JOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGY Formerly BIRD-BANDING

A Journal of Ornithological Investigation

VOL. 53, No. 2 SPRING 1982 PAGES 81--208

J. Field Ornithol., 53(2):81-124

LONGEVITY RECORDS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS: GAVIIDAE THROUGH ALCIDAE

BY ROGER B. CLAPP, M. KATHLEEN KLIMKIEWICZ, AND

JOHN H. KENNARD* A list of longevity records of North American birds was published by

Kennard (1975). This list was compiled by starting with the lists pub- lished by Gill (1945, 1946), reviewing subsequent literature, adding re- ports received in response to requests published in regional banding publications, and using somewhat incomplete data from Rydzewski's (1962, 1963, 1973) lists in The Ring.

Following Kennard's publication, Kennard received a great deal of correspondence giving additional data and correcting entries in the 1975 list and found more information in recent literature. In the mean-

time Clapp searched further into the literature, including all volumes of Bird-Banding, and found original references to records quoted from EBBA News and The Ring as well as some records that had been missed in Kennard's paper. Clapp also searched the August 1978 Recovery Retrieval File, a microfiche list of recoveries in the Bird Banding Lab- oratory (hereafter BBL), and discovered many unpublished longevity records greater than those in the 1975 list as well as a considerable number of longevity records for species not included there. Both Clapp and Klimkiewicz, aided by members of the staffs of the BBL and the Ecology Section of the Denver Wildlife Research Center, verified rec- ords from the literature and the microfiche by checking the original banding schedules and recovery letters. Clapp and Klimkiewicz also searched through subsequent microfiche files so that the records pre- sented here would be as complete as possible, and current through ma- terial processed at the BBL through December 1981.

Originally we had intended to include only corrections or emenda- tions of earlier reports, greater longevity records for species listed in the first paper, or species for which no longevity record was previously given. As we neared completion of the manuscript it became evident that few entries from Kennard's paper would remain unchanged; there- fore, we thought it best to include all species listed in the original paper so that the reader would have easy access to current information on the longevity of all North American and central Pacific species. The records for two species (American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana, and Purple Gallinule, Porphyrula martinica) listed in the original paper proved to be invalid and are not included here. * deceased

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Kennard (1975) used a minimum of 5 years of age as a cut-off for inclusion, but we have arbitrarily included a number of species of lesser age in the supplement for several reasons. In some instances, age rec- ords obtained by personal communication were greater than anything listed in the files of the BBL and it seemed worthwhile to make these

data available. In other instances the age records are for species seldom banded or for which there are very few returns or recoveries in the BBL files. These records are included not only to provide a more com- plete list but also to stimulate banders to check their data for records of greater longevity. We have made no attempt to list longevities for sea- or waterbirds of less than 5 years since such records have little or no significance. For some groups (e.g., shearwaters, shorebirds), the exist- ing longevity data are often more a matter of band longevity than bird longevity.

Data listed in the table of longevities (Table 2) are presented in the general format of the original paper. On the first line of each entry we give the English name, band number, the date banded, the age and sex when banded if known, the bander or agency responsible for the band- ing, and location of banding.

On the second line we list the scientific name, the date recovered, the BBL code describing how the bird was obtained (Table 1), where it was found (if this is different from where it was banded) and the estimated minimum age in years and months. We sometimes also list the person who recovered the bird, but usually do so only when his role in obtaining the data seemed relevant (i.e., a biologist or bander who might reason- ably be expected to be familiar with identification of birds). The esti- mated minimum age is calculated by assuming a hatching date of 1 June. This is not precise for some species that hatch young at other times of year, but we feel that such estimations are of more value than figures for elapsed time between banding and recovery that make no allowance for the age of the bird when it was banded. In a few instances we have emended the estimated minimum age (e.g., Leach's Storm Pe- trel) or noted that a species was actually older than the estimated min- imum age (e.g., Laysan Albatross) based on our knowledge that some birds first breed at more than one year of age or because we recognize that some birds in adult plumage are more than one year old. The number of species covered as well as the variability of breeding seasons from region to region prevented us from making extensive calculations of this nature, but the data presented should allow the reader to make such adjustments as may be necessary in the light of other information.

The third line lists the number of recoveries for the species, the number of birds banded through August 1981 and the source of our data. The designation BBL by itself indicates that the data came from the files of the Bird Banding Laboratory, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland. When other sources (reports in the literature, personal communication) were the primary source of information, the

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TABLE 1. Codes used in list of longevities of North American birds (Table 2).

