Trade in Singing Birds at City of New York

Presented verbatim.

The N.Y. Tribune makes the following estimate of the trade in singing birds in the city of New York during the present year:

10,000 canaries (short breed) from $4 to $6 a pair ... 600 canaries (long breed), $8 per pair ... 600 goldfinches, from $1 to $2 each ... 50 blackbirds, from $5 to $15 each ... 25 nightingales, from $10 to $25 ... 500 linnets at $1 ... 100 skylarks, at $3 ... 400 fancy pigeons (imported) averaging $12 a pair ... 12 gold and silver pheasants, $30 per pair ...	$25,000 2,400 700 500 320 500 300 2,400 180
Making over 12,000 European birds imported and sold here for about ...	$32,000

Added to the above there are sold African, South American and other birds, as follows:

500 parrots, average price $7 each ... 200 wedoes or birds of paradise, $6 a pair ... 100 mocking birds, $15 each ... 500 Java sparrows, $1 50 each ... 200 white and red cardinals, $5 a pair ... 50 grobolis, $5 each ... 200 nonpareils, $3 a pair ... 50 fire birds, $3 each ...	$3,500 600 1500 750 500 250 300 150
Making 1,800 American birds, worth ...	$7,500

The trade in canaries is entirely in the hands of five or six Germans. The bird importers depart for Europe about the first of August to make their purchases, returning to New York in the course of two to three months. During their absence they travel through the Hartz Mountains purchasing from the peasants, who raise them as a pastime, their stock of canaries, linnets, finches, blackbirds, thrushes and other songbirds. Males are sold in the mountains for $1 to $ 1 25 each. The importers have recently returned with a portion of their stocks, and it is estimated that 12,000 birds are now in the city for sale.

We have not enumerated in the above tables the Blue-birds, Indigo-birds, Blue Robins, Yellow-birds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cat-birds, Wood-Robbins, Brown Thrashers and a multitude of other wild birds of which thousands are yearly bought and sold in this city or sent to Europe. It may be safely estimated that $50,000 a year is expended in New York for song birds.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle 15(306): 1. Issued December 27, 1856. Originally issued in the New York Tribune.

An Exquisite Poem About the Prairie

[From the News.]

The Prairie.

By G.C. Albaugh.

The prairies of our favored land

Are always beautiful or grand.

First, beauteous Spring her hand extends,

And leaving green with azure blends;

She softly throws her emerald vest,

Till every undulation grows

Beneath each wanton breeze that blows.

 

Then summer, warm with light and life,

Enters upon the joyous strife.

Her feet are shod with blush of morn.

That she may all her ways adorn;

Her breath is flowery fragrance rare,

Therewith she loads the prairie air;

She spreads abroad the grassy wave

Horizon's farthest shore to lave.

 

Next, Autumn, other matron fair,

Walks softly forth, with gracious air.

Her garments, sunset's gorgeous hues,

Her jewels made of sparkling dews;

With her own robes she clothes the hills,

With sunny tints the valley fills;

Till all the prairie's vast expanse,

In gold, waves to her happy glance.

 

Last, Winter, with his head all hoar,

And voice more fierce than lion's roar,

Comes, proudly, from his arctic house,

O'er prairie's golden sod to roam.

His eager servants, then, are free

To revel in their wildest glee:

Their song is music, wild and grand,

With which they fill the prairie-land.

 

The lowing herds; the boundless deer;

The mustang, in his wild career;

The buffalo, which like the storm,

Sweeps o'er the plain his mighty form;

The antelope, as light as air;

Huge rabbits, and the timid hare;

The wolf; the dog, (of social fame),

And many more of various name.

 

The goose, the brant, (in dress of snow;)

The crane; the heron; stork, and crow;

The turkey, grave; the prairie-hen;

The partridge, lark, and merry wren;

The loving, gentle, cooing dove;

The owl and hawk, that murder love;

The snipe, the plover, and curlew;

And other, to the wand'rer new.

 

All these the prairie-landscape grace,

While sun and moon their circles trace,

And changing seasons, in their arms,

Bring, each, its own peculiar charms,

So that, while months still onward move,

They may the poet's thought approve;

The prairies of our favored land

Are always beautiful or grand.

February 25, 1854. Texan Mercury 1(23): 1.

Stupefied Wild Pigeon Trapping in Essex County

"In the county of Essex large numbers are annually captured. The value of pigeons taken here yearly is estimated at $20,000. In the town of Boxford it is reckoned that three thousand dozen are taken every season; and in Andover, Methuen, Tewksbury, and other towns in that section, still larger numbers are trapped. Cartis, the well-known hunter and trapper of Boxford, takes about 700 annually, and has been known to capture over 100 dozen in a single day. The general market value is about one dollar per dozen, and hence the estimate that $20,000 are taken in Essex county annually supposes that 20,000 dozen, or nearly 250,000 pigeons are captured per year.

