Historic Battle of Blue Creek Attracted Carrion Birds

The mighty Sioux Expedition of the U.S. Army was traversing the western frontier of the Nebraska and Dakota Territories in 1855, dealing with conditions and noting the apparent scenes and situations. Included among the historic record was a particular journal that is a dramatic record for two species along the North Platte River, noted among so many other ancillary entries in a journal from many other places on the frontier.

Lieutenant Gouverneur Kemble Warren was an officer with the Sioux Expedition led by General William Selby Harney, U.S. Army. The caravan, comprised of a few hundred men with associated stock-drawn wagons and equipment, left Fort Pierre, traversed through the eastern sand hills, and after a hiatus at Fort Kearny on the Platte, continuing westward to what would be a day of infamy of the American west.

Lt. Warren's journal conveys the minutiae of events, when after the tragedy of battle, he mentioned of a couple of types of birds, which contribute unique details essential to any consideration of historic ornithology.

Using the original notes written by Warren, the scenario for the scene is best presented as actually experienced by this military officer. The following transcription of the pertinent days is based on the hand-written journal of the Lieutenant, and is derived from an interpretation of a printed copy of the microfilm record and ancillary documents which help with proper spelling of names. Although this is a lengthy account to get a couple of records for birds, the historic context is very profound and conveys a few days in the middle 1850s when military forces were encroaching upon the typicals ways of life on the plains.

To set the scene, the military caravan of the Sioux Expedition was going westward along the lower extent of the North Platte River, west of the Platte River fork in the Nebraska territory.

"Sunday Sept. 2

"The last part of the descent into Ash Hollow is exceedingly bad. I think with 20 men in a week the whole could be made so that teams need not be even doubled in ascending.

"It has been very hot to day and one horse gave out. Two had been left at morning camp. - About noon passed a return train from Laramie. Report 40 Lodges of Brules under Little Thunder encamped opposite Ash Hollow, 2 miles from river. ...

"During the evening no Indians came in from the camp which was plainly visible from the Bluffs about 5 miles distant and the lodges were variously counted between 26 & 33. The guide Lesson said the camp was on a small running stream about knee deep.

"Genl. Harney having concluded to attack them in the morning and sent for most of his officers obtained their opinions and unfolded his plans. The result was that the mounted force / 1 co. of Art. under Capt. Howe, 1 Co. dragoons under Capt. Steele, 1 Co. do under Lieut. Robertson, 1 mounted Inf. under Capt. Heth / under Col. Cooke was to set out quietly at 3 next morning and gain a position in rear of their camp. The Infantry under Maj. Curry (Five companies under Maj. North, Capt. Todd, Capt. Wharton, Lieut. Patterson and Lieut. McCleary) to set out at reveille (4 a.m. their usual hour of march) and proceed directly to the Indian Camp.

"Capt. Van Vliet and Lieut. Clark quartermasters stayed behind to guard the train as did also Lieut. Balch with his stores.

"Monday Sept. 3rd

"The plan made last night was fully carried out, the only exception being that the Infantry were not allowed to cross the river till it was sufficiently light for us to see their lodges, and thus give all the time that could be allowed for the mounted force to get into position.

Genl. Harney and his staff accompanied the Infantry. After crossing the river and advancing about a mile some Indians mounted were seen on the low round hills to our right, and having satisfied themselves set off at a gallop for their villages. As soon as we could see the Indians camp we discovered they were running off up the valley of the stream, and by the time we came opposite it had struck nearly all the lodges and gone. The hindermost kept about a mile in advance. We did not go through the villages but left it about 1/2 mile to our left.

"Capt. Todd's Co. formed the advance as guard, and I having obtained permission from Genl. Harney, accompanied him.

"It soon became evident that we were not going to come up with the enemy, and Genl. Harney was very apprehensive he would escape especially so from the first thrust. Maj. Northrup, who had been sent to the right to reconnoiter had reported that he believed the ground was too bad for the mounted men to reach their position. In order to gain time and to learn something of the desperation of these Indians, Genl. H. sent the Interpreter Campbell forward to propose a talk upon which the Chief Little Thunder came out to meet him and said he would come in if the troops were halted so as not to approach nearer his people. This being done a halt took place on both sides, and the talk began and lasted about half an hour. Both sides being anxious spectators but few knowing it nature and none the result. I heard only a portion, as I was much of the time on a hill to our right, reconnoitering.

"I could see Indians on all the prominent hills, and a large number were on the side of the steep rocky bluffs to our left front. A number of men were immediately in front of us and when they saw me horses went our further to our right to watch me. Not being able on my part to see anything of our mounted force and being apprehensive that my position would lead them to think or suspect what it was waiting for, I came down, and reported.

"The substance of the talk was Genl. H. you sent for me to come and fight you or have a talk and now you are running away. Little Thunder said he did not want to fight and he was afraid to talk with so many soldiers. He acknowledged there were bad men in his party but that he had done all he could for peace. He said if we were bad why would we be here. Why not have gone off like the other Indians. He said the Indian agent had sent for him. I do not know all he said about the agent. Genl. H. told him we did not want him to stay here. That they only did so to steal and plunder. Only the other day they had gone into some emigrants camp, and kicked over his coffee pot. That their great father had paid them to keep off this road and let his white children pass and that as for the Indian agt. He (Genl. H.) did not mind what he said more than the [letters not legible]ing of a prairie day. That they must fight he wanted to fight them They had fallen on 30 of our men at Laramie hundreds at once and wiped them out, and none stood up to help them, now he was ready to fight, he wanted them to come on, he had not come here for nothing.

"This talk was much lengthened till finally a great stir was observed and judging (or as it afterwards proved aright) that they had discovered the mounted force in their rear. Genl. H. told him to go and to tell his young men they must fight, he mounted and was off like an arrow.

"The advance was sounded and by the time the chief had joined his comrades, the firing in our part commenced, with the mini ball. The range being at least 1/3 or half a mile. The Indians at full speed ran in every direction [words not legible] the top of the hills and if any were killed before this was affected they were carried off. The Ind. assembled in a large body on top of the hill which toward us was very steep and cut up with ravines. The creek was also between us and the Indians.

"This creek was an unexpected sight to most of us, beautiful clear water sandy bottom thick grassy on banks 3 to 4 ft. deep 20 to 30 wide and exceedingly crooked.

"The Sioux call it Mee-na To wakh-pah Creek, or Blue Water Creek.

"Capt. Todd as soon as he began ferry crossed the stream and moved up the heights to our left. Majr. Cady with two companies towards the right. The reserve was soon detached to support Capt. Todd. The firing of our troops in the Indians rear was now heard and as this was the first certain information we had of their presence our man sent up portrayed shouts.

"The Indians immediately fled from the hill. Crossing the valley toward the east receiving a flank fire from Maj. Cady, and direct in their rear from those who had gained the hill all however at great range. They were pursued at full speed by the dragoons for several miles between 8 & 12 and, many killed, all the troops joined in the chase, but those not mounted were soon distanced.

"The mounted Inf. lost precious time from getting entangled in a slough.

"The recall was sound about 9 a.m., and the troops had all returned by 12, bringing in many prisoners and horses.

"I went as far as Genl. Harney's staff went; none of which could get ahead of the Infantry during the fight with getting their fire. I picked up a little Indian girl and took her to Genl. H. and there handed her over the Campbell. At this time the recall having been sounded, I went with others in search of the wounded. The sight on top of the hill was heard rendering - wounded women & children crying and moaning, horribly mangled by the bullets. Most of this had been occasioned by these creatures taking refuge in holes in the rocks, and armed Indians sheltering themselves in the same places. These latter fired upon our men killing 2 men & wounding another of the artillery company. Our troops then fired in upon their retreat. Two Indian men were killed in the whole and two as they came out. 7 women were killed in the hole & 3 children. 2 of them in their mother's arms. One young woman was wounded in the left shoulder the ball going in above and coming out below her arm. I put her on my horse. Another handsome young squaw was badly wounded just above her left knee and the same ball wounded her baby in the right knee. Her case interested me much she cried so much, and was continually turning to her babe and singing in the most distressing tones 'tu-kee-ee-e-e' (chick-a-see-e-e-e) with sobs and sighs. Her words mean o god - my poor child. Her father has also been killed. I had a litter made and put her and her child upon it. I found another girl of about 12 years lying with her head down in a ravine and apparently dead observing her breath. I had a man take her in his arms she was shot through both feet. I found a little boy, shot through the calves of his leg & through his hams. I took in my arms. He had enough strength left to hold me round the neck, with his piteous look we proceeded down the hill and placing them on the bank of the Blue Water. I made a shelter to keep off the sun and bathed their wounds with the stream. This same office has performed for those brought in wounded by the others in the morning. One little girl was shot in the right breast. A boy in the thigh another in his arm. A poor Ogallallah woman was shot badly in the shoulder by a dragoon after the fight was over he saw her concealed in the grass and mistook her for a man. This woman and the one I brought down the hill on my horse were in some way left behind. All the others were brought to Dr. Ridgeley and from him and all his assistants received all the attention that skill and humanity could bestow.

"I did not get back to camp till the last of the command (10 P.M.) at which time it was raining hard. During the morning we had the prospect of a thunder shower to the S.W. and heard the noise. At 9 o'clock P.M. we had a slight one from the N.E.

"After getting to camp I aided in dress their wounds.

"I had endeavored to take a topographical sketch of the scene, but the calls of humanity prevented my doing much.

"The wounds received by our men were very severe. 5 of them mortal ones.

"The Indian men did not fight while running would do but when cornered they defend themselves nobly. The spirit of our men in no instance foiled them in their attack on these desperate savage and all that stopped were killed some it is said with the sword.

"One of the Indian guides ?Desomet who went out with the dragoons armed with my shot gun had a most narrow escape with his life.

"The infantry took him for an enemy and charged upon him, he laid down the gun to show he was a friend (he could not speak English) and the arrival of some one who knew him saved his life. The gun however was captured by a man of Capt. Todd's Co. who claimed to have shot an Indian with his own gun. The hero of this achievement felt very little next morning when I proved the gun was mine and the man who carried it was alive. I was disgusted with the tales of valor on the field, for there were but few who killed anything but a flying foe.

"The feeling of sympathy for the wounded women and children and deep regret for their being so, I found universal. It could not be helped.

"Many papers were picked up belonging to the mail that was robbed at the time 3 men killed, and other evidences showing there were plenty of bad Indians in camp. [word not legible] were also found supposed to have been taken at the Gratton massacre. In fact Little Thunder did not deny that his band were engaged in their affairs. Little Thunder it is thought is not killed and as he impressed us favorably we felt glad he was not.

"Campbell says there is 31 lodges of Brules 11 of Ogallallahs. There were between 60 & 70 prisoners (5 Ogallallahs the squaws & 3 children 2 of the latter wounded, of Chanta Pertan gah - he is probably a good Indian I have his papers). There were horses & mules taken & all the lodges with nearly all their property. The Indian camp was broken up with great haste breakfast was just cooking. Many of them had not eaten. When I gave the little girl I took first, a piece of chocolate, no one could get her to leave me, she was so hungry.

"There were altogether perhaps 80 or 90 men 160 squaws children."

Clouds had filled the sky nearly all day, according to Warren's meteorological report, given in his official government report. "... Showers were in several parts of the horizon with thunder; 9 p.m., commenced raining hard." This would have soon after sunset.

"Tuesday Sept. 4th

"The mounted force under Col. Cooke were sent out this morning to scout and complete the gathering of the plunder.

"I went with him and had an opportunity to perfect my sketch.

"There was no evidence of any Indians having returned. Gen. Harney moved camp from Ash Hollow to mouth of Blue Water. Encamped on north side of Platte.

"Days march, 3 miles.

"The wounded baby died this morning. Its mother does nothing but cry and moan and as my tent is near the hospital tents it distresses me greatly.

