Pe I Iowa f @Fnitl^ologi8t 



Vol. 2. 



galem, Ja., January, 1896. 



No. 



Sea Birds That Visit Iowa. 



FRANK H. SHOEMAKER, HAMPTON, lA. 



Paper read before the First Congress of 

 I. O. A. 



IJNDER this heading I have 

 considered the species- of 

 four orders — Pygopodes, Longi- 

 pennes, Steganopodes and Anse- 

 res. This is indeed an inexact 

 classification of "sea birds," but 

 will meet the requirements of the 

 subject in this case. The order 

 Anseres is probably as a whole 

 the least entitled to a position 

 under the general heading, but 

 owing to the maritime habits of 

 many of the species the entire 

 order is included. 



The following list is essential- 

 ly a compilation, since my resi- 

 dence within the state has been 

 too far removed from water- 

 courses or lakes to furnish op- 

 portunity for personal observa- 

 tion. My chief authority through- 

 out is the Report on Bird Migra- 

 tion in the Mississippi Valley 

 during the years 1884 and 1885. 

 Frequent reference is made also 

 to a list of the birds of Iowa, 

 compiled by J. A. Allen, consti- 

 tuting Appendix B in Vol. II of 

 the State Geological Survey of 



1870. No more than a passing 

 mention of species can be made 

 at this time. 



The order Pygopodes has five 

 representatives in this state — 

 three grebes and two loons. Hol- 

 boell's Grebe is a species of north- 

 ern regions, coming south in win- 

 ter occasionally to the upper por- 

 tions of the Mississippi Valley. 

 The Horned Grebe is an allied 

 species, more common than the 

 former, though not abundant; it 

 is occasional in Iowa as a mi- 

 grant, but it is doubtful if it ever 

 winters in any part of the state. 

 The Pied-billed Grebe, popularly 

 known by a more forcible as well 

 as a more fittingly descriptive 

 name, occurs in ah parts of the 

 state as a summer resident, nest- 

 ing quite commonly, though its 

 eggs seldom appear in the cabi- 

 nets of those who do not know 

 the peculiar nesting habits. 



The family Urinatoridas is rep- 

 resented by two species: the 

 Loon proper, Urinator imber, 

 and its ally, the Red-throated 

 Loon. The former is the more 

 common variety, inasmuch as it 

 nests in the north and appears 

 regularly during migrations, while 

 the latter variety, the Red-throat- 



