Russell P. Balda (on right in photo) and Alan C. Kamil combined their training in animal behavior, ecology, evolution, and comparative psychology to pioneer the study of avian cognition and contribute significantly to our understanding of corvid biology. More than two decades ago, they saw the potential in the fact that seed-caching birds are self-motivated to return to inconspicuous points in the landscape to retrieve hidden food, and they began to employ the cache-recovery paradigm as a model system for studying learning, memory, and "spatial information processing". Their unusually fruitful collaboration has led to enormous advances in the understanding of spatial learning in birds and, in the previous decade, to the publication of approximately 50 scientific papers.

The Balda-Kamil partnership's careful consideration of the ecological context and evolutionary history of bird behavior was enhanced by their use of a wider battery of methodologies and perspectives than either an ecologist or a comparative psychologist working alone might employ. By asking their birds to cache in arrays of sand-filled cups, for example, they were able to control for spacing or site preferences of caches and thus assess the importance of fixed patterns of movement and mnemonic devices in enabling cache retrieval (Kamil and Balda 1990).

They demonstrated that spatial cognition of related corvid species is correlated with differences in natural history and the degree to which species are dependent upon stored food for winter survival and breeding: Clark's Nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) and Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) out perform the less challenged Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica) and Mexican Jays (A. ultramarina) (Balda et al. 1996; Balda and Kamil 1998). They found that the exceptional spatial memory of Clark's Nutcracker is coupled with a disproportionately large hippocampal volume (Basil et al. 1996). They also developed an analog of the radial-arm maze, which allowed them to compare the memory of various seed-caching and non-seed-caching species (e.g., Kamil et al. 1994).

Balda and Kamil also found that spatial memory of cache sites in Clark's Nutcracker is highly resistant to interference from other spatial memory tasks (Bednekoff et al. 1997). Together with Peter Bednekoff, they linked corvid sociality to observational spatial memory, demonstrating that the highly social Pinyon Jay may be more adept at learning cache sites by observing other birds than the more solitary nutcracker and Western Scrub-Jay (Bednekoff and Balda. 1996a, 1996b). These studies not only demonstrated that the spatial memory of corvids is extraordinary in both capacity and duration, but they helped develop a general understanding of the adaptive nature of avian cognition.

In addition to their work together, Balda and Kamil have made many independent contributions and contributions with other collaborators. For example, Alan Kamil has conducted important studies on the effects of visual predators (Blue Jays, Cyanocitta cristata) on prey crypticity and how predator choice can function to maintain prey polymorphism (Bond and Kamil 1998, 2002). Russ Balda, on the other hand, has made important contributions to the ecology, breeding biology and sociality of Pinyon Jays and other birds in a long series of studies in the field (e.g., Balda 2002). Their joint research has been funded by the National Science Foundation throughout the past two decades, and they continue today to make important new contributions to the study of avian behavior.

For their ground-breaking work on North American corvid biology, especially cognition, memory, learning and seed caching, and associated aspects of social behavior, The American Ornithologists' Union is proud to present the 2004 Brewster Memorial Award to Russell P. Balda and Alan C. Kamil.

