[Pg 177]

Additions to the List of the Birds

of Louisiana

BY

GEORGE H. LOWERY, JR.

University of Kansas Publications

Museum of Natural History



Volume 1, No. 9, pp. 177-192

November 7, 1947

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

LAWRENCE

1947

[Pg 178]

University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History



Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, H. H. Lane,

Edward H. Taylor



Volume 1, No. 9, pp. 177-192

Published November 7, 1947





University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

PRINTED BY

FERD VOILAND, JR., STATE PRINTER

TOPEKA, KANSAS

1947



21-6959

[Pg 179]

Additions to the List of the Birds of Louisiana

By

GEORGE H. LOWERY, JR.

Oberholser's "Bird Life of Louisiana" (La. Dept. Conserv. Bull.
28, 1938), was a notable contribution to the ornithology of the Gulf
Coast region and the lower Mississippi Valley, for it gave not only
a complete distributional synopsis of every species and subspecies
of bird then known to occur in Louisiana but also nearly every record
of a Louisiana bird up to 1938. However, at the time of the
appearance of this publication, one of the most active periods in
Louisiana ornithology was just then beginning. The bird collection
in the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoölogy had been
started only the year before, and the first comprehensive field work
since the time of Beyer, Kohn, Kopman, and Allison, two decades
before, was still in its initial stage. Since 1938 the Museum of Zoölogy
has acquired more specimens of birds from Louisiana than
were collected there in all of the years prior to that time. Many parts
of the state have been studied where no previous work at all had
been done. Also in the last eight years some capable ornithologists
have visited the state as students at Louisiana State University,
and each has contributed greatly to the mass of new data now available.
Despite the excellence of Oberholser's compilation of records,
it is, therefore, not surprising that even at this early date twenty-four
additions can be made to the list of birds known from Louisiana.
Furthermore, this recently acquired information permits the
emendation of the recorded status of scores of species, each previously
ascribed to the state on the basis of comparatively meager
data.

The plan is to publish eventually a revision of the birds of Louisiana
which will incorporate all of the new information, but the
projected scope of this work is such that many years may elapse
before it is finished. The present paper is intended to record only
the more pertinent additions, particularly records that may be significant
in connection with the preparation of the fifth edition of
the American Ornithologists' Union's "Check-list of North American
Birds." There are numerous species for which Oberholser cited
only a few records, but of which we now have many records and
[Pg 180]
large series of specimens. If, in such instances, the treatment given
in the fourth edition of the American Ornithologists' Union's
Check-list would not be materially affected, I have omitted mention
of the new material in this paper.

I am indebted to a number of ornithologists who have presented
their notes on Louisiana birds to the Museum of Zoölogy and who
have done much to supplement its collections. Outstanding among
these are Thomas R. Howell, Robert J. Newman, Sam M. Ray,
Robert E. Tucker, Harold E. Wallace, and the late Austin W. Burdick.
Their efforts in behalf of the Museum have been untiring. I am
grateful also to Thomas D. Burleigh and Jas. Hy. Bruns, both of
whom have played an integral part in our field activities in recent
years and without whose help much less would have been accomplished.
John S. Campbell, Ambrose Daigre, James Nelson Gowanloch,
Sara Elizabeth Hewes, E. A. McIlhenny, Edouard Morgan,
and George L. Tiebout, Jr., have generously contributed notes and
specimens which are duly attributed in the following text. For assistance
in taxonomic problems, or for the loan of comparative material,
I wish to thank John W. Aldrich, Herbert Friedmann, Howard
K. Gloyd, Alden H. Miller, Harry C. Oberholser, James L.
Peters, Karl P. Schmidt, George M. Sutton, J. Van Tyne, and Alexander
Wetmore.

Sula sula sula (Linnaeus), Red-footed Booby

An immature individual of this species came aboard a boat of the Louisiana
Department of Conservation near the mouth of Bayou Scofield, 7 miles below
Buras, Plaquemines Parish, on November 1, 1940. It was captured by J. N.
McConnell, who delivered it to James Nelson Gowanloch of the Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries. The bird was then turned over to me in the flesh for
preparation and deposit in the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoölogy.
It has since been examined by James L. Peters and Alexander Wetmore,
who confirmed the identification. This is the first specimen of the species
obtained in the United States. The only other record of its occurrence in
this country is that of individuals observed near Micco, Brevard County,
Florida, on February 12, 1895 (Bangs, Auk, 19, 1902: 395-396). To eliminate
possible confusion in the literature, attention is called here to the fact that
the above-listed specimen was erroneously recorded by an anonymous writer
(La. Conserv. Rev., 10, Fall Issue, 1940: 12) as a Gannet, Morus bassanus (Linnaeus).

