Efforts Undertaken to Address Martins Striking Sywalk Windows

After contacting officials of the Nebraska Medical Center (NMC) regarding the increase in Purple Martins using the midtown Omaha roost, the results were apparent on July 31st ... a few days later.

NMC officials had already contracted with Kiewit Building Group to put in place window decals, and the installation was underway on Friday, using construction workers which were already on campus.

The effort included:

• A portable lift used to reach the windows so they could be cleaned and then place the butterfly decals
• Five Kiewit workers; two to do the aerial work, and three to deal with diverting traffic around the work site
• One supervisor from the NMC to oversee the effort; there was also a project engineer when work first got started, to check on the effort.

Obviously this work cost NMC a sum of money, but while they undoubtedly would rather not have had to deal with tens of thousands of birds on their medical campus, they did not hesitate to undertake suitable measures.

This effort is a dramatic difference from the response other Omaha building owners have made when informed of bird strikes occurring at their property. There has been no other building owner which has done anything in the Metro area to improve their structure in order to address known bird strike situations.

The current measures have been put in place to immediately address the situation, and there are plans in place to devise a more permanent solution that will not require effort each season, and which would be compatible with the location, according to what a NMC official mentioned.

The Nebraska Medical Center deserves some accolades for their quick response and ongoing efforts to provide a safe setting for the multitude of martins now at the roost site, and the thousands of others which have not yet arrived.

Installing decals on the skywalk glass; note the banners which have also been hung.

View of the scene as workers install the window decals. Officials with the Nebraska Medical Center can be seen at the lower right.

The work scene, showing how traffic had to be blocked to allow the decal installation to occur safely.

Discussing the best placement of the decals.

Kiewit Building Group employees carefully installing the butterfly decals.

A view of an installed butterfly decal.

Burly construction worker installing delicate butterfly decal.

New Species of Bulbul Discovered in Laos

A new species of bulbul was recently discovered by scientists investigating remote and rugged habitat in Laos.

"Dubbed the 'Bare-faced Bulbul' because of the lack of feathers on its face and part of its head, it is the only example of a bald songbird in mainland Asia" according to scientists with the World Conservation Society. "It is the first new species of bulbul – a family of about 130 species – described in Asia in over 100 years."

The species is described in an article published in the July issue of Forktail, a journal issued by the Oriental Bird Club. "Authors include Iain Woxvold of the University of Melbourne, along with Wildlife Conservation Society researchers Will Duckworth and Rob Timmins."

"The expedition that discovered the bird was financed by MMG, a copper and gold mining company operating in the region."

The bird is named for its mostly bald head as seen in a picture.

Further information is available at the society's web page.

Fish Owl Featured in Animal Planet Episode

The Blakiston Fish Owl was recently featured in an episode about Primorye in the "Wild Russia" series on Animal Planet.

A short video clip shows the "Mineralnaya pair and their chick," according to Jonathan C. Slaght, the researcher working on this species. "The resident male is currently wearing one of our GPS dataloggers," he said.

Slaught will be returning to check on the featured owls in a few weeks.

Historic Narratives Indicate Purple Martins Used Nest Boxes

As a wide-spread species in the historic era, purple martins were observed and noted during the summer season when they arrived at the breeding grounds to find a nesting cavity suitable for raising a brood.

With the first settlement by scattered colonialists, expansion of civilization by western pioneers with its various accoutrements, and the myriad of changes as the nation's people spread westward across a growing nation, the natural choice for these birds evolved to a preference for built structures as a preferable adaptation that was very suitable instead of some cavity that perhaps some woodpecker had created and would prefer to utilize.

One of the earliest notations to some local residents providing a suitable haven to lay eggs and rear young was by Rev. John Clayton in 1693, when he noted nesting places had been built for the martin at the Virginia colonies on the Atlantic coast.

It was decades later when another subsequent account of pertinence is known.

In May 1874, at New York, "over the doors of most houses" were "boxes with pigeon holes..., for swallows to build in." The birds using the nest boxes were the color of pigeons, according to the sparse notes written by Henry Wansey.

