The Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas, 1984 -1989, by W. J. Mollhoff,  2001, Lincoln: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 233 pp. Sold  ($29, including tax and postage) through the NOU.  See order form in this issue.  At long last the Nebraska breeding bird atlas that was conceived nearly 20 years ago is out, and the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union as well as the book's project coordinator and author, Wayne Mollhoff, should be both pleased and proud.  Fieldwork for the project began in 1984 and was supposed to terminate in 1988, but was extended an additional year to help fill in weak spots.  Over two years ago John Dinan agreed to take on the substantial job of editing, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission agreed to publish the final volume, a big job in view of the nearly two hundred range maps that had to be drawn.
    The book now joins other state atlases, including recently published ones for Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa and Missouri, and other state bird summaries that collectively help to fill in the substantial gaps in our knowledge of Great Plains breeding birds.
    There are 191 species accounts and accompanying range maps, representing all the species for which information was adequate to indicate that breeding occurred in Nebraska during the study's time frame.  In my 1979 analysis of Nebraska's breeding birds (Nebraska Bird Review 47:3-16) I estimated that 201 species currently breed or have recently bred in the state, so Nebraska's five-year survey probably caught about 95 percent of the state's total breeding avifauna.  Several other species that have historically nested in Nebraska but didn't during the study period because of their present-day rarity, extirpation or extinction, are excluded.  Also excluded are species that have since begun to nest, or been re-established as nesters in the state (such as Peregrine Falcon, Sandhill Crane, Pileated Woodpecker, Mississippi Kite and Eurasian Collared Dove).  By comparison, the Missouri atlas documented 167 breeding species, while in Iowa the numbers are 188 documented breeders and four additional probables.  The numbers for Kansas are 203 confirmed species plus 20 probables,  and South Dakota has 212 confirmed and seven probables.  A recent Wyoming survey documented at least 229 breeding species and another six probables, and the Colorado atlas documented 264 breeding species.  An east-to-west trend of increasing species diversity is evident.
    Several kinds of valuable results come out of these studies.  The most obvious one is a better delineation of breeding limits and relative breeding abundance for the more common and widespread species.  Thus, in descending frequencies of records, it would seem that the ten most common (or at least conspicuous) breeders in Nebraska are the Mourning Dove, Barn Swallow, Eastern Kingbird, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Robin, Killdeer and Northern Flicker.  Surprisingly, neither the European Starling (21st) nor the House Sparrow (11th) made the top-ten list.  Likewise the Horned Lark falls much lower on the list (31st) than I would have predicted.
    Even more significant are the results obtained for our rarer and quite localized breeders.  The eleven species with the fewest records (in descending sequence from more to fewer) are the Common Moorhen, Lewis' Woodpecker, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Clark's Nutcracker, Cassin's Sparrow, Bald Eagle, Black-necked Stilt, Cordilleran Flycatcher, White-faced Ibis and Townsend's Solitaire.  Then there are those elusive species that almost certainly bred in the state during the study period but remained undetected, such as the Mountain Plover, King Rail and Brown Creeper.  These species all need further study and, in the case of the nationally threatened ones such as the Mountain Plover, greatly increased conservation attention.
    Other applications for these studies might include the development of county lists of breeding birds, or the identification of those areas of special biological concern that support several rare or localized species, such as the Oglala Grasslands and the lower Missouri Valley.
    Several breeding raptors were found to occur in quite low numbers and have sometimes localized distributions, such as the Ferruginous Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl and Merlin, the last species not previously known to breed in Nebraska.  Neither the Red-shouldered Hawk nor the Broad-winged Hawk made even cameo appearances, and must be considered as extirpated.  A few rarities are highly landscape-dependent species, such as the cliff-nesting White-throated Swift.  Others such as the Cassin's Sparrow are at the very edge of their ranges, and are probably climatically-limited.  In terms of rarer species having critical habitat limitations, there are the shortgrass-dependent species (McCown's and Chestnut-collared Longspurs), the ponderosa pine species (Pygmy Nuthatch and Dark-eyed Junco), the eastern deciduous forest species (Chuck-will's-widow, Summer Tanager, Kentucky Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, and Carolina Wren), and the wetland-dependent forms (Prothonotary Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush and Trumpeter Swan).  All of these might be considered as indicator species as to the presence and relative condition of their particular habitats.
    Clearly, any book is out of date by the time it gets published, and this is painfully evident in the present one.  Yet, it is an extremely valuable historic document, and will become more valuable, rather than less valuable, as time goes by.

The Nebraska Breeding Bird Atlas 1984 -1989
 Wayne J. Mollhoff
 

  Please send me  _____   books at $29.00 each.

  Price includes $25.00 per book plus $4.00 postage and sales tax.
 