Butorides virescens virescens (Linnaeus), Eastern Green Heron

No winter records for the occurrence of this species were available to Oberholser
in 1938, the latest date cited by him being October 27. Recently, however,
it has been noted several times in winter on the coast of Louisiana.
Kilby and Croker (Aud. Mag., 42, 1940: 117) observed it at the mouth of
[Pg 181]
the Mississippi River, near Pilot Town, on December 25, 1939, and Burleigh
and I each obtained a specimen at Cameron on December 13, 1940. Another
was shot by me at the same place on February 2, 1946. The species is therefore
of casual occurrence in the state in winter.

Dichromanassa rufescens (Gmelin), Reddish Egret

Although previously reported only as a casual summer visitor along the
coast, the Reddish Egret is known now to occur regularly in small numbers
during the winter. Since Oberholser (op. cit., 56) cited only one specific
record of occurrence in the state, all additional records are listed here. On
East Timbalier Island, one to three were seen daily, August 16-19, 1940, and
two to five were seen daily, November 15-17, 1940. In Cameron Parish, the
species has been noted as follows (Lowery, et al.): two on December 14, 1940;
one on January 3, 1943; three on September 3 and two on November 4, 1944;
one on April 29, 1945. Several specimens were collected.

Plegadis falcinellus falcinellus (Linnaeus), Eastern Glossy Ibis

Plegadis mexicana (Gmelin), White-faced Glossy Ibis

Considerable confusion exists concerning the specific identity of the glossy
ibises inhabiting Louisiana. The fourth edition of the A. O. U. Check-list
(1931: 33) stated that falcinellus "breeds rarely and locally in central Florida
and probably in Louisiana." In 1932, Holt visited the marshes of Cameron
Parish in southwestern Louisiana where he studied the ibises nesting in a
large rookery. Later he definitely stated (Auk, 50, 1933: 351-352) that the
birds seen by him were Eastern Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinellus). It was
doubtless Holt's identification that influenced Oberholser to list falcinellus as
a fairly common local resident in the state (op. cit., 78). This, however, is
contrary to the evidence at my disposal. My associates and I have studied
thousands of glossy ibises in the marshes of southwestern Louisiana in the
past ten years. These observations include numerous field trips into the region
where ibises are plentiful throughout the year, especially during the
breeding season. I have also visited a large nesting rookery in Cameron
Parish, the only one in the state known to me, and the one which I have
every reason to believe is the same colony visited by Holt in 1932. Although
Holt identified as falcinellus the birds seen by him at a nesting rookery in
Cameron Parish, I have never seen that species anywhere in Louisiana except
at Grand Isle, 150 miles east of Cameron, as henceforth noted.

In winter when the White-faced Glossy Ibis lacks the white on its face,
some difficulty might be encountered in differentiating that species from the
Eastern Glossy Ibis. The perplexing thing, however, is that Holt made his
observations in the nesting season when no possible confusion should exist;
also he was in the middle of a nesting rookery with birds close at hand on
all sides. This fact notwithstanding, the ibis nesting in the Cameron Parish
rookery (known locally as "The Burn") on May 28, 1942, was the white-faced
species (Plegadis mexicana), as evidenced by moving pictures taken by
J. Harvey Roberts and by specimens of varying ages collected at the same
time by me. In all, the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoölogy has
19 specimens of mexicana taken in Cameron Parish in April, May, November,
December, and January. Field records are available also for the months of
February, March, July, and September.

[Pg 182]Aside
from Holt's statement, Oberholser had only five other records for
falcinellus in Louisiana, one being a market specimen with incomplete data
and therefore of questionable scientific value. The remaining four specimens
were taken by E. R. Pike near the mouth of the Mississippi River on November
13 and 17, 1930, and are now on deposit in the Chicago Academy of
Sciences. Recently I borrowed these specimens for reëxamination with the
following results. The three taken on November 17, 1930, are mexicana and
not falcinellus as labeled and so reported by Oberholser. The single specimen
taken on November 13 is, however, correctly identified as falcinellus.
Alexander Wetmore kindly examined the material for me and confirmed my
identifications. The occurrence of falcinellus in Louisiana thus hinged on
Holt's statement and one preserved specimen. However, on July 23, 1944, in
the marshes on Grand Isle, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, I encountered a flock
of 12 immature ibises that impressed me by their blackness in contrast to the
color of glossy ibises with which I was familiar in Cameron Parish. Two
specimens were collected and both proved to be falcinellus.

