THE last general work on Michigan birds was published in 1912 by Walter B. Barrows. His book is still standard for its general summaries of Michigan's physiography, climate, and plant and animal life as these are related to the avifauna. The reader unfamiliar with the state is referred to the Introduction of that book for a succinct geographical and biological background to the study of Michigan birds. The reader unfamiliar with Michigan species is referred for assistance in identification to the several excellent illustrated field guides published in recent years, among which may be mentioned Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds; for detailed accounts of bird habits, to A. C. Bent's invaluable series of United States National Museum Bulletins on the life histories of North American birds and to T. S. Roberts' book on the birds of the neighboring state of Minnesota, which includes many fine color plates and helpful keys.

In the following pages 334 forms (309 species) of birds are listed that have been positively known to occur in Michigan. Of these at least 202 are known to have bred at least once in the state.

The following twenty-four forms have been added to the list of Michigan birds since the publication of Barrows' book; three of these, however, the Western Grebe, the Gyrfalcon, and the Willow Thrush, he included in his hypothetical list.

Lesser Loon - Gavia immer elasson - Bishop

Western Grebe - Aechmophorus occidentalis - (Lawrence)

White-faced Glossy Ibis - Plegadis mexicana - (Gmelin)

Gyrfalcon - Faico rusticolus obsoletus - Gmelin

European Partridge - Perdix perdix perdix - Linnaeus

Ring-necked Pheasant - Phasianus colchicus - Linnaeus

Boreal Flicker - Colaptes auratus borealis - Ridgway

White-throated Swift - Aeronautes saxatalis saxatalis - (Woodhouse)

Arkansas Kingbird - Tyrannus verticalis - Say

Western House Wren - Troglodytes aedon parkmanii - Audubon

Rock Wren - Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus - (Say)

Willow Thrush - Eyiocichia fuscescens salicicola - Ridgway

Sprague's Pipit - Anthus spragueii - (Audubon)

Starling - Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris - Linnaeus

Bell's Vireo - Vireo bellii bellii - Audubon

Brewer's Blackbird - Euphagus cyanocephalus - (Wagler)

Eastern Pine Grosbeak - Pinicola enucleator eschatosus - Oberholser

Newfoundland Red Crossbill - Loxia curvirostra pusilla - Gloger

Alaskan Red Crossbill - Loxia curvirostra minor - (Brehm)*

Bent's Red Crossbill - Loxia curvirostra benti - Griscom

Nevada Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis nevadensis - Grinnell

Cassiar Junco - Junco hyemalis cismontanus - Dwight

Gambel's Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii - (Nuttall)

Dakota Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia juddi - Bishop

In addition, one other species, the European Goldfinch, is given in the hypothetical list.

The following nineteen forms, tentatively listed by Barrows, are excluded from the present work for lack of positive evidence:

Brown Pelican
Black-necked Stilt
White-fronted Goose
Franklin's Gull
American Eider
Atlantic Kittiwake
White-tailed Kite
Sabine's Gull
Mississippi Kite
Arctic Tern
Willow Ptarmigan
Royal Tern
Whooping Crane
Say's Phoebe
Purple Gallinule
American Magpie
Long-billed Curlew
Worm-eating Warbler
Avocet

Most of these I have included, with what evidence there is, in the hypothetical list, but for the American Eider, Sabine's Gull, Arctic and Royal Terns, Say's Phoebe, and Worm-eating Warbler, as Swales (1913) pointed out, the evidence is wholly unsatisfactory. This is also true for the Whooping Crane and the Purple Gallinule, although Swales failed to question Barrows' inclusion of these.

In the following pages each form of bird is typically discussed as follows: scientific and vernacular names, a brief summary of the status in Michigan as a whole, the earliest published authentic report of its occurrence in Michigan, the detailed account of the status in Michigan under the headings of spring, summer, fall, and winter. For species that occur in both the Upper and the Lower Peninsula, the records for each season are divided under these subheadings. Records are arranged in what seems the most logical sequence: spring and summer records from the southern edge of the state northward; fall records from the northern edge of the state southward.

In order to make the account of each species usable separately for reference, places, persons, and references have been fully identified at each point of occurrence.

I hope no one will mistakenly assume that our knowledge of the distribution of even those species that are the most fully discussed in this book is complete and satisfactory. Many gaps in our knowledge will become apparent on a careful reading of any one of the species accounts. Indeed, particular care "was taken not to conceal such gaps by speculation, conjecture, and unconfirmed reports. This book will serve its author's purpose if it has presented clearly and accurately the status of our present true knowledge of the subject, thus providing a sound basis for further investigation of the Michigan avifauna.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS**

In writing this account of Michigan birds, I have gone over all the available early literature pertaining to the state. The earliest bird records for Michigan were those of Father Marquette, who mentions seeing ravens, eagles, and pigeons in his travels about the Great Lakes in 1669-70. Following that date, many books were written by traders and travelers, most of whom mentioned the bird life, at least in passing. None of them, of course, knew the technical names of the birds they saw, and few were familiar with the species. Cadillac, in his 1702 report to France, de- scribed a few birds so that the reader can identify the species with certainty. Dr. Abram Sager, zoologist at the University of Michigan, had charge of the first natural history survey of the state, 1837-39. The region covered by the survey extended from Detroit north to Saginaw Bay and west to "Jackson. Sager's list of Michigan birds (164 species), included in the report of the survey (1839), was the first published Michigan list. Sager's list was followed by those of Fox in 1854 (212 species), Manly Miles in 1861 (203 species), and Morris Gibbs, who in 1879 published the first an- notated list of Michigan birds (309 species). In 1893 A. J. Cook published the first book on Michigan birds, recording (in the second edition) 336 species. These, with a quantity of both manuscript and published reports and specimens, were the basis for Barrows' well-known volume, which, until 1938, was the only single source for Michigan bird data. Josselyn Van Tyne then published a'' Check List of the Birds of Michigan,'' which re-evaluated the older records and assembled the new. It is interesting to note that he listed the same number as Cook (336 species), whereas Barrows listed only 326. (The species listed by Van Tyne are not, of course, entirely the same 336 listed by Cook.) Dr. Van Tyne has kindly allowed me to use the results of his researches in preparing his check list as the basis for inclusion or exclusion from the following pages of doubtful species.