 Name _____________________________________________________________

 Address____________________________________________________________

 City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________

 Please make check payable to NOU.
 Return this form with check to:   NOU Librarian
          c/o University of Nebraska State Museum
          W-436 Nebraska Hall
         Lincoln, NE  68588-0514

    If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet, you might want to consider Birds of Nebraska:  Their Distribution and Temporal Occurrence by NOU members Roger Sharpe, Ross Silcock and Joel Jorgensen.  This impressive reference work, published earlier this year, is still available from the Barnes and Noble online store for $55.96, a whopping 20% discount from list price.  This 500+ page book features 452 separate species accounts, each detailing geographical, ecological and temporal distribution of Nebraska birds.  It belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Nebraska birder, and now would be an opportune time to purchase a copy or two.

    When the Tout Bird Club discontinued their library, NOU and Tout Bird Club member Carol Somerhalder thought of us.   She asked if we would like to include their collection in our library at the Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln.  The collection of 28 books includes Ridgway and Friedman's eleven volume edition of The Birds of Middle and North America and Wilson Tout's own book, Lincoln County Birds.  Some 120 articles and reprints include Tout's own publications on the ducks and owls of Lincoln County and Mrs. Tout's article on the Red-breasted Nuthatch in Lincoln County.  Selected copies from 17 different publications enabled the NOU to fill in a few gaps in our periodical collection as well.  This material now rests on the shelves of the NOU library with an acknowledgement on the inside front cover identifying the Tout Bird Club as the donor.  NOU appreciates the thoughtfulness and generosity of Mrs. Somerhalder and other Tout Bird Club members.

Welcome to the Following
New Members

           Linda K. Miles, Cedar Creek
           Dr. Richard Miles, Waterloo
           Erin M. McIntyre, Omaha
           Joe Fontaine, Ft. Collins, Colorado

          Welcome back to Joe Gubanyi, Seward

Meetings in 2002

Annual Meeting, Norfolk, May 17-19

Fall Field Days, Halsey, Sept. 6-8

Costa's Hummingbird in Lexington

    Nebraska birders were treated to a rare sight this fall:  a Costa's Hummingbird appeared at the feeder of Kathy Niederdeppe, a Lexington, Nebraska resident.  Costa's Hummingbirds are residents of southern California, southern Arizona and western Mexico.  They are occasionally seen along the west coast of the U.S. and in southern Texas, but no records for Nebraska existed previous to this Lexington bird.
    Ms. Niederdeppe had been feeding the hummer for several weeks this fall and realized how unusual it was to have one stay so late, even with the unseasonably warm weather we'd been enjoying.  Enthusiastic postings on NEBirds followed her notification of local birders and the subsequent determination that this wasn't just your "garden variety" hummer.  The bird continued to come to her feeder during the week of Nov. 11 and was last seen on Nov. 16.
    The hummer was described as having a short tail, dots of violet feathering on the gorget, a flat head, and a white stripe behind the eye which ran down the side of the head.  Its call was described as a "zing".  Mark Urwiller posted photos on NEBirds, and after some discussion, it was agreed that the bird was most likely an immature Costa's.
    Unfortunately,  excitement at the chance to view this rarity overshadowed the good sense and common courtesy of some birders.  Ms. Niederdeppe reports that she was overwhelmed by birders, some of whom treated her yard like a public park.  Needless to say, this behavior is not acceptable.  If we hope to have landowners continue to allow us to view interesting species on their property, we need to show them the respect they deserve.  Perhaps it would be helpful to think about how we'd feel if the tables were turned.  If the rare hummer was on our feeder in our backyard, how quickly would the stream of strangers become tiresome and how easily could a few disrespectful individuals sour us on the whole situation?

Christmas Bird Count Dates Set

All dates are in December:
15th   Omaha   Betty Grenon  402-731-2383   grenon925(at)aol. c o m
15th   Lincoln    Kevin Poague  402-797-2301   kpoague(at)audubon. o r g
15th   Scottsbluff     Alice Kenitz  308-436-2959    akenitz(at)prairieweb. c o m
15th   Harlan County     Joel Jorgensen  402-426-5138    zrtac(at)genesisnet. n e t
16th   Lake McConaughy     Steve Dinsmore  662-325-8141    sdinsmore(at)CFR.MsState. E d u
16th   Seward/Branched Oak     Joe Gubanyi  402-643-7316    JGUBANYI(at)seward.cune. e d u
22nd  Norfolk     Duane Wolff  402-379-4177
22nd  DeSoto     Jerry Toll  402-453-9239   jertol(at)radiks. n e t
29th   Calamus     Norma Brockmoller  402-286-4944
29th   Crawford     Bruce and Donna Walgren  307-234-7455    bwalgren(at)coffey. c o m

In order to stop spammers from lifting e-mail addresses from this web site, the @ symbol has been replaced with (at)
and blank spaces have been placed between the last three letters.  If you wish to use these addresses, replace the (at)
and remove the blank spaces.