Holt's published observations cannot be positively refuted, for we cannot
be sure that a colony of falcinellus did not exist in Cameron Parish in 1932,
nor that the portion of the rookery under his observation did not consist of
a segregated population of that species. However, ten years of field observations
by other ornithologists have failed to disclose the species which Holt considered a
common nesting bird in an area where we now know that only the White-faced
Glossy Ibis occurs. The fact that Holt specifically stated that he failed to
find the white-faced bird at any time in his stay in Cameron Parish is difficult
to explain, but this much is certain—the present known status of falcinellus
in Louisiana is that of only a rare and casual visitor.

Branta canadensis hutchinsii (Richardson), Hutchins Goose

Oberholser (op. cit., 89) cited only one Louisiana record for this goose.
The bird in question was shot but apparently not preserved. Consequently,
the status of the race on the Louisiana list was subject to question. Recently,
however, two typical specimens of hutchinsii were obtained in the state, one
by Edouard Morgan, near Lake Catherine, on November 7, 1942, and the
other by Herman Deutsch, four miles above the mouth of the Mermentau
River, on November 2, 1944. The former is displayed in the Louisiana Wildlife
and Fisheries Exhibit in the Louisiana State Museum, and the latter is
now in the Louisiana State University Museum of Zoölogy.

Oxyura dominica (Linnaeus), Masked Duck

A mounted specimen of this species was found by T. D. Burleigh and myself
in a sporting goods store in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Through the kindness of
Mr. Jack Gunn, owner, it was donated to the Louisiana State University
Museum Collection. The bird was shot approximately 25 miles southeast of
Lake Charles at Sweet Lake, Cameron Parish, on December 23, 1933, by R.
T. Newton. This is the first recorded occurrence of the species in Louisiana,
as well as one of the very few instances of its appearance anywhere in the United
States.

[Pg 183]

Buteo lineatus texanus Bishop, Texas Red-shouldered Hawk

Although this race has been recorded previously only from Texas and northeastern
Mexico, it appears to be of regular occurrence in southern Louisiana
in the fall and winter. The six specimens in the Louisiana State University
Collection, identified by Herbert Friedmann as texanus, are as follows: Westover,
November 25, 1937; Baton Rouge, October 20, 1936, November 1, 1938,
and September 3, 1940; University, November 14, 1942; Hoo-shoo-too, October
12, 1941 (Lowery, Tiebout, and Wallace). Another specimen, taken at Baton
Rouge on September 17, 1940 (Ray), was acquired by Louis B. Bishop, who
identified it as texanus.

Numenius americanus americanus Bechstein, Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus parvus Bishop, Northern Long-billed Curlew

Thirteen specimens of this species in the Louisiana State University Museum
have been identified subspecifically (in part by J. Van Tyne) as follows:
N. a. americanus—4 , Cameron, November 21 and 22, 1940, and December
5, 1942. N. a. parvus—4 , 1 , Cameron, November 21 and 23, 1940, and
April 11 and October 31, 1942; 1 , East Timbalier Island, August 18, 1940.
Three are intermediate in size and therefore not identifiable with certainty.
Contrary to published accounts, the Long-billed Curlew is a fairly common
migrant in certain parts of southern Louisiana. About seventy-five were
counted on the beach near Cameron on November 1, 1941, and twenty-five
were noted at the same place on December 6, 1942. Almost invariably a few
are present there during every month of the year.

Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus (Cassin), Western Snowy Plover

Charadrius alexandrinus tenuirostris (Lawrence), Cuban Snowy Plover

Oberholser (op. cit., 216-217) listed the Cuban Snowy Plover as a rare
transient in Louisiana, and cited only four definite records based on three
specimens. Our recent studies, however, have yielded twelve additional
specimens and a number of sight records, all of which indicate that the species
is a regular and sometimes common migrant in spring and fall. Eleven specimens
in the series are identifiable with certainty as examples of nivosus and
therefore constitute an addition to the state list. They were taken at East
Timbalier Island on November 15 and 16, 1940 (Burleigh, Lowery, and Ray),
at Grand Isle on March 27, 1943 (Burleigh), and near Cameron on November
20 and 21, 1941, April 3 and October 17, 1942, and September 3, 1944 (Burdick,
Howell, and Lowery). On April 29, 1945, Tucker saw twenty on the beach
near Cameron, but he did not obtain a specimen. A single adult male in our
series, taken on East Timbalier Island, on November 15, 1940 (Ray), is referable
to tenuirostris.

Charadrius hiaticula semipalmatus Bonaparte, Semipalmated Plover

Oberholser (op. cit., 218) made special mention of the absence of definite
winter records for this species, but, in recent years, it has been noted on
numerous occasions in Louisiana in that season. For example, ten were seen
at Cameron on December 13, 1940, and the same number was noted there on
January 22 and 23, 1941 (Lowery, et al.). A specimen was shot at Cameron
on December 5, 1942 (Lowery).

