Studies of Birds Killed in Nocturnal Migration — John Shaqi
Studies of Birds Killed in Nocturnal MigrationTordoff, Harrison Bruce
Science
Studies of Birds Killed in Nocturnal Migration
Tordoff, Harrison Bruce
Birds -- Migration
_Vermivora peregrina._ Tennessee Warbler.--Weights: 1 adult
male, 10.9, very fat; 1 immature male, 12.9, very fat; 2
adult females, 9.1, 12.5, moderately fat and very fat. The
relative scarcity of Tennessee Warblers in the sample is
surprising. They are common in the area in spring.
_Vermivora c. celata._ Orange-crowned Warbler.--Weights: 9
adult males, mean 8.8 (7.7-10.9), little fat to fat; 13
immature males, mean 8.92 ± .15, S. D. .53, little fat to
fat; 5 adult females, mean 8.8 (8.3-10.3), little fat to
moderately fat; 17 immature females, mean 9.13 ± .08, S. D.
.72, little fat to fat. Of the 19 Orange-crowned Warblers
killed on October 7, 11 had little fat, 6 were moderately
fat, and only 2 were fat. No one-night sample of any other
warbler killed at Topeka had less fat than this group of
warblers. Furthermore, our sample (including 11 males) from
October 7 (all sex- and age-classes) averaged 8.81 grams;
the sample of 13 (including only 4 males) from October 1
averaged 9.1 grams. If one can assume, for any one species,
that individuals undertake nocturnal migration only when
they are physiologically ready, and this includes a certain
amount of fat as a fuel source (Wolfson, 1954), then this
further assumption seems justified: birds killed in
migration with little fat must have flown longer or farther
or both than birds killed with more fat. No further
speculation on this point is permissible with our data, but
the possibilities for study of future large kills,
especially where actual time of death of the birds is known,
are obvious.
_Vermivora r. ruficapilla._ Nashville Warbler.--More
Nashville Warblers were picked up at Topeka than any other
species and they are discussed in detail elsewhere in this
report. The four sex- and age-classes can be identified with
fair accuracy on plumage characteristics alone. Adult males
have a large amount of reddish-brown in the crown, not
completely veiled by the gray tips of the crown feathers.
Immature males have a smaller but distinct crown patch,
usually completely veiled. All males, compared with females,
are grayer on the sides of the head, have a more nearly
white eye-ring, and show clearer yellow on the throat. Adult
females differ from immature females in that they more often
have a trace of rufous in the crown and tend to be brighter
below than the immatures. Of 177 specimens, 20 were very
fat, 108 were fat, 46 were moderately fat, and 3 had little
fat.
_Parula americana._ Parula Warbler.--Weight: 1 adult female,
7.9, fat.
_Dendroica petechia aestiva._ Yellow Warbler.--Weights: 1
immature male, 10.2, fat; 3 adult females, 8.8, 9.5, 10.1,
moderately fat; 2 immature females, 9.0, 9.4, little fat and
fat.
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