Zoogeographic Categories
Three categories of Mayr (1946) are of use in analyzing trends in
breeding schedules of birds in Kansas. These categories of presumed
ultimate evolutionary origin are the "Old World Element," the "North
American Element," and the "South American Element." Not always have I
agreed with Mayr's assignments of species to these categories, and such
differences are noted. There is some obvious overlap between these
categories and those discussed previously.
_Old World Element_
Eighteen species, Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Dove, Great Horned Owl, Hairy
Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Black-billed Magpie, Common Crow,
Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Robin, Loggerhead Shrike,
Starling, House Sparrow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, and Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, furnish 969 records of breeding (Fig. 1). Species for which
I have records but which are not here listed are the Blue Jay and the
Wood Thrush, both of which I consider to be better placed with the North
American Element. The distribution of completed clutches runs from
mid-January to the first third of August, and shows a tendency toward
bimodality. The second, smaller peak is due to the inclusion of
relatively large samples of three migrant species (Robin, Bank Swallow,
and Barn Swallow). The timing of the breeding seasons of these three
species is in every respect like that of most other migrants; if they
are removed from the present sample the bimodality disappears,
indicating an increase in homogeneity of the unit.
_North American Element_
Twenty-six species, Greater Prairie Chicken, Bobwhite, "flicker,"
Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Bewick
Wren, House Wren, Mockingbird, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Wood Thrush,
Bell Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Chat,
Eastern Meadowlark, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard
Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Common Grackle, Lark Sparrow, and Field
Sparrow, furnish 1,233 records of breeding (Fig. 1). The distribution of
completed clutches runs from the first third of April to the first third
of September. The modal date for completion of clutches is June 1.
_South American Element_
Twelve species, Eastern Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Traill
Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Eastern Phoebe, Cardinal, Black-headed
Grosbeak, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Indigo Bunting, furnish 552
records of breeding (Fig. 1). The curve representing this summary
schedule is bimodal, wholly as a result of including the Eastern Phoebe
and the Cardinal with this sample.
_Relationship of Schedules to Temperature and Precipitation_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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