“Formulation of these 
lists was joyless — 
requiring study of 
depressing remarks 
on status of species.” 
THE AUD UB OeN ee Bau Laie aN 
Formulation of the lists, as may be imagined, 
was a joyless process, requiring the study of a 
lengthy series of depressing remarks on the status 
of the species in the literature. Birds were placed 
on the “Black List’? almost automatically if a re- 
liable authority, such as the American Ornitholo- 
gists’ Union (in the Fifth Edition of the Check- 
list of North American Birds) declared Illinois as 
a “former” part of a species’ breeding range. 
However, despite numerous references indi- 
cating their extirpation in Illinois, the Ruffed 
Grouse, Yellow Rail, Black Rail, Solitary Vireo, 
LeConte’s Sparrow and Clay-colored Sparrow 
were allocated to the “Red List” instead of the 
“Black List,” since it was thought that demon- 
stration of their total disappearance as breeding 
birds in the state remains less than conclusive. 
A public relations problem arose in respect 
to one species, the Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), 
formerly extirpated in the state and now rein- 
troduced. Readers, noting its absence from both 
lists, may complain that because the present birds 
combine domestic and wild strains, and thus yield 
an imperfect substitute for the vanished popula- 
tion, the Turkey belongs on the Black List. The 
apostate view adopted herein aims at avoiding 
fruitless disputes with persons who resist the 
persuasion of scientific facts. Moreover, since the 
introduced birds are subject to a legal hunting 
season, it was deemed judicious to omit the Tur- 
key from the Red List; this position in turn is 
balanced by a decision to add the species to the 
Black List if the present birds fail to persist. 
Bachman’s Warbler appears on the Black List 
even though not mentioned as an Illinois breed- 
ing bird in the AOU Check-List or elsewhere in 
the literature. The reason for its inclusion is 
sound and will be made known in due course by 
Robert and Jean Graber. 
My informants offered a number of hesitant 
and many tentative opinions on some species, and 
understandably so, for the plain fact is that our 
knowledge of certain populations is unsatisfactory, 
and revision of the lists will be required as more 
information becomes available. At present the 
Red-Listed birds fall into several categories, as 
follows. 
CURRENT STATUS WELL-ESTABLISHED: 
(1) Double-crested Cormorant, Bald Eagle 
and Osprey. Former uncommon summer residents, 
