KILBUCK AND AHKLUN MOUNTAIN BIRDS 



125 



grassy flats on Round Island. Densities were low in all areas, and less 

 than one pair per square kilometer was found in suitable habitat at the 

 Tuluksak River. 



Birds foraged for insects on sea cliffs and among algae in the rocky 

 intertidal areas, and they were frequently seen eating seeds in terrestrial 

 habitats. Adults fed persistent, begging young at Cape Peirce beginning 

 on 15 July 1970. 



Pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator). Upr. Specimen: 

 RMS1962/36/52. 



We found grosbeaks only in the Kilbuck Mountains. They occurred 

 at the Salmon River (C. Awe, personal communication), we saw them 

 at the Aniak River, and one was seen at the Kwethluk River (17 July 1975; 

 M. Brown et al., unpublished). Grosbeaks nested at the Tuluksak River 

 each summer except 1979, when none were seen. We found 2. 9 pairs 

 per square kilometer in undisturbed and none in disturbed riparian 

 habitats in 1983- Territorial birds were in tall open spruce forest on ter- 

 races and lower hillsides, and birds foraged during summer primarily in 

 tall shrub or young deciduous woods in the valley floors (75-300 m asl). 

 In fall and early winter, birds foraged mainly in riparian tall willow and 

 young poplar (75-225 m asl), especially on balsam poplar buds. 



At the Tuluksak River, adult males were singing on 7 June 1974, a 

 male carried food on 22 July 1962, and adults were commonly giving 

 "anxiety" calls after 9 July 1971 and 1987, 7 July 1976, 18 July 1978, and 

 20 June 1983. The start of anxiety calling was associated with food-gath- 

 ering flights to valley floor formations and presumably with feeding 

 young. This suggests breeding and feeding habitats more distinct than 

 those suggested by Newton (1972) and Erskine (1977). 



White- winged crossbiU (Loxia leucoptera), Rpr?, Uv, Uwr (11 

 July-5 November). Specimen: RMS 1974/ 119/140. 



We found crossbills only in the Kilbuck Mountains at the Salmon 

 and Tuluksak rivers where they probably nested, but they were found 

 only from late summer and during most falls and winters. One to >15 

 birds per day were seen at the Kwethluk River on 2 1-23 and 26-27 July 

 1985 (M. Brown et al., unpublished). Birds generally used riparian 

 habitats and open and closed spruce forests 75-350 m asl. 



Malessangduringjuly-August in 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1986, and 

 1987; however, no crossbills were found in summer 1952, 1962, 1976, 

 1979, and 1983. An adult female collected on 14 July 1974 had regressing 

 follicles and a refeathering incubation patch. Birds were present each 

 fall beginning in late August and observed into November. Observations 



