The Iowa Ornithologist
Vol. 2. Salem, Ia., January 1896. No. 2.
Sea Birds That Visit Iowa.
FRANK H. SHOEMAKER, HAMPTON, IA.
Paper read before the First Congress of I. O. A.
Under this heading I have considered the species of four orders—Pygopodes, Longipennes, Steganopodes and Anseres. This is indeed an inexact classification of “sea birds,” but will meet the requirements of the subject in this case. The order Anseres is probably as a whole the least entitled to a position under the general heading, but owing to the maritime habits of many of the species the entire order is included.
The following list is essentially a compilation, since my residence within the state has been too far removed from watercourses or lakes to furnish opportunity for personal observation. My chief authority throughout is the Report on Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley during the years 1884 and 1885. Frequent reference is made also to a list of the birds of Iowa, compiled by J. A. Allen, constituting Appendix B in Vol. II of the State Geological Survey of 1870. No more than a passing mention of species can be made at this time.
The order Pygopodes has five representatives in this state—three grebes and two loons. Holboell’s Grebe is a species of northern regions, coming south in winter occasionally to the upper portions of the Mississippi Valley. The Horned Grebe is an allied species, more common than the former, though not abundant; it is occasional in Iowa as a migrant, but it is doubtful if it ever winters in any part of the state. The Pied-billed Grebe, popularly known by a more forcible as well as a more fittingly descriptive name, occurs in all parts of the state as a summer resident, nesting quite commonly, though its eggs seldom appear in the cabinets of those who do not know the peculiar nesting habits.
The family UrinatoridÆ is represented by two species: the Loon proper, Urinator imber, and its ally, the Red-throated Loon. The former is the more common variety, inasmuch as it nests in the north and appears regularly during migrations, while the latter variety, the Red-throated Loon, is a distinctively northern species, and appears only during the winter, very irregularly. Three years ago I saw a flock of Red-throated Loons on a small lake in Franklin county, and after a long detour and much careful crawling in a layer of snow and mud, succeeded in approaching near enough to secure two of the birds at one shot. This is the only time I have found loons of either variety in a flock; the class is not gregarious and I would not be convinced of the identity until I had the birds where I could compare with description.
The order Longipennes has ten representatives in Iowa, four of the species being gulls and six terns. The Great Black-backed Gull is mentioned by Allen as a rare migrant occurring within our borders. It is probable that none have been seen within recent years. The Herring Gull migrates over nearly all of the Mississippi Valley. Franklin’s Gull breeds from southern Minnesota northward, passing through Iowa during migration, but is not a common variety. Bonaparte’s Gull is strictly northern in its nidification, wintering on the gulf coast and traversing Iowa during migrations. The Gull-billed Tern is chiefly a coast bird breeding on the Gulf of Mexico, but is occasionally reported from the various portions of the Mississippi Valley. The Caspian Tern was taken by J. W. Preston in central Iowa, but should probably be considered as a straggler. It is an irregularly distributed species and is found chiefly along the gulf coast. Forster’s Tern is a common variety in northern Iowa, and is generally distributed over the state as a summer resident, wintering on the coast. The Common Tern, according to Mr. Preston before quoted, has been taken in Central Iowa. The Least Tern, while chiefly coastwise in its habitat, is occasionally found in various parts of the Mississippi Valley. I do not know at what place nor at what season specimens have been taken in Iowa, but Mr. Allen names it in his list. The Black Tern is the most common of the class with us as a summer resident.
Of the Steganopodes there are two species. The Double-crested Cormorant winters south and is common during migrations. I have taken several specimens in Franklin county. The American White Pelican winters in the gulf states and passes through Iowa to its breeding place in the north.
The order Anseres has thirty species which have been taken in Iowa. The fish-eating ducks have three representatives, the American, Red-breasted, and Hooded Mergansers, all of which I have seen in Franklin county. The American Merganser winters south and nests north, passing through Iowa as a migrant, one of the earliest. The Red-breasted Merganser is said to be an occasional winter resident in favored portions of the state, but is more common as a migrant. The Hooded Merganser is a hardier species than the former, wintering further north, though not frequently in Iowa, owing to the freezing of almost all the water courses.
The Mallard is an early and abundant migrant. The Black Duck is chiefly an eastern species, seldom found west of the Mississippi River, but according to the Report on Bird Migration it has been known to breed in Iowa. The Gadwall migrates in great numbers to congregate on the gulf coast, but is said to winter in some parts of Illinois and possibly in Iowa. The Baldpate ranges all over North America, wintering far south. The Green-winged Teal breeds chiefly above the United States border, but is a common migrant. The Blue-winged Teal nests further south, sometimes in this state. The Shoveller breeds from Minnesota northward, migrating commonly through Iowa.
The Pintail, the subject of our frontispiece, is an early migrant, but unlike the greater number of the ducks which migrate first it does not nest exclusively in the far northwest. It is a common breeder at Heron Lake, Minn., and at Spirit Lake, Iowa, and has been known to nest in portions of Illinois. The Wood Duck is a summer resident throughout the Mississippi Valley. The Red-head is a common migrant, its range being almost identical with that of the Pintail. The Canvass-back is known to breed at Heron Lake, but I have seen no Iowa record. The Blue-bill and Lesser Blue-bill, or Scaup, ducks occur chiefly as migrants, but are summer residents in the northern part of Iowa, there being several records of nesting at Clear Lake, in Cerro Gordo county. The Ring-neck also has been found breeding there, this being the most southern record of its nesting. It is, of course, chiefly a migrant. The Golden-eye breeds north of Iowa, our only notes on the species classing it a migrant and rare. The Bufflehead is chiefly a migrant, but is a summer resident in the northern part of the state. The nesting has been noted at Clear and Spirit Lakes. The Harlequin Duck is one concerning which I find no definite Iowa notes, but on the strength of Mr. Allen’s list it may be named as a winter visitor. The Black Scoter is another species concerning which specific notes are wanting, but it is mentioned by the same authority. There is a record of the Surf Scoter at LaPorte, accredited to G. D. Peck in the Report on Bird Migration. The Ruddy Duck is a migrant, according to Allen.
Among the geese, we have the Blue Goose, a regular migrant, which breeds on Hudson’s Bay; the Lesser Snow Goose, a regular migrant, chiefly following the rivers; the White-fronted Goose, which is known as a migrant in all parts of the Mississippi Valley north of southern Illinois, where it has been known to winter; the Canada Goose, the best known of the Anseres; and the Brant, which occurs as a migrant. The last named is so uniformly confounded with the Lesser Snow Goose that reports on the species are very likely to be inaccurate.
The two varieties of Swans, the Whistling and Trumpeter Swans, occur in Iowa. According to the Report on Bird Migration, the Trumpeter Swan has been found nesting near Newton, Iowa. The Whistling Swan is named on the authority of Mr. Allen’s list.
Note—During the discussion which followed the reading of the paper, Mr. Morton E. Peck reported the occurrence of the Ring-billed Gull and the Man-’o-War Bird at LaPorte, his home place. Mention was made also of the Least Tern, the species having been seen in Winnebago county.