"The pigeons, in this vicinity are attracted to particular parts of the woods by the strewing of grain in open spaces cleared of brushwood for the purpose. In this way they are not only tolled around the spot where traps are to be set and familiarized with the ground, but are well fattened before being taken. They are fed for some time before the spreading of the nets. When a sufficient number have congregated to make it worth while to entrap them, their grain is saturated with whiskey, which steals away their silly brains, as it does silly men's brains, and they become willing stupefied victims of the trapper. The net is set in such a way that by the use of young saplings for drawing-springs, it is made to jump over the dense flock of fuddled pigeons gathered in front of it, and when they attempt to rise they are entangled in the meshes. The pigeons, we are told, when enticed by the grain and whiskey will huddle together in a compact mass, as if for the special convenience and gratification of the trapper. When once caught in the net they thrust their head through the meshes, and the trapper, by a certain pressure upon the neck, kills them one after another, with great rapidity, and with more dexterity of touch than tenderness of feeling. They are then taken out, picked, and packed for the market."

This report is from 1859; and from Essex County, Massachusetts.

Pigeons for a Pittance at New York Market

Two reports from the mid-1700s indicate the vast number of wild pigeons sold at the markets of New York. Both are from April.

The number of Passenger Pigeons sold was simply phenomenal, and the details are for just one market area, with a myriad of markets in other places offering the same bird as a commodity.

"One day last Week, upwards of 75,000 Pidgeons were brought to this Market, insomuch that 50 was sold for one shilling."

This report was issued in 1759.

"Such great Quantities of Pigeons were brought to Market last week, that no less than 60 000 were sold off in one Day."

This report was issued in 1771.

These scattered reports provide a glimpse of the pigeon market, which was certainly more pervasive than is currently known.

Doves Cooing About Spring in Custer County

These photographs were sent in by correspondents in the playa region of northwest Custer County. The images of a pair of Eurasian Collared-doves convey a vivid sense of the spring season and its birdly excitement.

Thanks to Maxine and Ed Wehling for their contribution to get thoughts turned to warmer times soon to preside this spring; especially considering the wintery blast which occurred on Thursday, the 23rd, with snow and enduring winds.

They also sent along a link to this important story about wind turbines: Wind turbines threaten swans, says bird expert

Oldtime Lore of the Paroquet and Pigeon

These accounts convey details of great interest for the natural history of two iconic species at a time long-ago when they thrived and were prominent in North America's avifauna. There was no thought at the time that they would eventually become extinct!

"Description of the Green River Paroquet, by a person of credibility from the state of Kentucky.

"This bird is about the size of a pigeon, of a green colour except the head, which inclines to yellow; they go in flocks or companies about the plantations, and are remarkable for their docility; when once taken and caressed a few hours, they will have no inclination to leave their captor, but will remain about his house, enjoying his bounty with unparalleled indifference and security; when thus reclaimed, they serve as a decoy, by being perched on a pole or scaffold. While a flock are flying by, they will readily alight as conveniently as possible, and are so attached to each other, that any of the strangers that alight within reach may be taken by the owner of the decoy with difficulty, which in two or three hours becomes as gentle as the other; they are possessed of an uncommon degree of sociability and friendship towards each other; when travelling about the house, if one of them discovers a grain of corn or any other food, it immediately, raises the alarm, and by a chattering peculiar to themselves, invites its fellows to partake; when assembled, the discoverer splits with its beak the corn as with shears; they are remarkably fond of cockle burs; the same friendship takes place on finding a plant or bush or these; they lodge or keep suspending themselves by the beak, from a pin or crevice in the wall of the house, or any convenience which a hollow tree affords, in which a whole flock will assemble, if sufficiently capacious; the females of a flock lay their eggs together in a hollow tree promiscuously, and when thus deposited, the males assume the charge of hatching and supporting them; it frequently happens that there are young in the nest half fledged when others are still in the shell."

This article about the Carolina Parakeet was published in an 1801 edition of a New England newspaper.

"Communications. The Wild Pigeon.

