Vol. V. Part 5 April 14, 1913 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Nebraska Ornithologists' Union 



BIRDS OF THE THOMAS COUNTY FOREST RE- 

 SERVE 



BY JOHN T. ZIMMER 



This paper is intended to treat of the birds found on 

 the United States Government Forest Reserve, which lies 

 chiefly in Thomas county, Nebraska, with headquarters at Hal- 

 sey. The period of observation extends from April to latter 

 October, and thus includes not only all of the breeding birds 

 and summer residents, but the spring and fall migrants as well, 

 while the latter probably further include most of the winter- 

 ing forms. 



The first ornithologists to visit the Reserve were L. Bruner 

 and R. H. Wolcott, who were there in May, 1904, and again in 

 April, 1905, being on the latter trip accompanied by H. B. 

 Ward, In 1906, Frank M. Chapman, accompanied by an artist 

 and a preparator, Messrs. Bruce Horsfall and J. D. Figgins, 

 and by L. Bruner, made a flying trip to Halsey for the purpose 

 of getting material for the Prairie Chicken group of the "habi- 

 tat groups" at the American Museum of Natural History. His 

 party was present at the Reserve from May 3 to 6 of that year, 

 and his notes published in his "Camps and Cruises of an Orni- 

 thologist" contain references to certain birds not recorded by 

 the other observers. In June of the same year R. H. Wolcott 

 visited the Reserve and made observations, and in July, 1908, 

 he returned there, accompanied by F. H. Shoemaker, and made 

 further notes on the birds of the region. In July, 1909, (10-12) 

 M. H. Svvenk, accompanied by J. A. G. Rehn of the Philadel- 

 phia Academy of Natural Sciences, visited the Reserve and 

 made notes on the breeding birds, while the following year, 

 from October 27-29, he listed the fall migrants. My first trip 

 to Halsey was a flying one made in June, 1911, from the 7th to 



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