"Wednesday Sept. 5

"Genl. Harney having decided to leave a company at Ash Hollow in charge of the wounded I went down with him accompanied by Capt. Todd to lay out a fort for them. It was all done by noon. Genl. H. said it must be a square and enclosed all around. It was so laid out (see sketch) being 100 feet square with sod walls, 3 feet thick at bottom and six feet high. It was right at the edge of the bank in the best way we could to command the bank of the river. The fort was commenced in the afternoon. It is called for Gratton. (All the officers opposed building this fort.)

"I commenced preparing a sketch of the Blue Water Cr. & battleground and my reported completed both in pencil.

"Day warm.

"Thursday Sept. 6

"Completed my sketch and report in and made copies. Wrote to Father, Capt. Humphrey, and St. [name not legible].

"Genl. H. moved camp over the Blue Water, just before sunset we witnessed the passage of grasshoppers in a cloud across the Platte directly over our heads. Had a heavy rain right afterwards.

"Friday Sept. 7

"To day went to examine the progress of Ft. Gratton found one side and one bastion done. One other side and bastion completed during the day.

"Examined Ash Hollow on the west side found no way of getting up superior in its natural state to the one now used.

"Des Coteaux went out to examine the Indian camp and found two women and two children unable to bring them in he left them. Their feet were sore and they had no moccasins. It was reported to Genl. Harney.

"Saturday Sept. 8

"Maj. ?Harve's Co. went out to reconnoitre, Lesson & his squad, Ben & myself. The Indians seen yesterday could not be found. We (Ben & myself) separated a little from the command and got a good fright by afterwards taking them for Indians. We made a wide circuit to avoid them.

"The Ravens, Bussards & wolves have begun their work with the dead and already little but the bones of some of them were left."

"We found considerable property still lying on the ground.

"Sunday Sept. 9

"Genl. Harney started up the Platte having decided to leave an interpreter. My man Ben Cadotte was wanted and the Quarter-master employed him at $100 per m. Genl. H. requesting it and taking also Campbell from the day we left Ft. Kearny. Genl. H. detailed a man to take Ben's place in my cart.

"I paid Ben off giving him $25. I then went to Ft. Gratton. Let Capt. Wharton have a small compass. Saw the tomb marks put up. Left $10 with Capt. W. to expend for the wounded. Day very warm. Reached camp about 3 P.M. Odometer 147.30. Days march 20.34 miles."

Thus ends one military man's original written account of what happened at Blue Water Creek.

News reports were spread across the settled nation.

An article in the St. Louis Republican, as reprinted in the New York Times, started its rendition with this reporting: "Gen. Harney has signalized his advent into the Sioux country by one of the most gallant and complete victories ever obtained over an Indian enemy. The victory is so thorough as to strike terror into the whole of the savage tribes occupying that extended section of country."

The article reported 450 military men were involved, in the battle directed by General Harney. About 70-80 Indians were killed, with fifty women and children taken prisoner.

Losses of the U.S. military were five or six killed, with as many wounded.

"The letters speak of the engagement as a very gallant and well conducted affair, as it undoubtedly was, to be successful in killing so many of the enemy; and the capture of their women and children."

General Harney's official three-page report was published in 1856, as an executive document issued by the U.S. Senate.

Harney left camp at 4:30 A.M., and proceeded towards the Indian camp, he wrote, "with a view to attacking it openly in concert with the surprise contemplated through the cavalry."

The Indians were aware of the confrontation, and were already breaking camp, and after an unsuccessful parlay with Little Thunder, Harney said he ordered infantry to advance as "skirmishers" which soon opened fire.

"The results of the affair were, 86 killed, 5 wounded, about 70 women and children captured, 60 mules and ponies taken, besides an indefinite number killed and disabled. The amount of provisions and camp equipage must have comprised nearly all the enemy possessed; for teams have been constantly engaged in bringing into camp anything of value to the troops, and much has been destroyed on the ground.

"With regard to the officers and troops of my command, I have never seen a finer military spirit displayed generally; and if there has been any material difference in the services they have rendered, it must be measured chiefly by the opportunities they had for distinction."

Birdly Considerations

The sordid setting of the battle ground was enticing to two types of birds attracted to the forlorn carcasses of unburied Indians lying atop the prairie grasses along lower Blue Creek. The military patrolled the battle field, yet apparently did not bury any of the native people, and certainly kept anyone of Little Thunder's band from returning to provide proper rights for their deceased relatives.

The Common Raven and bustard, or Turkey Vulture, were indifferent to the cause, but took advantage of a macabre source of food, as their presence was noted in Lt. Warren's notes.

There were other indications, beyond a battle field, of some other bird species seen by this officer on the western frontier. A few bird were noted in the Lieutenant's journal for this 1855 expedition, though most of the natural history information was gathered by Ferdinand V. Hayden, the expedition geologist and naturalist.

While steam boating up the Missouri River, after departing from Fort Leavenworth, there was a notation on June 22nd, of having seen a turkey on its banks, near the confluence of the Little Sioux River.

Some large gulls, were shot on July 8th, north from the White River confluence on the Missouri River. Travel troubles due to a sandbar constriction were the primary topic of the day.

A day or so after departing the scene of the massacre, on September 11th, Warren killed six ducks and a curlew, with the latter skinned. They were near the famous Courthouse Rock landmark. Two days later, while near the other prominence of the North Platte, 19 ducks were shot along the route near Scotts Bluff. Nine more were taken on the 14th.

The next few notes of ornithological interest occurred along the White River, in the Mauvaises Terres or Bad Lands district of southern Dacota country.

On October 6th, he shot a large hawk and preserved it. On the 8th, his narrative says: "Shot 3 male owls with long feathers to their ears, skinned two; eyes black surrounded with a narrow yellow rim just at the lashes." The following day, along their route, further down the river: "prairie chickens are numerous on the river bank and live on the wild crax or snow berry. I shot 4 at camp." These would be Sharp-tailed Grouse, not the Greater Prairie-Chicken, as the latter did not occur any further up the river than the mouth of the Vermilion River, Warren noted in his government report, also indicating that quail had not been seen above the mouth of the Running Water.

In the vicinity of Bear Creek, a tributary of the White River, the autumnal abundance of fowl was enticing the shooting desires of Mr. Warren. On the 13th: "Shot 5 teal on this creek." On the 14th: "shot to day 2 large hawks (females) preserved one."

The final bird note made by G.K. Warren was on October 21st. It was a stormy day, with considerable sleet during the day. Scrawled in his journal were these words: "Killed a female horned owl & skinned it, also one male meadow lark one unknown bird one female ?plover (possibly the American-Golden Plover collected by Hayden), one lark prairie chicken."

According to the map for the expedition, they were at Fort Pierre.

Thus ends Lieutenant Warren's journal, and the few but vivid records of distinctive importance to historic ornithology of the western frontier during a time of great turmoil as cultures clashed and claims to land were forever changed.

Army March Through the Eastern Sandhills in 1856

In response to his commanding officer, First Lieutenant William D. Smith of the 2nd Dragoons - the leader of the squadron in command - wrote a letter the day after receiving the request for details of journey just completed. His response was posted November 22, 1856 from Fort Kearny, Nebraska Territory.

Smith had just officiated over an Army force that during the few weeks of October just gone by, had moved along a route traversed to determine if the given path was suitable for wagon-road travel between Fort Kearny on the big bend of the Platte River, Nebraska Territory, and Fort Randall, along the mighty Missouri River, where it was going to soon flow beyond the southern edge of Dakota.

October 2nd the expedition left the Missouri River fort. Among the military there a couple of other commanding officers, as well as three laundresses particularly noted, burdened wagons, necessary live stock and others not mentioned. The 105 government horses for the eight wagons, were "all in bad condition," according to the account conveyed by Smith's hand-written journal. Two guides along to identify the route through the country included a "half-breed" and a Ponca Indian, though neither of them, Smith noted, had "ever crossed anywhere near our proposed line of march." Nonetheless, they were dutifully recognized.

The essential distances traveled were measured with a "viameter," the only recording instrument along available to measure anything. Only the mileage figures made it into the narrative, as there was not even a thermometer to denote daily temperatures during the passage over the sands, and across sinuous rivers of fresh, flowing water.

Across Creeks and Rivers

Moving along a vague route, the military force crossed numerous creeks and rivers, each carefully noted. A map issued in association with the Warren Expedition routes, issued a couple of years after the last route traversed in 1857, provides a rendition of the approximate route. The journal has other clues of the places seen, experienced and noted in the report to government officials which has never been published but is conserved in the papers of G.K. Warren, housed at a library in New York state.

On this particular portion of U.S. Army explorations of unsettled lands the first waterway - noted on October 3rd - was Ponca Creek, readily identified than and now. Water and grass was good.

The L Eau qui Court - i.e., the Niobrara River in its lower reaches - was described as a "wide and bold stream with low sandy banks and quick sand bottom a rapid current two feet in depth and a well timbered valley. ... Had much difficulty in crossing wagons on account of quick sands." The day's camp was on the south side of the Running Water.

Boggy banks of Willow Creek were the next crossing, as it was a southerly tributary stream of the prominent Niobrara. This may have been the Eagle Creek, as identified by the place name historians of the modern era.

Onward to the south, the Elk Horn was next along the way. "A beautiful creek of clear water with low well timbered banks and a fine sandy bottom." They passed the flat place where a settlement would be established in a couple of decades, named after an Irish man named O'Neill. The wagon train route went eastward for a few short miles along the river named for the discard of a grazer of the grass, and camped.

"Road good and water good and plenty. Wood plenty - grass good."

With the morning's bustle, the force direction of travel then continued southward.

There were more creeks to get across. The first was the Graham Branch, a tributary among the flat meadow lands. "Water was good and plenty," but wood was scarce, Smith wrote on the 6th of the tenth month in 1856.

Was this Dry Creek, as it is currently identified, the locality. The map for the expedition differs somewhat from the modern map, but in the interest of simplicity, this would be the general vicinity, in the modern Holt County.

"October 7th ... Road very bad passing over a succession of high sandy ridges (perpendicular to its course) and corresponding sandy depressions."

Next along the way was the designated Beaver Creek, which matches well the current channel of the Cedar River.

A couple of day's later, the force crossed the "Little Platte," based on the narrative, a locale on the northern side of the North Loup River, and a tributary of this North Fork. Next was Storm Creek with its "deep, boggy ravine with precipitous banks" that were noted in the Lieutenant's words. On 10 October, it was a rain storm day, so they all remained at Storm Creek all day doing whatever.

During the next day's march, the "North Fork of Pawnee Loup" was crossed. The river was "a wide and handsome stream of clear water, with low banks quick sand bottom and about two feet in depth - water good - wood plenty - good grass." This is the North Loup River, probably in the vicinity of Ord, which was not to occur until many years later in the area's history.

There are few observational details, with the condition of the grass, water and wood noted, but little else. Beyond Buffalo Creek, on October 11th, buffalo were seen for the first time, during the march over a very rugged country.

Southward, were more creeks. Closely looking at available maps does not indicate the precise places mentioned due to sparse notes and profound differences in map detail.

Mean Creek, was noted on the 12th, and crossed the following day. Then a crossing at the "South Fork of Pawnee Loup." Alternative names of "Potato or Hand River" were given for this river, now identified as the South Loup River.

The next channel crossing was at Bog Creek, "with very high precipitous and miry banks a rapid current and a very boggy bottom." It took seven hours to build a suitable bridge.

Spuyter Devil creek was the next challenge. It was like the mire at Bog Creek. There were a few more notable words in the account: "Country extremely rough." And another bridge had to be built which took sweat and toil by many for hours unknown.

In the terse rendition of the voyage, the next landmark was "L'eau qui Bonne" - a very beautiful stream of clear water with such a distinctive French moniker - about sixty feet wide and two feet deep with sandy banks and hard sandy bottom." Here a bridge was constructed to permit an easier crossing for covered wagons loaded with life and its attachments, and the associated herd used to pull the people along to a military fort down on the flat waters.