In 1820 at the English Prairie of the Illinois territory, the pioneers would fix boxes on poles, or on the cabin, in which the "black-martins" would build, according to the John Woods, the author of the narrative.

Martins were noted in May 1843 by John J. Audubon, while breeding in woodpeckers holes in "high and very large" cottonwood trees at Cedar Island, along the untamed Missouri River in the lands of the Louisiana Territory, later designated as the Dakota Territory.

An account from 1858, as written by T. Charlton Henry, is based on observations during a residence of six years in the New Mexico territory: "69. Progne purpurea. This latter species seems confined to the mountains, and builds generally in hollows in pine trees."

There are numerous records of this species during subsequent years, but most were observation records without notes on any preference for breeding sites.

Among the following observations, the use of built structures provided by local, human residents, were mentioned occasionally among the articles written about the occurrence and distribution of species at a particular place.

For western Iowa, when J.A. Allen was roving about several counties denoting the species present in 1867, for the purple martin, his account mentioned the species was "everywhere common; one of the most abundant Hirundines in the breeding season; about almost every house boxes are provided for their accommodation, which they readily occupy."

Another consideration for species of a particular vicinity, prepared about 1868, noted: "99. Progne purpurea, Linn., Boie; Purple Martin. Summer resident; abundant where proper accommodations are afforded; breeds in the county." This account was for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as prepared by J.J. Libhart.

In 1870, several eggs were taken from a box placed on a house at Madison, in New Haven County, Connecticut.

The regular occurrence of the species along the middle Missouri River, was indicated in 1871, with a note which said it was one of the most numerous species, and was breeding in all parts of the city in boxes liberally provided for their accommodation." The details were from Leavenworth, Kansas, in another article issued by J.A. Allen.

For 1872, the W.E.D. Scott notation for Kanawha County, West Virginia indicated: "32. Progne subis. Abundant. Found everywhere, breeding in houses put up for their use."

This is what C.F. Goodhue noted for the period ca. 1876: "not common; breeds, nesting in houses put up for them" in the vicinity of Webster, Merrimack County, New Hampshire.

Another report from the same year, noted they would breed in boxes. This was for Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as denoted by Joseph Thomas in his treatise indicating the different species about the region.

In 1877, the "blue marten" would "usually build in boxes prepared for them" as indicated in the birdly history provided by Elmer Baldwin for La Salle County, Illinois.

Although nest structures had obviously been used for decades, it was in 1879 when they were called martin-houses, by Charles F. Batchelder in his notes on summer birds present at Fort Fairfield, Maine.

The martin's had their own houses to select, but this practice was probably limited to an unknown extent about their range, but nonetheless more prevalent than the indications sparsely noted in historic accounts.

At Shinnecock Bay, New York, also from 1879, this species was very common, breeding in vast numbers in the boxes put up for their use, and also in holes in trees" according to G.N. Nicholas in his bird notes for Long Island.

According to C. Hart Merriman, in the 1881 era: "48. Progne subis (Linn.) Baird. Purple Martin. Breeds in Martin houses in the villages that lie within the limits of the Adirondack region" of New York.

Notes by William Brewster, published in the same year, mentioned: "Progne subis, purple martin; at Point du Chene where a colony occupied a martin box in the village." This observation was made during a cruise around the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

A colony inhabits some martin-boxes in the city of Bradford, Pennsylvania, according to the 1882 notes by James A. Tuelon.

These sparse bits of information give some indication that early colonists realized that Purple Martins could be attracted by providing them suitable nesting accommodations, in artificial nesting structures.

Since the humble origins more than 300 years ago, the practice spread around the range of distribution where the species has occurred. Efforts more prevalent were noted several times, but providing martin houses was likely more prevalent than a few historic records can indicate.

This practice has increased many multitudes through the decades and is now an expansive endeavor where there are often a large number of suitable nesting cavities in a local area, with large numbers of martins readily using the variously fine nesting places suitable for their use during seasonal breeding known for centuries in North America.

Martin Situations on a Saturday Evening Midtown

An increased number of Purple Martins gathered at the midtown Omaha roost continues to provide some splendid views. Several hundred can be seen first, gathered on the wires at 41st Street and the alley. Lots of antics to watch!

