Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern AlaskaBee, James W.
Science
Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern Alaska
Bee, James W.
Birds -- Alaska
In one mile of a glaciated canyon southwest of the south end of
Chandler Lake (Aug. 19, 1951) tree sparrows were the commonest species
but there were few birds of any kind there. This canyon extended in an
east-west direction and was bordered by high mountains, the sun being
excluded in early morning and late afternoon. In the valley of
Chandler Lake, on the same day, the tree sparrows were numerous
especially among willows on the side of the valley. On this date there
was an abrupt increase in numbers of tree sparrows; the number of
Lapland longspurs and wheatears was less than a week before. On August
22, we did not see tree sparrows at Chandler Lake whereas three days
earlier there were hundreds in the area. On August 23 only 15 were
noted and these were in willows. On August 25, only a single bird was
noted.
At Umiat (Aug. 30, 1951) a few tree sparrows were present. In this
area (Sept. 1) the birches were turning a brilliant red, even more
brilliant than on the previous day. The large alders were nearly all
yellow. The season was not so far advanced here, however, as at
Chandler Lake on August 25. At Driftwood tree sparrows were noted from
August 27 to 31 inclusive. On August 28 a flock of 12 was observed.
+Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii+ (Nuttall): White-crowned
sparrow.--Specimens, 3: Mount Mary, S Lake Peters, 145 deg.10'02",
68 deg.20'30", 2920 ft., 1, No. 31348, juv. female, August 3, 1952;
Driftwood, Utukok, 161 deg.12'10", 68 deg.53'47", 1200 ft., 1 (skin) No.
31349, ad. male, August 29, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152 deg.45', 68 deg.12', 2900
ft., 1, No. 30786, an ad. of unknown sex, August 19, 1951.
On the north side of the valley at Umiat, the white-crowned sparrows
were calling (June 27, 1952) throughout the day. At Wahoo Lake (July
3-11, 1952) singing birds were frequently heard on south-facing slopes
of the valley. At Lake Peters (Aug. 3, 1952) one bird was at the base
of a moraine some distance from willows or high vegetation. Only two
birds were seen at Chandler Lake (Aug. 19 and 25, 1952); they were
feeding in a dense growth of willows. The juvenal female shot on
August 3, 1952, at Mount Mary was 180 mm long and weighed 26 grams.
+Zonotrichia atricapilla+ (Gmelin): Golden-crowned sparrow.--Specimen,
1: Chandler Lake, 152 deg.45', 68 deg.12', 2900 ft., No. 30787, ad. male, August
19, 1951.
+Passerella iliaca zaboria+ Oberholser: Fox sparrow.--Specimen, 1:
Driftwood, Utukok River, 161 deg.12'10", 68 deg.53'47", 1200 ft., No. 31350
(skin), male, August 29, 1952.
At 1/10 mile west and 9/10 mile east of Umiat (June 30, 1952) a nest
the top of which was flush with the ground in a clearing among willows
and alders, both bare of leaves, had four young approximately five
days old. At Driftwood (Aug. 29, 1952) a male was caught in a mouse
trap in the same area where a male was singing on the previous day. At
the time the male was trapped a female sat on low vegetation only a
few feet from the trap that held the dead bird.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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