In the account quickly written more than 150 years ago, two names were given for a waterway still prominent on modern maps. It was designated as "Black Water creek (Wood River)" at the time. The route just to its north was through a "very rough and sandy section of country." Everyone remained encamped the next day as military men built a timber bridge across the waters so everyone could move along safely.

After crossing "Winding Creek (Ash creek?)," the valley lands of the Platte River were next along the route. The entire bunch of the government march crossed to the south bank, and then went westward to Fort Kearny, arriving on October 21st.

The entire route was traveled in less than three weeks, specifically noted as being twenty days on the road, with seventeen days of traveling. Smith did not note in his journal any native residents along the way, and in fact, not even anything about the multitude of the Army force moving along the route. Descriptions of the camps or activities of the people during the march were not noted in Smith's narrative.

Smith did note that some of the creeks were named "by the officers of the squadron as neither of the guides has names for them." Some names provided were based on the place names known by the Ponca guide.

Smith was "fully satisfied that the route we came was about the best that could have been chosen without making detour to the East," the report said.

To summarize the region so many decades ago, these words written by Lieut. Smith will have to suffice:

"Our route at the time of year when we came was almost impassible and I am compelled to believe that it could not be travelled in spring or at any time when the ground is soft or when the waters are up. There are too many points to tempt the squatter along the route were it not for the difficulty of reaching them. The forks of the Loup and the Elk Horn are peculiarly attractive without being particularly difficult of access.

"The entire section of country traversed by my command is wonderfully rugged and uneven but much of it yields fine grass - It is my opinion that it would make one of the finest wool growing regions that could possibly be found.

"Game was quite abundant along the route, Elk, Antelope, Deer, & Buffalo."

There were no notations of migratory birds, despite it being a time of passage for various migratory fowl.

These too brief chronicles convey a simplistic view of a sand hills region at a distinctive time in the regions first history when parties of government-sponsored expeditions were traveling among the dunes. The particular notes by Lieut. Smith notes how the itty-bitty grains of sand and rugged landforms, together, wrought a journey overcome with difficulty, among great and subtle dunes of an unsettled territory in 1856.

Smith's brief jaunt was finished, but the military explorations amongst the sandhills continued. In 1857, the primary party traveled along the Loup Fork and into the desolate hills beyond the river, through the dunes and onward to the Niobrara River, before they went onward to Fort Laramie.

Expedition Denotes Birds of Coastal North America ca. A.D. 1500

In May 1497, as Joan Caboto Veneciano of Italy, set sail under the moniker of John Cabot for an unknown world beyond the western horizon, there wasn't any map to guide what might be found, nor anything to indicate some particular destination.

Painting of John Cabot.

Despite having an unknown route, the expedition set forth from a lively European port. English King Henry VII supplied the monies for eatable grub and wages for a hearty crew of sailors that could continually work the ship's sails needed for ongoing forward movement, for costs to outfit transport to traverse an uncharted ocean for unknown and ongoing months, and other miscellany essential for an oceanic voyage of A.D. 1500.

News had spread across Europe of vivid accounts from the journey by the celebrated Christopher Columbus - traveling overseas in 1492 - and secondary explorations by familial relations at new worlds of the middle Atlantic. Accounts conveyed a profound, dominating interest in a vast unknown territory across the Atlantic Ocean. What riches might be found - or plundered - for an unknown economic advantage? Perhaps a northwest route across the oceanic waters might be a passage to the riches of Asia. Might some route provide new commerce and great profits - in the various denominations or currencies of the era - for sea-based trade?

When the crew of the accomplished ship Matthew set anchor in shallow coastal waters, weeks after setting sail westward across the great ocean, Cabot was a first known European to reach the mainland northern America.

It was a latter-June day when explorer Cabot claimed territory under the auspices of King Henry VII, whilst at some beach-front along the northeast Atlantic coast. This place had not been visited previously by someone from Europe so apparently it was a place new visitors would claim without regard for residents that already lived there. The local people didn't know that a new identity was being imposed upon places that were a essential for their their continued existence, with local affairs of state or warfare or other domineering activities used as a means of control, instead of any basis from someone that walked on a beach and made a dramatic proclamation for the benefit of themselves and others eastward in some foreign country. Matters were based on local action and influences, not on grandiose words of spoken importance.

Replica of the Matthew. Both images courtesy of Wikipedia.

The site of land-fall was apparently in the vicinity of Vinland, and supposedly at the Island of St. John, according to historic accounts.

The local people dressed in skins of unidentified animals. There were many great white bears.

"There are also in this country dark-coloured falcons like crows, eagles, partridges, sandpipers, and many other birds of different kinds," according to published accounts of the hearty voyage across the great and perilous northern seas.

The ship continued its travels northward trying to find unhindered - that would be ice-free waters - upon which to continue sailing, but the boat was thwarted by ice-laden waters that stopped their progress. As they could not continue, the route was revised and sails were hoisted to sally forth for their home port in Europe.

Cabot returned to England, and was recognized as a here, and named an Admiral in the Royal Navy. A second voyage with five ships - based on the first instance of success - was quickly undertaken to supposedly find Japan. There are no chronicles which have been found to denote this important effort in the history of the times.

With reports of Cabot's success, explorer Gaspar Corte Real, the third son of the governor of the island of Terceira in the Azores, left Lisbon after being sent by King Manuel I to explore the northwest Atlantic in 1500. The voyage successfully returned after discovery of the Norse land.

On a subsequent voyage in the spring of 1501, Gaspar's brother Miguel was an essential person of the voyage. The three ships reached north Atlantic waters choked by "enormous masses of congealed snow floating" on the water and were soon stopped at the frozen sea.

After a few more seasonal months sailing along the north coast of Vinland, in late summer or early autumn, they reached a "very great country, which they approached with the greatest joy." This was the east coast of the land green with tall forests. There were "delicious fruits" and great trees to provide masts for ships. The men lived by hunting animals and fishing, according to historic accounts. Stags with long hair provided food, skins for clothing, houses and boats, according to the written narratives. There were wolves and sables.

"They affirm that the peregrine falcons are so numerous that it appears to me to be a miracle, like those in our country." This was the sole mention of birds present at the western lands across the great ocean.

Fifty locals were captured and then taken as prisoners back to Portugal, when two of the ships of the expedition returned to Lisbon in mid-October.

The single ship with Gaspar Corte Real sailed south to explore further, and was lost as it was not heard from again.

A letter written to Hercules d'Este, Duke of Ferrara gave the Portuguese prince details of the visit to the new found land. Miguel Corte Real made a voyage in 1502 to find his lost brother, but did not return either.

Scarce Bird Notes are an Enduring Legacy

This voyage of great interest because of it being among the first to navigate amongst the Atlantic coast of northern America, does however provide but a few bird notes.

Eagles which were black-colored could have been the Bald Eagle, though there is no way to suitably interpret the text to this degree. Dark-coloured falcons could have been either the Gyrfalcon or Peregrine Falcon. Hawks, black like ravens could have been several potential species. The partridges? These were probably some species of ptarmigan. There would have been several types of sandpipers along the coast where the brave sailors endeavoured to visit. And unidentified birds has a huge possibility for the actual species.

Narrative reports for these expeditions are important for their mentions of birds so early in the record of historic ornithology for the continent, not for the details of species. Though there are few records, the lore of the era is conveyed by the efforts of the men braving the elements on their small ships to explore and find new land at the western extent of the Atlantic Ocean. Men died for the explorations.

The only particular species identified was the Peregrine Falcon, from the latter voyage.

Mystery Bird Described by Canadian Held Captive By Indians

In the memoirs of a young man born in Quebec, Canada, an unusual and notable species was described in his account of the birds noted during a decade of living in the northern wilderness.

Charles Dennis Rusoe D'Eres was only fourteen when taken by troops of the fledgling freedom movement for the United States. His fate for the next decade was sealed when he was traded and became a captive of Indians in December 1874.

In the subsequent months, him and his captors left Fort Michilimakinak, at the entrance of Lake Superior, on many days travel to the Indians village.

Although the memoirs are very vague on details of geography, the Red River is mentioned. Going southward from there, the party of travelers reached the Rontooroo River, which by some scholars is possibly the Minnesota River.

It was here that the group reached the home village of the Scanyawtauragahrooote on an island by the same name. D'Eres was to remain their captive for eleven years, being a blacksmith using the abandoned building and tools from a structure built by a Spaniard some years earlier.

Other notable places mentioned in the narrative include the Tartarrac, a very wide and deep river, which was used for canoe travel to a town of the Spaniards, in order to trade.

The events of the tribe, including buffalo hunts, forays for war with neighbouring tribes, and other goings are mentioned.

Towards the end of the memoirs, in an appendix, is a section titled "Of Their Birds." Here are given a few details of the birds common in the country about Scanyawtauragahrooote Island.

The species list:

"BLACK-BIRD, *Blue-Jay, *Crane, *Crow, *Cuckoo, *Duck, *Eagle, *Fish-Hawk, *Goose, *Hawk, Humming-Bird, *King-Bird, *Lark, *Loon, *Martin, *Night-Hawk, *Owl, *Parrot, *Partridge, *Pellican, *Pigeon, *Quail, *Raven, *Robin, *Snipe, *Stork, *Swallow, *Teal, *Thrush, *Turkey, Wacon-Bird, *Water-hen, Whetsaw, *Whippoorwill,*Woodpecker & *Wren are to be met with in all parts of this country during the summer months.
"Those marked thus * are so common in this country, that a particular description of them in this work would be but to remind almost every reader of what he is already fully acquainted with; I would just observe that they are found in the greatest perfection in the Indian country. The Goose and Turkey are not domesticated by the natives of the land, but in a wild state and in great plenty."

Then there is the mystery bird...

"The Wacon-Bird is nearly the size of the swallow, of a brown colour, shaded about the neck with a bright green; the wings are of a darker brown than the body - its tail is composed of four or five feathers beautifully shaded with green and purple, and is three times as long as its body, it carries this length of plumage in the same manner as the Peacock does, but does not raise it into an erect position - the name of this bird signifies the bird of the great spirit, and is held in great veneration by the Indians, and treated by them as a bird of superior rank to any of the feathered race."

Although there is no apparent identification of the spirit bird, there is some speculation on its identity. This is what Elliott Coues - the U.S. Geologist at the time - says in his biographical appendix to the Birds of the Colorado Valley, published in 1878.

"The description of the latter is not reconcilable with any known species, but, in the light of other accounts of the same bird, may be doubtfully considered a hint of Milvulus forficatus."

There is also another native term mentioned:

"The Whetsaw is of the Cuckoo kind, is a solitary bird, and rarely to be met with in the summer months - 'tis heard in the groves; its noise founds like the whetting of a saw, from whence it receives its name."

The "whetsaw" is identified as being Coccygus erythrophthalmus?

D'Eres also wrote about the hummingbird...

The Humming bird is peculiar to America, and is not known in any other part of the globe; 'tis the smallest of the feathered airy inhabitants - its legs are proportionally small to its body, and are not biger than two small needles - its plumage exceeds description - it has a small tuft on its head of a shining black - its breast is red - the belly white - the back, wings and tail a pale green - small specks of a gold cast are scattered over the whole body - an almost imperceptible down softens the colours, and produces the most pleasing shades - with its bill, which is proportionably small to its body, it extracts moisture from flowers, which is its nourishment; over which it hovers like a Bee, without lighting, constantly moving its wings with such velocity, that the motion is imperceptible; this quick motion causeth a humming noise, from whence it receives its name.

