Kevin Winker
Curator of Birds & Professor
University of Alaska Museum (of the North)
907 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775
Email: ffksw@uaf.edu
EDUCATION
Postdoctoral Researcher, Smithsonian Institution, 1992-1997.
Ph.D. Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. University of Minnesota,
1991.
M.S. Zoology. University of Minnesota, 1989.
B.S. Biology. College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota,
1984.
B.A. American Indian Studies. College of Liberal Arts. University
of Minnesota, 1984.
POSITIONS
RESEARCH DIRECTION
I am interested in the patterns and processes of avian evolution at population, subspecies, and species levels, particularly in relation to seasonal migration. I use specimen-based, genetic, and ecological comparative approaches and feel that our understanding of these areas will be advanced most effectively through a combination of field, collection, and laboratory studies. This is an exciting age to be a biologist, and my research amalgamates the best of 19th, 20th, and 21st century methods to ask both classic and novel questions. I actively address the conservation and management implications of this work and attempt to show why it is important to society. In conjunction with curation, my research interests are broader: I have strong interests in collections-based approaches to ecological and environmental issues such as contaminants, stable isotopes, biological responses to climate change, and emerging diseases—especially avian influenza, which I began focusing on in early 1997 (our funding and Alaska fieldwork on avian influenza began in 1998). I like to couple academic and applied research when possible. Prospective students must have a commitment to a specimen-based approach to research questions if they are to gain the most from our core strengths as a university museum.
GRANTS SINCE 1997
MEMBERSHIPS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS
PUBLICATIONS - ANNOTATED
Johnson, A. B., and K. Winker. 2008. Autumn stopover near the Gulf of Honduras by Nearctic-Neotropic migrants. Wilson Journal of Ornithology (in press)The southeastern Yucatan Peninsula hosts high numbers of Nearctic-Neotropic migrants during autumn migration, but its importance has not been addressed. We studied autumn stopover mass gains among passerine migrants in tropical lowland forest 20 km inland from the Gulf of Honduras. Most individuals were carrying some subcutaneous fat. Of 15 taxa studied, 10 showed significant positive diel (24 hr) gains in body condition index. Estimates of net mass gains suggested that they all were depositing fat, and average individuals in four taxa were depositing enough fuel to undertake an entire night of migration after only 1 day of fattening. Our data demonstrate the importance of the region as an autumn stopover site and suggest that stopover areas farther north are also important.
Topp, C. M., and K. Winker. 2008. Genetic patterns of differentiation among five species of landbirds on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. Auk (in press). Using mtDNA, we evaluated four species with phenotypically-described endemic subspecies on QCI for uniqueness, conservation concern, and management (Northern Saw-whet Owl, Aegolius acadicus; Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus; Steller’s Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri; and Pine Grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator). The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens), with no endemic subspecies on QCI, was included for comparison. The four species with endemic phenotypes on QCI had significant genetic divergence from nearby conspecific populations, although variation in divergence times indicated varying colonization histories. Given the corroboration between morphological and genetic evidence for derived populations on QCI, the four endemic subspecies exhibit hallmarks of being evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) and at the least should be considered separate management units (MUs), distinct population segments (DPSs), or designatable units (DUs). This is reflected in existing subspecific nomenclature, which our genetic results support. Our results indicate that QCI has been an important area for the generation of avian diversity below the species level, and that it is an important area for the conservation and management of birds in northwestern North America.
Pruett, C. L., and K. Winker. 2007. The effects of sample size on population genetic diversity estimates in Song Sparrows. Journal of Avian Biology (in press). To empirically determine the effects of sample size on commonly used measures of average genetic diversity, we genotyped song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) from two populations, one genetically depauperate (n = 100) and the other genetically diverse (n = 100), using eight microsatellite loci. These genotypes were used to randomly create 10,000 datasets of differing sizes (5 to 50) for each population to determine the effects of sample size. At small sample sizes (5-10), estimates of unbiased heterozygosity outperformed those based on observed heterozygosity or allelic diversity for both low- and high-diversity populations. Rarefaction provides a useful way to compare estimates of allelic diversity across populations of differing sample size. We recommend that standard errors be reported for all diversity estimators, and that at least 20 to 30 individuals be sampled when possible. However, when large sample sizes cannot be obtained measures of genetic diversity should be reported.
Erritzoe, J., K. Kampp, K. Winker, and C. Frith. 2007. The Ornithologist’s Dictionary. Lynx Edicions Press. More about this publication.
Winker, K. 2007. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 11: Old World flycatcher to Old World warblers. Loon 79:(in press).
