Some notes on Painted Buntings Samuel1•.and Isabel H. Tipton We now have been banding Painted Buntings (Passarinaciris) with aluminum and coloredbands at Long Beach, North Carolina for five summers (1973-1977).Mere are some of the observationswe have made. The birds we band are close to the northern limits of their breeding range. We do not see the aggressive behaviorin themale thatis reportedby South Carolina observers. In fact, our birds, male and female, are shyand the nestsare well hidden. The multi-colored malesbegintoarrive aroundthe 17th of April, and the latest observationof either males was 67.5 • 1.9 (range, 63-73); for multicolored males 68.5 ß 1.5 (range,65-73);for green males 66.0 ñ 1.0 (range, 63-67). In eight males banded when green and returning multi-colored the wing chordincreased2.4 ñ 1.5 (range,1-6).The value for 11 provenfemaleswas 64.0ß 1.7 (range, 61-67).The wing length tends to increasewith age in both males and females. Wing Chord Criteria usedby us for sexinggreen Painted Buntings: Skull incompletely ossified in late summer and fall, may showsmall'windows'throughfirstspring Wing chord 66 mm or more.. MY/SY-M Wing chord62 mm or less... MY/SY-F sex at our station has been the third week in September.One individual that we banded as a green SY male in May 1973was the first one back (multicolored)in 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977. We rarely see a colored bird after the middle of August,the excitingexceptionhavingoccurredon 21 September1977,when we had two birds that had not been seensincethey were banded on 21 Julyand 23 JulyasgreenSY malesto come bacl•as shiningmulticoloredmales--their moltscomplete exceptfor waxy sheathson primaries8 and 9. This observationsupportsErma Fisk's contention that the green malesbecomemulti-coloredat the complete (post-nuptial)molt of the secondyear. (Fisk, 1974). We have banded 32 proven males (13 multicoloredand 19 green with cloacalprotuberances, of which 8 returned multi-coloredthe following summer);11 provenfemales(by broodpatch)and 36 greenbirds of unprovensex (27MY, 1 SY, and 8 AMY). Thirteen males, four females, and one of unknown sex returned the following year, five males and one female returned the secondyear, two males the third year, and one the fourth year followingthe year of banding.This year, 1977,with eightMY birds, was the mostsuccessful breeding year so far, as determinedby our nettingrecords. We have seen one proven green male singing territoriallybut we did not observenestor young. Wing chord63-65mm ....... MY/SY-U Skull completelyossified Wing chord 64 mm or less... AMY-F Literature citation Fisk, Erma J. 1974. Wintering populationsof Painted Buntings in southern Florida. BirdBanding45:353-359. 113 W. 23rd Street Long Beach,Southport,NC 28461 Color-markedTurkey Vultures and Black Vultures White vinyl wing markers have been placed on Black and Turkey Vultures near Blacksburg, Virginia, in a studyof their movements. Persons who observe such marked vultures are The wing chords for our birds averaged slightly lower than thoseFisk reported (1974).Our values asked to note the species,wing marker, and date and locationof the sighting.Send this information to the Bird BandingLaboratorywith a copy to Irvine D. Prather, Dept. of Biology,Virginia PolytechnicInstituteand StateUniversity,Blacksburg, in millimeters VA Page26 ß one standard deviation for all 24061. NorthAmericanBirdBander Vol. 3, No. 1 Tree Sparrowrecoveryand return American A Tree Sparrow (Spizellaarborea) No. 1360-75876 was banded on I February 1975 by Dr. Maurice Broun,at New Ringold,PA. On 23December1975I trapped this bird at Lake Bluff near Wolcott,NY. On 9 February 1977 this Tree Sparrow was recapturedby Dr. Broun at the originalplace of banding. A comprehensive bibliographyof'the North and SouthAmericanmartins(Prognespp.)is currently in preparation.It will includeall papersdealing solely or partly with martins, except local annotated checklists.Authors wishing to have JohnH. Buckalew material martins included should send an abstract or reprint to Charles R. Brown, Box 1309, Austin College,Sherman,Texas75090. Ed. Note: Wolcottis 200milesNW of New Ringold. Cowbirds Nest site tenacity of a Scarlet Tanager On 15 May 1977I capturedan AHY F Scarlet Tanager (Pir•nga Olivacea) with a large brood patch, at a banding station in the Ramapo Mountainsof New Jersey.The bird was taken to a location0.2mi. from the siteof capturefor banding and recording. After banding,the bird accidentallyescaped(we usually return birds to the trapping site for releasel.I notedthat it flew up and over the cabin in the generaldirectionof the trappingsite.Fifteen minuteslater the bird wasfound againin the same net of the originalcapture. The tanagerwas very docile and did not bite as forcefullyas the othertanagerscaptured. Two Wood Thrushes and a Hermit Thrush with broodpatcheswere observedin the samearea, but the tanagerappearednot to notice them. It was somewhatsurprisingto find these speciesin so closea proximity to one another. Frederick S. Schaeffer Editors' note In the last issueof NABB (Vol. 2, No. 4, pg. 164), pleasenotethat the exerptfrom Bird Bandingwas reprintedwith thekindpermissionof theEditorof thatjournal. Jan.