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
At Chandler Lake, the decrease in numbers of Lapland longspurs was
synchronized with autumnal changes in weather. On August 15, 1951, the
longspurs were numerous; 40 or 50 individuals were seen in the course
of an hour's walk. On August 19 there was a noticeable decrease in
numbers of individuals and by August 22, only three were seen. In this
period of decreasing numbers, they were more numerous and active in
the morning than in the evening or in inclement weather. The behavior
pattern of leaving the ground with an audible commotion and flapping
of wings on the vegetation also was characteristic of this period of
decreasing numbers of the longspur population. At 1/2 mile south of the
Arctic Research Laboratory (Sept. 7, 1952) only a single longspur was
noted.
The short-eared owl and especially the pigeon hawk consistently preyed
on longspurs.
Only one longspur (an adult female No. 30854) in 75 specimens examined
had the bone of the skull damaged by parasites.
Adult males are larger than adult females (July). In the breeding
season adult females average 3 grams lighter than males. In the latter
part of summer, however, females "catch up" in weight with the males.
As early as the middle of July, juveniles are nearly as large as
adults in cranial measurements. The increase in weight in juveniles
was from 21.5(18-25) in ten juvenal males shot in the period July
12-16, at Kaolak River to 25.2(22-27) grams in nine juvenal males shot
in the period July 29-August 2 at Teshekpuk Lake.
The testes of adults gradually decrease in size from July to August;
their average length was 7.7(4.0-12.0) mm in nine adult males shot in
the period July 6-10 at Topagaruk but only 2.2(1.5-3.0) in six adult
males shot in the period July 12-26, at Kaolak and Kaolak River. By
August 1, at Teshekpuk Lake the testes of nine adult males averaged
1.4(1.0-1.5) in total length, which is only slightly larger than the
average size of the testes 1.2(1.0-2.0) of nine juveniles shot in the
period July 29-Aug. 2, at Teshekpuk Lake.
+Calcarius pictus+ (Swainson): Smith's longspur.--Specimens, 2:
Wahoo Lake, 146 deg.58', 69 deg.08', 2350 ft., No. 31353, ad. male, July 9
and No. 31354, ad. female, July 7, 1952.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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