KUBUCK AND AHKLUN MOUNTAIN BIRDS 



99 



Klicka, unpublished). To the best of our knowledge, all swallows were 

 red-bellied (H. r. etythrogastef), except for a white-bellied, presumably 

 Old World, bird seen at Cape Peirce by MHD on 24 June 1973. 



Gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis}, Apr. 



Gray jays were conspicuous residents of the Kilbuck and Ahklun 

 mountains. They nested at the Salmon, Tuluksak G)NW photo), and 

 Goodnews (B. Huffmon, personal communication) rivers. They were a 

 common nesting bird in the Nyac area (Mindell 1983); they were found 

 in all riparian census plots in 1983, but no reliable estimates of numbers 

 were possible. Jays probably nested at the Kisaralik River and were seen 

 there 21 June 1987 (B. J. McCaffery, personal communication) and 

 21-27 August 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished). They were seen in 

 summer at the Togiak River (this study), at the Kwethluk River on 

 13-27 July 1985 (M. Brown et al, unpublished), at the Eek River (R. Bax- 

 ter, unpublished), and at Kagati Lake (M. J. Fry, unpublished). 



Birds used riparian habitats in July- August and occasionally used tall 

 shrub habitats to 450 m asl. At the Tuluksak River, recently fledged 

 young were evident by 4 June 1962, 28 May- 5 June 1974, and 3 June 

 1983. Young were first indep>endent on 22 June 1974, and some were 

 still fed by adults to 6 July 1 974. Birds were still abundant on 9 November 

 1979 and seen there throughout most winters (C. Awe and J. Bloom- 

 quist, personal communication). 



Black-billed magpie (Pica pica}. Rsr. 



We are uncertain as to the status of this species, possibly because 

 of its seasonal aititudinal movements (e.g., Williamson and Peyton 

 1962). It was reported by local residents to occur annually at the 

 Tuluksak River. We saw one bird on 28 July 1979 at the Kisaralik River, 

 M. Brown et al. (unpublished) saw 6-15 birds on 19 August 1985, and 

 Mindell (1983) and B.J. McCaffery (personal communication) also found 

 nesting magpies there. Birds were seen at the Eek River on 7 August 

 1976 (R. Baxter, unpublished). Magpies were seen at the Kanektok River 

 on 5-6 August 1973 G- L. Hout, personal communication) and nested 

 there in June 1977 (three nests; White and Boyce 1978). We saw several 

 single magpies and 2 flocks (4 and 10 birds) at Cape Peirce between 21 

 and 27 September 1973, a juvenile at Security Cove on 23 September 

 1 972 , and birds at the Togiak River on 5 and 6 August 1 973 . P. D. Ameson 

 and D. B. McDonald (personal communication) saw a magpie at Hage- 

 meister Island on 9 July 1977 and suspected that they nested there. 



