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The Journal of the Ontario Field Ornithologists

Volume 13 Number 2 August 1995

OntarioField Ornithologists

Ontario Field Ornithologists is an organization dedicated to the study ofbirdlife in Ontario. It was formed to unify the ever-growing numbers offield ornithologists (birders/birdwatchers) across the province and toprovide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among itsmembers. The Ontario Field Ornithologists officially oversees the activitiesof the Ontario Bird Records Committee (OBRC), publishes a newsletter(OFO News) and a journal (Ontario Birds), hosts field trips throughoutOntario and holds an Annual General Meeting in the autumn.Current President: Gerry Shemilt, 51 Montressor Drive, North York,Ontario M2P 1Z3.

All persons interested in bird study, regardless of their level ofexpertise, are invited to become members of the Ontario FieldOrnithologists. Membership rates can be obtained from the address below.All members receive Ontario Birds and GFO News. Please send membershipinquiries to: Ontario Field Ornithologists, Box 62014, BurlingtonMall Postal Outlet, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4K2.

Ontario BirdsEditors: Bill Crins, Ron Pittaway, Ron Tozer

Editorial Assistance: Jean Iron, Mike TurnerArt Consultant: Chris KerriganDesign/Production: Centennial Printers (Peterborough) Ltd.

The aim of Ontario Birds is to provide a vehicle for documentation of thebirds of Ontario. We encourage the submission of full length articles andshort notes on the status, distribution, identification, and behaviour of birdsin Ontario, as well as location guides to significant Ontario birdwatchingareas, book reviews, and similar material of interest on Ontario birds.

If possible, material submitted for publication should be double-spaced andtypewritten. All submissions are subject to review and editing. Pleasesubmit items for publication to the Editors at the address noted above.

Ontario BirdsVolume 13 Number 2 August 1995

Table of Contents

Letters to the Editors

ArticlesOntario Bird Records Committee Report for 1994

Ron Pittaway

Recognizable FormsMorphs of the Eastern Screech-Owl

Ron Pittaway

NotesEastern Kingbird nesting in a tundra area

Ross D. James and Mark K. Peck

Sharp-shinned Hawk and Common Crowmigration along Georgian Bay

Ken P. Morrison

Book ReviewsA Bird-finding Guide to Ontario

reviewed by Rob Dobos

A Birder's Guide to the Sault Ste. Marie Border Areareviewed by Bill Crins

A Photographic Guide to North American Raptorsreviewed by Ron Pittaway

Photo QuizBob Curry

Cover Illustration: Eastern Screech-Owlby Christine Kerrigan

ISSN 0822-3890

Pages 45-88

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46

66

72

74

77

83

84

87

Letters to the EditorsGyrfalcons and Snowy Owls

Further to Don Shanahan's"Gyrfalcon harassing a Snowy Owl"(Ontario Birds 12: 80-81), Idiscovered the following reference inmy bird literature. Heimo Mikkola(19831 in Owls of Europe reported that"a Gyrfalcon has once, at least, killeda Snowy Owl in Europe", citing thesource as Meinertzhagen (19591 inPirates and Predators: the Piratical andPredatory Habits of Birds.

Jim ForrestBarrie, Ontario

Thrush Quiz OpinionI am writing to comment on theCatharus thrush pictured as the QuizBird in the April 1994 Ontario Birds(12: 401 and the solution in the nextissue (12: 83-841. The identificationwas left as uncertain, betweenHermit and Swainson's Thrush, andrightly so. The identification ofCatharus thrushes is moreproblematic than most birders realizeor acknowledge, particularly whenone considers the range ofgeographical variation.

My experience with several formsof Veery, Swainson' s and HermitThrush is that the facial markings arediagnostic and consistent. I won't talkabout the Veery as Bob Curryconvincingly eliminated that species.Swainson's Thrush has dark lores anda buff supraloral stripe, whichconnects with the similarly colouredeye ring. The Hermit Thrush haspaler lores, and a buff or greysupraloral stripe which usually doesnot connect with the contrastingly

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paler eye ring. As well, the eye ringon a Hermit Thrush is thinner and"crisper" than that of the Swainson'sThrush, particularly along the lowereye lid. The eye ring on theSwainson's is wider, but "fuzzier" atthe edges than the neat eye ring ofthe Hermit.

The photo shows a bird with acrisp eye ring that is paler than thepale supraloral stripe. This stripe isalso not fully connected to the eyering. My opinion is that the quiz birdis a Hermit Thrush, not a Swainson'sThrush.

Alvaro JaramilloBurnaby, British Columbia

Pileated Eating DogwoodI was interested to read the note byJean Iron and Ron Pittaway on aPileated Woodpecker observed eatingRed-osier Dogwood berries (OntarioBirds 13: 28-29), and wish to addthree similar observations.

I received three different reportsof Pileated Woodpeckers eatingdogwood berries between 9 and 23September 1990, in the Thunder Bayarea. Several features of thesesightings are similar, including theoccurrence of this feeding activity inbackyards and at cottages, rather thanin the deep forest. As with thesighting described in the note, thebirds appeared quite tame andpreoccupied; one observer thoughtthe bird appeared "drunk".

Nick EscottThunder Bay, Ontario

VOLUME 13 NUMBER 2