PINTAIL.
Dafila acuta.
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 haveconsidered the species offour orders—Pygopodes, Longipennes,Steganopodes and Anseres.This is indeed an inexactclassification of “sea birds,” butwill meet the requirements of thesubject in this case. The orderAnseres is probably as a wholethe least entitled to a positionunder the general heading, butowing to the maritime habits ofmany of the species the entireorder is included.
The following list is essentiallya compilation, since my residencewithin the state has beentoo far removed from watercoursesor lakes to furnish opportunityfor personal observation.My chief authority throughoutis the Report on Bird Migrationin the Mississippi Valleyduring the years 1884 and 1885.Frequent reference is made alsoto a list of the birds of Iowa,compiled by J. A. Allen, constitutingAppendix B in Vol. II ofthe State Geological Survey of1870. No more than a passingmention of species can be madeat this time.
The order Pygopodes has fiverepresentatives in this state—threegrebes and two loons. Holbœll’sGrebe is a species of northernregions, coming south in winteroccasionally to the upper portionsof the Mississippi Valley.The Horned Grebe is an alliedspecies, more common than theformer, though not abundant; itis occasional in Iowa as a migrant,but it is doubtful if it everwinters in any part of the state.The Pied-billed Grebe, popularlyknown by a more forcible as wellas a more fittingly descriptivename, occurs in all parts of thestate as a summer resident, nestingquite commonly, though itseggs seldom appear in the cabinetsof those who do not knowthe peculiar nesting habits.
The family Urinatoridæ is representedby two species: theLoon proper, Urinator imber,and its ally, the Red-throatedLoon. The former is the morecommon variety, inasmuch as itnests in the north and appearsregularly during migrations, whilethe latter variety, the Red-throated32Loon, is a distinctively northernspecies, and appears onlyduring the winter, very irregularly.Three years ago I saw a flockof Red-throated Loons on a smalllake in Franklin county, and aftera long detour and much carefulcrawling in a layer of snowand mud, succeeded in approachingnear enough to secure two ofthe birds at one shot. This isthe only time I have found loonsof either variety in a flock; theclass is not gregarious and Iwould not be convinced of theidentity until I had the birdswhere I could compare with description.
The order Longipennes has tenrepresentatives in Iowa, four ofthe species being gulls and sixterns. The Great Black-backedGull is mentioned by Allen as arare migrant occurring within ourborders. It is probable that nonehave been seen within recentyears. The Herring Gull migratesover nearly all of theMississippi Valley. Franklin’sGull breeds from southern Minnesotanorthward, passing throughIowa during migration, but is nota common variety. Bonap