Thomas Gardali 
Point Reyes Bird Observatory 

California's Great Central Valley is experiencing rapid transformation; agricultural lands are swiftly being converted to homes and businesses that accommodate our ever-increasing human population.  Simultaneously however, more and more agricultural land is being returned-through active conservation measures - to wetlands, riparian forests, and oak woodlands.  In addition, existing remnants of these same habitats are being purchased and preserved for their ecological, aesthetic, intrinsic, and utilitarian value.  Californians have visionary organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Audubon-California, and the National Wildlife Refuge system to thank for these conservation and restoration efforts. 

Conservation and restoration momentum has significantly increased with the recent formation of various collaborative organizations, such as the Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture and the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture (RHJV).  These organizations bring together state and federal agencies, as well as non-profit groups, to more effectively guide conservation policy and action.  A dizzying number of  state and federal agencies, conservation groups, and private citizens work in the state in a variety of ways, sometimes with different goals, but often with a similar outcome - habitat conservation.  Recogniz-ing that the attainment of a particular goal (e.g., native plant restoration) may also contribute to the goals of other organizations (e.g., anadromous fish restoration) has created a powerful and effective conservation movement in the Central Valley. 

Perhaps most encouraging was the formation of CALFED (visit http://calfed.ca.gov or read "Partnering with CalFed" in Flight Log 7), a state and federal cooperation formalized in 1994 that is committed to finding long-term solutions to ecological problems in the Bay-Delta estuary (including the Central Valley). One primary program objective of CALFED is to improve ecosystem quality - increasing the quantity, diversity and quality of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and to improve ecological functions in the Bay-Delta system to support increased and sustainable populations of diverse and valuable plant and animal species. Already CALFED has granted over $32 million for riparian protection and restoration projects in the Central Valley with expected expenditures of over $ 1 billion in the next 20 to 30 years (see Flight Log 7, summer 1997). 

Rewilding 
Such grand interest and participation in the preservation and healing of the Valley is encouraging.  However, preservation and restoration continues to take place in small pockets scattered throughout the length of the Valley.  These efforts beg the fact that it is time to set bigger goals based on current theory and practice in contemporary conservation science. 

First and foremost, we should continue to rehabilitate areas that have experienced severe environmental damage, preserve existing habitat, and restore lost habitat.  These actions will remain the core elements in our efforts to restore fully functioning ecosystems, helping to fulfill the broader goals of creating bigger core reserves and establishing connections between these reserves.  Ultimately, such habitat restoration and augmentation will help restore those species, known as keystone species,  whose role in ecosystem processes is far-reaching enough that they influence ecosystem function in significant ways. 

These goals, developed and deemed rewilding (a key conservation strategy of the Wildlands Project) by conservation biologists Michael Soulè and Reed Noss have their foundations rooted in the regulatory roles of large predators and other keystone species.  While top predators are most often keystone species, so are other species, such as beavers and cavity-excavating birds.  Essentially, keystone species transform landscapes or provide critical resources. 

How will large interconnected reserves benefit birds whose breeding territories can be as small as a single acre?  "Bigness" and interconnectedness are justified by a wide variety of reasons not exclusive to birds.   Not only do large cores of protected landscape add habitat for breeding, migratory, and wintering birds they also have the potential to become healthy ecosystems through the use of various management and restoration recommendations (e.g., managed flood events). 

Useful ecosystem management information currently exists for many taxa in the Central Valley.  For example, science-based management and restoration recommendations for riparian associated birds are available now thanks to California Partners in Flight and the RHJV (in the Riparian Bird Conservation plan).  Ideally, these large cores of protected landscapes will contain a variety of habitat types:  wetlands that grade into a young willow-dominated forest, that grades into a valley oak stand, that grades into grasslands or oak savanna, and finally into the higher elevations. 

Interconnectedness is also essential because large core reserves may not even be large enough to insure the long-term viability of many birds (as well as far-ranging species and migratory species, such as anadromous fishes).  An excellent example of the need for connectivity exists in the Sacramento Valley today.  Song Sparrows occur as common breeders in the Butte Sink area, corresponding to the bulk of the remaining wetlands.  However, they are increasingly less common, to virtually non-existent, as you move northwest through three national wildlife refuges.  The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge - seemingly sufficient habitat in size and plant community - is located less than 15 miles from the Butte Sink area, yet contains no breeding Song Sparrows. 