His memoirs of the years in the wilderness were written once D'Eres returned to the towns and cities of Canada and the new United States of America in 1787. He arrived first after Detroit, after going from tribe to tribe on his journey to return to Euro-American settlements. Thereafter, he reunited with his family in the Quebec area, but soon left and entered the U.S., got married and then moved to Spencer, up in the New England region, and took his place in civilization, working as a blacksmith.

An annotation by Coues - and renditions by other's that have studied this narrative - indicate:

"Field says of our author that 'his narrative is at all events little better than a fiction.'"

Whatever scholars may say to depict D'Eres recollections, his brief notations about one especially notable species certainly adds an interesting bit of lore to the history of ornithology.

Western Diary Provides Distinct Birdlore for the 1834 High Plains

By James Ed. Ducey

The diary of William M. Anderson - a mid-20s lawyer from Kentucky - reveals distinct details for the history of birds of the High Plains of the west, and Nebraska.

Notes started on March 13, 1834 with departure from Louisville for a young man on to an adventure.

Departure from St. Louis for the western trails to the Rocky Mountains, was April 20th.

Some of the principals were then delivered by steamboat to Independence. An party of hearty fur-traders being led by William L. Sublette was being gathered. They started west on April 30th, riding along.

"We are encamped at the Sapling grove, about 20 miles from Independence. We are about 37 men strong - 95 horses. I am now out of the US. for the first time," Anderson wrote on May 5, 1834, when nearly daily entries started to be written in his journal.

The force of men and equipment went past tribal lodges and a village near the Kansas River. Vast quiet prairies were traversed. The trace continued along the upper Blue, with the first elk seen, and past the antelope.

In this area, the traders came upon the Nathaniel Wyeth party of 70 men and 250 horses, including zoologist John Kirk Townsend, with his bird watching, and botanist Thomas Nuttall. They were also going to the Green River rendezvous.

Near the Grand Island of the Platte, and the river road, they passed a spot where there had just been 60-70 lodges. The first buffaloe was soon chased, south of the river.

It was beyond the confluence of the South and North Platte where the first notation of a bird was scribed in the journal. Anderson certainly was impressed by the landscape.

"May, 27, 1834 - Of all the landscapes and scenery I ever saw, the view I had this morning was unsurpassed. It is a hill, in the range of those, which skirts the south side of the north fork of the Platte, the appearance of it is that of a castle situated upon a hill & commanding the country for 7 or 10 miles, down the river. The most delightful delusion was kept up until the base was within a very short distance. A most beautiful meadow-like plain was spread out before it. Flowers of every hue & odour bestarred the prairie. It would seem as if some wealthy scotch lord had fixed his aristocratic stronghold in the wilds of the new world. Antelopes and buffaloe were grazing in his extensive parks. To add to the charm and loveliness an active flowing stream broke out from its base and hastened to astonish the Platte with its clear waters. Would to God that I could design or describe well, tho I should then fail to do justice to this fascinating deception, I would nevertheless commemorate this scene for my own gratification! The chimney is a much more notorious point. It is singular truly, rising to an elevation of 150 feet, it is distinctly visible at the distance of thirty miles Tis a pyramid or rather a funnel inverted--"

At Robidoux Springs, beyond this chimney rock, was the night's camp about Scott's Bluff.

"May 29, 1834 - I saw to day, on horse creek for the first time, one manner of disposing of the dead, which was scaffolding - In the top of the tree fastened by chords of buffaloe hide, so firmly as to resist the wind for a long time, a frame upon which the deceased is placed with all of his movables - This body had fallen out, & the vacated place taken possession of by a hawk, who had deposited her eggs in the spot where the head of Sioux warrior lay. At the suggestion of Major Harris, Black H. one of my messmates I record for my future consideration, that on this evening, about 5 o'clock I bestrode a Caiac of my own slaughtering. We are within one days march of Laramy's fork."

In June the men and stuff were at Fitzpatrick's Cache, at the mouth of Sweetwater Canyon. "The different names which the mountain & stream now in sight, are thus translated - Seitski or ka-dee is in the Crow tongue, prairie cock - upon which there are great numbers of that bird," Anderson write in his June 11th diary entry.

The Sublette crew soon joined with men from the Rocky Mountain company. "We are a motley set, Whites, French, Yankees, Nes Perces, Flatheads, and Snakes, or Shoshones," Anderson said.

Everyone then went a few more miles to the confluence of the Hams Fork and the Black River for the grand rendezvous. The journals discuss each day antics, starting with June 19, 1834. On June 26, he mentioned "nothing in the camps, now but drunken songs & brawls night or day -" there on the frontier.

A young eagle then suddenly came on the scene. "My pet, the young eagle grows finely. The young gentleman is possessed of an admirable appetite," Anderson wrote on the 28th in his diary.

Alternate musings are given by a revised narrative for the day.

"June 28,1834 - We moved a few miles up the creek for fresh grass - I believe we have not had even a gentle shower for months - say two - I have a young eagle which I bear about from camp to camp - He rides very majestically on my pack-horse, looking farther into the surrounding prairies than any one else In the company, but whatever he sees or thinks, he sagely keeps to himself - The young gentleman has an excellent appetite and relishes buffaloe meat very much - I commend his taste. It gives me much pleasure to divide my meals with him."

The obvious raptor had to have been a big attraction among the tents, and throng of peoples at the mountain rendezvous. Perhaps it had been bought for a trifle from a voyageur wanting money for gambling games, instead of a needy bird. There was no further mention of the pet eagle.

Onward in the travel miles, notes refer to breeding snowbirds seen on the mountain-side as Anderson debated whether to ascend "Fame's proud temple" to search for horns of the mountain ram. Also the... "bird of the jay species here, resembling strongly the citizen of the states, but of a paler blue - no bands - no top knot - having the head, in front of the eyes & including them above and below, white." They were seen during an outing in the vicinity of the slopes of the Thompson Plateau.

After the Red Buttes, back at the North Platte, Anderson wrote on August 16th: "An anecdote told me to day of the 'blackbird,' chief of the Mohaws - sometime dead, evinces the despotic assuming tyrant as completely as any that history can shew. This chief when asleep, ordered that none should dare awake him save by tickling his nose with a feather. And upon no occasion could his subjects be induced to break this order - even tho an enemy approached." This is Chief Blackbird of the Omaha, upon the Missouri River.

Camp affairs and other affrays were featured in the diary for the interlude the next weeks with stops at Fort William and Fort Laramie. Wolves and wild horses were shot. Many buffalo were shot Ash Hollow, to make provisions. About 30 miles if not 32 or 35, was the average daily distance, typically along Pawnee trails. Anderson wrote that the Grand Island was 90 miles in length, 120 according to the Indians.

"This river, like all natural wonders, is an inscrutable mystery."

The Sublette party eventually reached the Loup Fork on September 8th, then overland a couple of days later, past the ruins of the old Council Bluff. Within two days they were resting at Fontenelle's Belle Vue, a "pretty situation well deserving the name it bears." The locale was on a bluff of the Missouri valley, north from the wide mouth of the Platte.

Sunday. "A large flock of pelicans rose from the river near us, & commenced their spiral ascent, mounting higher & higher as the clouds darkened and the noise increased, until they supposed that their elevation would secure them a passage from the shower of frozen grapeshot - Scarcely had they disappeared from the N.E. horizon when heavens musketry & cannister was fired upon the earth - then I felt indeed grateful that I was not shelterless upon the desert plains of the Platte..."

"September 15, 1834 - Monday. The storm has passed, & our flock of pelicans have returned in increased numbers. Much more numerous than the largest flocks of buzzards in the west."

The remaining party then floated down the Big Water in two canoes, propelled by six rowers.

A final reference to birds was upon a returned to some civilization at Lexington. The scribe mentioned: "the deep mouthed owl in lonely independence hooting to the midnight echoes of these shores, to hear the wolves in rapid discord howling on Missouris avalanching shores."

Anderson reached St. Louis on September 29, 1834, then boated to home, and a marriage to dear Eliza McArthur, the next February. Their first residence was in the mansion at Fruit Hill, outside Chillicothe. Reminiscence of the adventure were published in the American Turf Register in 1937.

After moving to Glen Mary, Mr. Anderson continued his outdoor pursuits, and being a prosperous farmer.

The two items mentioned for Nebraska were not included in Birds of the Untamed West. The History of Birdlife in Nebraska. 1750 to 1875. The lore for the hawk nest is an especially interesting bit of an addition to that history.

Ancient Avifauna of North America - Birdlife Prior to ca. A.D. 1800

© 2007 James Ed. Ducey of Nebraska

This material is posted May 23, 2007 in recognition of the 300th birthday of Carl Linnaeus.

People exploring through the ages have always enjoyed new places with flights and flocks of the wild birds. The winged ones were prominent about the sealands, coasts, islands and countries that were a plethora of habitats. Through the past millenia, various types of the birds are known for many locales of the North American continent.

Bird history provides a thrilling glimpse of the former extent and distribution for a vast bunch of colorful and wild birds sometimes chronicled for a particular place and time.

Two research tenets provide bird occurrence details. Studies of bones dated to a particular time-frame provide the initial means to document the occurrence of a species at a locale at a particular time, thousands of years in the past. Petroglyphs also provide material related to bird-life at a particular place and time. As the time extends onward, historic narratives occur with greater frequency and continue to expand as settlement expands. About 1800, the interest in birds take flight as detailed records are kept for specific localities, bringing forth the basic features used by bird enthusiasts afield in modern times.

Details from thousands of years, originating about 15,000 years before the common era or about 13,000 years B.C., with the common era year correlated to about A.D. 2000. The bone studies continue to reveal local avifaunas through the next millenia, with excavation studies continuing into the historic era. During the most recent 1,000 years there are written narratives that mention birds and their lore.

The region considered is North America, from middle America north through Mexico, the United States of American, Canada, and including Greenland. A designated sitename often used the archaic name given at the time of the visit, with alternate names also noted.

A consistent method was used to evaluate bird information. If the material referred to a bird type or bird-related object, the reference was noted for eventual entry into a relational database. Some items may have had only a single reference of interest, while others had detailed lists and ongoing mentions of birds in the narrative. Publications included in the review includes archeology journals, bird research journals, online materials, decades old books on the library shelf, and anything otherwise pertinent to the topic. There were several very useful historic articles that evaluated the history of ornithology for North America; other summary articles also often provided references to other useful source material.

Species identification was based on a description or identification given in the source material. Most bone studies give a list of the species, using an accepted scientific name. Narrative sources have a whole range of references to birds and related things, from archaic names, to old nomenclature, to vague descriptions, and other variety. Each mention of a bird was entered, evaluated using any identifying marks or remarks, its range was considered, and other pertinent information was used to designate a name when it was not clearly given. In several cases with extensive reports in the latter part of the era, lists were provided to qualified birders for their review and comments. Many beneficial comments were received in this manner.

Each bird observation or notation entered into a data table had to match an entry in the appropriate topic table. The bird name would match a entry on the list of common and proper names for birds, bird types, and bird objects.

The locale matched an entry in the site table, with a designated sitename often using the archaic name given at the time of the visit, with alternate names also noted. Multiple designated names can be used for a single locale if bird material was separated into distinct strata levels. Meta-data for each includes the general location, county if available or known (for most Arizona sites, dating information has not available), state and country. The year of the record material is noted and evaluated within this table.

Number of bird records from different countries of North America.

• U.S.A. - 14,086 • Canada - 3095 • Mexico - 416 • Greenland - 133 • Bahama Islands - 81 • West Indies - 51 • Bermuda Islands - 48 • Jamaica - 36 • Guatemala - 34 • U.S.A. Territory - 32 • Cuba - 21 • Puerto Rico - 18 • Panama - 17 • Virgin Islands - 17 • Belize - 13 • U.S.A., Canada - 13 • Bahama, Antilles - 11 • Dominican Republic - 11 • Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc. - 8 • Honduras - 7 • Haiti - 6 • Barbados - 4 • Haiti, Dominican Republic - 3 • Nicaragua - 2

North America area evaluated during research into ancient avifauna.

