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--bcaec54ee3eeeb47aa04c1e5b572 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable All, Firstly, thank you to many people both on and off this list for the donations of bird specimens to the St. Francis Xavier collection over the years. The collection continues to grow and my goal is to have an amalgam of birds which truly represents the province=92s bird diversity. I want to point out that no bird was killed *for* the collection. Hunters have killed ducks for their tables, and I have acquired the skulls from some of these birds. Most birds though are acquired after being killed by cats, cars or windows. If you suspect you can help fill out the collection, please contact me at rlauff@stfx.ca. I am NOT requesting that anyone kill a bird simply to help out. I was looking over the inventory of specimens recently and two things jumped out at me. The first is that I=92ve got almost 130 species of bird represented (about 180 breed in the province), of which all but a few are native species acquired here. The peacock and parrot were both pets and are examples of some of the few which are not wild birds. Of those 130, most are breeders, but some, like the Iceland Gull and Common Redpoll are wintering birds only. There is a bias towards feeder birds (Purple Finch is the #1 window kill) and charismatic birds (members of the general public are more likely to pick up a road-injured hawk than a similarly injured gull). The bottom line is that there are many species still not represented here. A list appears at the bottom of this email. The second thing that jumped out at me relates to the charismatic birds=85there=92s an irony in the StFX collection that is reflected in unco= mmon species being represented, but common ones still, after 20 years collecting, are still not. Some donations were too damaged to incorporate into the collection. Here are some of those ironies: I have a Black Vulture (no, not the one from my place), but no Turkey Vulture. I have no Canada Goose, Mallard, wigeon or Gadwall. I have no scoter, scaup, goldeneye or Bufflehead. But I do have a King Eider! Hunters =96 help! The heads are worth sending me (unless that=92s where the pellets wen= t). I have Sora, coot, moorhen, gallinule...but no Virginia Rail. I have plenty of Yellow-billed Cuckoos, but am missing our breeding Black-billed. Thrushes...I have Swainson's and Hermit. I do not have a Robin !!! (though I am sure there's one in the freezer). I have Blue Grosbeak, but no Bluebird. I have no black blackbirds. That's right...no grackles, Red-wings or Brown-headeds...but I do have two orioles. In addition to those ironic misses, here are some other vacancies in the collection: I have no PB or Horned Grebe; the only Red-neck I have is headless. I have no decent fulmar or shearwater, Wilson's Storm-Petrel. I have almost all the routinely occurring raptors. I could use a Cooper's Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk and Gyrfalcon. I have almost no shorebirds at all (including phalaropes) (exceptions: one Killdeer, several snipe, spotties and woodcock, and one Greater Yellowlegs)= . No terns at all. Moderate on the alcids, but missing Common Murre, Razorbill, Great Auk (just seeing if you're paying attention). Owls - I'm good. People tend to turn these (and other raptors) in to DNR or one of the rehab facilities. I don't have Yellow-bellied Sapsucker or Black-backed Woodpeckers. I have no tanagers. Only Yellow-rumped, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat are represented by more then one specimen for warblers. Most of the rest are not represented. No wrens or GC Kinglet. I have one swallow. Cliff. Flycatchers are almost non-existent in the collection (I have one each of Yellow-bellied and Alder). I have sparrows which routinely show up at feeders, but no Swamp, Sharp-tailed, etc. No Snow Bunting. Birds still in the freezer do not appear in my inventory, so if you=92ve donated something I=92ve listed as missing, rest assured it is likely still there. Please do let me know if you find something that may be of interest. I can be reached at rlauff@stfx.ca. Thank you! Randy _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. --bcaec54ee3eeeb47aa04c1e5b572 Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">All,</font></s= pan></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">=A0</font></sp= an></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">Firstly, thank= you to many people both on and off this list for the donations of bird specimens to the St. Francis Xa= vier collection over the years. The collection continues to grow and my goal is = to have an amalgam of birds which truly represents the province=92s bird diver= sity. I want to point out that no bird was killed *for* the collection. Hunters h= ave killed ducks for their tables, and I have acquired the skulls from some of these birds. Most birds though are acquired after being killed by cats, car= s or windows.</font></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">=A0</font></sp= an></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">If you suspect= you can help fill out the collection, please contact me at <a href=3D"mailto:rlauff@stfx.ca">rlauff@s= tfx.ca</a>. I am NOT requesting that anyone kill a bird simply to help out.= =A0</font></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">=A0</font></sp= an></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">I was looking = over the inventory of specimens recently and two things jumped out=A0at me.</font></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">=A0</font></sp= an></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">The first is t= hat I=92ve got almost 130 species of bird represented (about 180 breed in the province), of which all= but a few are native species acquired here. The peacock and parrot were both pe= ts and are examples of some of the few which are not wild birds. Of those 130, most are breeders, but some, like the Iceland Gull and Common Redpoll are wintering birds only. There is a bias towards feeder birds (Purple Finch is= the #1 window kill) and charismatic birds (members of the general public are mo= re likely to pick up a road-injured hawk than a similarly injured gull). The bottom line is that there are many species still not represented here. A list appears at the bottom of this email.</font></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span lang=3D"EN-CA"><font size=3D"4">=A0</font>&l