Linking Valley habitats 
We need to address the question of where and how to link areas containing healthy habitat.  Granted, these are difficult questions whose answers lie at ecological, economic, and political levels.  Perhaps with the use of GIS, we can overlay historic vegetation maps onto current vegetation coverages and land ownership boundaries and begin to address these questions. 

The most biologically sound conservation requires intrepid planning and implementation.  Ultimately, the benefits of planning a network of quality habitat areas in the Central Valley go beyond the Valley floor.  In such planning, the Valley has the potential to become an important link in a larger chain of habitat protection (California Partners in Flight is already working on habitat based conservation plans for oak woodlands, grasslands, and scrub).  Linking the Valley to upland habitats may have profound positive effects for wildlife conservation in California. 

Agriculture and Conservation 
California agriculture, an integral landscape feature of the Valley, includes such diverse cropping systems as cotton fields, rice paddies, and walnut orchards, to name only a few.  Although there are, and have historically been, many conflicts between agriculture and conservation, the changing face of farming practices is already proving beneficial to wildlife.  Rice and other seasonally flooded fields have been recognized as important staging and wintering habitats for many species of birds. Already conservation groups are teaming up with farmers to devise farming practices that are more bird and wildlife friendly.  In fact, some conservation groups have begun farming themselves and some farmers are becoming restorationists. 

Farming can co-exist and contribute to conservation in the Central Valley in a varietyof ways.  For instance, the preservation and creation of native habitat on farms is one idea currently championed by the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (instructional materials are available from Yolo County Resource District in Woodland, CA) and recognized by conservationists.  This kind of conservation and preservation takes place in the form of planting native hedgerows and revegetating canals and levees, among other activities.  Organic farming, intercropping, and no-till farming are three farming methods in existence that can accommodate and benefit wildlife and biodiversity.  More cooperation, creative thinking, various farm incentives, and scientific research should act in concert to continue making farms more wildlife friendly. 

The Return of Top predators 
The roles of top predators in ecosystems is far-reaching and, it has been argued, their absence from an ecosystem may have profound negative effects felt throughout the entire ecological community.  For example, without large carnivores there may be an increase in numbers of smaller predators (house cats, foxes, raccoons, etc.) which have been documented to lower the breeding productivity of many songbird species which may ultimately lead to population declines.  Indeed, studies of breeding productivity of songbirds conducted by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory in the Central Valley report dismal rates of productivity, primarily due to nest predation for many open-cup nesting birds. 

The Central Valley of California was a vast grassland prairie, where wetlands dominated the lowest areas and huge riparian forests (sometimes 10 miles wide) cut the landscape from end to end.  Most of the Valley graded irregularly into foothill and  oak woodlands of the Coast and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges where grizzly bear, gray wolf, mountain lion, and tule elk once roamed the Valley floor.  Now, with the exception of a few mountain lions straying from the more forested foothills and populations of tule elk confined to fenced paddocks, the Valley has lost its large and important mammals. 

Riparian Symposium 
While good ecological information exists and economic resources are forthcoming, conservationists need to share their knowledge to achieve our goals for California. A symposium, focusing on floodplain management and conservation of California's riparian systems, is the "next step" to further encourage broad-scale conservation planning in California.  Published proceedings of papers presented and submitted by experts throughout the state will provide a concentrated document where land managers can go to obtain current scientific knowledge on a wide variety of taxon and natural processes. 

So take a moment to imagine the song of the Least Bell’s Vireo returning to the Sacramento Valley, or any of the other feats we may accomplish with cooperation and a clear vision.  After all, "The greatest impediment to rewilding is an unwillingness to imagine it." (Soule, M. and R. Noss. 1998. Rewilding and biodiversity:  Complementary goals for continental conservation.  Wild Earth 8:18-28) 

Table of contents. 

Packard, PIF, and the Pacific States 

In September of 1998, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation awarded support to the the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), and the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) for their new Pacific States Conservation initiative.  The objective of this collaborative effort is to complete Partners in Flight bird conservation plans for all the major bird habitats of California, Oregon and Washington.  ABC has hired Bob Altman (alt8bird@aol.com) to spearhead plan development in Oregon and Washington.  Conservation priorities and summaries for OR/WA will be posted at www.gorge.net/ natres/pif.html as they are developed.  PRBO’s Geoff Geupel (ggeupel at prbo dot org), California chair of PIF, is organizing plan development for the habitats of California (see Flight Log 7, Summer 1998).  The California conservation plan information is posted at www.prbo.org.  The goal is to produce draft plans by June 1999. 