Literature Cited

• Balda, R. P. 2002. Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). In The Birds of North America, No. 605 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC.
• Balda, R. P., and A. C. Kamil. 1998. The ecology and evolution of spatial memory in corvids of the southwestern USA: the perplexing Pinyon Jay. Pages 29-64 In Animal Cognition in Nature (R. P. Balda, I. M. Pepperberg, and A. C. Kamil, eds.). Academic Press, London.
• Balda, R. P., A. C. Kamil, and P. A. Bednekoff. 1996. Predicting cognitive abilities from natural history traits: examples from four species of seed-caching corvids, Pages 33-66 in Current Ornithology, vol. 13 (E. Ketterson and V. Nolan, Eds.). Plenum Press, New York.
• Basil, J. A., A. C. Kamil, R. P. Balda, and K. V. Fite. 1996. Differences in hippocampus volume among food storing corvids, Brain, Behavior and Evolution 47:156-164.
• Bednekoff, P. A., and R. P. Balda. 1996a. Observational spatial memory in Clark's Nutcrackers and Mexican Jays. Animal Behaviour 52:833-839.
• Bednekoff, P. A., and R. P. Balda. 1996b. Social caching and observational spatial memory in Pinyon Jays. Behaviour 133:807-826.
• Bednekoff, P. A., A. C. Kamil and R. P. Balda. 1997. Clark's Nutcracker (Aves: Corvidae) spatial memory: interference effects on cache recovery performance? Ethology 103:554-565.
• Bond, A. B., and A. C. Kamil. 1998. Apostatic selection by Blue Jays produces balanced polymorphism in virtual prey. Nature 395:594-596.
• Bond A. B., and A. C. Kamil. 2002. Visual predators select for crypticity and polymorphism in virtual prey. Nature 415:609-613.
• Kamil, A. C., and R. P. Balda. 1990. Spatial memory in seed-caching corvids. Pages 1-25 in The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, vol. 26 (G. H. Bower, Ed.). Academic Press, New York.
• Kamil, A. C., R. P. Balda, and D. J. Olson. 1994. Performance of four seed-caching corvid species in the radial-arm maze analog. Journal of Comparative Psychology 108:385-393.

Jared Verner is perhaps best known for his pioneering theories on the evolution of avian polygyny. This early work was instrumental in launching the modern study of ultimate factors that influence avian mating systems. Verner's research on Marsh Wrens (Cistothorus palustris) demonstrated his unusually keen sense of observation and included hypotheses on the evolutionary significance of territory, selection for sex ratio, and functional aspects of vocal communication. Together with Mary Willson, he was the first to note the relation between avian mating systems and habitat type. His communication studies exposed surprisingly complex relationships among repertoire size, song type, song sequence, dialects, dispersal and habitat stability - all accomplished before the advent of modern sound equipment. This work was among the most important early studies on the function of vocal communication among male birds.

More recently, Verner's work focused on both political and biological aspects of North American bird conservation. As a member of the California Condor Recovery Team, Jerry's population models were pivotal in convincing opponents that a captive breeding program held the only promise of averting this species' extinction. Today the success of this program is exemplary.

With the publication in 1980 of California Wildlife and Their Habitats: Western Sierra Nevada, Verner and his co-editor, Allan Boss, helped pave the way for the widely accepted use of Wildlife Habitat Relationship (WHR) models. These models have been instrumental in providing for continued communication among researchers and land managers on the state of the art in wildlife-habitat modeling.

Verner's research also played an important role in the development of rigorous methods for monitoring bird populations. This work resulted in recommendations for coping with sources of variability in counts and suggested wasy to improve the rigor with which birds are monitored. In the 1985 issue of Current Ornithology, he published a critical review of the primary methods used to monitor bird populations.

Verner also played a lead role in research on Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis) and in the development of scientifically credible management and conservation strategies for both the northern and California subspecies. Guidelines for the California Spotted Owl (S. o. occidentalis), were based on a unique (at the time), spatially explicit approach to modeling owl territories. Some of the important conclusions from this work defined the relationship between owls and large, old trees, large snags, and large, downed logs - facts critical in the development of management recommendations for the California subspecies.

In addition, Verner and his students and colleagues made widespread contributions to understanding of bird-habitat relations in the Sierra Nevada of California. This work included studies of the possible significance of Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) expansion into montane forests of the Sierra Nevada, the relationship between total crown volume and bird species richness in Sierran conifer forests, investigation of life histories of oak woodland birds, studies of nest-site limitation of cavity-nesting birds, and examination of the effects of livestock grazing on bird communities.

For more than 40 years, Jared Verner has made widespread and highly innovative contributions to understanding the biology and conservation of the birds of North America. For his many valuable contributions to avian ecology and conservation, the American Ornithologists' Union is pleased to award Jared Verner the Elliott Coues Award for 2004.

Literature Cited

• Verner, J. 1985. Assessment of counting techniques. Pages 247-302 in Current Ornithology, vol. 2 (R. F. Johnston, Ed.). Plenum Press, New York.
• Verner, J., and A. S. Boss (Technical Coordinators). 1980. California wildlife and their habitats: western Sierra Nevada. General Technical Report PSW-37. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experimental Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Berkeley, CA.