Sodhi, N. S., et al. (24 authors). 2007. Barcoding Indo-Malayan birds. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55:397-398. Summarizes a meeting on generating COI sequence data for this region’s birds. View a PDF file of this publication
Winker, K., K. G. McCracken, D. D. Gibson, C. L. Pruett, R. Meier, F. Huettmann, M. Wege, I. V. Kulikova, Y. N. Zhuravlev, M. L. Perdue, E. Spackman, D. L. Suarez, and D. E. Swayne. 2007. Movements of birds and avian influenza from Asia into Alaska. Emerging Infectious Diseases 13:547-552. Asian-origin avian influenza (AI) viruses threaten humans and animals and are spread in part by migratory birds. In Alaska, diverse avian hosts from Asia and the Americas overlap in a region of intercontinental avifaunal mixing hypothesized to be an important zone of Asia-to-America virus transfer. We conducted seven years of AI virus surveillance among waterfowl and shorebirds in this region (1998-2004; 8,254 samples) and found remarkably low infection rates (0.06%), suggesting an Arctic effect on viral ecology caused perhaps by low ecosystem productivity and low host densities relative to available water. Combined with a synthesis of avian diversity and abundance, intercontinental host movements, and genetic analyses, our results suggest that the risk (and probably frequency) of intercontinental virus transfer in this region is relatively low. View a PDF file of this publication
Winker, K., D. Rocque, T. M. Braile, and C. L. Pruett. 2007. Vainly beating the air: Species concept debates need not impede science and conservation. Ornithological Monographs 63:30-44. We briefly summarize competing species concepts and facets of the debate itself and maintain that the inherent subjectivity within all species concepts ensures continued disagreement. Empirically, neither basic nor applied science seems to have been slowed because the species concept debate remains unresolved. Similarly, continued disagreement must be placed in its proper context when considering the preservation of biodiversity. To a considerable extent this has occurred in the conservation community. The biological species concept (BSC) and its inclusion of diagnosably distinct populations as subspecies remain dominant in ornithology. This may be due in part to the seemingly infinitely fine divisions possible under phylogenetic species concepts (PSC), which, among other things, could strain public credulity over what is a species. Nevertheless, the strengths of each of these concepts are being applied to improve our understanding of biodiversity. The longstanding disagreement over species concepts should not be an impediment to responsible conservation and wildlife management. View a PDF file of this publication
Bickford, D., D. Lohman, N. S. Sodhi, P. K. L. Ng, R. Meier, K. Winker, K. Ingram, and I. Das. 2007. Cryptic species as a window on diversity and conservation. TREE 22:148-155. A short review of cryptic species. View a PDF file of this publication
Spackman, E., K. G. McCracken, K. Winker, and D. E. Swayne. 2006. An avian influenza virus from waterfowl in South America contains genes from North American avian and equine lineages. Avian Diseases 51:273-274. View a PDF file of this publication
Winker, K. 2006. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 10: Cuckoo-shrikes to thrushes. Loon 78:114-115.
Maley, J., and K. Winker. 2007. The utility of juvenal plumage in diagnosing species limits: An example using buntings in the genus Plectrophenax. Auk 124:907-915. Juvenal plumage differences between Plectrophenax hyperboreus and P. nivalis support species status. View a PDF file of this publication
Winker, K., and C. L. Pruett. 2006. Seasonal migration, speciation, and morphological convergence in the Catharus thrushes (Aves: Turdidae). Auk 123:1052-1068. The effects of seasonal migration on evolutionary change within lineages is poorly understood, both in terms of differentiation (cladogenesis) and specialization (anagenesis). Using morphological and molecular phylogenies in the avian genus Catharus (Aves: Turdidae), we find that long-distance seasonal migration arose independently four times in the genus and that correlated morphological evolution occurred among several characters in these lineages, perhaps stemming from ecological conditions in Nearctic forests. View a PDF file of this publication.
Spackman, E., K. McCracken, K. Winker, and D. Swayne. 2006. Avian influenza virus found in a South American wild duck is a precursor to the Chilean 2002 H7N3 poultry outbreak, contains genes from North American wild bird and equine lineages, and is adapted to domestic turkeys. Journal of Virology 80:7760-7764. View a PDF file of this publication.
Burg, T., A. J. Gaston, K. Winker, and V. L. Friesen. 2006. Effects of Pleistocene glaciations on population structure of North American chestnut-backed chickadees. Molecular Ecology 15:2409-2419. Using seven microsatellite markers we found evidence of population structure among nine populations (N = 249 individuals) of Chestnut-backed Chickadees (Parus rufescens) in northwestern North America. The pattern of population structure among contemporary chickadee populations is consistent with a pioneer model of colonization following glacial retreat. View a PDF file of this publication.
Rocque, D. A., M. Ben-David, R. P. Barry, and K. Winker. 2006. Assigning birds to wintering and breeding grounds using stable isotopes: lessons from two feather generations among three intercontinental migrants. Journal of Ornithology 147: 395-404. Using feather stable isotopes in two generations of feathers from three bird species (American and Pacific golden-plovers, Pluvialis dominica and P. fulva, and Northern Wheatears, Oenanthe oenanthe) that breed in North America and winter in South America, the South Pacific and Asia, and Africa, we were unable to accurately assign feathers to origin of growth on the continental scale, and we urge researchers to carefully consider the ecology and physiology of their study organisms, statistical methodology, and the interpretation of results when using stable isotopes to infer the geographic origins of feather growth. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2006. In Memoriam: Dwain W. Warner, 1917-2005. Auk 123:911-912.
Winker, K. 2006. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 9: Cotingas to pipits and wagtails. Loon 77:256-257.
