Phenology Details for Birds Originate in 1876 Forest and Stream

An invitation issued just past the mid-1870s by editorial staff of Forest and Stream asking readers to submit dates of occurrence, led to some of the first details on the phenology for birds in North America.

This publication's weekly issue gave reader's a broad range of topics on the outdoors, hunting sports, journals with daily details of particular travels, and a plethora of other subjects. Bird migration notes and when flowers were blooming and related items were often included in the natural history section.

In the February 17, 1876 issue, the naturalist in charge of the Natural History section - which by-the-way, was endorsed by the Smithsonian Institution - discussed the interest in the migration of birds, noting how little was known. "Accurate and numerous observations are needed upon the dates of arrival, departure, nest building, varying abundance, and other events in the life of birds collected over wide areas and through successive season. ... In short it is desirable, in order to know what influences set with most power on the migrations of birds."

The author presented examples of the work being done in Britain, citing the "Naturalist's Calendar" kept by Gilbert White, of Selborne.

"To elicit such important and interesting data, Forest and Stream proposes to each one of its readers, the plan of noting down in reference to the birds of his district, observations, upon some or all of the following points:—

"1st. Whether each species is resident throughout the year, is a summer or winter visitor, or only passes through in spring and fall.

"2nd. With reference to each species in his locality, whether it is 'abundant," 'somewhat common,' or 'rare.'

"3rd. What species breed; and whether more than once in a season.

"4th. Dates of arrival, greatest abundance, nest-building, laying eggs, hatching of young, and beginning of departure of each species, and when it is last seen in the Fall.

"5th. What effect, if any, upon the relative abundance of particular birds, in retarding their arrival or hastening their departure, sudden changes of the weather, storms, and 'late' and 'early' season appear to have.

"6th. Similar notes upon the appearance and movements of the quadrupeds, reptiles and fishes of the region; and upon the times of flowering of trees and plants.

"7th. Other occurrences considered noteworthy."

"Let no one think his observations, though few and short, are too trivial; and let no one think that now is too late or early to begin."

The resulting information was varied as some readers responded, with a differing extent of details on bird migration dates for a particular place.

March 30, 1876

Notes from the diary of G. Brown Goode, appropriately associated with the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, D.C., are some of the first to denote historic phenological details. His article was issued in the March 30, 1876 issue, with details for February 12th to March 7th along the Potomac River, with the first item given referring to the "nesting note of the blue-birds first heard." The next entry was about flowering plants. In details for March 4th, he expounds about several sorts of fish in the market - appropriate for a biologist that was to be known as being preeminent in ichthyology - as well as a few brief words on flora. Details were also given on a few other species, with introduced English sparrows building their nests on March 5th.

March-May 1876

Forest and Stream was a venue where Charles C. Abbott, M.D., issued a bunch of bird notes. He had a couple of articles in the American Naturalist, but in March 1876, started a series of three fresh articles, one for sightings during February, one for March and another that continues observations to the end of May, with the particulars getting printed in a mid-August issue.

The articles present a fine set of observations, having notes on the wind, temperatures, and other weather conditions with the notes of natural history. More than 50 species were mentioned in the articles.

American Bittern American Crow American Goldfinch American Kestrel American Pipit American Robin American Woodcock Barred Owl Black-capped Chickadee Black-crowned Night-Heron Blue Jay Brown Creeper Cedar Waxwing Chipping Sparrow Common Grackle Common Redpoll Dark-eyed Junco Downy Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Wood-Pewee Fox Sparrow Golden-crowned Kinglet Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Horned Lark

Horned Lark Killdeer Least Bittern Little Blue Heron Long-eared Owl Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Harrier Northern Shrike Osprey Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Rough-legged Hawk Ruby-crowned Kinglet Short-eared Owl Snowy Egret Song Sparrow Tufted Titmouse Vesper Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-winged Crossbill Wilson's Snipe Winter Wren Yellow-breasted Chat Unidentified woodpeckers were also noted.