Many members of the American Ornithologists' Union provide essential services to the organization through the roles that they play on various committees. In some cases, like the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature ("Check-list Committee") these roles are high-profile, and may attract the attention (and sometimes the wrath) of both members and non-members. More frequently, however, such individuals toil in relative anonymity. Their contributions go largely unrecognized, and unappreciated, by the members of the AOU. The Marion Jenkinson AOU Service Award provides a mechanism for recognizing such members.

In 1983 AOU President Thomas R. Howell invited Stuart Houston to serve as the first chair of the new AOU Committee on Memorials, with a mandate to "seek out appropriate authors for memorial articles for deceased Fellows and obituary notices for other prominent ornithologists". This committee was established to address the embarrassing facts that no memorials had been published in The Auk in the previous two years, and that no memorials for Honorary or Corresponding Fellows had been published since 1976. Before this committee was established, the AOU Council sometimes devoted hours at its annual meeting discussing how to find appropriate authors for memorials.

Because of his life-long interest in the history of ornithology, Stuart accepted the challenge. At the conclusion of the 122nd Stated Meeting in 2004, he completed his twenty-first, and final, year as the chair of this committee. During this period he was responsible for the publication of memorials for 190 individuals, including 72 Fellows, 46 Honorary or Corresponding Fellows, 69 Elective Members, and 3 Patrons or Guarantors of the AOU. These memorials are a significant contribution to the history of the AOU and ornithology. Stuart has been assisted by various committee members over the years, but all will affirm his key role in tracking down knowledgeable memorialists, convincing them to accept the task, and insuring that they delivered their material to the editor of The Auk in a timely manner.

Stuart Houston is unusual in today's AOU because he is not an ornithologist by profession. He followed a family tradition and trained in medicine. He earned an international reputation as a radiologist and served as Professor and Head of Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Saskatchewan. His curriculum vitae lists 274 publications in medicine and medical history, including 5 books.

However, Stuart's ongoing passions are for birds, natural history and conservation. As a teenager, he was instrumental in the founding of the Saskatchewan Natural History Society. He has maintained his interest in that organization, and in birds, for his entire life. His CV lists a staggering total of 563 "non-medical" publications, most of them dealing with ornithology. He has special interests in the history of ornithology and natural history exploration in western Canada, and has published four books and dozens of papers on these topics. He has also been an avid bird bander throughout his life and, aided by his wife, Mary, has banded almost 126,000 birds in 61 years. These have produced numerous important publications on movements and migration of Great Horned Owls, (Bubo virginianus, 7271 banded), Swainson's Hawks, (Buteo swainsoni, 4445 banded), and other species.

Stuart Houston's contributions to both medicine and ornithology have been widely recognized. In the areas of ornithology and natural history, his list of awards includes the Roland Michener Conservation Award from the Canadian Wildlife Federation (1986), the Douglas H. Pimlott Conservation Award (jointly with Mary Houston) from the Canadian Nature Federation (1988), the Doris Huestis Speirs Award from the Society of Canadian Ornithologists (1989), the Eugene Eisenmann Medal from the New York Linnaean Society (1990), and the Frances Hamerstrom Award from the Raptor Research Foundation (2002). He is also the recipient of one of the Government of Canada's highest civilian honors, having been inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1993.

Stuart has also served ornithology and the AOU in other ways. He was a member (1982-84) and Chair (1977-81) of the Committee on Membership and served as an Elective Councilor (1978-80) and as Vice-President (1990-91). However, one of his most significant impacts has been as a role model and mentor. Throughout his career Stuart has encouraged young men and women to follow their interests in natural history and birds and supported them in their efforts. Among many others, both the current Editor of The Auk, and the current Secretary of the AOU are, in part, products of his mentorship. His career exemplifies the kind of contributions to ornithology that can be made by individuals who are not trained as professionals in the discipline.

For these and other contributions to the organization and to ornithology, the Executive Committee of the American Ornithologists' Union takes great pride in presenting the Marion Jenkinson AOU Service Award for 2004 to C. Stuart Houston.