Winker, K., J. H. Rappole, and R. W. Dickerman. 2006. In Memoriam: Dwain W. Warner, 1917-2005. Loon 77:191-194. View a PDF file of this publication
Spackman, E., D. E. Stallknecht, R. D. Slemons, K. Winker, D. L. Suarez, M. Scott, and D. E. Swayne. 2005. Phylogenetic analyses of type A influenza genes in natural reservoir species in North America reveals genetic variation. Virus Research 114:89-100. Phylogenetic analyses of sequence data from five avian influenza genes isolated from natural hosts across North America from 1969 to 2003 show a remarkable failure for AI lineages to assort geographically, temporally, or to host taxon within the natural host reservoir of waterfowl and shorebirds on this continent. This lack of grouping may preclude the development of a useful epidemiological understanding of avian influenza in wild waterfowl and shorebirds. View a PDF file of this publication.
Hinzman, L. D., N. Bettez, W. R. Bolton, F. S. Chapin, M. Dyurgerov, C. Fastie, B. Griffith, R. D. Hollister, A. Hope, H. P. Huntington, A. Jensen, G. J. Jia, T. Jorgenson, D. L. Kane, D. R. Klein, G. Kofinas, A. Lynch, A. Lloyd, A. D. McGuire, F. Nelson, W. C. Oechel, T. Osterkamp, C. Racine, V. Romanovsky, R. Stone, D. Stow, M. Sturm, C. E. Tweedie, G. Vourlitis, M. Walker, D. Walker, P. J. Webber, J. Welker, K. Winker, K. Yoshikawa. 2005. Evidence and implications of recent climate change in northern Alaska and other Arctic regions. Climatic Change 72:251-298. We present a broad array of evidence to provide a convincing case of change in the arctic climate and a system-wide response of terrestrial processes.
Pruett, C. L., and K. Winker. 2005. Biological impacts of climatic change on a Beringian endemic: Cryptic refugia in the establishment and differentiation of the rock sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis). Climatic Change 68:219-240. The importance of climatic change on the establishment and differentiation of high-latitude species is largely unknown. Using mtDNA sequence data, we recover the historic signal of the biological effects of climate change on the Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis). Rock and Purple sandpipers (C. ptilocnemis and C. maritima) are sister species (with maritima being an Atlantic species), but their split is much older than the last glacial maximum. Rock Sandpipers show that there were multiple refugial populations in Beringia that correspond loosely to different glacial cycles. This species shows the establishment, persistence, and accumulation of genetic differentiation across several glacial cycles, implicating the presence of multiple cryptic biological refugia in this region through repeated cycles of climate change. View a PDF file of this publication.
Burg, T. M., A. J. Gaston, K. Winker, and V. L. Friesen. 2005. Rapid divergence and post-glacial
colonization in western North American Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri). Molecular Ecology 14:3745-3755. View a PDF file of this publication.
Pruett, C. L., and K. Winker. 2005. Northwestern song sparrow populations show genetic effects of sequential colonization. Molecular Ecology 14:1421-1434. The Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) of northwesternmost North America exhibit a long, almost linear distribution, and thus represent a natural vertebrate system of sequential colonization, particularly where their range extends out along the Alaska Peninsula and the archipelago of the Aleutian Islands. This system was probably colonized within the last 10,000 years, and there are morphological and behavioral differences in the western populations. Microsatellite loci from eight populations in Alaska and British Columbia (n = 205 individuals) showed a stepwise loss of genetic diversity, genetic evidence for strong population bottlenecks, and increased population divergence. These results show that sequential bottlenecks or founder events can have powerful genetic effects in reducing diversity, possibly leading to rapid evolutionary divergence. View a PDF file of this publication.
Benson, A.-M., and K. Winker. 2005. Fat deposition strategies among high-latitude passerine migrants. Auk 122:544-557. Passerine migrants at a stopover site in interior Alaska do not appear to use local resources either to fatten for insurance against hard weather in spring or in preparation for autumn migration (16 species; N = 18,685 individuals). Instead, most fat deposition observed is correlated with local environmental variables such as overnight low temperatures and day length. Our data suggest that most of the energetic costs of long-distance migration in these taxa are paid with stopover resources obtained between the breeding and wintering ranges. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2005. Sibling species were first recognized by William Derham (1718). Auk 122:706-707. View a PDF file of this publication.
Kulikova, I. V., S. V. Drovetski, D. D. Gibson, R. J. Harrigan, S. Rohwer, M. D. Sorenson, K. Winker, Y. N. Zhuravlev, and K. G. McCracken. 2005. Phylogeography of the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos): Geographically variable hybridization and lineage sorting cause genetic structure and mixing. Auk 122:949-965.
Winker, K. 2005. Bird collections: Development and use of a scientific resource. Auk 122:966-971. View a PDF file of this publication.
Rocque, D. A., and K. Winker. 2005. The use of bird collections in contaminant and stable isotope studies. Auk 122:990-994. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2004. [Review of] Why Museums Matter: Avian Archives in an Age of Extinction. Wilson Bulletin 116:313-314.View a PDF file of this publication.