Dr. Abbott, though not practicing doctor of medicine, was an accomplished scientist and archeologist, with an obvious interest in natural history. In 1889 the second edition of his book "A Naturalist's Rambles About Home" was published.

April-May 1876

Outdoor endeavors of Eugene P. Bicknell were apparent in his article in the first April issue of 1876 - in response to the "invitation" - so he provided a comparison of winter birds noted during the previous two years - when weather apparently presented the extreme for the local climate - at Riverdale, on the Hudson River, about 16 miles north of New York Bay.

The next installment with natural history details was "Early Spring on the Hudson" giving observations during February and March. This article was followed by "Field Notes at Riverdale" in a mid-May volume, providing notes of occurrence for birds in April, with lesser details on flora.

In July, his article was an expansive view of the different bird species of the local suburbs during May, which had some notes on breeding activities. Nearly 150 records are included in his series of five articles from 1875-1878. There are more than 110 species overall, based on an update of the nomenclature, with more than 100 given for the period from February 1875 to May 1878, presented by monthly observations, rather than for each particular day as given in the source material. This summary table presents the number of observations Bicknell contributed during a particular month.

Common Name	Feb 1875	Mar 1875	Apr 1875	May 1875	Jun 1875	Jul 1875	Nov 1875	Jan 1876	Feb 1876	Mar 1876	Apr 1876	May 1876	Feb 1877	Aug 1877	Sep 1877	Oct 1877	Nov 1877	May 1878
Acadian Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Bittern	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Black Duck	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Redstart	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Robin	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bald Eagle	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Baltimore Oriole	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Barn Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bay-breasted Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Belted Kingfisher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black-and-white Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black-crowned Night-Heron	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black-throated Blue Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black-throated Green Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blackburnian Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blackpoll warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blue-headed Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blue-winged Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blue-winged Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Bobolink	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Brown Thrasher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Brown-headed Cowbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Canada Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cape May Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chestnut-sided Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chimney Swift	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chipping Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cliff Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Common Grackle	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Common Yellowthroat	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dark-eyed Junco	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Bluebird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Kingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Phoebe	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Phoebe	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Towhee	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Wood-Pewee	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Field Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Fish Crow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
Fox Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Golden-crowned Kinglet	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Golden-winged Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Grasshopper Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gray Catbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Great Blue Heron	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Great Crested Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Green Heron	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hermit Thrush	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hermit Thrush	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hooded Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
House Wren	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Indigo Bunting	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kentucky Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kentucky Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Least Bittern	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Least Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Magnolia Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mourning Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mourning Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nashville Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Bobwhite	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Flicker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Mockingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-
Northern Parula	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-
Northern Waterthrush	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Orchard Oriole	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Osprey	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Painted Bunting	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Palm Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Prairie Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Purple Finch	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Purple Martin	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Red Crossbill	-	1	1	1	-	-	1	-	-	1	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Red-eyed Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Red-winged Blackbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rusty Blackbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Savannah Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Scarlet Tanager	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Swainson's Thrush	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Swamp Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tennessee Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tree Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tufted Titmouse	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Veery	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Vesper Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Warbling Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Whip-poor-will	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
White-crowned Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
White-throated Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Willow Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wilson's Snipe	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wilson's Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wood Thrush	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Worm-eating Warbler	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yellow Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yellow-breasted Chat	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Yellow-rumped Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	P>-	-
Yellow-throated Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-

The name Bicknell is well remembered because of his discovery of a new species in the heights of the local mountains, the Bicknell's Thrush - described by Robert Ridgway at the Smithsonian - based on specimens collected in 1881.

In 1882, a review of the summer birds of the southern part of the Catskill Mountains was published, which included remarks on the region's flora and fauna. Bicknell also contributed bird information to the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club.

April 20, 1876

Pupils of Thomas Williamson, at Leesburg, Virginia, reported scraps of natural history they had observed. The editor of the publication had the information that was used to write an article, with comments.

"We have changed the wording of this report to save reduplication and space. It came to us with the full list of all the different birds seen each day, which, although the only way in which to keep one's own note-book, is unnecessary for publication. It is sufficient to send the additions to the list which each day supplies, and such notes as are peculiar to that day."