Ancient Avifauna

A wonderful array of wild birds are known from eras across the North American Continent. There are recognized species, numerous references to generic names, wonderful petroglyphs and rock art. Artifacts are bird bone whistles, an awl, or bird bone beads. Numerous types of bird effigies the distinct character of a bird known by the people for their ceremonies. There are bird-motif garments, and a feather blanket or quilt. Each item helps depict the grand avifauna of the ancient times.

These are the 573 bird species and associated bird types, depictions or objects known from this evaluation of bird history, with a value for the number of records for each:

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - 5 West Indian Whistling-Duck - 5 Bean Goose - 1 Greater White-fronted Goose - 33 Emperor Goose - 7 Snow Goose - 165 Ross's Goose - 7 Brant - 64 Barnacle Goose - 3 Cackling Goose - 17 Canada Goose - 359 Goose - 506 Goose (Branta sp.) - 7 Trumpeter Swan - 102 Tundra Swan - 71 Swan - 211 Muscovy Duck - 4 Wood Duck - 109 Gadwall - 34 American Wigeon - 80 American Black Duck - 34 American Black Duck/Mallard - 79 Mallard - 211 Mallard/Mexican Duck - 2 Mallard/Northern Pintail - 2 Duck - 590 Mallard/Gadwall - 4 Duck, dabbling species - 110 Unidentified waterfowl - 210 Mottled Duck - 2 Blue-winged Teal - 102 Blue-winged Teal/Cinnamon Teal - 9 Cinnamon Teal - 17 Northern Shoveler - 65 White-cheeked Pintail - 3 Northern Pintail - 88 Northern Pintail/Gadwall - 2 Green-winged Teal - 108 Green-winged Teal/Blue-winged Teal - 42 Teal - 142 Canvasback - 53 Canvasback/Redhead - 6 Duck, diving species - 33 Redhead - 48 Redhead/Ring-necked Duck - 2 Ring-necked Duck - 21 Ring-necked Duck/Scaup - 12 Ring-necked Duck/Lesser Scaup - 26 Greater Scaup - 14 Lesser Scaup - 51 Scaup - 28 Steller's Eider - 4 Spectacled Eider - 1 King Eider - 18 Common Eider - 31 Eider - 6 Harlequin Duck - 26 Labrador Duck - 7 Surf Scoter - 32 White-winged Scoter - 28 Black Scoter - 12 Scoter - 10 Long-tailed Duck - 42 Bufflehead - 78 Goldeneye/Bufflehead - 3 Common Goldeneye - 41 Goldeneye - 6 Hooded Merganser - 82 Common Merganser - 54 Red-breasted Merganser - 45 Merganser - 89 Ruddy Duck - 53 Plain Chachalaca - 8 Chachalaca - 2 White-bellied Chachalaca - 1 Crested Guan - 2 Great Curassow - 5 Curassow - 6 Gray Partridge - 3 Ring-necked Pheasant - 5 Common Peafowl - 1 Ruffed Grouse - 142 Greater Sage-Grouse - 45 Spruce Grouse - 53 Willow Ptarmigan - 57 Rock Ptarmigan - 12 White-tailed Ptarmigan - 2 Ptarmigan - 81 Blue Grouse - 33 Sharp-tailed Grouse - 75 Greater Prairie-Chicken - 120 Prairie-Chicken/Grouse - 33 Grouse - 126 Grouse/Ptarmigan - 6 Lesser Prairie-Chicken - 5 Wild Turkey - 710 Turkey - 6 Unidentified galliformes - 7 Domestic Chicken - 51 Ocellated Turkey - 19 Mountain Quail - 5 Scaled Quail - 33 California Quail - 12 Gambel's Quail - 66 Northern Bobwhite - 186 Black-throated Bobwhite - 4 Spotted Wood-Quail - 1 Singing Quail - 1 Montezuma Quail - 2 Quail - 61 Ocellated Quail - 1 Red-throated Loon - 30 Arctic Loon - 10 Pacific Loon - 8 Common Loon - 104 Yellow-billed Loon - 8 Loon - 74 Least Grebe - 1 Pied-billed Grebe - 106 Pied-Billed Grebe/Horned Grebe - 2 Horned Grebe - 35 Red-necked Grebe - 21 Eared Grebe - 38 Western Grebe - 30 Grebe - 48 Black-footed Albatross - 8 Albatross - 13 Short-tailed Albatross - 19 Northern Fulmar - 18 Fulmar - 3 Bermuda Petrel - 2 Pink-footed Shearwater - 2 Buller’s Shearwater - 1 Sooty Shearwater - 11 Short-tailed Shearwater - 7 Manx Shearwater - 5 Shearwater - 8 Audubon’s Shearwater - 1 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel - 2 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel - 1 Leach's Storm-Petrel - 9 Storm-Petrel - 5 Ashy Storm-Petrel - 2 Black Storm-Petrel - 1 Petrel - 19 White-tailed Tropicbird - 1 Red-billed Tropicbird - 5 Tropicbird - 16 Brown Booby - 12 Booby/gannet - 1 Booby - 14 Northern Gannet - 30 American White Pelican - 67 Pelican - 28 Brown Pelican - 28 Brandt's Cormorant - 14 Neotropic Cormorant - 2 Double-crested Cormorant - 111 Cormorant - 64 Great Cormorant - 2 Red-faced Cormorant - 1 Pelagic Cormorant - 21 Anhinga - 5 Magnificent Frigatebird - 13 American Bittern - 67 Least Bittern - 13 Bittern - 20 Heron/bittern - 4 Bare-throated Tiger-Heron - 1 Great Blue Heron - 116 Heron - 99 Great Egret - 46 Egret - 15 Snowy Egret - 15 Little Blue Heron - 13 Tricolored Heron - 4 Reddish Egret - 3 Green Heron - 26 Black-crowned Night-Heron - 29 Night Heron - 6 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 14 White Ibis - 17 Scarlet Ibis - 9 Glossy Ibis - 1 White-faced Ibis - 3 Ibis - 12 Roseate Spoonbill - 12 Jabiru - 1 Wood Stork - 13 Stork - 4 Black Vulture - 19 Vulture - 17 Turkey Vulture - 127 California Condor - 25 Greater Flamingo - 14 Osprey - 55 Swallow-tailed Kite - 15 Kite - 9 White-tailed Kite - 2 Mississippi Kite - 4 Bald Eagle - 214 Eagle - 99 White-tailed Eagle - 1 Steller's Sea-Eagle - 1 Northern Harrier - 84 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 29 Cooper's Hawk - 51 Bicolored Hawk - 1 Northern Goshawk - 38 Accipiter species hawk - 3 Gray Hawk - 1 Common Black-Hawk - 2 Great Black-Hawk - 1 Harris's Hawk - 2 Roadside Hawk - 2 Red-shouldered Hawk - 37 Broad-winged Hawk - 15 Short-tailed Hawk - 1 Swainson's Hawk - 44 Swainson's Hawk/Rough-legged Hawk - 6 White-tailed Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 135 Red-tailed Hawk/Ferruginous Hawk - 3 Hawk - 164 Red-tailed Hawk/Rough-legged Hawk - 2 Hawk/eagle - 17 Buteo species hawk - 97 Ferruginous Hawk - 26 Rough-legged Hawk - 40 Harpy Eagle - 1 Golden Eagle - 119 Ornate Hawk-Eagle - 1 Collared Forest-Falcon - 1 Crested Caracara - 1 American Kestrel - 124 Merlin - 49 Aplomado Falcon - 2 Gyrfalcon - 13 Peregrine Falcon - 34 Prairie Falcon/Peregrine Falcon - 1 Prairie Falcon - 52 Falcon - 71 Yellow Rail - 3 Gray-breasted Crake - 1 Clapper Rail - 6 King Rail - 14 Virginia Rail - 21 Rail - 24 Rail/coot - 9 Sora - 42 Purple Gallinule - 11 Gallinule-type waterbird - 7 Common Moorhen - 24 American Coot - 160 Limpkin - 3 Limpkin species - 1	Sandhill Crane - 210 Crane - 65 Whooping Crane - 42 Northern Lapwing - 4 Black-bellied Plover - 20 European Golden-Plover - 2 American Golden-Plover - 16 Wilson’s Plover - 1 Common Ringed Plover - 1 Semipalmated Plover - 5 Piping Plover - 2 Killdeer - 31 Mountain Plover - 2 Plover - 56 American Oystercatcher - 19 Black Oystercatcher - 5 Black-necked Stilt - 10 American Avocet - 23 Northern Jacana - 1 Greater Yellowlegs - 17 Lesser Yellowlegs - 6 Yellowlegs - 6 Spotted Redshank - 6 Solitary Sandpiper - 2 Willet - 23 Wandering Tattler - 2 Gray-tailed Tattler - 1 Spotted Sandpiper - 15 Upland Sandpiper - 18 Eskimo Curlew - 8 Whimbrel - 8 Curlew - 54 Long-billed Curlew - 31 Black-tailed Godwit - 2 Hudsonian Godwit - 15 Bar-tailed Godwit - 1 Marbled Godwit - 17 Godwit - 5 Ruddy Turnstone - 16 Black Turnstone - 1 Turnstone - 1 Surfbird - 2 Red Knot - 4 Sanderling - 7 Semipalmated Sandpiper - 5 Least Sandpiper - 7 White-rumped Sandpiper - 2 Pectoral Sandpiper - 3 Stint - 1 Sandpiper - 51 Shorebird - 82 Dunlin - 9 Stilt Sandpiper - 1 Buff-breasted Sandpiper - 1 Short-billed Dowitcher - 4 Dowitcher - 10 Long-billed Dowitcher - 1 Wilson's Snipe - 72 American Woodcock - 44 Wilson's Phalarope - 4 Red-necked Phalarope - 10 Red Phalarope - 8 Phalarope - 6 Skua - 2 Pomarine Jaeger - 1 Parasitic Jaeger - 12 Long-tailed Jaeger - 3 Laughing Gull - 5 Franklin's Gull - 3 Black-headed Gull - 5 Bonaparte's Gull - 5 Heermann's Gull - 6 Mew Gull - 10 Ring-billed Gull - 11 California Gull - 12 Herring Gull - 39 Iceland Gull - 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3 Western Gull - 11 Glaucous-winged Gull - 20 Glaucous Gull - 11 Great Black-backed Gull - 9 Gull - 184 Gull/tern - 2 Black-legged Kittiwake - 12 Red-legged Kittiwake - 4 Ivory Gull - 1 Gull-billed Tern - 1 Caspian Tern - 6 Royal Tern - 2 Sandwich Tern - 1 Common Tern - 11 Arctic Tern - 7 Least Tern - 3 Sooty Tern - 2 Black Tern - 5 Tern - 28 Brown Noddy - 11 Black Skimmer - 10 Dovekie - 9 Common Murre - 23 Thick-billed Murre - 6 Murre - 23 Razorbill - 16 Great Auk - 44 Alcids - 9 Black Guillemot - 25 Pigeon Guillemot - 21 Guillemot - 13 Marbled Murrelet - 8 Xantus's Murrelet - 3 Ancient Murrelet - 5 Murrelet - 1 Cassin's Auklet - 10 Parakeet Auklet - 5 Least Auklet - 3 Whiskered Auklet - 1 Auklet - 2 Crested Auklet - 8 Rhinoceros Auklet - 13 Atlantic Puffin - 8 Horned Puffin - 8 Tufted Puffin - 27 Puffin - 16 Rock Pigeon - 2 Pigeon - 27 Scaled Pigeon - 2 White-crowned Pigeon - 8 Plain