[NatureNS] The bird collection at St. Francis Xavier University - ironies and deficiencies.

From: "Bob Blake" <booby@nbnet.nb.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <CAKqJtz8gztB4S1TeJ299Jd=fxgB3XgYfV5+HNZBPFOp20YZ45w@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2012 23:36:26 -0300
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Hi Randy, I have a Rose Breasted Grosbeak in my freezer, been there a =
couple of years now. Was supposed to go to UNB, but they haven't been =
here for it yet. Interested?? It was a window strike here at our place.

Thanks,

Bob Blake
Second North River
NB E4J 3B8.
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Randy Lauff=20
  To: NatureNS=20
  Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 3:03 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] The bird collection at St. Francis Xavier =
University - ironies and deficiencies.


  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.=20



  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 =
uncommon 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 went).



  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.=20



  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.

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<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Hi Randy, I have&nbsp;a Rose Breasted =
Grosbeak in=20
my freezer, been there a couple of years now. Was supposed to go to UNB, =
but=20
they haven't been here for it yet. Interested?? It was a window strike =
here at=20
our place.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Bob Blake<BR>Second North River<BR>NB E4J 3B8.</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
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PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Drandy.lauff@gmail.com =
href=3D"mailto:randy.lauff@gmail.com">Randy=20
  Lauff</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 07, 2012 =
3:03=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] The bird