Spring Survey Contributes Modern View to Birds On Missouri Near Peru

When G.A. C. whose proper known name remains unknown, and W. Edgar Taylor and A.H. Van Vleet scribed their notes on birds in the Peru area along the historic Missouri River, they likely didn't realize how getting the information into an original journal of the period such as Forest and Stream in 1887, then Ornithologist and Oologist in 1888, could provide the essentials for a comparison to an era far beyond their times.

The information these men gathered and subsequently documented gives essential details of when and where for more than 100 species of birds present when the river flowed at its own volition, spreading unchallenged across the floodplain of the valley between the heighty bluffs. A splendid variety of wild settings prevalent then were used by many birds during the era when the two watchers looked closely for species at places such as Lehighs Lake by Peru, the town of Peru along the river, and the bluffs and bottoms to the east.

It was a few decades later when a scant number of observations are given by the record of Nebraska ornithology indicate only three species during the 1930s when there were many changes during the two decades of this era. During the 1950s-1960s, more than 50 species were noted, especially in the Nebraska Bird Review article by Adrian C. Fox, while only a notation of the Chuck-will's Widow occurred in the following period of ten years.

After further indications of so few species in the 1970s and 1980s (just 5 known records), changes in land management brought conditions where management for the benefit of bird-life was a prominent aspect considered for lands associated with the river channel. Mitigation became a predominant focus to recondition riverine habitats, so when birders looked around and noted what was seen, they noted more than 75 species in 2007 at the well-established burg of Peru. Other lookers this present year, took notes at the expansive Peru Bottoms WMA during a birding day event sponsored by a state agency, with interested birders along to contribute to the results.

Common Name	1885	1886	1887	1888	1889	1900	1936	1937	1951	1952	1953	1964	1972	1979	1982	2007	2009
Snow Goose	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Canada Goose	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Wood Duck	-	-	-	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Gadwall	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Wigeon	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Black Duck	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mallard	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blue-winged Teal	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Shoveler	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Pintail	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Green-winged Teal	-	-	-	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Canvasback	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Redhead	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesser Scaup	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bufflehead	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Common Goldeneye	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Common Merganser	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ring-necked Pheasant	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Ruffed Grouse	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Greater Prairie-Chicken	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wild Turkey	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Northern Bobwhite	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
American White Pelican	-	1	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Bittern	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Great Blue Heron	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Green Heron	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Turkey Vulture	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Cooper's Hawk	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Red-shouldered Hawk	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Broad-winged Hawk	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Red-tailed Hawk	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Golden Eagle	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Kestrel	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Peregrine Falcon	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Coot	-	-	1	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Golden-Plover	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Killdeer	-	-	-	7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Spotted Sandpiper	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Solitary Sandpiper	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Greater Yellowlegs	-	-	-	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lesser Yellowlegs	-	-	1	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Upland Sandpiper	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Long-billed Curlew	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Least Sandpiper	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pectoral Sandpiper	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wilson's Snipe	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Woodcock	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-
Franklin's Gull	-	-	-	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Ring-billed Gull	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Least Tern	-	-	1	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black Tern	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Common Tern	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Forster's Tern	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rock Pigeon	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Mourning Dove	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Black-billed Cuckoo	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Screech-Owl	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Snowy Owl	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Burrowing Owl	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Barred Owl	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Long-eared Owl	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Common Nighthawk	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Chuck-will's-widow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-
Whip-poor-will	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chimney Swift	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Belted Kingfisher	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Red-headed Woodpecker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Red-bellied Woodpecker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Downy Woodpecker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Hairy Woodpecker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Northern Flicker	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Olive-sided Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Eastern Wood-Pewee	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Acadian Flycatcher	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Alder Flycatcher	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Willow Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Least Flycatcher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Eastern Phoebe	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Great Crested Flycatcher	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Western Kingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Kingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Loggerhead Shrike	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
White-eyed Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bell's Vireo	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Yellow-throated Vireo	-	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Warbling Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Philadelphia Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Red-eyed Vireo	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Blue Jay	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
American Crow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Horned Lark	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Purple Martin	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Bank Swallow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Cliff Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Barn Swallow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Black-capped Chickadee	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Tufted Titmouse	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Red-breasted Nuthatch	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
White-breasted Nuthatch	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Carolina Wren	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Bewick's Wren	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
House Wren	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eastern Bluebird	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Swainson's Thrush	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wood Thrush	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
American Robin	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Gray Catbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Northern Mockingbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
Brown Thrasher	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
European Starling	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Cedar Waxwing	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Blue-winged Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tennessee Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Orange-crowned Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nashville Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Parula	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Yellow Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Chestnut-sided Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Blackpoll Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Black-and-White Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Redstart	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Ovenbird	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Louisiana Waterthrush	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kentucky Warbler	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Mourning Warbler	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Common Yellowthroat	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Yellow-breasted Chat	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Summer Tanager	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Eastern Towhee	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Tree Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chipping Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Clay-colored Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Field Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Vesper Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Savannah Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Song Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Lincoln's Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
White-throated Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
White-crowned Sparrow	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Northern Cardinal	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Blue Grosbeak	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
Indigo Bunting	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Dickcissel	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Red-winged Blackbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Common Grackle	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Brown-headed Cowbird	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Orchard Oriole	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
Baltimore Oriole	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
House Finch	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
White-winged Crossbill	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
Pine Siskin	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
American Goldfinch	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1
House Sparrow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1