[Pg 184]

Charadrius wilsonia wilsonia Ord, Wilson Plover

Oberholser's single winter record for this species (op. cit., 220) has now been
supplemented by two others—fifteen birds seen and three collected at Cameron
on January 22, 1941 (Burleigh, Wallace, and Ray); one taken at the
same place on December 5, 1942 (Burdick).

Pluvialis dominica dominica (Müller), American Golden Plover

The presence of the Golden Plover on the northern Gulf coast in winter
already has been reported by Burleigh ("Bird Life of the Gulf Coast Region
of Mississippi," Occas. Papers Mus. Zoöl. La. State Univ., 20, 1944: 367), but
since there are no published instances of its occurrence in Louisiana at that
season, the following four specimens are noteworthy: two collected near
Creole by Lowery and Ray on November 21, 1940; two others shot at the
same place by Burdick and Tucker on December 6, 1942; and one seen, but
not taken, near Cameron on November 22, 1941 (Lowery, et al.).

Erolia bairdii (Coues), Baird Sandpiper

Since there is only one previous definite record of the occurrence of this
species in the state, the following records are significant. A male was obtained
by Burdick at University, 3 miles south, on October 25, 1942. I saw
three at the same place on October 29 and shot a male there on November
9. The only spring record is that of a bird seen by me at University, 1 mile
south, on May 16, 1945.

Steganopus tricolor Vieillot, Wilson Phalarope

Apparently the first definite record of this species in the state is that of an
adult female, in breeding plumage, shot by E. A. McIlhenny at Avery Island,
Louisiana, on May 10, 1939, and later sent to the Louisiana State University
Museum of Zoölogy. A second specimen, a male in winter plumage, was
taken by Burdick 5 miles south of the University on September 12, 1943.

Limosa fedoa (Linnaeus), Marbled Godwit

This species was listed by Oberholser (op. cit., 271) as a very rare winter
resident along the Gulf coast region of southern Louisiana and he cited only
two records of occurrence in the state. The following additional records
should clarify its present-day status. In 1940 two were seen on East Timbalier
Island on August 19, eight on November 15, and seventy-five on both November
16 and 17. Three were seen near Cameron on November 21, 1941. In
1942, two were seen near Cameron on April 4, five on April 5, three on April
11, two on April 22, and one on April 23. Another was noted near Cameron
on October 7, 1943 (Lowery, et al.). A small series of specimens was taken
from the birds mentioned above. In connection with this species, it may be
of interest to note that the Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) has not
been observed in Louisiana by me or my associates.

Geococcyx californianus (Lesson), Road-runner

The Road-runner inhabits the northwestern part of the state where it has
been reported for many years by local residents. However, since confirmation
of its occurrence was lacking, previous publications on the birds of the
[Pg 185]
state have not listed, it. The first definite record is that of a bird killed near
Shreveport, on May 1, 1938, by an unspecified collector. Another was shot
four miles north of Keatchie, De Soto Parish, on July 9, 1943, by Delmer B.
Johnson, at that time field biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries. Both specimens are in the Louisiana State University
Museum. Johnson states that he has seen the species on a number of occasions,
specific records being in April and May, 1943, twelve miles east of
Mansfield, and two miles east of Logansport. Various reports of nests have
been received, but as yet no completely satisfactory breeding record for the
state has been obtained.

Columbigallina passerina pallescens (Baird), Mexican Ground Dove

The Louisiana State University Museum of Zoölogy now has a series of
21 specimens of Columbigallina passerina collected in Louisiana since the publication
of Oberholser's book, in which only a few records for C. p. passerina
alone are cited. Examination of the new material reveals that eleven specimens
are clearly referable to pallescens, providing, therefore, an addition to
the avifauna of the state. As might be expected, pallescens prevails in the
western part of the state, although, at least occasionally, it migrates farther
east. The specimens identifiable as pallescens are as follows: 7 , 1 , Cameron,
April 3, 1938 (Lowery); December 15, 1940 (Wallace); November 1 and
20, 1941 (Burdick and Lowery); October 31, 1942 (Burdick and Tucker).
Two females were taken at White Castle on January 18, 1938 (Hewes), and
another was shot at Carville on January 15, 1941 (Lowery). No Louisiana
breeding record for the species is yet available, but in 1939 I saw a pair in
the last week of May at Baton Rouge, another near Plaquemine on May 17,
1946, and George M. Sutton and I noted a pair almost daily at Cameron between
April 22 and 30, 1942. If the bird breeds in Cameron Parish, the nesting
race may prove to be pallescens, since a bird taken there on April 3, as
listed above, belongs to that subspecies.

