Threatened Extermination of the Wild Pigeon - 1879

Sportsmen are waking up to the fact that the indiscriminate and wholesale slaughter of pigeons is rapidly thinning out the species. Sporting papers are full of complaints about the manner in which netters and trappers capture and kill the birds at their nestlings in Michigan and elsewhere. It is suggested that a law be passed by all States in which the pigeon brings forth its young, prohibiting the killing or trapping of the birds for three years. It is claimed that this would give the flocks a chance to recuperate to such an extent that similar laws would not have to be passed for years afterward. As a substitute for the pigeon during the years that pigeon-destroying is barred, the marsh blackbird is suggested. This bird is very abundant on the Calumet, Kankakee, and Illinois rivers. It is claimed that they are great corn and grain destroyers, and that they could easily be spared. To show the way in which sportsmen themselves massacre pigeons, 14,000 birds have recently been caged for slaughter at Peoria. The Illinois State Sportsman's Association is holding it great annual shoot there this week.

October 28, 1879. South Kentuckian 1(42): 4. From the Chicago Journal.

Newspaper Reports of Wild Pigeons 1843-1850

Chronicles of wild pigeons are prevalent on the pages of historic newspapers. Stories of various length typically revolve around the flights of the immense flocks, and anecdotes of shootists and others. It was death and mayhem in many ways.

The news also conveys considerate details on the occurrence of the Passenger Pigeon several decades before it was to become extinct. It is all essential elements of a bird species which now has nothing but a history.

An article representative of the era is about a Wisconsin roost, where the term "innumerable" applied, and which conveyed subsequent results.

"A Mr. McDowell came to our office yesterday, and told us that there is an immense Pigeon Roost in the forks of the Musquoketa in Jackson county, such as has never been seen in this country before -- it is three miles long, and half a mile in width. There can be no estimate of their numbers. Their roosting places are about a mile distant from their nests and feeding places, being three in number, and each one covering a section of land! and in passing to and fro, they darken the air with their number, and break down young trees with their weight, and hundreds are killed by getting entangled in the falling limbs and branches. The people kill them with clubs, and the noise is so loud that when a gun is fired amongst them, the report cannot be heard -- and a person can stand in one place and shoot all day, the birds returning as soon as you can load. They are building their nests, and the people are much alarmed, lest they may destroy their crops." — May 1843

Another great pigeon roost was also notable, in Illinois.

"There is one now, about sixteen miles north of this place, near Kirkersville, Licking county; which, it is said, covers a tract of five miles in diameter, and which has been visited by many of our citizens. We noticed a wagon in our market yesterday morning; loaded with live pigeons, brought from the same place." — June 1843

Later in the same year, on October 26th, 1843, near Canton, Ohio, many hundreds were taken. The "Repository" noted that several parties of sportsmen went in pursuit. One party "killed 1100, another 1000, another 900, and several others from 5 to 600. The game was afterwards distributed gratis to the citizens of Canton.

In 1844, near Nashville, Tennessee in October, flights were going over the city: ..."the skies have been literally hid from the view by immense flocks of wild pigeons -- so heavy that they can only be computed by square miles and acres."

On the morning of February 21, 1847, wrote a writer for the Cincinnati Chronicle: "the whole southern horizon was covered with pigeons, which continued to move on over the face of the skies, in squadrons of various magnitude, forming an innumerable army of this prolific bird. They were moving northwardly, as the Spring approaches." A followup report indicated the immense flight continued, and noting that woods of nearby Kentucky were also filled with these birds.

The report for a roost on the lower Licking River indicated: "...the fields around are strewn with the dead and wounded birds which have escaped the search of their destroyers."

The Sunbury, Penn. market had a vast supply in the spring of 1850.

"During the past week, large quantities of pigeons were flying. Many have been taken by our farmers and others, fond of the sport. Live pigeons have been selling from 37½ to 50 cents per dozen. Dead ones as low as 18¾ cents per dozen."