Codes for inexact date of recovery 99 = Unknown date or month. This replaces

xx in Kennard (1975) 41 = 1st ten days of month 42 = 2nd ten days of month

Codes for age and sex and their verbal equivalents A = Adult

A4Y -- After fourth year AHY = After hatching year ASY = After second year ATY = After third year

Codes for "How Recovered"

00 = Found dead 31 = 01 = Shot

03 = Caught due to injury 33 -- 04 = Caught by or due to trap or snare

other than those for catching birds 07 = Caught by or due to miscellaneous --

birds

09 = Caught by or due to hawks, owls, or 45 = other raptors

12 = Caught by or due to cat 52 = 14 = Struck or struck by motor vehicle 16 = Collected as scientific specimen or for 89 =

scientific study 26 = Caught by or due to entanglement in

fishing gear 97 -- 28 = Caught by hand 99 = 29 = Sight record: identified by color band

or marker other than U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service band

82 = Summer = 1 June 83 = Spring = 1 March 93 = Fall = 1 September 94 = Hunting Season = 1 September

F = Female

HY = Hatching year I = Immature

J = Juvenile L = Local

M = Male

N = Nestling S = Subadult

SY = Second year U = Unknown

Caught by or due to miscellaneous species of animals (pre 1965) nesting in same 10- minute block of latitude and

longitude, or (post 1965) caught or observed at or in nest

Found dead or injured on highway Sight record: band read by telescope or other means Trapped and released by bander in different 10-minute block than

where originally banded Miscellaneous means of recovery Trapped and released by bander in same 10-minute block where

originally banded

BBL designation indicates that the information exists in the files of the BBL. The designation BBL (pt.) indicates that part of the data (usually the banding data) are in the files of the BBL but that other information is not.

This listing departs from the original (Kennard 1975) in several ways. Dates follow the codes of the BBL more strictly than in the first paper, and appear as they would be printed by the BBL computer. Six codes for inexact dates of recovery appear in this paper (Table 1). We equated these codes to certain dates to permit age calculations and picked these dates to minimize error in the estimated minimum age.

The codes for age and sex (Table 1), with the exception of the A4Y age code, are those used by the BBL. "Year" in these codes always refers to the calendar year of hatching. Many of the birds listed were banded

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well before some of these codes (e.g., HY, AHY) came into use, and a number of the earlier codes (e.g., N, I) do not have the same implications as those used currently (e.g., the previously used N and I for the cur- rently used L and HY); therefore, we have listed age and sex as they appear on the original banding schedules or from other sources of in- formation. In a few instances (e.g., Arctic Tern) no schedule was ever submitted and the banding data were obtained by the BBL through correspondence with the bander. We occasionally list age and, more frequently, sex in parentheses. This indicates an age or sex not in the original data that we have added based on information received sub- sequent to the original banding or the present use of the age codes (e.g., U = AHY in January).

The totals for numbers recovered and banded are another departure from the format of the original paper. The first figure listed in paren- theses beneath the scientific name is the number of recoveries in the

BBL files as of August 1981. The second number is a composite figure that indicates the total number banded since the inception of bird band- ing in North America. Because the banding totals on the BBL computer through 1981 are complete only for gamebirds (Anseriformes, Grui- formes, Columbiformes, and two Charadriiformes•American Wood- cock and Common Snipe) we have derived our banding totals for other species from three sources. The first source for non-game birds was the banding totals listed by the BBL computer through August 1981. This figure includes all birds banded since 1955 but not those banded before that year. Our second source was the BBL banding totals through 1953 as given by Van Velzen (1964). The third source was the banding totals in the BBL files for 1954 (Van Velzen 1965). We emphasize that our figures are not exact. Van Velzen's (1964) total included schedules re- ceived through April 1954 that undoubtedly include some totals for 1954. The discrepancy from the true total is probably slight because most schedules are received late in the year. There are also some errors in Van Velzen's list (e.g., Great Frigatebirds were listed as Magnificent Frigatebirds) some of which we have been able to correct. We list no totals for numbers of gallinaceous birds recovered and banded because management of these species is now administered by state game agencies and totals are not available in the BBL.

