KILBUCK AND AHKLUN MOUNTAIN BIRDS 



105 



Gray-cheeked thrushes used almost all low shrub to closed forest 

 habitats to 600 m asl. At the Tuluksak River in 1983, we found 37 pairs 

 per square kilometer in disturbed and undisturbed riparian habitats. Four 

 nests were 0.3-2 m above the ground or water and in willow or birch in 

 riparian shrub. At the Tuluksak River, one bird was laying eggs on 1 1 June 

 and another incubating three eggs on 22 June 1962; one nest had four 

 small young on 24 June 1974; and another had three newly hatched 

 young on 1 July 1978. Adults carried food from mid-June 1962 and 25 

 June 1974, and young fledged from 26 June 1978 and 20 June 1983. One 

 bird at Goodnews was laying eggs on 1 6 June 1974. 



Swainson's thrush {Catharus ustulatus), Csr (28 May-25 August). 

 Specimen: RMS 1962/36/39. 



This thrush was found in most locations, nested at the Salmon and 

 Tuluksak (DNW photo) rivers, may have nested at the Kisaralik River, and 

 probably nested at Goodnews and Chagvan bays. They were common in 

 the Nyac area on 15 July 1980 (Mindell 1983). Information on habitat and 

 chronology is primarily from the Tuluksak River. Pairs were abundant 

 there in 1962, common in 1974, 1978, 1979, and 1981, and uncommon 

 to rare in 1977, 1983 and 1986. We found 2.9 pairs per square kilometer 

 in undisturbed riparian plots and none in disturbed plots. They used most 

 mature broadleaf or mixed woodlands to 330 m asl and were less often 

 in riparian taU shrub and secondary riparian woodland. Two nests were 

 0.5-2 m above the ground in main forks of tall shrubs. In 1962, a nest 

 had four smaU young in it on 25 June, and fledged young were widespread 

 in early July; in 1974, one nest had three eggs on 22 June, and young flew 

 from another on 1 July. Singing postbreeding birds were heard from 30 

 July, and birds were present into the last week of August. 



Hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus), Usr (3 June-31 July). Speci- 

 men: RMS1974/1 19/08. 



Hermit thrushes were found in interior portions of the study area 

 and on the coast. We found nesting birds at the Salmon and Tuluksak 

 rivers and near Goodnews (DNW photo) and probably nesting birds at 

 Cape Peirce. Hermit thrushes were uncommon in the Nyac area on 

 15 July 1980 (Mindell 1983). Birds were seen at the Kisaralik River on 

 21 June 1987 (B. J. McCaffery, personal communication) and 9 and 14 

 August 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished), at the Kwethluk River on 

 11, 20, 23, and 26 July 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished), at the Eek 

 River on 7 August 1976 (R. Baxter, unpublished) and 5 days during 17-29 

 June 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished), at Round Island on 27 June 

 1976 (five birds; R. Macintosh, unpublished), and were "suspected" to 



