Birds Of The Lahontan Valley: A Guide To Nevada'S Wetland Oasis

by Graham Chisholm, Larry A. Neel

Overview

Deep in the expanse of the Great Basin desert, in one of the warmest and driest basins in northern Nevada, lies a wetland oasis that is home to more than 290 species of resident and migratory birds. The Lahontan Valley wetlands, including Stillwater Marsh and Carson Lake, contain the remnants of a Pleistocene lake that once covered much of western and northern Nevada. Birds of the Lahontan Valleyis a major contribution to the study of natural history in the Great Basin. Authors Graham Chisholm and Larry A. Neel provide a comprehensive discussion of the geologic history of the area; the intricate relationships between climate, soil, vegetation, and local fauna; and the impact of humankind, from the ancient Paiute people to the farmers and ranchers of today. The book's greatest significance, however, lies in its detailed account of the bird species sighted in the Lahontan Valley. Enhanced by 56 line drawings by ornithological artist Mimi Hoppe Wolf, maps, color photographs of habitats and their related bird species, and directions to bird-viewing sites, this work is an essential resource for birders, naturalists, conservationists, and anyone interested in the outdoors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874174793
Publisher:	University of Nevada Press
Publication date:	11/01/2001
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

A birder since childhood, Graham Chisholm now lives in Berkeley, California, with his family and is the director of conservation for Audubon California. In his role as cofounder and first director for the Great Basin Bird Observatory (GBBO), Chisholm helped build the partnerships to get the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Nevada under way. Previously Graham served as an aide in the U.S. Senate and worked extensively on land and water conservation issues in the West while serving as director of both the Nevada and California programs for The Nature Conservancy. He coauthored with Larry Neel The Birds of the Lahontan Valley.

Larry A. Neel is a Staff Biologist in the Wildlife Diversity Bureau of the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Neel has been involved in a diverse array of wildlife conservation planning efforts. He served as chief editor of the Nevada Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan, and most recently served as project leader for the drafting of the Nevada Wildlife Action Plan, a plan submitted to Congress describing the statewide conservation needs of all wildlife in Nevada.

Table of Contents

	List of Illustrations	xi
	Acknowledgments	xiii
	Introduction	xv
1.	The Lahontan Valley
	Geographic Scope	3
	Climate	3
	Geologic History	5
	Vegetation	6
	The End of the Pleistocene	8
	Ten Thousand Years Ago	10
	Wetlands	12
	The Cattail-Eaters	14
	The Newlands Project and Its Impact on the Wetlands	15
	Restoring the Wetlands	18
	Wetland Contamination from Mining and Agriculture	18
	Great Basin Wetlands: Definitions and Key Biological Components	19
	Lahontan Valley Wetlands: A Great Basin Oasis	21
	Naturalists and Ornithologists in the Lahontan Valley	22
	Changing Seasons	25
	The Database	27
	Sources	28
	Notes	30
2.	Species Accounts
	Loons	33
	Grebes	34
	Pelicans	38
	Cormorants	39
	Bitterns and Herons	40
	Ibises	48
	Storks	49
	American Vultures	50
	Swans, Geese, and Ducks	50
	Osprey, Eagles, Hawks, and Allies	66
	Falcons	74
	Turkeys and Pheasants	77
	Quails	78
	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	78
	Cranes	81
	Plovers	81
	Stilts and Avocets	85
	Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies	87
	Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns	101
	Murrelets	110
	Pigeons and Doves	110
	Cuckoos	111
	Barn Owls	113
	Typical Owls	113
	Goatsuckers (Nightjars)	117
	Swifts	117
	Hummingbirds	118
	Kingfishers	120
	Woodpeckers	120
	Tyrant Flycatchers	124
	Shrikes	130
	Vireos	131
	Jays, Magpies, and Crows	132
	Larks	135
	Swallows	136
	Titmice	138
	Bushtits	139
	Nuthatches	139
	Creepers	140
	Wrens	140
	Dippers	144
	Kinglets	144
	Gnatcatchers	145
	Solitaires, Thrushes, and Allies	145
	Mockingbird, Thrashers, and Allies	148
	Starlings	150
	Wagtails and Pipits	150
	Waxwings	151
	Silky Flycatchers	151
	Wood-Warblers	152
	Tanagers	160
	Towhees, Sparrows, Juncos, and Longspurs	161
	Grosbeaks and Buntings	170
	Blackbirds, Orioles, and Allies	173
	Cardueline Finches and Allies	179
	Old World Sparrows	183
	Hypothetical, Escapees, and Failed Introductions	184
3.	Bird Sites in the Lahontan Valley
	Carson Lake	189
	Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge	193
	Indian Lakes	196
	Timber Lake and Lower Carson River	196
	Soda Lakes	197
	Carson River Diversion Dam	198
	S-Line Reservoir	199
	Harmon Reservoir	200
	Fallon Naval Air Station Nature Trail	200
	Beach/Macari Road Area	201
	Lahontan Reservoir	201
	Appendix I
Table 1.	Colony-Nesting Wading Birds in the Lahontan Valley, 1986-1999	205
Table 2.	Shorebird Counts--April 1989-1999	206
Table 3.	Shorebird Counts--August 1989-1998	208
	Appendix 2
	Fallon Christmas Bird Counts, 1985-1999	213
	Bibliography	221
	Index	225

Editorial Reviews

" . . . this is a handsome and useful book, a model for regional bird studies." -Faultline


"If you bird the Great Basin, or are contemplating doing so in the future, you should own Birds of the Lahontan Valley. Well-written, informative, and authoritative, it is a book you will consult time and again as you explore the area's surprising wetlands." -Western Birds


"For bird-watching residents of the state, this book is a must. It is also indispensable for visitors and collectors of distributional information. It is seductive as well. If you are one of those bird watchers who has always thought of Nevada as the state you cross quickly going to or from California, it is likely to cause you to detour.” -Bird Watcher's Digest

From the Publisher