Pigeon - 1 Band-tailed Pigeon - 8 White-winged Dove - 2 Zenaida Dove - 1 Mourning Dove - 134 Dove - 25 Passenger Pigeon - 285 Inca Dove - 1 Common Ground-Dove - 11 Blue Ground-Dove - 1 White-tipped Dove - 1 Key West Quail-Dove - 1 Ruddy Quail-Dove - 3 Carolina Parakeet - 54 Parakeet - 5 Orange-fronted Parakeet - 1 Military Macaw - 3 Scarlet Macaw - 35 Macaw - 17 Thick-billed Parrot - 6 White-fronted Parrot - 2 Yellow-lored Parrot - 2 Cuban Parrot - 6 Red-lored Parrot - 1 Parrot - 32 Mealy Parrot - 1 Yellow-headed Parrot - 1 Yellow-crowned Parrot - 1 Black-billed Cuckoo - 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 14 Cuckoo - 9 Lesser Ground-Cuckoo - 1 Greater Roadrunner - 27 Smooth-billed Ani - 4 Groove-billed Ani - 2 Barn Owl - 31 Flammulated Owl - 3 Flammulated Owl/Screech-owl - 1 Western Screech-Owl - 4 Eastern Screech-Owl - 55 Screech-Owl - 6 Vermiculated Screech-Owl - 1 Great Horned Owl - 160 Great Horned Owl/Great Gray Owl - 1 Snowy Owl - 41 Northern Hawk Owl - 17 Northern Pygmy-Owl - 3 Elf Owl - 1 Burrowing Owl - 26 Spotted Owl - 6 Barred Owl - 52 Great Gray Owl - 8 Long-eared Owl - 30 Long- or Short-eared Owl - 25 Short-eared Owl - 40 Boreal Owl - 12 Northern Saw-whet Owl - 16 Owl - 88 Common Nighthawk - 40 Common Poorwill - 4 Chuck-will's-widow - 8 Goatsucker - 2 Buff-collared Nightjar - 1 Whip-poor-will - 35 Chimney Swift - 21 White-throated Swift - 4 White-eared Hummingbird - 1 Blue-throated Hummingbird - 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 63 Hummingbird - 19 Rufous Hummingbird - 7 Resplendent Quetzal - 1 Blue-crowned Motmot - 2 Ringed Kingfisher - 1 Belted Kingfisher - 42 Kingfisher - 2 Emerald Toucanet - 1 Toucan - 1 Red-headed Woodpecker - 46 Red-headed/Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 Acorn Woodpecker - 4 Golden-cheeked Woodpecker - 1 Gila Woodpecker - 5 Red-bellied Woodpecker - 32 West Indian Woodpecker - 1 Williamson's Sapsucker - 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 23 Downy Woodpecker - 25 Hairy Woodpecker - 27 Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 2 White-headed Woodpecker - 1 American Three-toed Woodpecker - 9 Northern Flicker - 135 Woodpecker - 76 Chestnut-colored Woodpecker - 1 Pileated Woodpecker - 37 Ivory-billed Woodpecker - 17 Western Wood-Pewee - 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee - 6 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 1 Acadian Flycatcher - 2 Willow Flycatcher - 1 Least Flycatcher - 2 Black Phoebe - 1 Eastern Phoebe - 17 Say's Phoebe - 2 Great Crested Flycatcher - 14 Flycatcher - 14 Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher - 1 Western Kingbird - 2 Eastern Kingbird - 21 Gray Kingbird - 1 Loggerhead Kingbird - 1 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - 1 Rose-throated Becard - 1 Loggerhead Shrike - 12 Northern Shrike - 19 Shrike - 3 White-eyed Vireo - 1 Yellow-throated Vireo - 3 Blue-headed Vireo - 2 Warbling Vireo - 2 Red-eyed Vireo - 8	Gray Jay - 21 Steller's Jay - 20 Blue Jay - 51 Jay - 16 Corvids - 4 Florida Scrub-Jay - 19 Western Scrub-Jay - 1 Mexican Jay - 2 Pinyon Jay - 15 Clark's Nutcracker - 9 Black-billed Magpie - 58 Magpie - 8 American Crow - 161 Crow - 49 Northwestern Crow - 10 Cuban Crow - 2 White-necked Crow - 2 Fish Crow - 6 Crow/raven - 26 Chihuahuan Raven - 15 Common Raven - 218 Raven (likely Common Raven) - 8 Raven - 26 Horned Lark - 47 Purple Martin - 28 Tree Swallow - 8 Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 2 Bank Swallow - 14 Cliff Swallow - 7 Barn Swallow - 19 Swallow - 53 Carolina Chickadee - 5 Black-capped Chickadee - 12 Chickadee - 6 Chestnut-backed Chickadee - 1 Boreal Chickadee - 6 Gray-headed Chickadee - 1 Tufted Titmouse - 14 Titmouse - 5 Red-breasted Nuthatch - 11 White-breasted Nuthatch - 12 Brown-headed Nuthatch - 7 Brown Creeper - 5 Creeper - 3 Cactus Wren - 1 Rock Wren - 5 Canyon Wren - 4 Carolina Wren - 4 Bewick's Wren - 1 House Wren - 10 Winter Wren - 7 Sedge Wren - 1 Wren - 17 Marsh Wren - 4 American Dipper - 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet - 10 Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 11 Arctic Warbler - 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4 Northern Wheatear - 2 Eastern Bluebird - 46 Bluebird - 4 Western Bluebird - 9 Mountain Bluebird - 2 Townsend's Solitaire - 3 Veery - 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush - 1 Swainson’s Thrush - 2 Hermit Thrush - 3 Wood Thrush - 16 Thrush - 52 American Robin - 92 Red-legged Thrush - 3 Varied Thrush - 3 Gray Catbird - 23 Northern Mockingbird - 78 Bahama Mockingbird - 1 Sage Thrasher - 3 Brown Thrasher - 26 Thrasher - 5 California Thrasher - 2 Pearly-eyed Thrasher - 1 European Starling - 2 American Pipit - 7 Pipit - 4 Bohemian Waxwing - 1 Cedar Waxwing - 18 Blue-winged Warbler - 7 Golden-winged Warbler - 5 Northern Parula - 6 Yellow Warbler - 10 Chestnut-sided Warbler - 8 Magnolia Warbler - 2 Cape May Warbler - 2 Black-throated Blue Warbler - 3 Yellow-rumped Warbler - 20 Black-throated Green Warbler - 6 Blackburnian Warbler - 2 Yellow-throated Warbler - 6 Pine Warbler - 6 Prairie Warbler - 2 Palm Warbler - 3 Blackpoll Warbler - 6 Cerulean Warbler - 2 Black-and-white Warbler - 7 American Redstart - 12 Prothonotary Warbler - 3 Worm-eating Warbler - 4 Swainson’s Warbler - 1 Ovenbird - 10 Northern Waterthrush - 1 Louisiana Waterthrush - 6 Kentucky Warbler - 1 Common Yellowthroat - 11 Hooded Warbler - 6 Wilson's Warbler - 3 Canada Warbler - 6 Yellow-breasted Chat - 7 Warbler - 40 Bananaquit - 3 Hepatic Tanager - 1 Summer Tanager - 14 Scarlet Tanager - 13 Tanager - 4 Western Tanager - 1 Western Spindalis - 3 Cuban Bullfinch - 1 Black-faced Grassquit - 1 Greater Antillean Bullfinch - 2 Green-tailed Towhee - 6 Spotted Towhee - 1 Eastern Towhee - 20 Canyon Towhee - 1 Bachman’s Sparrow - 1 American Tree Sparrow - 8 Chipping Sparrow - 1 Field Sparrow - 4 Black-chinned Sparrow - 1 Vesper Sparrow - 3 Lark Sparrow - 1 Black-throated Sparrow - 2 Lark Bunting - 2 Savannah Sparrow - 6 Grasshopper Sparrow - 1 Henslow’s Sparrow - 1 Le Conte's Sparrow - 1 Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow - 1 Fox Sparrow - 16 Song Sparrow - 7 Swamp Sparrow - 2 White-throated Sparrow - 12 White-crowned Sparrow - 5 Sparrow - 56 Golden-crowned Sparrow - 1 Dark-eyed Junco - 30 Junco - 3 Yellow-eyed Junco - 1 Lapland Longspur - 4 Snow Bunting - 28 Northern Cardinal - 83 Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 8 Blue Bunting - 1 Blue Grosbeak - 10 Grosbeak - 12 Lazuli Bunting - 1 Indigo Bunting - 14 Bunting - 12 Painted Bunting - 16 Dickcissel - 7 Bobolink - 20 Red-winged Blackbird - 80 Blackbird - 60 Eastern Meadowlark - 18 Meadowlark - 25 Western Meadowlark - 13 Lark - 28 Yellow-headed Blackbird - 15 Yellow-headed Blackbird/Common Grackle - 3 Rusty Blackbird - 10 Brewer's Blackbird - 9 Common Grackle - 59 Boat-tailed Grackle - 5 Great-tailed Grackle - 6 Grackle - 1 Brown-headed Cowbird - 16 Giant Cowbird - 1 Orchard Oriole - 9 Hooded Oriole - 2 Troupial - 1 Baltimore Oriole - 20 Orioles/blackbirds/meadowlarks - 17 Oriole - 9 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch - 7 Pine Grosbeak - 18 Purple Finch - 12 Purple Finch/Red Crossbill - 1 House Finch - 3 Finch - 23 Red Crossbill - 15 Crossbill - 1 White-winged Crossbill - 7 Common Redpoll - 12 Redpoll - 2 Hoary Redpoll - 1 Pine Siskin - 3 Lesser Goldfinch - 4 American Goldfinch - 23 Goldfinch - 4 Evening Grosbeak - 1 House Sparrow - 2 Passeriformes species - 112 Unidentified birds - 469 Extinct Sheldgoose - 1 Wattled Curassow - 1 Ancestral Condor - 1 Rancho La Brea Condor - 1 Occidental Vulture - 5 Painted Vulture - 2 Merriam's Teratorn - 1 American Neophron - 1 Fragile Eagle - 2 Cheriway Caracara - 2 Caracara - 7 Swarth Falcon - 1 Uria affinis - 1 DeBooy's Rail - 3 Thickknee - 1 Conkling Roadrunner - 3 Great-footed Turkey - 1 California Turkey - 1 Guineafowl - 1 Extinct Jay - 1 Thick-billed Cowbird - 1 Perching birds - 96 Bird bone artifact - 11 Bird bone awl - 5 Bird bone whistle - 5 Bird burial - 3 Bird effigy smoking pipe - 12 Bird effigy whistle - 1 Bird fetish - 1 Bird figurine - 4 Bird illustration - 1 Bird motif pottery - 10 Bird shell engraving - 1 Bird petroglyph - 25 Owl petroglyph - 3 Bird rock art - 24 Bird skins - 3 Bird stone sculpture - 1 Birdstone - 1 Bird effigy - 73 Bird-head effigy - 11 Bird-motif garment - 48 Bird-item blanket - 2
The overall tally is 18,163 records. Recognized species are listed in taxonomic sequence, with others in a non-standard order to match bird groups or types of objects.