To the data in these lists and in the numerous published notes and articles on Michigan birds, I have added the results of my own sixty-year study of the area, supplemented by the data furnished by the many bird students that have so generously helped me in my work. Mr. 0. M. Bryens, Dr. Karl Christofferson, and Mr. M. J. Magee, all of the Upper Peninsula, have sent the Museum their records for many years, and it is to their work, supplemented by the studies of Leonard Wing and S. 8. Gregory, Jr., that we are largely indebted for our knowledge of the avifauna of the Upper Peninsula. Similarly, we are indebted to G. A. Ammann for his detailed study of the Alicia, Saginaw County, area; to L. "W. Campbell and Harold Mayfield for the Erie-Monroe County region; to Donald W. Douglass for the Sand Point, Huron County, neighborhood; to Miller Empey for Saginaw Bay; to Theodora Nelson for the Douglas Lake region; to Miles D. Pirnie and L. "W. Walkinshaw for the Battle Creek area; and finally, to M. B. Trautman, particularly for his work in the Houghton Lake region. For hundreds of other records we are indebted to J. Claire Wood, B. H. Swales, and Percy A. Taverner, who studied Michigan birds for many years, especially those of the Detroit area.

I am deeply grateful to William G. Fargo, many years Honorary Curator of Birds, and Leslie D. Case, formerly Assistant in the Bird Division of the Museum of Zoology, who have helped in countless ways and contributed much valuable data secured in their field work in many sections of the state; to Bernard W. Baker, Edward M. Brigham, Jr., Walter E. Hastings, Lawrence H. Walkinshaw, and Dr. Frank N. Wilson, who allowed me to make selections for illustrations from their many fine photographs of Michigan bird life and who contributed their valuable and illuminating field notes; to Dr. Max M. Peet, A. D. Tinker, and Walter Koelz for the use of their collections, which are housed in the Museum of Zoology. The frequent occurrence of their names in the following pages is the best indication of the importance of their field work. I am especially indebted to Richard E. Olsen for his indispensable assistance both in the field and in the Museum during the final years of this undertaking.

In addition, I wish to thank the following for their generous help of various sorts: Durward L. Alien, F. M. and A. Marguerite Baumgartner, W. C. Beckman, C. T. Black, Alexander W. Blain, F. N. Blanchard, Homer L. Bradley, Pierce Brodkorb, Maurice G. Brooks, R. A. Brown, Victor H. Cahalane, B. R. Campbell, Winthrop N. Davey, David E. Davis, Laurence Dayton, Verne Dockham, Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. DuMond, Margaret Elliott, E. R. Ford, Ira N. Gabrielson, John L. George, F. C. Gillett, Margaret Gross, T. L. Hankinson, H. W. Hann, R. T. Hatt, C. J. Henry, Paul F. Hickie, Frank J. Hinds, L. Claire Hulbert, S. D. Knox, John N. Lowe, C. C. Ludwig, F. E. Ludwig, L. Will McLain, R. A. MacMullan, Donald J. Magoon, R. H. Manville, W. B. Mershon, Herbert J. Miller, R. E. Morrill, Edith Munger, Walter P. Nickell, Frank Novy, R. L. Patterson, 0. S. Pettingill, Jr., F. W. Rapp, Jesse J. Ricks, J. C. Salyer, George B. Saunders, C. J. Spiker, A. E. Staebler, M. T. Sturgeon, Parley F. Tubbs, W. B. Tyrrell, L. Whitney Watkins, Harold F. Wing, James H. Wood, and Walter C. Wood.

My sincere thanks are due to the editor, Josselyn Van Tyne, who has assembled and prepared the manuscript and superintended its publication, and to Thomas D. Hinshaw, who was of invaluable help during the early stages of the work.

I am also greatly indebted to Frederick M. Gaige, [formerly] Director of the Museum of Zoology, for furnishing many state bird records and for his interest and assistance in the preparation of the book.

The bibliography, compiled for me by Josselyn Van Tyne, includes only those titles from which data were actually used. It covers, however, all important records of Michigan birds which were judged to be authentic.

I owe much to Jesse J. Ricks, Ormond E. Hunt, and Alexander W. Blain for their generous support of the whole project.

NOBMAN A. WOOD
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
August 1, 1943

**To Mr. Wood's acknowledgments should be added a statement of our indebtedness to Arthur E. Staebler, who carried on the work of preparing the manuscript for the press after Thomas D. Hinshaw was called away by war service. I am very grateful to G. Reeves Butchart, of Cranbrook Institute of Science, for assistance in reading the proof.

JOSSELYN VAN TTNE

Ann Arbor
April 1, 1949

* Not "Loxia curviro.ttra minor" of Barrows; the form which he so listed must be known as Loxia curvirostra neogaea Grisconi. 11