Being hints on identifying 145 birds, prepared primarily for the spring migration in Lincoln Park, Chicago BY Herbert Eugene Walter AND Alice Hall Walter REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION WITH CHART AND KEY Chicago A. W. Mumford & Company, Publishers 378 Wabash Avenue 1906 Copyright 1901, 1902 and 1904 by Alice Hall Walter...

With the continued success of this little booklet the authors have been led to revise and enlarge the present issue in the hope that it will prove more helpful and complete to those beginning the outdoor study of birds. The new features of this edition are the addition of forty-five birds—the majority of which are shore and water birds—and a simple field key. The number of each bird as given in the check-list of the American Ornithologist’s Union has also been inserted after its scientific name

The object of this little book is to furnish those who may be interested in making the acquaintance of wild birds with a simple letter of introduction to 145 birds, the majority of which are commonly seen during the spring migration. Complete descriptions have been avoided, in the belief that the student should rely upon his own observation for the discovery of minor details. The living bird is the one important fact which will make the brief hints offered of value. Anyone caring to make use of

“A good observer is quick to take a hint and follow it up.”— John Burroughs. The identification of birds depends quite as much upon accurate observation of their size, motions, flight, characteristic attitudes, manner of feeding, company, song, call-notes and haunts, as upon details of form and color. Especial care is necessary to insure correct estimates of size for the reason that living birds often appear smaller to the unpracticed eye than they actually are. The familiar English Sparrow is a

Note: —The following one hundred and fourteen birds are arranged in the order of their average first appearance in Lincoln Park , based upon observations made during the last seven years. For the convenience of those desiring access to reliable sources of information, the scientific name of each bird is placed in parenthesis below its common name, followed by its number in the official list of the American Ornithologist’s Union. Following the hints given about each bird are the names (in black f

In this table the birds are arranged according to the order of their comparative frequency or rarity, based upon personal observations in Lincoln Park . The abundance of the birds—that is, the number of individual birds of different species—is in no wise shown, but simply the relative representation of each species. For instance, out of a total of 454 mornings, covering observations during six years, the Robin was seen on 383 different mornings. The record for 1902, during the absence of the aut

Note. —The following table gives the dates of the first arrival of each bird mentioned in the preceding list of one hundred and fourteen for the seven years from 1897 to 1903 inclusive, as observed in Lincoln Park . The birds are arranged in their respective families, and space is left for recording their first appearance in any succeeding year. The record for 1902, in the absence of the authors, was kept by Mr. Harold V. Bozell. Attention is called to the fact that many birds which are common s

The Loon and Grebes are common representatives of the order of Diving Birds. Their legs are set far back on the body, making it difficult for them to walk at all. Grebes look like small, tailless ducks. They have long, slender necks, short wings, smooth glossy plumage and flat, lobed feet. They rarely leave the water and can dive or sink out of sight instantly when disturbed, swimming to a distance with only the tip of the bill out of water. Loons are very large, with flat, heavy bodies, short t

Note: —Owing to a lack of sufficient data the following Shore and Water Birds are arranged according to the American Ornithologist’s Union order instead of their average first appearance. They have all been seen, however, in Lincoln Park by the authors. (Colymbus auritus. 3.) Brownish, sooty black, extending in narrow line up back of neck ; rest of neck, sides and upper breast rich chestnut-brown; silky white below; head and chin deep black, set off by buffy “horns” or crests, which slant abrupt

The “height of the migration” usually comes during the second or third week in May. This chart makes a comparison of the observations of six years graphic. For instance, the largest number of different species seen on any one morning in 1903 was 68 (May 12), while in 1901 it was 48 (May 16). The sudden rise or fall in the migration may also be seen at a glance. May 9, 1899, for example, only 16 different species were observed and May 10 the record was 40. Similarly, in 1901, the number of specie

In response to many demands, the following simple field-key has been devised, to the end that the beginner may be aided in learning to observe correctly those points about a bird that appear most conspicuous in the field or which are particularly distinctive. Technical analyses and measurements have not been employed, but instead, the birds are roughly placed in three groups according to size, the Robin and English Sparrow marking respectively the 10-inch and 6-inch lines of division. The first

Note. —Owing to the impossibility of determining what additional species are most likely to stray into a city park, the following list has been made to include certain species known to occur in Cook County, Illinois, some of which are of common occurrence in the vicinity of Chicago but have not yet been seen in Lincoln Park by the authors: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z Colored plates, 7-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches in size, of all the