The Pacific States Conservation program includes $450,000 of Packard funds to which NFWF will add another $450,000, providing a total of $900,000 in funds to be awarded as matching grants in 1999/2000.  Grant awards will support habitat conservation projects identified through the PIF conservation planning process.  Organizations seeking to implement cutting-edge habitat conservation projects in the Pacific states should contact Greg Elliott, Manager of NFWF’s Western Bird Conservation program, at 415-868-2882 or elliott@nfwf.org for more information.  NFWF grant guidelines are available at the website www.nfwf.org.  Projects will be selected not only according to their ability to effectively conserve and manage habitat, but also their scientific rigor, strategic focus and outreach to key constituencies affected by conservation in their local area.  For project awards in 1999 the deadline for receiving a one- to two-page “pre-proposal” describing potential Pacific States projects is June 15, 1999. 

Table of contents. 

Gregg Elliott 
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and Point Reyes Bird Observatory 

The Riparian Habitat Joint Venture of California announces the release of the draft Riparian Bird Conservation Plan, developed in partnership with key ornithologists, conservation organizations and government agencies throughout the state.  This draft document is now available for public review and comment at the Point Reyes Bird Observatory’s website (www.prbo.org/CalPIF/htmldocs/Riparian.html) or you may contact Lyann Comrack (lcomrack@audubon.org) to receive a copy free of charge.  Comments may be sent directly to Greg Elliott (elliott@nfwf.org).  We are particularly seeking input from land managers. 

The Riparian Plan creates a comprehensive synthesis of state-of-the-art science concerning birds in riparian habitats, offering over 40 specific recommendations for ways in which land use, conservation projects, agricultural lands, and habitat restoration may be most effectively managed to benefit our native avifauna.  It is our hope that these recommendations will be adopted by land managers, restorationists, private landowners and policy makers whenever possible and appropriate. 

The release of the Plan in January 1999 could not have been more timely.  As the Plan was going to press, no less than five major initiatives were underway in California that promise to immensely influence the way in which riparian conservation will be undertaken throughout the early decades of the 21st century.  These programs include the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins Comprehensive Study of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture, the combined programs of the California Biodiversity Council and the Coordinated Resource Management Plan Council, and the SB 1086 Program (which establishes a “meander zone” along the Sacramento River).  These initiatives are complemented by literally scores of projects along specific river systems throughout the state where riparian management to benefit wildlife is emphasized. 

The RHJV was established precisely because riparian areas were recognized as the single most critical habitat for conservation of neotropical migrant and resident birds in California.  Indeed, throughout the arid west riparian ecosystems consistently harbor the most species-rich bird communities.  In addition to productive breeding grounds, riparian habitat provides vital overwintering and migration stopover areas and corridors by which young birds can disperse after fledging.  Not surprisingly, the loss of riparian habitats has been suggested as the most important cause of population decline among landbird species in western North America.  In many places, restoration of habitat remains our single greatest hope for ensuring that future generations will grow up with the same birds in California that we now enjoy. 

Birds are among the easiest and most cost-effective of all wildlife to monitor, helping us to understand the effects of our impacts on the environment.  At over 250 sites throughout California, data on riparian birds have been collected continuously over the past 3 to 30 years.  The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan focuses on a suite of 14 bird species chosen because of their conservation interest and their distribution throughout the full range of riparian habitats in the state. 
Preliminary analysis of the data on these 14 “focal” species reveals the following: 

1) The vast majority (10 out of 14) of these species have suffered reductions in a significant portion of their former breeding range and 7 of 14 are still declining.  Extirpation appears to have resulted primarily from historical loss of riparian habitat. 
2) Where complete elimination of habitat is not enough to explain a species’ decline or absence, loss of habitat structure, heterogeneity, and especially loss of a dense understory or shrub layer appear to be factors. 
3) Current restoration efforts throughout the state aimed at increasing riparian habitat by restoring natural processes (such as high-water events) or managing dam releases to more closely mimic a natural system are good first steps in the direction of restoring our riparian bird populations. 
4) Factors that are significantly affecting bird reproductive success are high levels of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds and high predation rates by both native and non-native predators.  Both factors are heavily influenced by the structure and diversity of riparian vegetation, including landscape factors, such as patterns of surrounding land use. 