Puebla, F., and K. Winker. 2004. Dieta y dispersión de semillas de dos especies de tangara (Habia) en dos tipos de vegetación en Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México. Ornitologia Neotropical 15:53-64. The diets of Habia rubica and Habia fuscicauda at a site of syntopy (in primary and secondary rainforest) showed broad overlap. About a quarter of the diet was insectivorous and about two-thirds frugivorous. These bird species are important seed dispersers of pioneer rainforest plants. View a PDF file of this publication.
Rocque, D. A., and K. Winker. 2004. Biomonitoring of contaminants in birds from two trophic levels in the North Pacific. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 23:759-766. Contaminants in cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.) and Rock Sandpipers (Calidris ptilocnemis) from across the longitudinal transect of the Aleutian Islands show evidence of long range transport and point source origins. The importance of this region for major fisheries and as a unique high-latitude ecosystem suggests that continued biomonitoring is warranted. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2004. Natural history museums in a post-biodiversity era. BioScience 54:455-459. Biological collections today are meeting diverse needs, and new uses for specimens, such as 'biological filter paper' for biomonitoring, may ultimately be more important to society than the initial reasons for collections' establishment. Museums, resource managers, and new users of collections need to work together to actively develop this important aspect of collections to be sure that samples needed to document environmental and population conditions today are available in the future so that changes can be effectively measured and understood. View a PDF file of this publication.
Pruett, C. L., D. D. Gibson, and K. Winker. 2004. Amak Island Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia amaka) are not evolutionarily significant. The subspecies Melospiza melodia amaka, a population endemic to this small Aleutian island, is not valid or diagnosable, and probably represents a population sink. Ornithological Science 3:133-138.
Klicka, J. T., R. M. Zink, and K. Winker. 2003. Longspurs and snow buntings: Phylogeny and biogeography of a high-latitude clade (Calcarius). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 26:165-175. Sequence-based phylogenetic reconstruction using mtDNA shows that the genus Calcarius properly includes the genus Plectrophenax, the Snow Bunting and McKay's Bunting (P. nivalis and P. hyperboreus). This expanded Calcarius clade is not closely allied to either Calamospiza or Emberiza, as previously thought. Instead, its affinities seem to lie outside of the sparrow tribe Emberizini. The group seems to have its origins at relatively high latitudes in the New World.
Winker, K. 2003. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 7: Jacamars to woodpeckers. Loon 75:114-115.
Winker, K. 2002. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 6: Mousebirds to hornbills. Loon 74:47-50.
Winker, K., D. D. Gibson, A. Sowls, B. E. Lawhead, P. D. Martin, E. P. Hoberg, and D. Causey. 2002. The birds of St. Matthew Island, Bering Sea. Wilson Bulletin 114:491-509. Isolated in the northern Bering Sea, remote St. Matthew Island and its satellites Hall Island and Pinnacle Rock have a deep Bering Land Bridge history. An interdigitation of the New World, Old World, and Beringian avifaunas occurs here, as does a striking level of endemism for a high-latitude island: a mammal, a plant, and a breeding bird are restricted to these islands (these are the breeding grounds of McKay's Bunting, Plectrophenax hyperboreus). We discuss more than 125 species and highlight several profound changes that have occurred over the past century. A breeding range shift in Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) appears to be due to climatic warming. View a PDF file of this publication.
Benson, A.-M., and K. Winker. 2001. Timing of breeding range occupancy among high-latitude passerine migrants. Auk 118:513-519. Data on 18 species of passerine migrants from a stopover site at the Alaska Bird Observatory in Fairbanks, Alaska were examined to determine median dates of spring and autumn passage (1992-1998) to infer the lengths of time that these species occupied their subarctic breeding ranges. The number of days between spring and autumn median passage of adults ranged from 48 d (Alder Flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum) to 129 d (American Robin, Turdus migratorius). Breeding range occupancy among Nearctic-Neotropic migrants was concordant with the average range of frost-free days and was significantly shorter than among shorter-distance migrants..
Pruett, C. L., D. D. Gibson, and K. Winker. 2001. Molecular "cuckoo clock" suggests listing of western Yellow-billed Cuckoos may be warranted. Wilson Bulletin 113:228-231. MtDNA sequence data (978 bp of cyt b) show fixed differences in bases and amino acid coding between the western and eastern subspecies of Coccyzus americanus (subspp. occidentalis and americanus), suggesting that the western subspecies, occidentalis, be managed as an evolutionarily significant unit (ESU)..
Weicker, J. J., and K. Winker. 2001. Sexual dimorphism in birds from southern Veracruz, Mexico, and other localities. III. Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). Journal of Field Ornithology 73:62-69. Continues examination of sexual size dimorphism in skin-based mensural characters of Neotropical passerines. In a Nearctic-Neotropic migrant. Discriminant functions are given to aid the sexing of birds in the field.
Weicker, J. J., R. B. Brumfield, and K. Winker. 2001. Can a biased estimator be made unbiased? Evolution 55:2601-2605. A method for approximating Weir & Cockerham's (1984) theta, an unbiased estimator of population genetic structure, is considered for converting published values that used biased estimators (Wright's Fst and Nei's Gst). This method is useful for both model and empirical data sets, but the correlation between the biased and unbiased estimators calculated independently for the real data is quite strong (r2=0.91). Thus, the advantage of approximating the unbiased estimator from published data is not evident, given the small effect of Weir & Cockerham's theta on removing bias from empirical data.