-Mar. 1978 Requestfor informationon cowbirdnestlings-I am studyinggeographical variationin the gape colorationof nestlingBrown-headedand Bronzed Cowbirds.In somelocalitiesthe rictal flangesand tomiaare yellow, in other areasthey are white. A preliminaryreporton thisstudywill appearearly in 1978 in The Auk. Since more information is needed.I would greatly appreciatereceivingthe followingtypesof data from any location:colorationof the rictal flanges,tomia,mouthinterior and eye-lidsof cowbirdand hostnestlings(if the latter are presentI, host species,precise locality data, and date. The information on coloration is best if based on observationsof live nestlings; however colored photographsare alsovaluable.My studieswould benefitif I had the opportunityto personallyinspectcoloredphotosbut thisis not a necessity. Most nestlingswill probably have rictal flanges and tomia that can be describedas clearly yellow or clearlywhite,but if youwishto reportdatawith greateraccuracy,and especiallyif the colorseems intermediate, the nestling cowbird can be compared againsta colorstandard.Page250and251in Birdsof North America by Robbinset al. showthe headsof warblersandpresentnumerousshadesof yellow.Theseshadesof yellow (or othersappearing in Robbins)can be matchedwith thoseof live nestlings.-- StephenI. Rothstein,Departmentof BiologicalSciences,Universityof California,Santa Barbara, CA. 93106. North American Bird Bander Page27 The humanside of bird banding Thisletter waswritten by a PeaceCorpsVolunteer in the Philippinesto H. Elliott McClure (now of Camarillo,CA). Dr. McClure was in chargeof the Migratory Animal Pathological Survey in Southeast Asia at the time. The bird mentioned "string"about1/2of an inch apart.This set-up,on thepeak of a mountain,is stoodup andheld in the shapeof a "V", the point to the ground.The net is heldby a person,who,hishandplaced4 feet up thepoles,either squatsor sits,waitingfor a bird to fly into the net.To attractthe birds,to fly to and hopefullyinto the net, a Petromax(a pressurized kerosenelamp)is placedontheground,a few feet to the right and behind the man holdingthe net. was a Brown Shrike (Laniuscristatus)bandedthe previous September as it crossedTaiwan on its way from China to Luzon. 30 September1967 ' Sagada,Philippines The net, soit is believed,mustbe facingWest.The Dear Sir: environmental conditions must also be correct: Your'bird, number45324,showedup in Sagada and haplessly(for it) flew into a net setup for ex- actlythatpurpose: catching birds. $agadaislocatedapproximately 200milesNorthof Manila (approximately 17ø Lat.,121ø Longitude) and sitsat an elevation of 5,000feet. The bird, however,was caughton a mountainpeak,a short walk from Sagada(mostlystraightup), and perhapsanother1,000feet in elevationhigherthan $agada. Becauseof its elevation,Sagada(andthe restof the MountainProvince)hasa quasitemperateclimate. AndthePinetreedominates itsclimaxcommunity. Quite differentfrom the rest of the Philippines. From what I can gather,the people of Sagada,as well as the restof MountainProvince(Igorors), havebeengoingup on the mountainpeaksto net birds for as longas anyonecan remember.The fellow who I gobird-nettingwith inheritedhis net from his grandfather,who wove the net many yearsagousingthebark of a specialtree.In times past,birds caughtwere an importantsourceof meat to the community;now, however,I believe it is mostlydonefor sport,althoughthe birdsnetted are eatenasnumber44324will probablybe. (45324 is now alive,but it cannot fly due to its collision with the net and the subsequentstrugglethat ensued,betweenman andbird. We will attemptto nurseit back to health and get it off the ground again-- althoughit is quite doubtfulthatwe will be successful. If the bird doesfly again,we will sendit backto HongKong;if it doesn't,we will eat it.) Perhapsyouwill find the methodsusedby the Igororsto net birdsinteresting.The net, about10 feetwide, taperingdownfromabout10feet at the top to about3 feet at the bottom,is stretchedon andattachedto twobamboopoleswhichare about 14 feet in height.The net is madeof twistedbark Page28 nettingof birdsis onlydoneat night;it mustbe a cloudynight,with thecloudslow enoughto sweep over the peakswhere the nettingis done.It is best if the cloudsare blowingfrom Eastto West,thus sweepingfrom behind,over,and away from the directionthenet is facing.There are usuallybirds in the Eastwind; althoughthereare, sotheysay, birdless,Eastwind clouds.Sometimes,but rarely, thereare birdsfoundin cloudsgoingin other directions,but theremustbe cloudspresent.If there are no clouds, there will be no birds. I went up lastnightto try my luck;freezingon the mountain top,I waited for cloudsfrom 8pm until 4am (theseare the usual timesfor netting),but during this time no cloudsblew by; I caughtno birds. The birdsthat the peoplecatchmustmostlybe migratoryones,becausetheyjustnet duringa part of the year: from the middle of Septemberto the last of December.45324was caughtthe 27thof September. We, here, supposethatyouare studyingthe migrationof thesebirds,but in a way thisseemsa little illogical(tome, anyway),becausewho would ever catch these birds in the courseof their flight?Of course,youwere rightin thiscase,but it seemslike Igororscatchingthesebirdsto eat wouldbe the exception-- mostpeopleswould not bother (the birds are so small!),and if one doesn'tcatchthem he certainlycouldn'tread your addresson the band.Or are youstudyingthe totaltime elapsed that the birds take to get back to HongKongafter 1/6aving? We wouldbe very interestedin and appreciate anyinformationthatyoucangiveusaboutnumber 45324and itskind.And anyhelp we couldgiveyou, we will gladlydo so. NorthAmerican BirdBander Sincerely, P.D. Peace Corps Vol.3,No.1