The river environs have changed dramatically and so significantly during the span of dozen decades following the first settlement and subsequent development which altered conditions along the river channel.

Peru Bottoms View a larger map

It was vastly different in the 1880s along the middle Missouri River with itsassociative habitats of a great variety.

In the 1880s, the two observers recorded species such as the American Black Duck, American Coot, American Golden-Plover, American Kestrel, American Tree Sparrow, American White Pelican, American Wigeon, Black-and-White Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-winged Teal, Blue-winged Warbler, Broad-winged Hawk, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, Common Tern, Cooper's Hawk, Eastern Screech-Owl, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Forester's Tern, Gadwall, Golden Eagle, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Greater Yellowlegs, Green Heron, Green-winged Teal, Horned Lark, Least Sandpiper, Least Tern which are so dependent on riverine sand for nesting, Lesser Scaup, Lesser Yellowlegs, Lincoln's Sparrow, Long-billed Curlew, Long-eared Owl, Louisiana Waterthrush, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Orange-crowned Warbler, Ovenbird, Pectoral Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Pine Siskin, Red-shouldered Hawk which has been a notable species upriver at the Bellevue bottoms, Redhead, Ring-billed Gull, Ruffed Grouse, Savannah Sparrow, Snow Goose which is prevalent along the river, Snowy Owl, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Swainson's Thrush, Tennessee Warbler, Upland Sandpiper, Vesper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Wilson's Snipe, Wood Duck and finally, Yellow-breasted Chat.

A bunch of these species occurred due to the habitats that were prevalent during the period. The river channel had vast sandbars and regular oxbows in a setting that was a vastly different situation in the 1880s in comparison to the relatively scant period since A.D. 2000.

Some of these species were noted historically due to outings during alternative seasons other than spring and summer. A plethora of species would have been prevalent during winter and autumn periods. Other species noted during this historic period, would also be present while looking for birds in the modern era.

Species noted in the current millenium but not during the 1880s include: American Crow, American Robin, Barn Swallow, Blue Jay, Brown Thrasher, Brown-headed Cowbird, Carolina Wren, Chimney Swift, Cliff Swallow, Common Grackle, Common Nighthawk, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, European Starling which was obviously an introduced species after the first years of bird history, Gray Catbird, Great Blue Heron, Hairy Woodpecker, House Finch, House Sparrow which was another introduced species, Indigo Bunting, Least Flycatcher, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Northern Parula, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Orchard Oriole, Philadelphia Vireo, Purple Martin, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbird, Ring-necked Pheasant which is another introduced species, Rock Pigeon, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Summer Tanager, Tufted Titmouse, Warbling Vireo, White-winged Crossbill, Wild Turkey, Willow Flycatcher, Wood Thrush and Yellow Warbler.

Many of these species would have occurred in the vicinity during the historic period - based on the ornithology of the era - but were obviously not recorded. There is so much variablity because of differences in when and where birds were seen during the different time periods which comprise the history of the ornithology for this particular place.

The species noted do indicate the relative lack of observations for this region where recently developed public projects provide a place to be outdoors and note the regular species of birds which occur throughout the year in the Missouri River valley.

There has been a multitude of changes along the Missouri whilst the observations of resident bird-life has languished. Nonetheless, some historic details do indicate changes.

The birding day event in May 2009, was an endeavor valuable for denoting species in the region for a particular place and time in the modern era.

Additional survey efforts should be conducted to further document the occurrence of different bird species in the various habitats which now occur along the middle Missouri River valley. Especially valuable would be observations during the year to represent what occurs during different seasons of the birds.