Winker, K., G. R. Graves, and M. J. Braun. 2000. Population genetic differentiation in a migratory songbird: Limnothlypis swainsonii. Journal of Avian Biology 31:319-328. Isozyme variation among five breeding populations from the unglaciated southeastern U.S.A. revealed a surprising degree of population structure for a migratory bird with no recognized subspecies (Fst = 0.043). Moderate levels of gene flow were inferred (Nm = 1.5 to 11.7), yet population structure does not fit an isolation-by-distance model. Genetic drift may be responsible for much of the observed structure, but the lack of obvious barriers to dispersal suggests that differentiation has been maintained by some other mechanism(s). Vicariance events on the breeding range, a split wintering range, or both could contribute to this pattern. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2000. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Loon 71:232-235.
Winker, K. 2000. Migration and speciation. Nature 404:36. Considers the evolutionary aspects of avian differentiation when coupled with migration in relation to recent advances in sympatric speciation theory; suggests that nonallopatric speciation may be a common phenomenon among migratory animals. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2000. Obtaining, preserving, and preparing birds. Journal of Field Ornithology 71:250-297. Detailed guide to procedures in field and laboratory. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 2000. A new subspecies of toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) from Veracruz, Mexico. Ornitología Neotropical 11:253-257. Describes A. p. warneri from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico.
Winker, K. 1999. [Review of] Handbook of the birds of the world, Vol. 4: Sandgrouse to cuckoos. Loon 70:238-240.
Winker, K., S. Arriaga W., J. L. Trejo, and P. Escalante P. 1999. Notes on the birds of Tabasco. Wilson Bulletin 111:229-235. New faunistic information on the birds of this comparatively poorly known Mexican state. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1999. In Memoriam: David F. Parmelee, 1924-1998. Auk 116:816-817. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K., T. C. Glenn, and G. R. Graves. 1999. Dinucleotide microsatellite loci in a migratory wood warbler (Parulidae: Limnothlypis swainsonii), and amplification among other songbirds. Molecular Ecology 8:1553-1556. Reports development of nuclear genetic markers for population genetics studies in an uncommon migrant, and examines whether orthologous loci will amplify in 24 other songbird species.
Winker, K. 1999. How to bring collections data into the net. Nature 401:524.
Winker, K. 1998. Suggestions for measuring external characters of birds. Ornitología Neotropical 9:23-30. Discusses problems and functional solutions in making avian measurements (including mass). View a PDF file of this publication.
Dickerman, R. W., K. Winker, and D. D. Gibson. 1998. Sooty Tern reaches the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Western Birds 29:122-123.
Winker, K. 1998. Recent geographic trends in Neotropical avian research. Condor 100:764-768. Examines 17 years of publication records (1979-1995) on birds in Neotropical countries and finds a very uneven distribution. Land and human population characteristics, considered an index of threat to a country's avifauna, are not correlated with recent Neotropical research efforts. When considered in conjunction with publication levels and species richness, three groups of countries are distinguished. A subset of Central American countries is of particular concern for its importance to wintering Nearctic-Neotropic migrants. I suggest improved research coverage and quality, particularly among Group 1 countries. View a PDF file of this publication.
Rappole, J. H., K. Winker, and G. V. N. Powell. 1998. Migratory bird habitat use in southern Mexico: mist nets versus point counts. Journal of Field Ornithology 69:635-643. Examines netting and point count data for Neotropical wintering sites in southern Veracruz and determines that both methods should be employed for comprehensive surveys.
Winker, K. 1998. The concept of floater. Ornitología Neotropical 9:111-119. Discusses history and present use of 'floater' and provides a working definition. Extension of the term to nonbreeding territories is warranted, given presence of a behavioral category equivalent to that found on breeding grounds. Also discusses use of this behavioral category as an index of relative population density. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1997. A new form of Anabacerthia variegaticeps (Furnariidae) from western México. Pp. 203-208 in The era of Allan R. Phillips: A festschrift (R. W. Dickerman, ed.). View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1997. Introducción a las aves de Los Tuxtlas. Pp. 535-543 in Historia Natural de Los Tuxtlas (E. González S., R. Dirzo, and R. Vogt, eds.). Reviews many aspects of ornithology in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México: history of research, endemism, intratropical migration, status of bird species (including preliminary lists of threatened and endangered species), and offers suggestions for future research in the region.
Winker, K. 1997. Campylopterus excellens. Pp.558-560 in Historia Natural de Los Tuxtlas (E. González S., R. Dirzo, and R. Vogt, eds.).
Winker, K. 1997. Catharus mustelinus. Pp. 560-561 in Historia Natural de Los Tuxtlas (E. González S., R. Dirzo, and R. Vogt, eds.)