Table of contents. 

Gary Grunder 
California Partners for Fish and Wildlife Biologist 

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is, by working with others, to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.  The Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, formerly named the Partners for Wildlife program, helps accomplish this mission by offering technical and financial assistance to private landowners who wish to voluntarily restore wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitats on their land.  The program emphasizes the reestablishment of native vegetation and ecological communities for the benefit of fish and wildlife in cooperation with the needs and desires of private landowners. 

The program was established during 1990 in California, and has primarily focused on the restoration of wetlands, native grasslands, riparian areas, and in-stream aquatic habitats.  To date, in California we have restored more than 54,000 acres of wetlands, approximately 950 acres of upland vegetation (including native grasslands), and about 40 miles of riparian vegetation.  These restored areas now provide important food, cover, and water for migratory birds (e.g. waterfowl, waders, shorebirds, songbirds, and birds of prey), threatened and endangered species, as well as other important species.  Many of our projects are located near existing National Wildlife Refuges, and thus, provide increased benefits to wildlife that rely on these Refuge lands for survival. 

The program provides financial assistance to landowners in the form of cost-share payments.  By partnering on a wildlife project with the Service, the landowner agrees to maintain the project for a minimum of 10 years through a voluntary contractual agreement.  However, the agreement can be for a longer term.  Aside from cost-share payments, other types of assistance available under the program include design and management of restoration projects, dirt moving, reseeding, and advice and information on a variety of restoration issues. 

In addition to partnering with private landowners, the program strives to establish partnerships with a variety of individuals and groups that have similar goals.  Our partners include other Federal agencies, Tribes, state and local governments, conservation organizations, businesses and industries, and school groups.  Partners can assist with any component of the project including contribution to the total costs. 

A typical example of a wetland restoration project may include the use of heavy equipment to reconstruct historical topography of leveled agricultural land, and constructing dikes or levees and installing water control structures to restore the wetland hydrology.  A characteristic riparian restoration might include the installation of livestock control fencing and bank and in-stream reconstruction through bioengineering techniques.  Re-vegetation with native trees and shrubs may require a drip irrigation system to ensure adequate water until riparian vegetation becomes established.  Some of our more exemplary projects have also included the restoration of associated uplands.  These projects incur more management costs, but may also be attractive to a more diverse array of species, especially where these vegetative communities are critically limited.  The removal of invasive, exotic vegetation in these areas often requires a combined approach of controlled burning and herbicide application.  Seeding with native perennial grasses and other vegetation is followed by an aggressive 3 year management regime. 
 

The Rancho Oso Project:  An Example of the USFW's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program  The Rancho Rio Oso project provides an example of a typical partnership.  The landowners wished to convert an 80 acre rice field in the American Basin to a complex of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands and associated uplands.  The landowners, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game formed a partnership.  Heavy equipment dramatically altered the previously laser-leveled rice field.  Rice check dams were removed and interior levees created.  Water control structures were placed to reestablish wetland hydrology, and uplands were seeded with native vegetation.  Thus, a monotypic rice field was converted into valuable wildlife habitat.

The Rancho Oso land while still an active rice field Heavy equipment is brought in to level the area and create new levees With proper management, the area may be converted into valuable wildlife habitat

Table of contents. 

Following the model of the Riparian Bird Conservation Plan, five new plans are being developed by California Partners in Flight:  oak woodlands, cis-montane scrub, grasslands, mixed-conifer, and the region of the Sierra Nevada.  For each plan, species accounts will be written for species representative of each habitat.  Then, plan authors will use that information to develop a series of recommendations to be included in the forthcoming bird conservation plans. 

Conservation priorities identified in this plan could begin benefiting birds immediately:  the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and other agencies intend to use the recommendations to guide their decision process in selecting habitat conservation projects in California over the next few years (see Packard, PIF and the Pacific States, this issue). 

Break-out groups for each habitat are in the process of meeting to discuss the species accounts and habitat conservation issues.  Final drafts of the plans will be out in late June or early July. 