Easton also had a vast supply in their market. One state paper reported the capture of seventy dozen in two hauls with a net, near Upper Mount Bethel.

It was a busy time for the bird hunters, as indicated by this account from someone at Laurel, Indiana:

"I am completely worn down. the pigeons are roosting all through the woods, and the roosts extend for miles. Our neighbors and ourselves have for several nights built large fires and keep up reports of fire-arms to scare them off.
"While I write, within a quarter of a mile, there are thirty guns firing; the pigeons come in such large quantities as to destroy a great deal of timber, break limbs of large trees and even tear up some of the roots. The woods are covered with dead pigeons, and the hogs, are getting fat on them. Our old friend Hetrich, formerly of Baltimore killed fifty at four shots." — April 1850

In York, Penn., a Mr. Herbert arrived in town on Monday "with a wagon loaded with about 700 wild pigeons, which had been taken with a net." Someone else near Lancaster had taken about two thousand with a net.

The paper also reported on a "dreadful accident" where Wm. Emmons and Augustus Judon went out after some pigeons. The returned to the store in town, and when going through "military evolutions with two guns," supposedly not loaded. Judon pointed a gun at Emmons, pulled the trigger. A unexpected bullet pierced the latter's head, above the left eye. The 23-year-old was survived by his mother and younger brother.

Announcement of a False Discovery of the Extinct Carolina Parakeet a Mistake

An April 1st story prepared to show it was issued by Cornell University and The Nature Conservancy, announced the discovery of a local non-migratory species of the Carolina Parakeet in northern Honduras. The story, formatted as a news release from the university news service, gave details, even focused on genetics and made a case that a non-migratory flock had been discovered in central America. News of the discovery was reportedly going to be released in the journal Science.

It was a joke foisted on too many people on April Fool's Day.

The fool's of the day were not the people reading about the announcement on bird blogs, online news services, or had seen comments about the purported discovery on some bird discussion group.

There were thoughts that the Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) lived on, with excitement, wonder and hope implied in the views expressed with a perspective that perhaps this was another bit of surprising news of extinct species.

Cornell University and The Nature Discovery had previously announced, to great fanfare and media attention, the supposed existence of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the southeast United States, another species though to have been extinct.

The fool's of the day were the people that worked together to issue the parakeet story. They included pictures, one showing a fake example of a live bird (with the obvious wrong-type of beak), discussed DNA analysis and otherwise wove a tale of deceit. Aspects of a recovery plan were even given. Names for contacts were shown, with false email addresses provided!

Lore of the Carolina Parakeet has it's own profound legacy. One clue to the fallacy of the story, was stating that a migratory bunch in middle, tropical America had stayed put.

None of the known 150 or so historic records prior to 1880 show that this species was noted anywhere else but in the United States, so this was an obvious puzzlement.

Perhaps the two authorities given with the article, could provide a basis for this historic distribution, which perhaps was noted in the 1880s, or some time during the period before the species became extinct. But then, neither email worked. The Cornell University News Service, despite having been asked, could not provide an valid contact email-id for further information regarding the fake news.

Actual history is much more essential, instead of some words issued by a conspiracy to dupe people. In the first era of history, it was called a paroquet. LaSalle wrote about this species in those years about 1680. A number of men mentioned it during the 1750-1800, and their words convey reality as they saw it while exploring places of a growing country. Fiction was not the forte given by authors Gist, Carter, Heckewelder, Cresswell, Filson, Davis, and Collot.

The April 1st fiction included a photograph of a supposed live bird - named - though it was an altered view of a Jenday Conure. Some features matched, but birders focused on details noted errant features that would not have matched reality. Characteristics of the beak showed no similarities, though a quick glance might have sufficed to indicate the species lived on.

These are some examples of comments plucked from the world-wide perspective in reaction to the fake proclamation.