Purple Martins on the wires and other power-line structures.

As it gets closer to 9 p.m., local time, the swarms of birds can be seen about in the sky-space. This includes bunches of Common Grackles making their way onto the scene, and hordes of European Starlings with their invasive approach.

Evening sky at the midtown bird roost. Each spot in the sky is a bird, in this digitally rendered image.

The first window-strike of the season was found after the evenings roost activity. There was also a disabled grackle on the access road.

Carcass beneath the east, central portion of the skywalk from Kiewit Tower to Clarkson Doctors Building South, at 44th Street, on the campus of the Nebraska Medical Center. All photographs taken July 25, 2009.

This is a carcass present on Monday morning, July 27th. It is likely the same carcass that was present Saturday night, but had been thrown into a landscaping area about 3-4 feet from its original, obvious spot in the drive at the top of the steps.

Lighting Developed to Reduce Bird Strikes at Oil Platforms

A new-type of lighting friendly to migratory birds has been developed by Royal Philips Electronics and Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij. It radiates in "only a limited part of the colour spectrum," influencing what birds see at an oil platform.

"... under a certain combination of weather conditions many migratory birds are attracted and disoriented by traditional lighting on oil and gas platforms" according to a summary of the testing for the alternate lighting.

"The studies showed that the key to solving the problem lies mainly in the colour of the lighting currently being used on the offshore platforms. Birds are distracted predominantly by the red part of the spectrum, and much less by blue or green. Blue lighting would however mean less safe conditions for the people working on the platforms, partly because that kind of light impairs the sharpness of one’s sight. Fire extinguishers are also less clearly visible in lighting without the red part of the spectrum.

"NAM and Philips got round the table with this information and jointly set about developing a new type of light that would not distract birds whilst at the same time and will at the same time not impair safe working conditions.

"The new type of lighting has already been installed as a pilot project on one of NAM’s platforms - L15 in the Dutch part of the North Sea "

"Platform L15, just off the island of Vlieland along the Dutch coast, is the first platform in the world to be equipped with the new type of lighting. Almost all the 380 floodlights have been replaced by a mixture of new special TL and HID lamps."

Results have been promising thus far.

"During the present trial period the number of distracted birds is being counted whilst at the same time the welfare of the people working on the platform is also being studied. The trial is being carried out entirely in accordance with the regulations for safe, healthy working conditions. The platform workers are enthusiastic about the project and far fewer disoriented birds have been observed. The first scientific results will become available after the main bird migration season this autumn."

"Every year some 60 million birds migrate across the North Sea."

Modifications to Fishing Vessels Reduces Seabird Mortality

"Modern fishing methods are accidentally killing around 100,000 albatrosses globally every year - that's one every five minutes", said Dr Ben Sullivan - BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme Coordinator.

"In longline fisheries albatrosses die when they try to steal fish bait from hooks; in trawl fisheries they are killed when they birds collide with the fishing gear whilst trying to collect discarded fish," according to findings being reported by BirdLife International.

"The good news is that we have some simple and cost-effective measures that fishermen are increasingly using which are saving the lives of thousands of albatrosses in South America", said Dr Esteban Frere of BirdLife's Global Seabird Programme.

Using simple measures, there have been "impressive" results in South America. For example:

• "In the south of Chile, the incidental capture of seabirds was reduced from over 1,500 birds in one year to zero through the adoption of modified fishing gear
• "In Argentina the use of mitigation in the trawl fishery has shown that it is possible to reduce seabird mortality to close to zero
• "In Brazil the voluntary adoption of simple bird-scaring lines has helped reduce incidental capture of seabirds by 56%

To help with their educational effort, The Albatross Task Force has released a leaflet explaining explain the simple, cost-effective methods that prevent deaths of albatrosses and other seabirds. The Spanish language leaflet is available by clicking here.

"The ATF works in seven priority countries - including Ecudor, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil - where albatrosses are known to die in hugely unsustainable numbers in longline and trawl fisheries."

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.