Again we urge everyone to become involved in the process. If you are unable to attend CPIF meetings and have relevant information, please contact Lyann Comrack at lcomrack@audubon.org or Geoff Geupel at ggeupel at prbo dot org.  Updates, including species accounts, meeting minutes, and drafts of the plans will be posted on the CPIF Bird Conservation Plan webpage at http://www.prbo.org/CPIF/Consplan.html. 

Oak woodlands 
Steve Zack,Wildlife Conservation Society/Point Reyes Bird Observatory 
Phone: (530) 533-7338 
Email: SteveZack@msn.com  
Species Accounts 

Acorn Woodpecker (Corinna Lu) 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Diana Humple) 
Lark Sparrow (Will Richardson) 
Oak Titmouse (Moe Flannery) 
Western Bluebird (Mike Lynes) 
Western Scrub-jay (Sue Guers) 
Yellow-billed Magpie (Mark Reynolds)

California Gnatcatcher (Dan Cooper) 
Coastal Cactus Wren (Laszlo Szijj) 
Wrentit (Geoff Geupel) 
Nuttall's White-crowned Sparrow (Nadav Nur) 
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Ron Huffman) 
Black-chinned Sparrow (John Lovio) 
Bell's Sage Sparrow (John Lovio) 
Coastal Lesser Nighthawk (John Lovio) 
Greater Roadrunner (Pete Famolaro) 
(Coastal) Costa's Hummingbird (PRBO) 
Secondary List: 
California Towhee 
Allen's Hummingbird 
Spotted Towhee 
Western Scrub-jay 
Song Sparrow 
Common Yellowthroat 
Bewick's Wren 
California Thrasher 
California Quail

Western Meadowlark (Bob Allen) 
Northern Harrier (Kristi Cripe, DFG) 
Grasshopper Sparrow (Victor Lyon, USFWS) 
Mountain Plover (Kevin Hunting, DFG) 
Ferruginous Hawk (Kevin Hunting, DFG)

The newly created Mixed Conifer Conservation Plan group will hold two meetings in the coming months to establish a focal species list and to classify forest types for inclusion in the plan.  The plan authors strongly encourage interested parties from all regions in California to be involved.  Please contact them for more information. 

Table of contents. 

Kathy Gilbert  
Asst. Director of Bird Conservation, Audubon-California 

The California Important Bird Areas (IBA) program has experienced some changes over the past year.  Audubon-California has strengthened its partnership with American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and we are now working closely together toward our common goal: identifying and protecting California’s IBAs. 

Last year, there was a rush to acquire all the sites in the state for ABC’s publication of National, Continental, and Global IBAs.  This proved to be larger project than anticipated and ABC decided to narrow the publication down to the top 250 Global IBAs in the country.  As a result, work is being done in cooperation with Partners in Flight, Audubon-California, and Audubon chapters, and PRBO, to identify California’s top Global IBAs. 

We are also working to rejuvenate the IBA Technical Committee.  The function of the technical committee is to review nominated sites that do not meet the criteria for National, Continental, or Global status.  Since the focus last year was on sites that did meet the criteria, the technical committee was not applicable. 
Audubon-California is now working on restructuring the technical committee.  One of the changes taking place is the creation of regional committees.  Instead of one large committee reviewing sites across the state, we have come up with 10 geographic regions that will each have a review group.  The regions we came up with are: North Coast, Great Basin, Northern Sierra, Sacramento Valley, Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Southern Sierra, Central Coast, Southern California, and Mojave.  These committees should provide a more effective review of the nominated sites.  We are currently looking for reviewers in these regions.  Please contact Kathy Gilbert at Audubon-California, kgilbert@audubon.org, or (916) 481-5332 if you are interested in participating. 

Currently, there are 39 IBAs in California.  Of these, 23 have been designated Global, 9 are Continental, and 7 are National.  Sixteen sites are waiting to be reviewed by the technical committee.  Nomination forms are being completed for Grasslands Ecological Area in Los Banos and the Spenceville Wildlife Area.  For a complete list of IBAs in California, or for additional information on the IBA Program, contact Kathy Gilbert at the above number, or Bob Barnes, Director of Bird Conservation Programs, bbarnes@lightspeed.net, (760) 378-3044. 

Table of contents. 

Chet Ogan 

On September 13, 1998 the Humboldt Bay Complex was officially accepted as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) site.  The internationally recognized WHSRN network, promoted by Manomet, Inc.  in Massachusetts, has established a series of locations important to breeding, nesting, and migrating shorebirds (Charadriiformes) within the western hemisphere. 