Rappole, J. H., M. A. Ramos, K. Winker, R. J. Oehlenschlager, and D. W. Warner. 1997. Aves migratorias Neárcticas. Pp. 545-556 in Historia Natural de Los Tuxtlas (E. González S., R. Dirzo, and R. Vogt, eds.). Summarizes information from 20 years of field work and from the literature on 230 species of migrants documented from the region.
Winker, K. 1997. The role of systematics and taxonomy (response). Conservation Biology 11:595-596. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K., P. Escalante, J. H. Rappole, M. A. Ramos, R. J. Oehlenschlager, and D. W. Warner. 1997. The evolution and conservation of Wetmore's Bush-Tanager: periodic migration and lowland forest refugia in a "sedentary" Neotropical bird. Conservation Biology 11:692-697. Although widely thought to be sedentary, many tropical birds are not. Tropical bird movements remain poorly known, but efforts for long-term conservation require such information. Our long-term data set from the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas in southern Veracruz, México reveals infrequent, large-scale movements in a local highland endemic. Wetmore's Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus wetmorei) seems occasionally dependent upon lowland forests (now greatly diminished) as a refugium from temporarily unsuitable highlands. We conclude that 1) assumptions of sedentariness in tropical birds should be made with extreme caution; 2) normal, but periodic phenomena may be easily overlooked, even in relatively long-term studies; and 3) missing such phenomena jeopardizes the success of any conservation plan, because over the long term a population may be dependent upon refugia only occasionally occupied. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1997. [Review of] Nearctic migrants in South America. Auk 114:307-308.
Schaldach, W. J., Jr., P. Escalante P., and K. Winker. 1997. Further notes on the avifauna of Oaxaca, México. Anales del Instituto de Biología, UNAM, México, Ser. Bot. 68:91-135. Adds primarily specimen-based distribution and breeding records to the avifauna of this important Mexican state.
Winker, K. 1997. [Review of] Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 3. Loon 69:217-218.
Winker, K., M. J. Braun, and G. R. Graves. 1996. Voucher specimens and quality control in avian molecular studies. Ibis 138:345-346. Criticizes the practice of taking only blood or tissue samples during field studies of birds, and points out why voucher specimens are required. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K., J. T. Klicka, and G. A. Voelker. 1996. Sexual size dimorphism in birds from southern Veracruz, Mexico. II. Thryothorus maculipectus and Henicorhina [leucosticta] prostheleuca. Journal of Field Ornithology 67:236-251. Continues examination of sexual size dimorphism in skin-based mensural characters of monochromatic Neotropical passerines. Discriminant equations are given to aid the sexing of birds in the field. The recognition of key age-related plumage differences in H. "l." prostheleuca sheds new light on the diversity of this group in Middle America. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1996. Specimen shrinkage versus evolution: I'iwi morphology. Conservation Biology 10:657-658. Questions results of a study purporting to document rapid evolution in bill morphology in a Hawaiian honeycreeper due to extinction of its former major food source. Study compares mostly live birds with old museum specimens, and does not give sufficient attention to morphological changes cause by specimen shrinkage. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1996. The crumbling infrastructure of biodiversity: the avian example. Conservation Biology 10:703-707. Points out that systematics collections represent the touchstone of biodiversity, and that in birds this touchstone is suffering from age and a dramatic decline in recent acquisitions. Specimen-based avian research has a long and scientifically strong history, and the benefits of this research have been extensive. Yet the temporal distribution of specimens in several major U.S. museums shows that the basis for this research is drying up - at a time when it has never been more needed. Five misconceptions or misunderstandings and the opposition to collecting that they generate are exposed as fallacious and needless obstacles to continued collections growth. Because avian conservation includes the preservation of ecosystems, this problem has broad implications for the conservation of biodiversity. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K., J. H. Rappole, and M. A. Ramos. 1995. The use of movement data as an assay of habitat quality. Oecologia 101:211-216. Model on habitat use in territorial species at high densities relative to optimal habitat availability suggests individual turnover rates are best gauge of habitat suitability. Example presented from mid-1980's Wood Thrush data from México.
Winker, K. 1995. Habitat selection in woodland Nearctic-Neotropic migrants on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. I. Autumn migration. Wilson Bulletin 107:26-39. Baseline information on habitat selection required for further analysis of sexual segregations. Although 65% of captured individuals were first-year birds, having no previous experience with tropical rainforest, capture distributions suggested species-specific selectivity to a rather high degree. Habitat selection in these species may be largely endogenous.
Winker, K. 1995. Autumn stopover on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec by woodland Nearctic-Neotropic migrants. Auk 112:690-700. Baseline data on mass gain during migratory stopover in S México.
Winker, K. 1995. Neotropical stopover sites and Middle American migrations: the view from southern Mexico. Pp. 150-163 in M. Wilson and S. Sader (eds.) Conservation of Neotropical migratory birds in Mexico. Maine Agriculture & Forestry Experimental Station Miscellaneous Publication 727. The movements of birds in Middle America are probably the poorest known aspect of the biogeography of North American vertebrates. "Neotropical" migrants are composed of intratropical, Nearctic-Neotropic, altitudinal, and Neaustral-Neotropic migrants. This ms examines abundance, patterns of movement, community composition, and mass gains. Many species deposit fat in migration at a site on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In two species, mass deposition is correlated with stopover behavior (territoriality). Suggests that migratory route selection is rather poorly known. Without knowledge of distributions, movements, and habitat selection in "Neotropical" migrants, conservation plans focusing on this broad group are not likely to achieve much success. This knowledge is not likely to be obtained under current research agendas.