Chordeiles minor minor (Forster), Eastern Nighthawk

Since the one previous record (Oberholser, op. cit., 348) of the occurrence
of this subspecies in the state now proves to be an example of C. m. howelli,
the following specimens, all taken after the publication of Oberholser's book,
constitute the only Louisiana records: 4 , 1 , University, October 3, 5, 12,
23, 1941 (Burdick, Howell, Ray, and Lowery); 4 , 1 , University, May 15,
18, 22, 30, 1942 (Burdick and Lowery); 1 , Creole, September 2, 1944 (Burdick).

Chordeiles minor howelli Oberholser, Howell Nighthawk

The only state records known, all previously unpublished, are as follows:
1 , Colfax, May 15, 1937 (Lowery); 2 , 1 , University, May 23 and 24 and
October 3, 1941 (Ray and Lowery); 3 , University, May 22 and 25, 1942
(Burdick); 1 , Chloe, 10 miles south, April 28, 1945; 1 , Creole, 2 miles
west, April 30, 1945 (Tucker).

[Pg 186]

Chordeiles minor aserriensis Cherrie, Cherrie Nighthawk

Three specimens, one male and two females, taken from flocks of migrating
nighthawks at University on September 29 and October 3 and 9, 1941 (Ray
and Lowery), are the only records of the occurrence of this race in the state.

Chordeiles minor sennetti Coues, Sennett Nighthawk

A female taken at University on September 29, 1941 (Burdick), and a
male shot at the same place on May 22, 1942 (Lowery), constitute the basis
for the addition of this subspecies to the Louisiana list.

Chordeiles acutipennis texensis Lawrence, Texas Nighthawk

At dusk on April 10, 1942, in company with Burdick and Ray, I encountered
a small flock of nighthawks feeding over the marsh near the beach
a few miles from Cameron. Darkness came before more than two could be
collected, but both of these proved to be the Texas Nighthawk, a species not
heretofore recorded from Louisiana. On the following day a nighthawk was
found perched in a tree near the marsh where the birds had been seen the
previous evening. It was collected and likewise proved to be texensis.

Muscivora forficata (Gmelin), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

The nesting of this species in northwestern Louisiana has been indicated
for some time, especially after Wallace noted it at Lucas, in Caddo Parish,
on June 16 and July 21, 1942. However, the first authentic breeding record for
the state was furnished by a freshly built nest found by Edgar W. Fullilove
and myself several miles below Bossier, on July 3, 1945. At least two pairs
were found there in a large cotton field in which an occasional pecan tree had
been left standing. The nest was in one of these trees, about 25 feet from the
ground and far out on the end of a limb. Fullilove informed me that to his
knowledge the species had nested in this field for at least ten years and that
on numerous previous occasions he had seen both nests and young.

Myiarchus cinerascens cinerascens (Lawrence), Ash-throated Flycatcher

The first record of the occurrence of this species in Louisiana is that of a
male collected by Howell at University, on March 20, 1943. On December 23,
1945, I shot a second specimen, a female, on the bank of False River opposite
New Roads. When found, both birds were actively pursuing insects and on
being skinned, both were found to be very fat.

Empidonax flaviventris (Baird and Baird), Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Oberholser (op. cit., 394) listed this species as a rare autumn transient,
citing one definite Louisiana record for that season. On the contrary, the species
is quite regular in fall. Six specimens have been collected at University, one
each on September 12, 17, 18, and 28, 1940, October 22, 1942, and September
26, 1943 (Lowery and Wallace). Two others have been taken at Cameron,
on October 7, 1943 (Burleigh), and September 2, 1944 (Lowery). There are
numerous sight records, but since the species cannot be distinguished with
certainty in the field from extremely yellow-plumaged Acadian Flycatchers,
none of these is recorded.

[Pg 187]

Empidonax traillii traillii (Audubon), Alder Flycatcher

This species long has been regarded as an uncommon transient in Louisiana
in both spring and fall. However, recent field work has shown the bird to
occur regularly and sometimes abundantly in autumnal migration. Forty-one
specimens have been collected at University on dates ranging from August
17 to October 5 (Lowery, et al.). Specimens taken by Burleigh at New Orleans
on September 27, 1941, and August 23, 1943, are in the Louisiana State University
Museum.