"Then there are other things besides birds to watch. The quadrupeds, reptiles, fishes, and insects are just as deserving of notice, and at present really need more to be studied. In a school-full of boys there might be some system about the observations. Let them divide into committees upon various branches of botany and zoology, then meet once a week and report on each of them. Teachers should encourage this observation of nature. They will find keener minds and more tenacious memories in their pupils; and the boys and girls will learn well the lesson of examining and comparing facts, which is the basis of all good judgement. One way to encourage this is to help them to properly identify what they see so that they will know it precisely from anything like it."

The notes provide this list based on an update of the historic nomenclature:

American Crow American Robin Bald Eagle Belted Kingfisher Blackbird Blue Jay Brown-headed Cowbird Canada Goose Cedar Waxwing Common Grackle Dark-eyed Junco Duck - the wild duck Eastern Bluebird Eastern Wood-Pewee Hawk

House Sparrow Killdeer Lark Mourning Dove Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Mockingbird Red-winged Blackbird Rock Pigeon Ruffed Grouse Sparrow Tufted Titmouse Wilson's Snipe Wren Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

The following week's issue, had a Maryland Calendar, by W.D. Wheeler, M.D., from Boonsboro, Virginia during mid-February to mid-April. This is the list of species given:

American Robin Common Grackle Dark-eyed Junco Eastern Bluebird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe Goose House Sparrow

Killdeer Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Purple Martin Red-winged Blackbird Song Sparrow Wilson's Snipe

Letters from Ornitholigists

Four separate letters add the original contributions on the arrival dates for birds in 1876:

D.C. Keyes, M.D., of Lake City, Minn.; a fine bunch of records from mid-March to the end of April, with a smattering of notes on weather.

G.H. Ragsdale, Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas; he noted: "If the following notes are of any service to you please use them:" and they were from mid-February to mid-April.

J.S. Conland, Newport, Rhode Island; a few April-May notes from his locality

Chas. A. Houghton, West Medway, Mass.; May notes, especially for warblers

Their articles were brief, but also focused on when particular species were migrating - during February to May, adding to the information on migration in the country.

A June 22, 1876 article for the sightings sent by R.E. Robinson, mentions specific records for when bird species were first observed, the weather details, blooming dates for some flora, and other aspects of local phenology.

August 3, 1876

Teal - determined to be R.L. Newcomb - provided a bird calendar for the Massachusetts coast, from his residence at Salem.

Records from March 9th to mid-May, refer to different species and notations on weather conditions. On April 5th, there was a "worst storm for some years," with drifts to two feet, with about six inches of snow fall. The entry for this date was limited to weather observations.

The dissemination of records on the seasonal occurrence of birds did not lessen, but in subsequent years increased. Articles continued in Forest and Stream. Ornithological journals - including the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, first published in 1876 - and other publications - Auk originating in 1884 - had detailed articles submitted by numerous bird watchers with the essential verve to, thankfully, tell in detail what they had seen and knew from their personal experience.

In the mid-1880s, there was a focused attempt to gather information, represented by the Smithsonian asking for observers to submit details of seasonal occurrence.

A small portion of the details derived from keen observations made by bird watchers in the historic period are becoming part of the modern set of bird records. Most of the information within the published record of the 1870s and beyond, are apparently not being integrated into the historic ornithology, except for efforts to understand former common names and other nomenclatural considerations.

One particular effort, working with contributed information from the mid-1880s and into the 1900s is being made available through the focused efforts of the North American Bird Phenology Program. Many contributed records of bird occurrence submitted on data cards, now in files cabinets, which are being digitized and entered into a computer system with the assistance of online volunteers.

Digital record-keeping is now the preference for keeping a tally of the daily details for bird observations. This seemingly unlimited media is a fine preference to the limitations of printed publications which limit any presentation of specific details, whereas the specific dates of occurrence are the information so essential to understanding the occurrence of birds across a broad continent during different periods of time.