Accepted into the Humboldt Bay Complex are approximately 5000 acres of land currently in refuge status managed by the California Department of Fish and Game and Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  Through the effort of Chet Ogan, Keith Slauson, Paul Springer, and many others, the California Northcoast Chapter of The Wildlife Society and Redwood Region Audubon, with support letters from Pacific Coast Joint Ventures, The Nature Conservancy, and the California Coastal Commission, submitted the nomination paperwork. 

The Humboldt Bay complex has gained recognition as a site of International Importance for the migration stopover and over-wintering site for numerous species of shorebirds.  WHSRN encourages the wise use of shorebird habitat and promotes management policies that meet the  needs of both the birds and the people that depend on the area.  Designation as a WHSRN site recognizes the significance of the habitat but there are no binding formal obligations for landowners who may nominate their land into the network.  There are no costs or legal obligations and participants may withdraw at any time.  Land management remains the prerogative of landowners. 

The Humboldt Bay region contains over 195 square kilometers of mud flats, tidal estuaries, salt and freshwater marsh, waterways, and pasture lands that provide forage and resting areas for over 30 species of shorebirds.  During peak spring and fall migration over 200,000 shorebirds may be present.  Over 15% of the world population of marbled godwits over-winter in the Humboldt Bay area, including virtually the entire population of the Aleutian subspecies (Limosa fedoa beringia) as well as large numbers of western sandpipers and dunlin.  For seven to eight months each year shorebirds can be seen winging and feeding over the wetlands complex for hours on end.  The total number of shorebirds  involved probably numbers greater than one million. 

Future plans include adding additional cooperators such as the Arcata Marsh Project and Jane's Creek addition, Eureka's PALCO Marsh, and Humboldt County park lands. 

Table of contents. 

By Rod Hug 

USFWS and The Trumpeter Swan Society want to document trumpeter swans wintering in California.  This is part of a national survey of trumpeter swans this winter.  The hope is that trumpeters are extending their wintering areas, possibly  the key to continued trumpeter restoration and permanent survival.  Geographical diversity of quality winter habitat is considered the most needed element in the restoration plan.  Winter use of California would be an especially valuable asset to insure long-term survival.  

More than 700 trumpeters hazed from the Yellowstone region this winter can no longer be located by mid-winter aerial surveys. Managers hope that most are still alive and would like to determine where they are wintering.  It is likely that some of these "missing" trumpeters are camouflaged among the routine vast flocks of tundra swans in the western states, including California. 

A few years ago Ruth Shea, president of The Trumpeter Swan Society, her husband Rod, Tracy Albro and Jim Snowden found 20 trumpeter swans in California. The trumpeters were scattered from the Modoc NWR to the Sacramento Delta. 

This year's survey is concentrating on the Delta, Central Valley, and northern parts of Calif.  All of the Audubon chapters in the northern part of the state, including Sacramento, Alcatel, Madrone, Mt. Shasta, Eagle Lake, and Klamath have members watching for Trumpeters.  California Dept. of Water Recourses, Central Valley Bird Club, Dept. of Fish and Game, USFWS people and others are also watching for trumpeters.  Furthermore, Jim Snowden, a retired DFG biologist, has been commissioned by USFWS to survey trumpeter and tundra swans between the Delta and Red Bluff. 

To date four trumpeter sightings have been reported: one at the Cosumnes River Preserve on November 16, 1998 (Mark Ackerman); one in District 10, about 6 miles north of Marysville on December 16, 1998 (Jim Snowden); five in Trinity County on December 30, 1998 (Mike Feighner). 

When observers happen upon a banded swan and manage to record its identification, we can trace the bird’s history.  For example, Bruce Webb reported seeing a banded trumpeter accompanied by a probable trumpeter cygnet about 6 miles North of Sacramento in western Placer County on December 22, 1998.  The adult was wearing a green neckband with white code 93V.  USFWS records show that this swan was banded by Ruth Shea and released on the Bear River, Idaho on 11/7/96.  The swan has subsequently been seen at Camas NWR, northern Idaho (3/11/97), Ennis Lake, southern Montana (3/23/97), and Regina area, Saskatchewan (10/25/97).  Ruth Shea believes that swan 93V is the first banded trumpeter to be seen in California that was not from Summer Lake, Oregon. 