Empidonax minimus (Baird and Baird), Least Flycatcher

Oberholser (op. cit., 397) listed this species as an uncommon transient
since he had only a few sight records at hand. Since field identification of all
eastern empidonaces in fall is open to question, our recent data, based on
collected material, are significant. Six specimens have been taken at University
on dates ranging from September 15 to October 5, and five at Cameron
between July 25 and October 17 inclusive (Lowery, et al.). Another specimen
in the collection is that of a bird taken by Burleigh at New Orleans on October
1, 1942. There is, as yet, no unquestionable spring record for Louisiana.

Pyrocephalus rubinus mexicanus Sclater, Vermilion Flycatcher

Oberholser (op. cit., 401) listed only one record for this species, a male observed
by H. E. Wallace at University, on February 6, 1938, and shot the next
day by me. Since 1938, however, it has been found regularly and frequently at
numerous localities in southern Louisiana in winter. At Baton Rouge, for example,
an adult male was noted almost daily between October 19, 1941, and January
7, 1942, at a small pond on the University campus. An immature male
was seen there also on November 25, 1941, but not thereafter. In the following
autumn another adult male appeared at the same place on October 23, and was
observed regularly until January 15, 1943. Again, an adult male returned to the
same area on November 10, 1943, and remained until the middle of January,
1944. W. C. Abbott informs me that for several years one or two individuals
have spent the winter at a small willow-bordered pond at his home near Hopevilla,
Iberville Parish. Like the individuals noted at Baton Rouge, Abbott's
birds arrived in October or November and remained until the following January
or February. H. B. Chase, Jr., noted two individuals at City Park Lake in New
Orleans in the winter of 1944-45, and three at the same place in the winter of
1945-46. I have seen the species frequently in Cameron Parish, in southwestern
Louisiana, where six specimens have been collected on dates ranging
from November 4 to January 22. Atwood (Auk, 60, 1943: 453) has also recorded
its presence near the Laccasine Refuge in Cameron Parish. An immature
male was obtained at False River, near Lakeland, in Pointe Coupee
Parish, on November 8, 1942 (Burdick). E. A. McIlhenny writes me that he
has seen the species many times at Avery Island and recently he sent me a skin
of an adult female which he collected there on October 25, 1945 (also cf.
McIlhenny, Auk, 52, 1935: 187). From these data it is evident that the
Vermilion Flycatcher is now a regular winter visitor to southern Louisiana.

[Pg 188]

Troglodytes troglodytes pullus (Burleigh), Southern Winter Wren

A rather large series of Winter Wrens, all taken later than the date of publication
of Oberholser's book, includes three specimens of this race and provides
an addition to the state list. Two of the specimens are males collected at
Baton Rouge on November 23 and December 21, 1943 (Burleigh), and the
other is a male shot at the same place on January 23, 1944 (Burdick). Several
additional specimens in the series are noticeably darker than the average
hiemalis and may have migrated from a zone of intergradation.

Turdus migratorius nigrideus Aldrich and Nutt, Newfoundland Robin

The only two records for the occurrence of this race in Louisiana are those
of specimens taken at Baton Rouge on February 1, 1937, and February 9, 1946
(Lowery).

Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni (Tschudi), Eastern Olive-backed Thrush

Hylocichla ustulata almae Oberholser, Alma Olive-backed Thrush

Only four Louisiana specimens of the Olive-backed Thrush were available
to Oberholser in 1938. He identified two as swainsoni and two as almae. We
have since collected twenty-five specimens in the state, seven of which are
definitely almae. Of the remaining, all are clearly swainsoni with the exception
of a few that appear intermediate in color. The specimens of almae
were collected at Cameron, Baton Rouge, and Baines on dates ranging from
April 26 to May 16 and from September 29 to October 6. The specimens of
swainsoni were taken at New Orleans, Port Hudson, Baton Rouge, and Baines
between April 20 and May 16 and between September 12 and October 28.

Hylocichla fuscescens salicicola Ridgway, Willow Thrush

Oberholser (op. cit., 474) recorded this race as a rare spring transient on
the basis of two records. However, eleven out of twenty-three recently taken
specimens are referable to salicicola, indicating that salicicola and fuscescens
possibly occur in approximately equal numbers, in both spring and fall. The
dates on which salicicola have been collected range from April 22 to May 16,
and from September 14 to 27. They were taken at Cameron, Port Hudson,
Baton Rouge, University, and Baines.

Anthus spinoletta pacificus Todd, Western Pipit

The only Louisiana record for this far western race is that of a female taken
by me at Jennings, on January 3, 1943. The specimen was sent to Alden H.
Miller, who compared it with material in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy
and verified the identification. As a rule, I scrutinize closely with binoculars
all flocks of pipits, and as a result, on several occasions have detected pale
individuals that stood out from the remainder of the flock. However, the
above-mentioned specimen is the only individual so detected that I succeeded
in shooting.

