult was seen. The nest was secured on 20 July 1969 and is the first nest from Arizona for this species. Groove-billed Ani. Crotophaga sulcirostris. A female? (gonads shot), collected on 20 July 1969 (JSW no. 879) showed no fat and no molt. This is the second known extant specimen from the state (see Phillips et al., loc. cit.:46). Later, Bernard Roer informed us that he found another Groove-billed Ani at his bird farm in Phoenix on 11 July 1969 and donated it to the Phoenix Zoo. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 379

A Pleistocene Avifauna from Haile, Florida

A newly discovered fossil fauna near Haile, Alachua County, Florida, represents the Rancholabrean stage of the Pleistocene. The great concentration of small vertebrate remains, especially birds and mammals, is probably due to predatory birds. The avifauna of 72 species represents 12 orders and 26 families; 12 species are extinct. Five living species, Tympanuchus cupido, Actitis macularia, Coccyzus americanus, Cistothorus platensis, and Vireo griseus are new to the fossil record, and four others, Clangula hyemalis, Numenius americanus, Recurvirostra americana, and Asio flammeus, are new to the Pleistocene of Florida. The avifauna shows northern, western or southwestern, and Neotropical affinities; its composition indicates the close proximity of a lake or pond with accompanying marsh and wet meadow during the time of deposition, and that open prairie and scrub were also close at hand.

Nest Parasitism of the Dickcissel by the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Marshall County, Oklahoma

Nest Parasitism of the Dickcissel by the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Marshall County, Oklahoma

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Stomach of Tiger Shark

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Stomach of Tiger Shark

Nesting Habits of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

The following observations on the nesting and related habits of the Yellowbilled Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus americanus) were made during July, 1941, on Gibraltar Island, Put-In-Bay, Ottawa 'County, Ohio. This island is approximately 4V2 miles from the mainland. The nest, when found on the afternoon of July 5, contained two eggs. It was situated about 8 feet above the ground, in a red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and rested rather insecurely in the fork of a horizontal branch, 10 inches from the main trunk. The tree was located 20 feet from the edge of a cliff which forms much of the northern boundary of the 6-acre island. Thick branches on the northwest side of the tree served to protect the frail nest from heavy winds which, upon two occasions, swept forcefully across the lake. The exterior depth of the nest was two inches and the cup was lned with a few leaves and fine tendrils and measured approximately 4 inches in diameter and 13/4 inches at the point of its greatest depth. The young, when removed for weighing, would grasp twigs firmly with their feet, with the result that an accurate weight of this nest could not be obtained. The first observations and notes were made from a canvas blind erected in an open. space some 20 feet from the nest, at 7:30 P.M. on July 5. A 7X field glass was used. Between this date and July 21 inclusive, a total of 51 hours was spent in observation of the nest. These daily periods of study varied from one hour to 16 hours. Incubation of the 2 eggs continued for 5 days more and at 8:45 A.M. on July 10, the first young was discovered emerging from the shell. Twenty-three hours later, on July 11 at 8:00 A.M. the second young had completely extricated itself from the shell. Acknowledgments.-I am indebted to Dr. Charles F. Walker who gave freely of both his observations and suggestions toward the preparation of this paper and to Dr. T. H. Langlois who made possible use of the facilities of the Franz Theodore Stone Laboratory for this study.

Spring Arrival of Summer Resident Birds on the Lower Rio Grande, New Mexico

The spring arrival dates in the Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, for eighteen species of summer resident birds are presented graphically. The relatively orderly arrival of migrant birds to their breeding areas is a phenomenon fully appreciated but not documented for many specific areas in North America. This report is concerned with dates of arrival of summer resident birds in the Mesilla Valley, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. The Mesilla Valley is part of the old flood plain of the Rio Grande. General elevations lie at about 3900 to 4000 feet. Much of the native riparian vegetation has been removed to make room for intensive agri- cultural and urban use of the area. There has also been serious overuse of the existing water supplies so that additional ecological change has occurred in association with a lowered water table. Our data refer to a period in the history of the Mesilla Valley when these changes had not been fully effected; the picture we want to present will thus be more nearly representative of the one that existed prior to man's widespread use of the area. For this reason some birds, such as the Chat (Icteria virens), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), and the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), are treated here although they no longer occur sufficiently abundantly that ade- quate data can be recorded. Records we consider satisfactory exist from the period 1924 to 1940. In this time the senior author was in the employ of the United States Bureau of Reclamation and was in the field in a great variety of habitats practically all spring and early summer. His activities were such that a reasonably uniform type of observation was possible all during this time, except in 1927 and 1928. Thus, a maximum of 15 years of first dates are recorded for some species represented here, with a lesser number for the remainder.

The yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus (Linn.) in Manitoba

The yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus (Linn.) in Manitoba

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the Ottawa District

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the Ottawa District

Late Nesting of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Missouri

Late Nesting of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Missouri

Tragedies among Yellow-Billed Cuckoos

Tragedies among Yellow-Billed Cuckoos

Tapeworms of the genera Rhabdometra and Paruterina found in the quail and yellow-billed cuckoo

Tapeworms of the genera Rhabdometra and Paruterina found in the quail and yellow-billed cuckoo

Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Cape Rouge, Quebec

Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Cape Rouge, Quebec

The Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Europe

The Yellow-Billed Cuckoo in Europe

A Study of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

A Study of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

Birds of Carroll County, Indiana

73. Coccyzus americanus. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.A common sutnrner resident, arriving about the middle of May. Fresh eggs June 30, I88574. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.-A common sutnmer resident. Until 1884, the Black-billed seemed quite rare, but since then it has appeared to be more abundant than the Yellow-billed. 75. Ceryle alcyon. KINGFISHER.-A cominon summner resident, coming early, and remtining late in the autumn. A set of six eggs taken May x8, in which incubation had proceeded perhaps a week. 76. Dryobates villosus. HAIRY WOODIPECKER. 77. Dryobates pubescens. DoWNY WOODPECKER.--These two familiar Woodpeckers are common residents of the County. 78. Sphyrapicus varius. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER.A rather rare resident, most common in the spring. I have specimens obtained D)ecember 15, i884, and Jan uary II, I885. 79. Ceophlceus pileatus. PILEATED WOODPECKER.-Formerly a not u-ncommon r-esident, but I have seen none in the County for several years. and I have no doubt they have left it permanently. 8o. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.-OuLr most abundant Woodpecker. usually going south in the autumn, but frequently remaining with us all winter. This it did during the winter of 18SI-82 in great numbers. I saw one in the southern part of the County, January 14, I888. Si. Melanerpes carolinus. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.-A common resident, about as abundant in winter as in suminer. S2. Colaptes auratus. 'YELLOWHAMMER.'An abundant r-esident and one of our most valuable birds. Full sets of eggs may be found by May 4. In May and June, I885, I obtained thirty-seven eggs in forty-nine days from a 'Yellowham-mer'which had its nest near my house. The eggs were in seven sets, five, five, five, six, seven, four, and five eggs respectively.* 83. Antrostomus vociferus. WHIP-POOR-WILL.-Not uncommon as a summer resident, arriving from April 20 to May I. S4. Chordeiles virginianus. NIGHTHAWK.An abundant migrant, especially noticeable in the autumn. S5. Chetura pelagica. CHIMNEY SWIFT. -An abundant summer resident, arriving about the last week in April. April 27. I884. As an instance of