Because of many similarities, trumpeter and tundra swans may difficult to separate from each other.  Trumpeter swans may be distiguished from tundra swans by their voice diagnostic (listen on website http://www.taiga.net/swans/swanid.html), larger size, flat bills, head shape, and facial characteristics (see table below).  Although some of these characteristics are strong hints, none except hearing the call are by themselves diagnostic.  Observers should see several together. 

Table of contents. 

Bird Song Tape 
Bird Songs of Northwestern California, by Ron LeValley, features original recordings of 120 bird species recorded locally. Special emphasis is placed on these species occurring in forested habitats. This tape will be an invaluable aid for surveyors, breeding bird atlasers, and bird enthusiasts living in the Pacific Northwest. Release date was March 15, 1998. Contact Mad River Biologists at (707)822-6393 or email at MadRivrBio@aol.com. 

California Gnatcatcher Symposium Proceedings 
Western Birds vol. 29, no. 4 (1998), is devoted to the proceedings of the California Gnatcatcher symposium (CalGnat '95) held 15-16 September 1995 at UC Riverside.  Papers cover territoriality,  vocalizations, molts, breeding biology, population dynamics, dispersal  patterns, range margins, habitat relationships, energetics, use of restored  habitat, and community relationships.  Single issues of vol. 29(4) are available from Dorothy Myers,  Treasurer, Western Field Ornithologists, 6011 Saddletree Lane, Yorba Linda,  CA 92886 for $20.00 (includes tax and shipping). 

The  Identification Guide to North American Birds, second edition 
 by Peter Pyle is now available.  This edition contains new information on identification, geographic variation, molt, ageing, and sexing landbirds in the hand and in the field.  Over 395 species covered, including sections on near-passerines, owls, woodpeckers, and hummingbirds.  List Price: 34.90 plus shipping, handling, and tax for CA residents.  Discount for multiple purchases. Send orders to Slate Creek Press, PO Box 219, Bolinas, CA 94924 or call (415) 868-1221 ext. 21.  For more ordering information, visit http://www.prbo.org. 

Subscribe to the CPIF Listserver  
CPIF has created a list-server, an electronic mailing list, to facilitate communication among members of the PIF community. To subscribe, send an email message with "Subscribe" in the message section to: listserv@listserv.uark.edu. 

Bird Song Tape 
Bird Songs of Northwestern California, by Ron LeValley, features original recordings of 120 bird species recorded locally. Special emphasis is placed on these species occurring in forested habitats. This tape will be an invaluable aid for surveyors, breeding bird atlasers, and bird enthusiasts living in the Pacific Northwest. Release date was March 15, 1998. Contact Mad River Biologists at (707)822-6393 or email at MadRivrBio@aol.com. 

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Credits 

PIF California Coordinator 
Lyann Comrack 
California Department of Fish & Game 
1416 Ninth Street, Room 1341 
Sacramento, CA 95814 
lcomrack@audubon.org 

PIF California Chair 
Geoff Geupel 
Point Reyes Bird Observatory 
4990 Shoreline Highway 
Stinson Beach CA 94970 
ggeupel at prbo dot org 

Research Chair 
Steve Zack 
Wildlife Conservation Society 
Point Reyes Bird Observatory 
2080 NW Thorncraft Dr. 
Hillsboro, OR 97124 
SteveZack@classic.msn.com 

Monitoring Chair 
Barbara Kus 
San Diego State University 
Department of Biology 
San Diego, CA 92182 
bkus@sunstroke.sd 

Education Co-Chairs 
Beth Huning and Meryl Sundove 
c/o National Audubon Society 
376 Greenwood Beach Road 
Tiburon, CA 94920 

Management Chair 
Diana Craig 
USDA Forest Service 
Pacific SW Region 
1323 Club Dr. 
Vallejo, CA 94592 
 

Design Credits 
Flight Log Number 8, Summer 1999 was edited by Mike Lynes, Grant Ballard, Lyann Comrack and Geoff Geupel. Designed by Grant Ballard and Mike Lynes. Web design by Mike Lynes 

We would like to thank the following sponsors: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Compton Foundation, the Winifred and Harry B. Allen Foundation, Chevron Corporation, and the Shell Oil Company Foundation. 

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