We give recovery and banding totals for several reasons. First, they help in evaluating the significance of the longevity records. When large numbers of short-lived species have been banded, particularly species not known to remove bands or for which bands may reasonably be expected to outlast the bearer, the longevity given probably represents a close approximation of the maximum longevity that may be expected in the wild. This is particularly true for a number of passerines which will be listed in ensuing parts of this tabulation. For other species where only moderate or small numbers of birds have been banded or re-

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covered, longevities given here are almost certainly not the maximum that may be attained in the wild. For yet other species, such as most of those included here, our longevity records more often constitute a re- port on the "state of the art" both in terms of the amount of work that has been done with each species and in terms of the development of more durable bands for marking these birds.

A second reason for presenting banding and recovery figures is to aid in further research involving banding. Although banding and recovery figures are not strictly comparable, they may allow a fair estimate of the amount of work needed to obtain a given number of recoveries. This would not be true, however, for certain groups (e.g., the seabirds, largely banded by the Smithsonian Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program [POBSP], where a great number of the recoveries were obtained by the program itself) but would likely be helpful for most species. In addition, a quick look through these figures will soon reveal those species that have been least subjected to the kinds of studies for which a marking program is necessary or helpful (e.g., dispersal, breeding biology, ter- ritoriality).

We have usually added one of three symbols before the common name in the list of longevities given below. A # indicates that this is the same bird listed by Kennard (1975). The estimated minimum age for these birds is usually the same as in the earlier paper but some have been changed because of additional data obtained since the first listing or because we discovered a discrepancy in the original data. An * de- notes a bird of greater age than in the original list and two ** indicate a species not listed by Kennard (1975). Nine entries that lack a symbol preceding the English name (e.g., Brown Pelican) are records that re- place entries in Kennard (1975) which upon further examination proved to be invalid. In all 9 instances the longevities of the birds are less than those listed in the earlier paper.

Fifty-four (27.8%) of the records of the 194 species or forms given in the following list are for birds of greater longevity than those listed by Kennard (1975). Another 109 (56.2%) longevity records are for taxa not listed in the original paper. Twenty-two (11.3%) records are the same as those given in the original paper, and the remaining 9 records (4.6%) are birds of lesser age that replace incorrect records in the original paper.

We encourage banders to submit records for avian longevities that exceed those listed here to Clapp and Klimkiewicz at the addresses listed at the end of this paper. We also solicit data on longevity for species not listed here that are older than those listed in Kennard (1975), and we wish to obtain data for species 5 years old or older that are not listed here or by Kennard. This information will be helpful in producing further supplements on the longevity of North American birds.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many individuals cooperated in the preparation of this paper by sup- plying original banding or recovery data. Many contributors of this in- formation are listed in Table 2; we thank these people and all others for their aid. Chandler S. Robbins, Bruce Sorrie, E. F. Martinez, and C. E. Huntington were particularly helpful in supplying data for this part of the supplement. Personnel of the Hawaiian Islands NWR, particu- larly Craig S. Harrison and Maura Naughton, made a special effort to capture and report banded seabirds.

Personnel of the Bird Banding Laboratory, Office of Migratory Bird Management, especially Nancy S. Mullis and Benedict B. Pagac, and the Marine Bird Project, Denver Wildlife Research Center, especially Deb- orah Morgan-Jacobs and Martha B. Hays, were immensely helpful in locating and verifying longevity records at the BBL. We also thank George M. Jonkel, Chief, BBL, for his assistance and encouragement.

Richard C. Banks, George M. Jonkel, Chandler S. Robbins, Richard L. Zusi, Christopher Grue, and Anthony Futcher made valuable com- ments on the manuscript during various stages of its preparation.

LITERATURE CITED

G•LL, G. 1945. Age records of banded birds. EBBA News 8(10):2ß ß 1946. Old age record of banded birds--final list. EBBA News 9(3):3-4.

KENNARD, J. H. 1975. Longevity records of North American birdsß Bird-Banding 46:55- 73.

RYDZEWSKI, W. 1962. Longevity of ringed birdsß Ring 33:147-152. 1963. Longevity records II. Ring 34:177-181. 1973. Longevity records IV. Ring 77:91-96.

VAN VELZEN, W. T. 1964. Tabulations of bandings reported each banding year 1950 to 1953. Bird Banding Notes 5(1):5-18.

ß 1965. Summaries of non-game birds banded from 1954 through 1962. Bird Banding Notes 5(2):3-20.

Museum Section, Denver Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 20560; Bird Banding Laboratory, Office of Migratory Bird Management, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, MD 20708. Re- ceived 6 Jan. 1982; accepted 7 Feb. 1982.