Vireo solitarius alticola Brewster, Mountain Vireo

Four specimens out of a series of twenty-eight Blue-headed Vireos taken
in Louisiana since 1938 are referable to this race. It has not been recorded
previously from the state. The specimens consist of a male and a female collected
[Pg 189]
at Bogalusa on February 9, 1939, a male taken at Tunica on March 30,
1939, and a female at Erwinville on March 11, 1941 (Lowery).

Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmelin), Worm-eating Warbler

Although there are no published nesting records of this species in Louisiana,
it is now known to be a common summer resident in the beech-magnolia
forests of the Bayou Sara-Tunica Hills section north of St. Francisville. Jas.
Hy. Bruns has supplied me with copious data on the birds seen in the nesting
season at Baines, and the two of us have spent a great deal of time searching
for a nest, without success. However, Bruns obtained a juvenile female, just
out of a nest, on June 28, 1942.

Seiurus aurocapillus furvior Batchelder, Newfoundland Oven-bird

Seiurus aurocapillus cinereus A. H. Miller, Gray Oven-bird

Four specimens in our series of Oven-birds are identifiable without question
as examples of furvior. Two were collected by me at University on September
15 and 25, 1940, and Tucker shot one there on September 27, 1942, and
another at Cameron on April 29, 1945. There are also two specimens in the
series referable to cinereus, as well as several that are intermediate between
cinereus and S. a. aurocapillus. Burdick shot one of the typical examples of cinereus
at University on September 24, 1942, and I shot the other at the same
place on May 16, 1945.

Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis (Gmelin), Northern Water-thrush

Seiurus noveboracensis limnaeus McCabe and Miller, British Columbia Water-thrush

A. H. Miller has recently examined our large series of migrant Water-thrushes
and identified three as good examples of limnaeus, and six as noveboracensis,
neither one of which has been recorded previously from the state.
The specimens of limnaeus were taken at or near University on October 2,
1942 (Howell), October 12, 1943, and May 11, 1945 (Burleigh). The specimens
of noveboracensis were collected at University on September 14, 1941 (Lowery);
at Baines on September 4, 1943, August 20, 1944, and May 6, 1945
(Bruns); at New Orleans on October 20, 1941 (Burleigh); and at Cameron
on April 26, 1942 (Lowery).

Geothlypis trichas occidentalis Brewster, Western Yellow-throat

I have found it impracticable to determine subspecifically every specimen
in our series of 104 Yellow-throats from Louisiana. However, two female
specimens taken by me, one at Cameron on December 4, 1938, and the other
on False River at Lakeland on February 11, 1941, are without doubt representatives
of the race now known as occidentalis, a subspecies not previously
recorded from this state. Several additional specimens in the series are probably
also of that race, but I am deferring, for the time, recording them as such.

Icteria virens virens (Linnaeus), Yellow-breasted Chat

The only winter record for Louisiana is that of a female taken by me at
Hackberry on January 24, 1941.

[Pg 190]

Wilsonia pusilla pusilla (Wilson), Wilson Warbler

The only winter record for the state is that of a female shot by T. D. Burleigh
on December 20, 1944, in a thicket along the Mississippi River at University.
He first found the bird at this place in November, and he saw it
several times in December before he succeeded in obtaining it. Since Oberholser
cited so few Louisiana records, it might be well to mention in this connection
that the species is after all a fairly common fall migrant in southern
Louisiana. At Baton Rouge it occurs regularly between September 11 and
October 24, and at Cameron it has been noted between October 17 and November
21. There are still no spring records for southern Louisiana.

Sturnella neglecta Audubon, Western Meadowlark

In 1938 Oberholser cited only two Louisiana records, both from the northwestern
part of the state. However, recently the species has been found in
the south-central region. Two were collected at Churchill on February 11,
1941 (Lowery and Wallace), and another was shot at University on December
9, 1942 (Burdick). There are in addition several sight records, all of birds in
song.

Cassidix mexicanus prosopidicola Lowery, Mesquite Great-tailed Grackle

I am indebted to E. A. McIlhenny for material that now permits the definite
recording of this subspecies from Louisiana. On occasions during the
winters of 1938, 1939, and 1940, McIlhenny sent me specimens of grackles in
the flesh which he had removed from his bird-banding traps at Avery Island.
Selection was based primarily on eye-color; individuals with clear yellow
irises proved invariably to be examples of prosopidicola, whereas those with
brown or yellow-brown irises were always major. The final basis for sub-specific
identification was, however, size and plumage color. The series provided
by McIlhenny consists of six females taken on November 24 and December
20, 1938, December 18, 1939, January 22 and March 5, 1940. Since the
range in Texas of typical prosopidicola extends eastward to within thirty miles
of the Louisiana line, it is not surprising that occasional individuals or flocks
wander into Louisiana in winter.

