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Richard C. Banks

Publications and source records attributed to Richard C. Banks.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
USGS1979

Human related mortality of birds in the United States

Modern man serves as both a direct and an indirect cause of the death of birds. In the early 1970's, human activity was responsible for the death of approximately 196 million birds per year, or about 1.9% of the wild birds of the continental United States that died each year. Hunting was the largest direct mortality factor and accounted for about 61% of human related bird deaths. Control or prevention of avian depredations took about 1% of the total, and all research and propagation about 0.5%. Collision with man-made objects was the greatest indirect human cause of avian deaths. accounting for about 32% of the human related deaths. Pollution and poisoning caused the death of about 2% of the total. A relatively few species account for most of this mortality but continue to maintain large, harvestable populations, suggesting that the numbers of most bird species are essentially unaffected by the human activities discussed. Other activities of man that do not necessarily result in the death of birds but rather reduce reproductive potential are more likely to have long-term effects on avian populations.

Special Scientific Report - Wildlife↗
USGS1978

Prealternate molt in nuthatches

Nuthatches of the genus Sitta constitute one of the passerine groups in which prealternate (prenuptial) molt is generally believed not to occur. Dwight (1900: 298) discussed this genus with the family Paridae and stated: "All the members of this family have only the annual moult. They are peculiar in assuming a juvenal plumage closely resembling the pale nuptial plumage which results from extreme fading of the winter dress." Witherby (in Witherby et al. 1938: 244) remarked that in S. europaea the summer plumage is attained by abrasion rather than by molt. Following Dwight's analysis, Bent (1948) recorded that the prenuptial molt did not occur in S. carolinensis or S. canadensis . Although Norris (1958: 246) found several females of S. pygmaea that were replacing feathers in the nuchal region in March and April, he regarded this as a regrowth of feathers lost in social interactions rather than as prealternate molt; the replacement of contour feathers "over nearly every part of the body" in early April by one female of that species was considered to be "an aberrant instance of prenuptial molt." Norris (op. cit.) stated categorically that "There is no prenuptial molt in Sitta pusilla ." For most species in the genus, however, I have been unable to find any statement, even a negative one, concerning the occurrence of this molt. On the other hand, there is a partial prealternate molt in the seasonally dimorphic Tichodroma muraria , usually considered a member of the family Sittidae but in a different subfamily.

The Auk↗
USGS1978

Nomenclature of the black-bellied whistling-duck

There are two distinguishable subspecies of the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, one in South America to eastern Panama and one from western Panama through Central America to the southernmost United States. The type locality of the species is the West Indies, but there is little evidence that birds from that area are anything but vagrants or birds imported from South America. All records of this species in the West Indies are attributable to the subspecies that occurs naturally in South America. The plate and description on which the name of the species is based seem to be of the South American form. It thus becomes clear that the South American and West Indian populations of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck must bear the name Dendrocygna autumnalis autumnalis (Linnaeus) 1758 and that Dendrocygna discolor Sclater and Salvin 1873 is a junior synonym. The earliest available name for the birds north of Panama is D. a. fulgens Friedmann 1947, of which D. a. lucida Friedmann 1947 is a synonym.

The Auk↗
USGS1976

[Book review] American sportsmen and the origins of conservation

The relationship of this book to ornithology is so indirect that the work barely merits a review on these pages. In a rather subtle way, however, the book may have a considerable effect on at least one aspect of ornithology, that involving scientific collecting. In essence, the volume is an entry in the hunting versus antihunting controversy, by a historian who is a sportsman. A challenge to antihunting preservationists, the premise is that sportsmen (those who hunt and fish for pleasure rather than for food or profit), and not preservationists, were the founders of conservation concepts in the United States. The implied conclusion is that modern hunting and fishing are valid, conservation- oriented activities. The proof of the thesis depends on demonstrating that those persons who led the conservation movement were in fact sportsmen, as defined, rather than fitting any other categorization, and that only those who fit the definition were effective. The method is to detail both the sporting proclivities and conservation efforts of leaders in the movement and to ignore or belittle other activities of those persons and other persons not considered sportsmen. Although effective in making a point, the technique suffers from the difficulties inherent in any one-character classification.

The Auk↗
USGS1976

Bird collections in the United States and Canada: Addenda and corrigenda

Since publication of our report on the avian collections in the United States and Canada (Banks, Clench, and Barlow 1973, Auk 90: 136- 170) several changes and additions have come to our attention. In some cases, recent curatorial work has resulted in more accurate counts to replace previous estimates. Other collections have grown markedly in the last few years. Some important private or institutional collections have been transferred to other jurisdictions. Finally, we have received a few completely new reports from collections that were unknown to us or that were unresponsive to our original requests for information.

The Auk↗
USGS1976

Extation

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Science↗
USGS1976

Wildlife importation into the United States, 1900-1972

Data from Bureau of Biological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports show an overall increase in the number of birds and mammals imported from 1900 to 1972. The trend was interrupted by World War I, the economic depression of the 1930's, and World War II. Data are lacking for the years after World War II until 1968. Until 1942, domesticated canaries and a few species of game birds made up most of the avian imports; the shell parakeet or budgerigar was the most commonly imported parrot. Although the total number ofbirds imported 1968-72 was-not greatly different from the pre-depression years, the proportion of canaries, game species, and parakeets declined greatly and the variety and number of cage birds including other parrot species greatly increased. Until 1930 most mammals imported were for laboratory use or fur farming. After 1930 the number of imported mammals increased with the growing importance of primates, especially rhesus macaques, in research. Since 1968 the number of mammals irnported annually has been at least 5 times greater than the previous peak of 1938, and primates have made up 87% of mammalian imports. Information on reptiles and amphibians imported into the United States is available only for 1970 and 1971. Turtles were the most commonly imported reptiles, frogs and toads the most commonly imported amphibians.

Special Scientific Report - Wildlife↗