• "See this exceptional news release from Cornell Lab of Ornithology and The Nature Conservancy:" - Ric Z.
• "Someone pointed out that the referenced web site was an April Fools Joke. I didn't find it funny." - Al R.
• "I sure hope it isn't an April Fool's joke." - Patty M.
• "Well, I fell for it, I honestly did not know it was a joke" - Vicki B.

It was a disservice to bird enthusiast's that this fictional account, written with great attention to detail, was released to the public. It was a good bunch of fiction, but basically trash to people positively focused on birds and their conservation.

There shouldn't be any more fake stories issued regarding extinct species. History should not be trivialized by some creative writing effort by an anonymous writer, despite any weak attempt to put some spin of humor on the status of species and their history. It was basically wrong to announce the rediscovery of an extinct species. It seems the two organizations have a history for this type of grandstanding.

All foolishness aside, both Cornell University and The Nature Conservancy should issue an apologize for the April 1, 2009 article of fiction about the Carolina Parakeet.

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The following information has been received from an official at Cornell University.

"The Carolina Parakeet story did not originate with any official Cornell agency, nor AFAIK from anyone at Cornell, nor from the Nature Conservancy. If you look at the URL you will see that the "news release" is not posted on a Cornell server. It is on Google Docs, where anyone could have placed it. There has been no such thing as "Cornell News Service" for the last five years; that's an old logo, and anyone at Cornell would have known that." - April 6, 2009

Extinct Birds by Rothschild a Pinnacle of Historic Ornithology

A bit of the Rothschild family fortune was spent to produce a first in historic ornithology, when Lionel Walter Rothschild prepared a distinctive and unique volume on extinct birds.

Birds had been of special interest for several years, and his continued lucubration on the subject brought forth information shared through writings and speeches.

Dr. Rothschild - he had a Ph.D. and was a fellow in the Zoological Society of London - also wrote a journal article in 1905, published in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, that described several macaw species. He was able to provide a suitable description - still recognized by modern taxonomy - after decades of efforts by many of the most renowned ornithologists' that had been consistently and regularly recognizing and suitably naming many hitherto unrecognized species that were new additions to earth's known avifauna.

Published in 1907, Extinct Birds was issued in a manner to ensure quality, and Rothschild spent about $100,000 to achieve the results. There were only 300 copies printed for "private circulation," which were to be sold for $125 each; or L25 according to a second source. Foreign editions were to follow.

The preface of the book indicates the basic reason for the work: "When I decided to read a paper before the Ornithological Congress of 1905 on Extinct and Vanishing Birds, I found it necessary to illustrate my paper by a number of drawings. These drawing roused special interest among those who listened to my lecture, and I was asked by many if I could not see my way to publish the lecture and drawings, in book form, as these plates were far too numerous for the proceedings of the Congress. After some hesitation I determined to do this, greatly owning to the persuasion of the late Dr. Paul Leverkuhn."

The book has this stated goal: "An attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those Birds which have become extinct in historical time - that is, within, the last six or seven hundred years. To which are added a few which still exist, but are on the verge of extinction."

The publishers had "been experimenting for years to obtain an imperishable paper, for Mr. Rothschild wishing the work to endure for all time, because he thinks it improbable that the subject will ever be rehandled," according to an announcement in the Publishers' Weekly (March 30, 1907, p. 1150), with similar details in Pitman's Journal in mid-April. "It is stated that the Hutchisons have now obtained for the plates paper so pure that it will take color printing without any coating and give perfect results. It costs about 36 cents a pound."

The forty-five coloured plates show a wide-variety of former species around the globe.

Now, copy No. 25 of the initial limited edition can be readily enjoyed world-wide.

The first section subsequent to the book's preface is a multi-page list of the "most important literature" that were analyzed, many which were in Sir Rothschild's library at the zoological museum at Tring, north of London.

Several North American species are included within the ruminations for the given species, which are not exhaustive and boring reviews of all pertinent details presented in the burgeoning literature, but short accounts presenting enough details to describe the species, and to refer to its habitat or where it occurred. There is actually little useful information on the distribution and occurrence, but obviously this was not the intent.