Winker, K. 1995. Xiphorhynchus striatigularis (Dendrocolaptidae): nomen monstrositatum. Auk 112:1066-1070. Morphometric examination of the unique type of this taxon suggests that it represents a rare plumage aberration of the common X. flavigaster.
Winker, K. 1995. [Review of] Handbook of the Birds of the World. Loon 67:103-105.
Winker, K. 1995. [Review of] A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Condor 97:1088-1089.
Winker, K. 1994. Divergence in the mitochondrial DNA of Empidonax traillii and E. alnorum, with notes on hybridization. Auk 111:710-713. Divergence in mtDNA of 5.5-6.1% suggests these two sibling species of suboscine passerines (morphologically virtually indistinguishable) last shared a common ancestor some 2.7-3.0 mya. The developmental canalization exhibited by Empidonax species can be considered a rather severe example among passerines. No evidence of hybridization is found, but methodology does not allow a thorough search. Genetic markers useful for separating the two species are described.
Winker, K., G. A. Voelker, and J. T. Klicka. 1994. A morphometric examination of sexual dimorphism in the Hylophilus, Xenops, and an Automolus from southern Veracruz, México. Journal of Field Ornithology 65:307-323. Examines sexual size dimorphism in skin-based mensural characters of four monochromatic Neotropical passerines: Hylophilus ochraceiceps, H. decurtatus, Xenops minutus, and Automolus ochrolaemus. At present there are no functional explanations for the observed dimorphisms. Discriminant equations are given to aid the sexing of birds in the field; correct use of these equations is discussed.
Winker, K. 1993. Specimen shrinkage in Tennessee Warblers and "Traill's" Flycatchers. Journal of Field Ornithology 64:331-336. Examines lengths of body components of fresh and dried specimens in Vermivora peregrina, Empidonax traillii and E. alnorum. Also considers literature on shrinkage. Concludes that shrinkage differs among taxa and that measurements from living or fresh birds should be corrected for shrinkage when using specimen-derived mensural criteria (e.g., for sexing). View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K. 1993. Computerizando una coleccion de aves. [Computerizing a bird collection]. Pp. 79-95 in P. Escalante-Pliego (ed.), Curacion moderna de colecciones ornitologicas. Amer. Ornithol. Union, Washington, D.C. Details a useful approach to computerizing a bird collection for a Latin American audience. English version available by request.
Winker, K. 1993. Current trends in avian systematics. Loon 65:36-44. Review of four recent books in avian systematics and taxonomy with discussion of general aspects of the field.
Winker, K., D. W. Warner, and A. R. Weisbrod. 1992. The Northern Waterthrush and Swainson's Thrush as transients at a temperate inland stopover site. Pp. 384-402 in Ecology and conservation of Neotropical migrant landbirds (J. M. Hagan and D. W. Johnston, eds.). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. Three years of stopover data in spring and autumn show seasonal and heterospecific differences in habitat use and stopover ecology. Overlap of molt and migration apparent in both species. Recaptured molting Swainson's Thrushes gained less mass than birds not molting, although there were no differences in mass at first capture between these groups in either species. Novel method developed to assess diel mass gain; shows higher levels of gain than analysis of recaptures alone. Spring Swainson's Thrushes appear to place a high demand on resources at this site and are suggested to follow a feed-by-day, fly-by-night strategy of migration across continental North America. Migratory routes and strategies are discussed. Seiurus noveboracensis, Catharus ustulatus.
Winker, K., M. A. Ramos, J. H. Rappole, and D. W. Warner. 1992. A note on Campylopterus excellens in southern Veracruz, with a guide to sexing captured individuals. Journal of Field Ornithology 62:339-343. Essentially all that is known of the life history of a tropical rainforest hummingbird endemic to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Long-tailed Sabrewing.
Winker, K., and J. H. Rappole. 1992. The autumn passage of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers in south Texas. Condor 94:525-529. Hypothesizes that there may be selective pressure on some species of nearctic-neotropic migrants to return as quickly as possible to wintering grounds to secure suitable territories. Probably first time this hypothesis has been addressed. Seeks evidence of an autumnal "rush" to wintering grounds in a year of apparent reproductive failure. Hypothesis not supported in this species, which shows remarkable stability in timing of passage at the species level. Empidonax flaviventris. View a PDF file of this publication
Winker, K., D. W. Warner, and A. R. Weisbrod. 1992. Migration of woodland birds at a fragmented inland stopover site. Wilson Bulletin 104:580-598. Summarizes three years of study at a northerly stopover site. First demonstration that entire avian community shows a shift in habitat distribution between seasons. Migrants made up 92% of species (n=100) and 95% of individuals (n=17,019) captured in small (1-3 ha) wooded patches. Numbers suggest substantial use of small patches by migrants; seasonal resource demands peak on 14 May and 31 August. More than half (18) of the species adequately covered by the study periods spend less than 30% of the year on their breeding grounds. Migratory routes differ from the regional norm in seven species.