"It is well known that the wild pigeon is a bird of passage, and that it frequents these parts regularly twice every year. In the spring, large flocks come from the south, and disperse amongst the uplands and mountains in the northern parts of this and the neighboring states; whence they hatch and rear their young; and in the autumn, they collect together again, and with their young proceed to the south. They cannot well stand the cold, nor subsist upon the buds of trees as other birds indigenous to these northern climes; and of course are obliged to emigrate to a warmer climate when the weather becomes cold and the ground is covered with snow. Extraordinary, however, as it may seem, it is a fact, that since the first of the present month, large flocks of these birds have appeared amongst us, and have scattered themselves as usual throughout the woods. Great numbers of them have been taken with nets in the upper part of New Jersey, and one of the markets in this city has for several days past been supplied with them. An old farmer who had taken 300 and carried most of them to market, told me that they appeared in general to come from the southwest : that they were very fat, and continued in the woods where he lived, subsisting chiefly upon the frozen acorns, found upon the branches of the oak. He says they are very wild, that he recollects but one instance of the kind happening before during all his life; and that was on a Christmas many years ago, when he also caught a great number of them. A curious question then arises, what could induce these harmless birds, contrary to their nature and custom, to pay us a visit at this inclement season of the year?"

This article about the Passenger Pigeon was published in an 1815 edition of a New York newspaper.

Considering Mid-February Fowl of Missouri River Valley

The number of fowl present at some few places along the Missouri River from near Omaha, Nebraska to near Mound City, Missouri convey a difference in species occurrence./P>

Squaw Creek cannot be surpassed for total number of birds, but Carter Lake also had many waterfowl — as it has all winter — with other species not recorded elsewhere. Lake Manawa has been a habitat of lesser extent.

It needs to be noted that the survey at Squaw Creek NWR denotes waterfowl and eagles, and the occurrence of other species is usually provided by efforts of visiting birders.

Observations occurred on February 19, 21 and 22, based upon a personal visit to the Carter Lake environs, with Bellevue birders going to Lake Manawa (thanks to their contribution posted on NEBirds), and from the tally given at the Squaw Creek NWR web-site. The number of species recorded were:

• Carter Lake District: 24; which includes Levi Carter Park and associated localities
• Lake Manawa: 10, with a focus on the littoral setting not the park-scape
• Squaw Creek NWR: 19

Overall there were the following 34 species recorded.

Common Name	Carter Lake District	Lake Manawa	Squaw Creek NWR
Greater White-fronted Goose	-	2	9389
Snow Goose	-	-	1025002
Cackling Goose	4	2	-
Canada Goose	241	160	100
Trumpeter Swan	-	-	155
Gadwall	133	-	42
American Wigeon	3	-	-
Mallard	167	0	14414
Northern Shoveler	232	-	876
Northern Pintail	-	-	385
Green-winged Teal	-	30	216
Canvasback	54	-	30
Redhead	96	4	11
Ring-necked Duck	152	-	1007
Lesser Scaup	-	-	15
Bufflehead	-	-	2
Common Goldeneye	142	3	161
Hooded Merganser	-	-	28
Common Merganser	-	-	157
Ruddy Duck	2	-	32
Pied-billed Grebe	2	-	-
Bald Eagle	1	2	58
Red-tailed Hawk	1	-	-
American Kestrel	1	-	-
American Coot	310	-	-
Killdeer	2	-	-
Ring-billed Gull	6	10	-
Herring Gull	-	1	-
American Crow	1	-	-
Black-capped Chickadee	2	-	-
American Robin	1	-	-
European Starling	1	-	-
Northern Cardinal	1	-	-
House Sparrow	3	-	-

The habitats of the Fish and Wildlife Service refuge at Squaw Creek obviously provide a superb setting for swans and geese. There is nowhere else in the valley where the number of Trumpeter Swans, Snow Goose and Mallards could occur.

With spring encroaching on the central plains, the refuge also had a fine number of arriving Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal and Ring-necked Duck.

Carter Lake had the largest number of two diving ducks, the Canvasback and Redhead. This situation has been prevalent for many weeks this winter.

The federal marshlands and Carter Lake had a somewhat similar number of the Common Goldeneye.

Just a couple or three Pied-billed Grebe have also continued to occur at the Carter Lake waters. This is a phenomenal occurrence as they have been present since last autumn, despite frigid winter conditions and a limited extent of ice-free water.

Carter Lake continues to be the place to see the greatest number of American Coot. Their extent has been pervasive for weeks and months, and whereas they were have not been seen elsewhere, they continued their presence at the oxbow lake of the Missouri River.

The removal of rough fish has certainly made a difference in the use of this place by a myriad of waterfowl.

The waters of Lake Manawa were still mostly lacking in birdlife, but once winter breaks and fowl of the valley arrive, there will be an increased number and diversity of species. This riverine setting has attracted a greater diversity of species than the lake by the City of Carter Lake.