Nebraska County
Life List Totals

    On pages 5 and 6, you will find the Nebraska County Lists Totals for the year 2000, courtesy of Mark Brogie.  It will soon be time to tally your county lists for the year 2001.  (Or perhaps you‚d like to make use of the final days of 2001 to add to those lists.)  Simply report the number of species seen in each Nebraska county (125 species minimum) to Mark.
    This year there is a new twist:  the Total Nebraska County Number.  To arrive at this mystical number, add totals of all species for every county visited, and report the number to Mark if it‚s at least 500.  For example, if you have seen all 445 species of Nebraska birds in every Nebraska county, your Total Nebraska County Number would be 445 x 93 = 41,385.  (Wow.)
    Call, send or email your individual county totals for 2001 (just the number per county, NOT a species list) and your Total Nebraska County Number to Mark as soon as possible in 2002:

 Mark Brogie
 508 Seeley, Box 316
 Creighton, NE  68729
 402-358-5675
 mbrogie(at)esu1. o r g

Color in Hummingbirds

    During the NEBirds discussion of the Lexington hummingbird, Mark Urwiller, physics instructor at Kearney High School, posted an interesting message (the gist of which he attributes to Dr. Paul Johnsgard) about color in hummingbirds:
    "The colors of hummingbird gorgets are not produced in the same way colors on other birds are.  Most bird colors are produced by selective absorption and reflection of white light.  In hummers the extremely fine structure of the feathers, particularly on the gorget, act as a diffraction grating.  This splits the light into a spectrum with preferred wavelengths seen when 'straight on' with the bird.  Each species has its own unique wavelengths while seen straight on, but can be seen to have other colors at slightly different angles."

Definition
"Bird watching:  a mild paralysis of the central nervous system which can be cured only by rising at dawn and sitting in a bog."   Ludlow Griscom,     A Guide to Bird Watching,  1943.

Merry Christmas to you all, and to all a reminder that our Treasurer,
Betty Grenon, would love to get a holiday greeting from you this month,
especially one containing your membership renewal for 2002.

Please renew my membership in the category checked below:
 

___ One Active Member  $15	___ Family Active  $20
___ One Sustaining Member  $25	___ Family Sustaining  $30
___ Student Member  $10	___ Life Member  $250

Name
_______________________________________________________________________

Address
_______________________________________________________________________

City  _____________________________  State  ____________________  Zip________

Telephone
(______)___________________________Email_________________________________

Please make check payable to NOU and mail with this form to:
Betty Grenon
1409 Childs Road East
Bellevue,  NE  68005-4418

President and Newsletter Editor:
    Janis Paseka, 1585 Co. Rd. 14 Blvd., Ames , NE  68621,  (402) 727-9229,   paseka(at)tvsonline. n e t

Vice-President:
    Alice Kenitz, 190648 Co. Rd. 22,  Gering,  NE  69341,  (308) 436-2959,   akenitz(at)prairieweb. c o m

Secretary:
    Mitzi Fox, Rt. 2, Box 36, Albion , NE 68620   (402) 395-2395,   mitzi(at)albion. n e t

Treasurer:
    Betty Grenon, 1409 Childs Road East, Bellevue, NE 68005,  (402) 731-2383,   grenon925(at)aol. c o m

Editor, Bird Review:
William Clemente, Box 10, Peru State College, Peru, NE 68421,   (402) 872-2233 Work,  clemente(at)bobcat.peru. e d u
        (402) 872-3073 Home

Librarian:
Mary Lou Pritchard, 6325 O St., Lincoln, NE 68510,  (402) 472-3334 State Museum,  (402) 486-2428 Home

Past Presidents:
Clem Klaphake, 707 Garden Ave., Bellevue, NE 68005,  (402) 292-2276,  cnk(at)scholars.bellevue. e d u

Betty Allen, 9628 Emmet St., Omaha, NE 68134,   (402) 571-9755,  lizprints(at)webtv. n e t

Directors:
Mark Brogie, Box 316, Creighton, NE 68729,  (402) 358-5675,  mbrogie(at)esu1. o r g
Steve Lamphere, 3101 Washington St., Apt. 98,  Bellevue NE 68005,  (402) 291-9149
Jan Uttecht, Box 823, Stanton, NE 68779,   (402) 439-2114
 
 

Records Committee:
Joel Jorgensen, Chairman, 1218 Jackson, Blair, NE 68008,  (402) 426-5138,  zrtac(at)genesis. n e t

Breeding Bird Atlas Project & Nest Records Committee:
Wayne Mollhoff, 1817 Boyd St., Ashland, NE 68003,  (402) 944-2243,   wmollhoff(at)netscape. n e t

Occurrence Reports:
Ross Silcock, P.O. Box 57, Tabor,  IA  51653,   (712) 629-5865,  silcock(at)rosssilcock. c o m

Nebraska Birdline:
Loren and Babs Padelford, 1405 Little John Road, Bellevue,  NE  68005,  (402) 292-5325 Birdline
      (402) 292-5556  Home,    lpdlfrd(at)juno. c o m

NOU Website:          http://rip.physics.unk.edu/NOU/

Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
3745 Garfield
Lincoln,  NE  68506