Winker, K., D. W. Warner, and A. R. Weisbrod. 1992. Daily mass gains among woodland migrants at an inland stopover site. Auk 109:853-862. New technique of assessing fat deposition at stopover sites is compared with traditional method examining recaptured individuals and their mass changes. Eleven migrant and one resident species show that the two methods yield different results. Variability among species is high when using the new method, suggesting different migratory strategies in species not approaching an ecological barrier. Some species show considerable mass gain, while others seem to lose mass in autumn. Molting cost may contribute to some of the losses observed, but is unlikely to be the only contributing factor.
Winker, K., R. J. Oehlenschlager, M. A. Ramos, R. M. Zink, J. H. Rappole, and D. W. Warner. 1992. Avian distribution and abundance records for the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México. Wilson Bulletin 104:699-718. Summarizes 36 months of field work over 15 years in area of northernmost rainforest in western hemisphere. 405 species were recorded; 86% were documented by specimens. 58 species are recorded here for the first time (several new for Veracruz). 96 species (24% of local avifauna) occur on a list of birds from the northern neotropics thought to be in danger due to deforestation. Status of 124 species is discussed.
Winker, K., D. W. Warner, and A. R. Weisbrod. 1992. Timing of bird migration in the St. Croix Valley, Minnesota, 1984-1986. Loon 64:131-137. Provides only summary of migrant passage times for the region (as median dates), shows distribution of migrants through time (during three years), and explains why passage times are useful in migration studies. Reviewed in J. Field Ornithol. 64:280-281 (1993). View a PDF file of this publication
Winker, K., D. W. Warner, and R. W. Dickerman. 1992. Additional bird records from Oaxaca, México. Ornitología Neotropical 3:69-70. Primarily specimen-based records contribute useful information about the avifauna of this Mexican state.
Winker, K., D. W. Warner, and A. R. Weisbrod. 1991. Unprecedented stopover site fidelity in a Tennessee Warbler. Wilson Bulletin 103:514-516. Describes a migrant Vermivora peregrina that returned to a stopover site in three successive autumns, apparently to molt. Evidence considered suggests an overlap in molt and Zugaktivitat (migratory activity), widely held to be physiologically and temporally separate phenomena.
Winker, K., and J. T. Klicka. 1991. A Harris' Sparrow and breeding Surfbird from northwestern Bristol Bay, Alaska. Northwestern Naturalist 72:33-34. Specimen-based records expand known range of both species. Zonotrichia querula and Aphriza virgata.
Winker, K. 1991. Dew bathing near surface water. Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society 24:21-22. Observations counter hypothesis that dew bathing is an adaptation to xeric conditions.
Klicka, J. T. and K. Winker. 1991. Observations of ravens preying on adult kittiwakes. Condor 93:755-757. Unusual predatory behavior in Corvus corax.
Winker, K. 1991. Problems with resolving our ignorance of some Empidonax flycatchers in the northcentral region. Loon 63:113-115. Notes problems in identification of three species and offers guidelines for improved data collection.
Winker, K. and D. W. Warner. 1991. Notes on the distributions of some Minnesota birds. Loon 63:168-170.
Winker, K., B. A. Fall, J. T. Klicka, D. F. Parmelee, and H. B. Tordoff. 1991. The importance of avian collections and the need for continued collecting. Loon 64:238-246. View a PDF file of this publication.
Winker, K., J. H. Rappole, and M. A. Ramos. 1990. Population dynamics of the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) on its wintering grounds in southern Veracruz, México. Condor 92:444-460.Intensive examination of individual movements and population dynamics of a Nearctic-Neotropic migrant wintering in tropical rainforest. Sedentary birds (most of which are territorial) appear to have an advantage over nonterritorial wanderers. Suboptimal habitats are utilized, suggesting high winter densities in relation to available habitat.
Winker, K., J. H. Rappole, and M. A. Ramos. 1990. Within-forest preferences of Wood Thrushes wintering in the rainforest of southern Veracruz. Wilson Bulletin 102:715-720. First thorough examination of microhabitat preference of a Nearctic-Neotropic passerine migrant on its wintering grounds. Hylocichla mustelina.
Rappole, J. H., M. A. Ramos, and K. Winker. 1989. Wintering Wood Thrush movements and mortality in southern Veracruz. Auk 106:402-410.Finds that individuals that are sedentary in winter have a greater likelihood of survival. This is the first demonstration of differential nonbreeding survival in a Nearctic-Neotropic passerine that is territorial on its wintering grounds. Hylocichla mustelina.
Winker, K. 1989. [Review of] South American birds: a photographic guide to identification. Loon 61:123-124.
Winker, K. 1989. [Review of] Where have all the birds gone? Loon 61:191-193.
Winker, K. and J. H. Rappole. 1988. The relationship between
Hylocichla and Catharus (Turdinae). Auk 105:392-394. Suggests
that the monotypic genus Hylocichla be merged with Catharus,
based on behavioral and other evidence.