Species of interest to the history of ornithology for Northern America, include:

Siphonorhis americanus [Jamaican Pauraque]	Ara guadeloupensis [Guadeloupe Macaw, or, Lesser Antillean Macaw]; there are no known specimens Ara erythrura [Red-tailed Macaw]; Rothschild was the first to describe this species; no known specimens
Anodorhynchus purpurascens [Guadeloupe Violet Macaw]; no specimens; Rothschild is given credit for recognizing and naming this species	Ara gossei [Gosse's Macaw]; described by Gosse, and designated a species by Rothschild; the sole record is from 1765 at Jamaica	Ara erythrocephala [Red-headed Green Macaw]; designated a species by Rothschild
Ara martinicus [Martinique Macaw]; designated a species by Rothschild	Amazona violaceus [Violaceous Trogon]	Amazona martinicana [Martinique Parrot]
Conurus labati [Guadeloupe Parakeet]; no known specimens; designated a species by Rothschild	Carbo perspicillatus [Spectacled Cormorant]	Camptolaimus labradoria [Labrador Duck]
Alca impennis [Great Auk]	Aestrelata caribbaea [cf. Black-capped Petrel]; the species described in Rothschild's work may have been a distinct species, according to modern taxonomists	Some of the these paintings were done by J.G. Kueleman and George Edward Lodge.

Included in the accounts, but not illustrated were the Ectopistes macroura, Passenger Pigeon, and Tympanuchus cupido, Heath Hen.

Additional species were listed because they had reduced populations, and were "threatened and may soon become extinct, if they still exist." There were no further details given for these.

Following the written sections, the profound colour-illustrations were simple in composition and each full-page image nearly always featured a single bird with background features to convey their habitat. They are not refined in endless detail, but showing the prominent features of a species' appearance, or how it might have looked when there were no specimens or other material on which to devise a rendition.

As can be expected with a prominent new book on birds, there was a review, with one in particular written by "C.W.R." in the April, 1908, volume of the Auk. This writer was trite and shallow in the given comments, doing a good job of missing the primary emphasis of the work by Mr. Rothschild.

Concerns were expressed about featuring too many species of fossil birds, or pointing out that a few other soon or recently extinct birds should have been included. The comments went to the extent of saying the research was lacking because there had not been sufficient correspondence with museums that could have contributed information on a limited number of additional, pertinent specimens. And it pointed out - in a concerned manner - the number of blank pages! There were also trivial quibbles about feather coloration shown for an illustration or two.

The entire review was a bland effort of babble that failed due to any effort to convey numerous positive attributes. The writer did a commendable job of missing the primary emphasis of the work by Mr. Rothschild.

Instead, Extinct Birds is a commemorative jewel. And, although this was not the last volume to account for extinct birds, it was a pinnacle in raising awareness about the extinction of species. It was among the first to combine prehistoric species with those of recent history, something which has only been done a few times in the ornithological literature of all time.

The comments by Rothschild were realistic, yet prophetic: "The cause of recent extinction among birds is in most cases due directly or indirectly to man, but we also have instances of birds becoming extinct for no apparent reason whatever.

"Man has destroyed, and is continually destroying species directly, either for food or for sport, but also in many other ways he contributes to their destruction. Some species have been exterminated by the introduction of animals of prey, such as rats, cats, mongoose, etc., and we know that also the acclimatisation of other birds, such as the mynah, etc. has proved to be harmful to the native birds. Again we find that the introduction of domestic creatures or others kept as pets has brought diseases which may prove fatal to the indigenous fauna. Another means by which may causes immense destruction, is by destroying the natural habitat of various species. ... The melancholy fact however remains that man and his satellites, cats, rats, dogs, and pigs are the worst and in fact the only important agents of destruction of the native avifaunas wherever they go."

These comments are as pertinent today as they were in the early 1900s.

Ara tricolor.