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the Buckeye Project. The Biotics Study, In singling out threatened and endangered species have missed opportunities for enhancement of avifauna) communities. For example, diversification of wetland systems would benefit a wider variety of species than would maintaining the entire lake in its current D7s state. tt is hard to make sense of the species list presented in the appendix. There are too many typographical errors on spades names; scientific names are mismatched with vernacular names, this is sloppy. Serious errors.In reported breeding species are inherent In the report. This brings to light the questionable validity of bird observations on the property. We discuss these general inadequacies In the appendix. P. 18 - Endengered/Threatsnod Sgecles and Habitat Page 18 - Endangered yyildlifa Swainson's hawk - In the earlier version of the DEIR Biotics Study, many facts about the life history of the Swainson's hawk were inaccurate. The supplemental version does present a better assessment of the birds needs, but still misses several key components of the birds life history. 1) Life History accounts and field observations from the Cosumnes Preserve indicate that Swainson's hawks do feed in seasonal wetland habitats, particularly those that are spring moist and summer dry. These D74 wetlands are characterized by emergent vegetation, in some cases low growing that support numerous large insects and rodents. Swainson's hawk exploit these habitats particularly from April through June. Planned seasonal marsh restoration on the property should benefit the species. 2) The Blotics Study should have examined the Importance of Buckeye Ranch in context with surrounding land features. Swainson's Hawk forage within 10 miles of their nest site, with nesting success declining the farther D75 the bird ranges. Although Buckeye does support habitat that Swainson's can utilize, the Irrigated pastures and managed habitat at the Cosumnes River Preserve only 4 miles to the north provides excellent foraging habitat for the birds of Buckeye. The Biotics Study failed to assess these kscal habitats surrounding the ranch as providing suitable foraging habitat. 3) Swainson's Hawks are fairly tolerant of humans in rural settings. In Yolo and San Joaquin County, Swainson's commonly nest in Largo trees of D76 farmhouses and along rural creeks with narrow riparian corridors. A pair successfully nested on the quad of the U.C. Davis Campus in 1990, tolerating hundreds of people daily. Sandhill Crane - These birds are frequenting the open pastures adjacent to Buckeye Ranch because cranes are species of flat, open, undlstirbed habitats. Sandhill Cranes do not frequently forage In savannah because trees obstruct D77 their ability to detect predators. A flock of 1 ,200 birds winters on the Cosumnes River Preserve, which Is probably the source for birds seen around the ranch. S VI-85