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Thought Police
British Birds May 2016
The May 2016 issue of British Birds is now out.
BB eye
Birds, discards and decision-making, by John Casey
Important Bird Areas: The Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands, in the western Caribbean, is a UK Overseas Territory. Three main islands support a wide range of birds, with 17 endemic races of breeding landbird. The Grand Cayman Thrush, currently treated as the only endemic bird species, was last seen in 1938, but a taxonomic reshuffle may mean that ‘Taylor’s Bullfinch’, which occurs only on Grand Cayman, is treated as full species.
Common Buzzard nests, nest trees and prey remains
Detailed records of 108 Common Buzzard nests were kept during 1997–2004 as part of a long-term study of the species in Avon. Various aspects of the nests were measured, including size and supporting structure, height above ground, and height and species of tree.
Behavioural thermoregulation in the Common Swift during flight
For the Common Swift, which spends most of its life on the wing, thermoregulation in flight is crucial. For the first time, evaporative and non-evaporative thermoregulatory behaviour, chiefly trailing the legs but also gaping, were observed in flight; these are described and illustrated.
Sexual dimorphism of acoustic signals in the Common Swift
The typical screaming calls of the Common Swift include a scream followed by a trill. This study found that the trill part of the screaming call is a reliable indicator of a bird’s sex.
Obituary
Martin Garner
Notes
Prey-attracting behaviour by Little Egret
Red Kites and Common Buzzard following the hay harvest
Unusual Dunnock song
Book reviews, recent reports and news & comment complete the May issue.
For more details, and to see a recent issue of the magazine, visit our website at www.britishbirds.co.uk
The May 2016 issue of British Birds is now out.
BB eye
Birds, discards and decision-making, by John Casey
Important Bird Areas: The Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands, in the western Caribbean, is a UK Overseas Territory. Three main islands support a wide range of birds, with 17 endemic races of breeding landbird. The Grand Cayman Thrush, currently treated as the only endemic bird species, was last seen in 1938, but a taxonomic reshuffle may mean that ‘Taylor’s Bullfinch’, which occurs only on Grand Cayman, is treated as full species.
Common Buzzard nests, nest trees and prey remains
Detailed records of 108 Common Buzzard nests were kept during 1997–2004 as part of a long-term study of the species in Avon. Various aspects of the nests were measured, including size and supporting structure, height above ground, and height and species of tree.
Behavioural thermoregulation in the Common Swift during flight
For the Common Swift, which spends most of its life on the wing, thermoregulation in flight is crucial. For the first time, evaporative and non-evaporative thermoregulatory behaviour, chiefly trailing the legs but also gaping, were observed in flight; these are described and illustrated.
Sexual dimorphism of acoustic signals in the Common Swift
The typical screaming calls of the Common Swift include a scream followed by a trill. This study found that the trill part of the screaming call is a reliable indicator of a bird’s sex.
Obituary
Martin Garner
Notes
Prey-attracting behaviour by Little Egret
Red Kites and Common Buzzard following the hay harvest
Unusual Dunnock song
Book reviews, recent reports and news & comment complete the May issue.
For more details, and to see a recent issue of the magazine, visit our website at www.britishbirds.co.uk
