Wildbird Articles in a California Weekly

Intermittently during a few years, the Pacific Rural Press presented a feature article about wild birds. The brief text typically gave only a few details on the natural species and some descriptive information. An decent-sized illustration was included with each.

This weekly was published by Dewey & Co., with W.B. Ewer the principal editor in 1874, and at least through September 1878.

There were 23 articles of interest found during a review starting with the January 4, 1873 edition, and through the December 25, 1880 edition. Some issues were not available at the online archive. Featured on the front page were:

Crow blackbirds. — 10/10/1874 — Pacific Rural Press 8(15): 225.

The passenger pigeon. — 11/21/1874 — Pacific Rural Press 8(21): 321.

Common magpie. — 12/12/1874 — Pacific Rural Press 8(24): 369.

California condor. — 1/30/1875 — Pacific Rural Press 9(5): 65.

The king-bird. — 2/27/1875 — Pacific Rural Press 9(9): 129.

Wilson's Snipe. — 5/22/1875 — Pacific Rural Press 9(21): 337.

A desirable ally [rose-breasted grosbeak.] — 8/7/1875 — Pacific Rural Press 10(6): 81.

Our bird illustration [blue grosbeak]. — 9/18/1875 — Pacific Rural Press 10(12): 177.

The blue-jay. — 7/22/1876 — Pacific Rural Press 12(4): 57.

Red-headed woodpecker. — 10/21/1876 — Pacific Rural Press 12(17): 265.

Purple-grackle. — 11/25/1876 — Pacific Rural Press 12(22): 345.

Broad-winged buzzard. — 12/9/1876 — Pacific Rural Press 12(24): 337.

Large-horned owl. — 1/13/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 13(2): 18.

Reed-bird, or bob-a-link. — 2/10/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 13(6): 81.

Great red-breasted rail. — 2/24/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 13(8): 114.

Ruffed grouse. — 3/24/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 13(12): 178.

Red-tailed buzzard. — 5/5/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 13(18): 273.

The fish-crow. — 6/2/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 13(22): 337.

The snowy owl. — 7/21/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 14(3): 33.

The shrike, or butcher bird. — 9/8/1877 — Pacific Rural Press 14(10): 145.

The hairy woodpecker. — 9/28/1878 — Pacific Rural Press 16(13): 193.

A group of penguins. — 5/3/1879 — Pacific Rural Press 17(18): 289.

The Australian bustard. — 6/14/1879 — Pacific Rural Press 17(24): 385.

Articles about domestic fowl are not included.

These articles are not a significant contribution to bird history of the region, but still obviously indicate an increasing interest people had in various birds during these years.