Passerculus sandwichensis mediogriseus Aldrich, Southeastern Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis labradorius Howe, Labrador Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis nevadensis Grinnell, Nevada Savannah Sparrow

Our series of 107 Savannah Sparrows, collected in Louisiana almost entirely
since the publication of Oberholser's book, includes representatives of
five geographical races, as follows: 37 savanna, 24 oblitus, 12 mediogriseus, 8
labradorius, and 7 nevadensis. The remaining 19 specimens show various
combinations of characters and appear to be intergrades, and so have not
been assigned definitely to any one race. I am indebted to James L. Peters
for the identification of most of our specimens. Since mediogriseus and labradorius
have not been reported previously from Louisiana, and since there
is only one Louisiana record of nevadensis (Miles, Auk, 60, 1943: 606-607),
actual dates and localities of occurrence for these races are listed here. P. s.
[Pg 191]
mediogriseus (specimens by Burdick, Howell, Lowery, Ray, Tucker, and Wallace)—University,
January 31, 1939; February 11 and 29, April 29, November
28, and December 16, 1940; December 6 and 7, 1941; October 10 and 25, 1942;
April 14, 1943. Erwinville, March 11, 1941. P. s. labradorius (specimens by
Burleigh, Lowery, McIlhenny, Ray and Wallace)—University, February 15 and
November 8, 1940; January 1, 1941; December 11, 1943. 2 mi. NE Baton
Rouge, January 1, 1941. Burtville, December 8, 1939. Avery Island, May 3,
1939. Lake Charles, November 20, 1940. P. s. nevadensis (specimens by Burdick,
Lowery, and Wallace)—Iowa Station, January 23 and 24, 1940. University,
February 10 and March 10, 1940. University, December 7, 1941, and November
15, 1942. Cameron, December 6, 1942. There are at present no bona
fide records of P. s. anthinus in Louisiana, since the one recorded example of
that race (Oberholser, op. cit., 647) appears, on reëxamination, to be referable
to savanna (fide J. L. Peters).

Ammodramus savannarum pratensis Vieillot, Eastern Grasshopper Sparrow

Eight specimens of the Grasshopper Sparrow taken recently in Louisiana
are without exception referable to pratensis. Our one remaining specimen, a
male collected at Pride on December 19, 1937, is an example of perpallidus as
recorded by Oberholser (op. cit., 648). Although the present series is inadequate
for determining the prevailing form in the state in the winter, it would
appear that pratensis is more common, rather than perpallidus as indicated by
Oberholser.

Chondestes grammacus strigatus Swainson, Western Lark Sparrow

Oberholser cited only one Louisiana record for this race. The following
additional records are now available: a specimen was taken by Howell at
Cameron on October 31, 1942, and one was obtained by me at University on
April 13, 1945. The species is a transient in both localities. A supplementary
winter record for the Lark Sparrow in Louisiana is that of an individual seen
at Port Hudson on December 23, 1945, by Howell and Newman. The bird
was shot, but unfortunately, it was not retrieved.

Junco hyemalis cismontanus Dwight, Cassiar Junco

The only specimen in our series of Slate-colored Juncos that is a clear-cut
example of this race is a male taken by Ambrose Daigre at Catahoula Lake
on November 29, 1939. A. H. Miller has confirmed the identification.

Calcarius lapponicus alascensis Ridgway, Alaska Longspur

Oberholser listed this species as a casual winter visitor in northern Louisiana,
which was possibly no more than was indicated by records then available
to him. Since 1938, however, the species has been observed in large flocks at
various localities in the southern part of the state, notably in January, 1941,
when the whole state was blanketed with snow. Nevertheless, snow is apparently
not prerequisite to the appearance of the species this far south, for
on January 1 and 3, 1943, a flock of approximately a thousand individuals
was seen a few miles north of Jennings. Again, on February 14, 1943, about
half of what may have been the original flock was observed there. In neither
instance was there snow anywhere in Louisiana. Of the thirty specimens in
[Pg 192]
the Louisiana State University Collection, eleven have been identified by
Alexander Wetmore as somewhat intermediate between alascensis and lapponicus,
but closer to the former. Only lapponicus has been previously recorded
from Louisiana. The specimens of alascensis were taken at Baton Rouge on
January 25 and 28, 1940; Cornor, January 27, 1940; Lottie, January 27, 1940;
and 10 miles north of Jennings, January 1 and February 14, 1943 (Burdick,
Campbell, Hewes, Lowery, and Wallace).

    Transmitted February 1, 1947.

21-6959