The species with the most number of records, are, in descending order: Wild Turkey, Canada Goose, Passenger Pigeon, Common Raven, Bald Eagle, Mallard, Sandhill Crane, Northern Bobwhite, Snow Goose, American Crow, Great Horned Owl and American Coot.

The records available denote 343 recognized species in the twelve-plus millenia prior to the first bird narrative report. In the next nine hundred years, 523 species were determined to be present.

These are the states and provinces represented in the tally...

• Illinois, U.S.A. - 999 • New Mexico, U.S.A. - 912 • Virginia, U.S.A. - 854 • California, U.S.A. - 806 • Pennsylvania, U.S.A. - 703 • Arizona, U.S.A. - 695 • Utah, U.S.A. - 602 • Alaska, U.S.A. - 591 • British Columbia, Canada - 499 • Manitoba, Canada - 482 • Ontario, Canada - 449 • North Carolina, South Carolina, U.S.A. - 433 • New York, U.S.A. - 419 • South Dakota, U.S.A. - 363 • Georgia, U.S.A. - 336 • Wisconsin, U.S.A. - 333 • Massachusetts, U.S.A. - 332 • Nevada, U.S.A. - 321 • Florida, U.S.A. - 321 • Nebraska, U.S.A. - 312 • Kentucky, U.S.A. - 276 • Missouri, U.S.A. - 275 • Iowa, U.S.A. - 273 • Labrador, Canada - 267 • Washington, U.S.A. - 262 • Newfoundland, Canada - 252 • Ohio, U.S.A. - 249 • Colorado, U.S.A. - 239 • Alabama, U.S.A. - 229 • North Carolina, U.S.A. - 205 • South Carolina, U.S.A. - 196 • Michigan, U.S.A. - 195 • Arkansas, U.S.A. - 192 • Louisiana, U.S.A. - 189

• Ontario, Quebec, Canada - 176 • Quebec, Canada - 169 • Texas, U.S.A. - 166 • Kansas, U.S.A. - 161 • Saskatchewan, Canada - 160 • Nova Scotia, Canada - 154 • New Hampshire, U.S.A. - 145 • Tennessee, U.S.A. - 127 • Minnesota, U.S.A. - 115 • Northwest Territories, Canada - 103 • New Jersey, U.S.A. - 103 • North Dakota, U.S.A. - 100 • Idaho, U.S.A. - 94 • Indiana, U.S.A. - 76 • Nanavut, Canada - 70 • Prince Edward Island, Canada - 69 • Baja California, Mexico - 64 • Maine, U.S.A. - 63 • Chiapas, Mexico - 60 • Vermont, U.S.A. - 60 • Quintana Roo, Mexico - 56 • Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada - 54 • Maryland, U.S.A. - 46 • New York, Vermont, U.S.A. - 46 • Connecticut, U.S.A. - 43 • Wyoming, U.S.A. - 41 • Alberta, Canada - 40 • Veracruz, Mexico - 38 • West Virginia, U.S.A. - 37 • South Carolina, Florida, U.S.A. - 36 • Oregon, U.S.A. - 35 • Yucatan, Mexico - 34 • Rhode Island, U.S.A. - 33 • Montana, U.S.A. - 29

• Yukon Territory, Canada - 27 • Chihuahua, Mexico - 25 • Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Canada - 24 • Oklahoma, U.S.A. - 23 • Nanuvut, Canada - 21 • New Brunswick, Canada - 21 • Maryland, Virginia, U.S.A. - 20 • Delaware, U.S.A. - 17 • Nayarit, Mexico - 16 • Mississippi, U.S.A. - 14 • Mexico, Mexico - 12 • Guerrero, Mexico - 12 • Sonora, Mexico - 9 • Durango, Mexico - 8 • Baja California Sur, Mexico - 8 • Vermont, New York, U.S.A. - 8 • Yucatan, Quinta Roo, Mexico - 4 • Ontario, Manitoba, Canada - 3 • Guanajuato, Mexico - 2 • Sinaloa, Mexico - 2 • Matanzas, Cuba - 2 • Jalisco, Mexico - 2 • District of Columbia, U.S.A. - 1 • Guadalajara, Mexico - 1 • North Carolina, Virginia, U.S.A. - 1 • Arizona, California, U.S.A. - 1 • Oaxaca, Mexico - 1 • Chiapis, Mexico - 1 • Nunavut, Canada - 1 • Nuevo Leon, Mexico - 1

Only those sites with this detail are shown with the table summary; some smaller countries and islands do not have provinces or regional subdivisions.

At least 450 recognized species are mentioned in the more than 225 narrative sources reviewed, and presented here in chronological order:

• 1011 when the wealthy Icelandic merchant Thorfinn Karlsefne sailed west to a new found land
• 1169-1170 with adoc ap Owen Gwyneth sailing with his brother Rhiryd, to the land of Pengwyn
• 1492-1503 Christopher Columbus voyages around the West Indies, Caribbean Sea
• 1497 John Cabot, of Italy, visits Prima Tierra Vista, or Newfoundland
• 1501 visit by Gaspar Corte Real to eastern Greenland
• 1517 expedition of Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba discovers Yucatan; accounts by Peter Martyr, Fernandez de Oviedo, Lopez de Gomara, Las Casas
• 1524 voyages of Giovanni da Verrazzano on west coast ot the Atlantic Ocean
• 1528 narrative of Alvar Nuneze Cabeza De Vaca, expedition of 600 men to Florida, survivors to Texas and New Mexico
• 1534 with Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo at Santiago, Guatemala
• 1534-1536 by Jacques Cartier along the Saint Lawrence River
• 1536 Richard Hore in eastern Canada
• 1539 Fernando Cortes Marques and Captain Francisco de Ulloa, at Gulf of California and Monterey Bay
• 1539 journey of Fray Marcos de Niza along the eastern shore of the Gulf of California and northward
• 1539-1542 narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto along the Gulf coast
• 1540 narrative of the expedition led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
• 1542 with Jean Alphonse along the St. Lawrence River
• 1555 narrative of Andre Thevet in North America
• 1556-1558 voyage by Robert Tomson to the West Indies and Mexico
• 1562 by John Ribault, with James Le Moyne, along the Carolina and Florida coast
• 1565 notes by John Hawkins on a second voyage to the West Indies
• 1566 Martinez relation from Juan Pardo expeditions in Carolinas
• 1568 David Ingram along the Atlantic coast on Hawkins voyage
• 1570-1577 issue of Francisco Hernandez narrative from Nueva Espana
• 1572 for Henry Hawkes at Guatemala
• 1577-1578 with Martin Frobisher expedition for a northwest passage
• 1578 report by Anthonie Parkhurst of the Terra Nova
• 1579 Sir Francis Drake narrative, The World Encompassed
• 1581 Hernan Gallegos relation of Chamuscado-Rodriguez expedition to explore New Mexico
• 1582 David Ingram from Cape of Florida at Baie of Mexico, through eastern America, until near Cape Britton
• 1582 Hakluyt list of North American Birds
• 1582 with merchant Antonio de Espejo in New Spain
• 1582-1583 Diego Perez de Luxan account of Espejo expedition
• 1583 with Sir Humfrey Gilbert at Newfoundland; Edward Hayes and Sir George Peckham reports
• 1584-1590 voyages of Sir Walter Raleigh at North Carolina colony, Virgin Islands
• 1585-1587 with John Davis, at Davis Strait and Labrador
• 1585-1587 work of scientist Thomas Hariot, with John White at the new found land of Virginia
• 1588 when master Thomas Cavendish sailed along the western coast
• 1590-1591 Casper Castano de Sosa memoria of western Texas and New Mexico
• 1595 Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno at Mexico, Baja, California
• 1598-1601 with Juan de Onate y Salazar ordered to Rio Grande in northern New Spain
• 1602 edition for Bartholomew Gosnold at Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod Bay
• 1602 Father de la Ascension account of Sebastian Vizcaino voyage in New Spain, from Baja to Catalina Islands
• 1603 exploration of Virginia by Martin Pring
• 1604-1618 explorations of New France by Samuel de Champlain
• 1605 with James Rosier at Nantucket and coastal Maine, as chronicler of the George Waymouth journey
• 1605-1612 James Hall journeys to Greenland; 1612 by John Gatonbe
• 1606-1607 Marc Lescarbot wrote extensively about the local birds at Port Royal, Terres de L'Accadie in the land of Acadia
• 1607 by George Percy at plantation in Virginia
• 1607-1608 Christopher Newport on lower James River, Chesapeake Bay
• 1607-1611 voyages of Henry Hudson, with Abacuk Prickett
• 1607-1615 when John Smith was establishing the James Towne colony at Virginia
• 1608 by Edward Wingfield and Francis Perkins, Jamestown colonists
• 1610 news from Virginia by Richard Rich, featuring Captain Newporte
• 1610 William Strachey came to the new colony at Virginia in May
• 1610-1611 discourse by Abacuk Prickett on Hudson voyage
• 1612 John Gatonbe on Captain James Hall expedition to Greenland
• 1613 by Alexander Whitaker at Jamestown, the Virginia colony
• 1613 William Baffin of London voyage to Spitzbergen, now Greenland
• 1614 Edward Topsell, a clergyman of Europe, prepared an illustrated manuscript with North American species
• 1615 account of William Baffin on Robert Bilot voyage to Baffin's Bay
• 1615 by Raphe Hamor, Secretary of the Virginia colony at Jamestown
• 1615 Richard Whitbourne sent to Newfoundland
• 1619-1620 Jens Eriksen Munk spent the winter at the mouth of the Churchill River
• 1620 by John Mason that arrived at Newfoundland in 1615
• 1620-1621 relation by George Morton from the Plymouth Colony at Cape Cod Baye
• 1623 by Emmanuel Altham at Plymouth Colony
• 1624 Nicolaes Van Wassenaer wrote of New Netherland in recollections of a six year visit at the Hudson river
• 1625 narrative verse by William Morrell about New-England
• 1625-1630 Johan de Laet at the Sankinan nation
• 1626-1628 Isaack de Rasieres wrote about a few birds at New Plymouth after his arrival in July 1626
• 1629-1635 chronicles from Salem colony, northern Massachusetts Bay; Francis Higginson, William Woods and Richard Rather
• 1630-1672 Nicolas Denys at Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and seacoast New Brunswick
• 1631 Luke Foxe at western Hudson Bay, New Yorkshire
• 1631-1632 Captaine Thomas James in search for the northwest passage
• 1632-1634 and New English Canaan by Thomas Morton at Plymouth Colony
• 1633 in William Wood's description at Rumny Marsh
• 1633-1642 David Peterson De Vries and James Island, Hudson River, Achter Col
• 1634 by surgeon Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert at Fort Orange
• 1634 by William Wood, in New Englands Prospect, after arrival at the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1629
• 1635 mention in journal of Richard Rather at the Newfoundland Banks
• 1641-1646 anonymous journal of New Netherland
• 1644 Reverend Johannes Megapolensis, Jr. account of the Mohawk Indians of the Hudson River
• 1649 an anonymous writer prepared a systematic list of birds for Virginia
• 1650 representation report issued from New Netherland
• 1650 Virginia by Edward Williams
• 1650 voyage to Virginia by Colonel Henry Norwood
• 1650 with Edward Bland at discovery of New Brittaine at Virginia
• 1651-1683 explorations of Pierre Esprit Radisson
• 1653 arrival of Jacob Steendam, a Danish poet at New Amsterdam
• 1656 Adriaen Van der Donck description of New Netherlands
• 1661 by Wise family at the Barrier Islands
• 1662 report by Father Nicholas de Freytas on expedition of Don Diego Dionisio de Penalosa
• 1663 explorations by William Hilton in South Carolina
• 1666 report from Robert Horne at Cape Fear, Province of Carolina
• 1669 in a true relation of Virginia by Nathaniel Shrigley at Chesapeake Bay
• 1669-1670 discoveries by John Lederer on marches from Virginia to west Carolina
• 1671 Samuel Clarke at Chesapeake Bay
• 1672, 1674 accounts by John Josselyn at New England
• 1673 accont of Father Claudius Dablon on Father James Marquette voyage in Mississippi Valley
• 1675 illustrated work of natural history from French Canada
• 1676-1680 by Father Chrestien le Clercq in New Relation of Gaspesia
• 1678-1692 notes by botanist John Banister along Appomattox River in east Virginia
• 1679-1680 manuscript of envoy Jasper Danckaerts in New Netherland region; with Peter Sluyter
• 1679-1687 discoveries and voyages of Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Joutel journal in New France
• 1680 Father Louis Hennepin in the Mississippi Valley
• 1680-1681 notes of voyage by surgeon Lionel Wafer at Isthmus of Darien
• 1682 account of province of Carolina by Thomas Ashe
• 1682 account of the province of Carolina by Samuel Wilson
• 1682 Father Zenobius Membre at Lake Borgne on La Salle's voyage
• 1683 by William Penn at his land grant property near Philadelphia
• 1686 by Durand de Dauphine with the Huguenots in Virginia
• 1686-1687 and Father Anastasius Douay at villages of the Cenis
• 1688-1693 observations of Reverend John Clayton in Virginia
• 1691-1697 by Henry Kelsey in Canada
• 1693 journey by Don Carlos de Siguenza, a Franciscan missionary and historian in the southwest
• 1693 Spanish letters and narratives from New Spain
• 1697-1698 expeditions to Sonora and Arizona by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and Juan Mateo Manje
• 1697-1699 letters by Juan Maria de Salvatierra S.J. at Bay of San Dionisio de Californias and Loreto, lower California
• 1698 published account after many years of Gabriel Thomas at the province of Pennsylvania
• 1699 Jean-Francois Buisson de Saint-Cosme was a missionary priest on the lower Mississippi
• 1699-1700 Pierre LeMoyne d'Iberville along northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico
• 1700 Father James Gravier, a missionary among the native Illinois people
• 1702 as Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, established a settlement at Detroit
• 1705 period by Daniel Coxe in Carolina
• 1705 Robert Beverly in The History and Present State of Virginia
• 1707 account by John Archdale of Carolina
• 1709 voyage by Captain Wood Rogers on the west coast of America
• 1714, 1724 by Etienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, explorer of the Missouri river basin
• 1715-1716 by John Fontaine at Virginia
• 1719 map prepared by Henri Chatelain included a list of the Oiseaux, or birds
• 1721 Pierre Francois Xavier de Charlevoix was a French Jesuit traveling in New France
• 1723 voyage by Hans Egede to western coast of Greenland, subsequent residence
• 1725, 1730, 1732, etc. with Mark Catesby about the eastern United States of America and offshore notations
• 1727-1751 era of Captain William Coats in Hudsons Baye, Prince Rupert's Land
• 1728 boundary survey notes by William Byrd in Virginia and North Carolina
• 1729-1734 William Moraley, indentured servant in the new world
• 1736 voyage to Georgia by Francis Moore
• 1738 or 1740 edition by Eleazar Albin at Greenland, Canada, east coast
• 1741 Bering's voyages to the Aleutian Islands and south Alaska coast; narratives of Captain Alexei Chirikov's vessel, and journal of Georg Wilhelm Steller
• 1741-1742 and Captain Christopher Middleton at Churchill Harbour
• 1743, 1750, 1764 issues of the Linnaean system of classification from Europe
• 1743-1751 four-part summary of species known by George Edwards; later records in natural history notes
• 1744 Arthur Dobbs account of countries adjoining to Hudson's Baye, including northern Lake Erie
• 1746-1747 voyage of William Moor and Francis Smith to Hudson Bay
• 1748-1749 travels by Peter Kalm on the central east coast, Canada
• 1751 Christopher Gist in Ohio and Pennsylvania
• 1751-1762 by Jean-Bernard Bossu in Louisiana, Illinois and Alabama
• 1751-1768 missionary labors of Johann Jakob Baegert, S.J. at lower Californie
• 1753 in April by soldier J.C.B. at Pennsylvania
• 1757 account by William Burke of the European settlements in America
• 1758 account by Miguel Venegas and Father Torquemada at Baja, Mexico, California
• 1759 by Captain John Knox at Nova Scotia
• 1759-1760 by Andrew Burnaby at Virginia
• 1759-1767 wartime forays by Major Robert Rogers at Vermont, Great Lakes and Ohio River
• 1761 published by James Glen in South Carolina
• 1762-1792 by John Heckewelder at Ohio
• 1763 translation of French edition by Le Page Du Pratz of upper and lower Louisiana
• 1764 Thomas Morris journal at Michigan
• 1766 by Jonathan Carver at Minnesota and Wisconsin
• 1766 diary and manuscripts of Joseph Banks at east Newfoundland and south Labrador; illustrations by Peter Paillou and Sydney Parkinson
• 1766 Wenceslaus Linck diary of expedition to northern Baja peninsula
• 1767 David Crantz in a History of Greenland
• 1769 tour of Richard Smith through New York
• 1769-1774 by Fray Juan Crespi, missionary explorer in California
• 1770-1786 during six voyages of Captain George Cartwright to Labrador
• 1772 expedition report for the province of Texas by El Marques de Casa Calvo; Athanase de Mezieres material
• 1774 journal of P.V. Fithian at Virginia
• 1774 notes of Roger Curtis published about Newfoundland
• 1774-1775 notations of Nicholas Cresswell at Maryland and Virginia
• 1774-1775 Samuel Hearne and Philip Turnor in country west of Hudson Bay
• 1775 J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur in notes of an American farmer
• 1775-1776 Spanish missionary Francisco Garces travels through Sonora, Arizona and California
• 1776 Fathers Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Velez de Escalante in Colorado and Arizona
• 1776-1779 notes by Thomas Anburey in travels through the interior part of North America
• 1778 account by Athanase de Mezieres expedition from Bexar to the Indian nations of the upper Trinity, Brazos and Red Rivers in east Texas
• 1778 and Samuel Peters in a history of Conneticut
• 1778 during Captain James Cook voyages to Alaska and British Columbia
• 1778 Thomas Hutchins at Illinois and Ontario
• 1778 voyages and travels of John Long among Chippewa Indians
• 1779 about British settlements by Abbe Raynal
• 1779 Philip Turnor from York Fort to Cumberland House; 1791-1792 frm Cumberland House to Athapiscow country
• 1780 era history of Mexico by Abbe D. Francesco Saverio Clavigero, translated from Italian in 1806
• 1782 by Marquis de Chastellux about Virginia
• 1783-1784 Johann David Schoepf travels along the southern Atlantic coast
• 1783-1784 journals and letters of Count Francesco dal Verme at New York, Massachusetts and South Carolina
• 1784 catalog by John Filson about Kentucky
• 1784-1787 at Hudson's Bay for general report by Edward Umfreville published in 1790
• 1784-1790 Gilbert Imlay at Genesee Tract and Kentucky
• 1784-1812 travel narratives by David Thompson
• 1785 Arctic Zoology by Thomas Pennant, including birds; plus supplement to zoology
• 1785-1786 for Louis Castiglioni's Viaggio, about travels in the United States of America
• 1786 Alexander Walker account of a voyage to the north west coast
• 1786 by Jean-Francois de Galaup de la Perouse at San Francisco Bay and Hecate Strait
• 1786 chapter in Storia della California by Don Francisco Javier Clavigero, S.J.
• 1787 end of work by George Henry Loskiel, published in 1794; Indian Mission region in Western Territory of central Ohio, west from New York and Pennsylvania
• 1787 with Thomas Jefferson at his plantation on coastal Virginia
• 1787-1792 voyages of the vessel Columbia Rediviva at British Columbia; log of Robert Haswell, narrative of John Hoskin, remarks of John Boit
• 1788 on Pedro Vial expeditions in Texas and New Mexico; Francisco Xavier Fragosa diary from Red River to Santa Fe
• 1789-1793 western Canada explorations by Sir Alexander Mackenzie
• 1790-1792 Joseph Billings to northern Russia at Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea and Strait
• 1791 Antonio Pineda on Spanish expedition to Mexico
• 1791 Ferdinand-Marie Bayard at Virginia
• 1791-1792 birdlist by Benjamin Smith Barton, mostly near Philadelphia
• 1791-1792 Philip Turnor and Peter Fidler on Slave River to Great Slave Lake
• 1791-1792 voyage to the northwest coast by Joseph Ingraham
• 1791-1795 by George Vancouver on the western Pacific coast
• 1792 Archibald Menzies, a Scottish botanist and explorer on the Vancouver explorations on the North Pacific coast
• 1792 Captain George Cartwright notes Funk Island
• 1792 Spanish voyage to Vancouver Island and the Strait de Juan de Fuca
• 1792 volume III of the history of New Hampshire by Jeremy Belknap
• 1794 Henry Wansey around eastern North America in the summer
• 1794 Samual Williams published The Natural and Civil History of Vermont
• 1794, 1801 with Moreau de St. Mery on an American journey
• 1795 Duke Francois-Alexandre-Frederic La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt visit to Maine
• 1795 period letter by Timothy Dwight regarding north-east Massachusetts; subsequent travels in New England and New York
• 1795-1796 explorations by Andre Michaux, a French botanist and explorer
• 1795-1796 voyage of Captain Charles Bishop in the Pacific northwest
• 1796 Isaac Weld travels to Chesapeake Bay, Appalachians, Great Lakes
• 1797 by King Louis-Philippe of France on a visit to America
• 1797-1810 and beyond paintings by John Abbot, in the southern Georgia and Carolina country
• 1798 by Nicolas de Finiels in the upper Louisiana territory
• 1798 by Polish visitor Julian Niemcewicz at Mount Vernon in June
• 1798-1892 John Davis at South Carolina and Virginia, including Ode to the Mocking-bird, Sonnet to the Whip-poor-will, and odes
• 1800-era eastern North America, the research period for 1807? identification of new bird species by L.J.P. Vieillot
• 1802 departure of Sesse from Mexico
• 1802 published birdlist by John Drayton at South Carolina
• 1803-1804 Pierre Clement de Laussat at New Orleans, Louisiana Colony
• 1806 bird-list by John Stewart, Esq., for Prince Edward Island
• 1808 Francisco Amangual diary on Pedro Vial expedition in Texas

Each narrative has its own story of endeavour, unique to the travels and traditions of the time. The accounts are fascination to read an then determine from the sometimes perplexing maze of words on events and places and dates for bird notations, etc.

Other publications were reviewed as well, but did not contain any relevant information.

Additional sources can be considered after 1800. Besides determining the site records for identifications of new species by L.J.P. Vieillot, there are the vast lands of the untamed west explored by Capts. Meriwhether Lewis and William Clark, where the journals relate many new and refreshing bird observations. Numerous other sources continue the documentation of bird occurrence, as people delved into the natural history of birds, and took time to document migration dates and other seasonal features of wild birds in their natural haunts. Sources continue with newspapers and other not yet known publications - books, articles or reports - yet to be documented with the currently known history for ornithology in North America.

This information could also benefit from detailed knowledge of experienced local birders, or others that may recognize general descriptions to a specific type of bird, or be helpful in finding new sources or being involved in a review process.

The bird species known from past periods of North American history provide particular details for bird occurrence and distribution. Aspects of the birdlife in different landscapes and eras provide important details essential for further study and evaluation to improve the extent of known, historic avian knowledge.

Bibliography

There are nearly 900 citations in the bibliography table of the Ancient Avifaunas database. References of particular interest include:

T.M. Brewer. 1840. Wilson's American ornithology, with notes by Jardine: to which is added a synopsis of American birds, including those described by Bonaparte, Audubon, Nuttall, and Richardson. Otis, Broaders, and Company, Boston. 746 pages. Reprint in 1970 by Arno Press Inc. & The New York Times. American Environmental Studies series.

Numerous additional species were integrated into the database with the input of the species list from this hefty reference. This comprehensive review established names and conventions for standards continued with modern ornithology.

Elsa Guerdrum Allen. 1951. The history of American ornithology before Audubon. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 41: 386-591.

Kevin R. McNamara. 1990. The feathered scribe: the discourses of American ornithology before 1800. William and Mary Quarterly 47(2): 210-234.

Jeremy M. Gaskell. 1999. A review of some early testimony from the New World in respect of the Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis. Archives of Natural History 26(1): 101-112.

James E. Ducey. 2000. Birds of the untamed West: the history of birdlife in Nebraska from 1750-1875. Making History, Omaha, Nebraska. 299 pages, including many illustrations from the period.