An Oklahoma Bird History
An academic paper by John Bates

From the earliest records of man, the bird has been the source of peace and serenity. Indians rejoiced at the wavelike flight of the yellowhammer, as it flew athwart their canoes along the Red River, and the lowly fool on the plains still attempts to follow the soothing call of the Whippoorwill on a moonlight night, while smoking a corona cigar which he carefully lights with a piece of cedar. Always have birds been a premonition to mankind and womankind, as the sage warnings of Tiresius when he led Odysseus through the underworld.

Geoffery Chaucer used the beauty of birdlife in his Parliament of Fowls. "I juge, of every folk men shul oon calle To seyn the verdit for you foules alle.(524-5)"

The words spoken by Dame Nature appear more true today. Chronicled forever is the avian diversity of western Europe. Perhaps Chaucer knew the historic value or maybe he was an unbelievably lucky man. Howsoever one chooses to believe, listed for posterity are medieval species such as the gentylfalcoun, merlion, (mag)pie, jay, nytyngale, sperhauk and others. Chaucer performs an early bird count, as the birds congregate in a garden to choose a mate on one of the first documented celebrations of Saint Valentine’s Day.

Many people have been involved in the Bird history of Oklahoma. Edwin James wrote of encounters with several species, during Stephan H. Long’s expedition in 1819. George Sutton was an ornithologist at the University of Oklahoma who wrote extensively. Sutton wrote a comprehensive book entitled Oklahoma Birds. Margaret Nice started to collect data on her passion of birdwatching, and fostered an interest in aves. Madame Nice wrote many articles for the Oklahoma Biological Survey. Of these is one of the first complete monographs on the birds of Oklahoma (1931).

Of importance when discussing the history of avifauna, the vegetation of this middle western state allows for a spectacular array of species. Dan L. Reinking classifies Oklahoma into forests and plains.(6) Variation can be grouped by a particular dominance of a kind of tree and occurs as follows: Bottomland forest, Cypress forest, Oak/pine and Oak/hickory forest, Loblolly pine forest, and Postoak/Blackjackoak forest.

The plains of Oklahoma are not as bleak as early expeditions describe. Tallgrass prairie conjures images of rustic life and the placid harmony which pastoral poets have thoroughly romanticized. Tallgrass prairie —flanked by mixed grass, sand-sage grassland, mesquite, and shortgrass prairie—is the predominant ecosystem of the Sooner state. Bottomland forest covers most of the central portions of the state north from Kansas to Texas in the south. McCurtain and McIntosh counties are the locations for the majority of coniferously-forested terrain. The oak/pine and oak/hickory zones are primarily found in the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark plateau. Of note are the regions with great disparity. The other areas are mostly tinted with a combination of flora.(6)

Edwin James documented the birds, among other animals and plants, as a member of Major Long’s expedition in 1819. Keeping with the ill-conceived notion of Oklahoma—the grassy desert—and other absurdities, James’s remarks denote confusion when contemplating the existence of abundant life on such a poor and inhospitable terrain.(1) Major Stephen H. Long was charged with finding a location for a military post in the frontier. Known to trappers as Belle Point, Long selected a site on the south bank of the Arkansas River conjoining the mouth of the Poteau River.

Continuing his explorations to the headwaters of the Poteau and traversing the Kiamichi down the same waterway to the Red River, E.James cataloged the encountered avifauna of which one was the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Picus principalis). James describes the call as reminiscent of a toy trumpet.(1) The settlement of Oklahoma Territory speeded the demise of many creatures. With patent disregard for nature, settlers fenced their claims. Last reported in Caddo County on January 12, 1884 and on the Blue River in November of the same year, this enormous woodpecker formerly haunted forests in Southeastern Oklahoma north to the mouth of the North Canadian River and west to Bryan and Atoka counties. This woodpecker was rarer in the timber of the Arkansas River and the vicinity of Old Boggy Depot. Ivory-billed Woodpeckers thrive in swamps and bayous which have been plundered by economic interests. Freshly deceased trees provide the food the woodpecker needs, as it thoroughly strips the bark in search of grubs. Large piles of sheared material haphazardly amass at the foot of the tree. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker (now Campephilus principalis) is a species recently in the news. Practically extinct until last year, a few debatable sightings have rekindled some hope.

The hunting practiced by the Sooners exterminated the very heart of the Indian psyche. White men with their guns slaughtered countless birds. The ancient way of hunting for survival using the bow and arrow prohibited the genocide of many forms of life. The now extinct Carolina and subspecies Louisiana Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis & C. c. ludovicianus) formerly inhabited Eastern Oklahoma west to Osage, Caddo, and Bryan counties. The last recorded sighting was in the 1880s.(3) G. Sutton described the the bird as a former visitor and possible resident, but no confirmed evidence of nesting exists. James’s account notes, "A flock of paroquets flew over our head uttering their loud notes with their usual loquacity."(1)

The columbine order and allies have remained far from at peace throughout history. The manifest destiny the homesteaders brought to the territory was the very antithesis to the American Indian philosophy of harmony. The Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) has been eradicated. Long ago these birds were described as filling the skies to the point of blackness. To a deep chagrin at the the foibles of man, these creatures were hunted as bison and Indians were. These birds once nested in incredible numbers in Oklahoma Territory to Pottawatomie and Garvin counties in the west. Barde recounts the prolific pigeon, "A Cherokee citizen who lived near this roost said that when he was a boy, fifty years ago, the number of pigeons that frequented the locality was beyond calculation. They swept across the sky in clouds darkening the sun. At night their chattering swelled into a roar. Struggling for a place to alight, the birds dropped onto each other’s backs."(2) The date of the final record for this species is 1900.(3)

Venetian piazzas are inundated with pigeons and floods. The former has adapted to citified locations and the later is the result of building a house on the sand. An immigrant from the cliffs of Great Britain and Europe the Rockdove or Ferinepigeon (Columba livia) has spread across the continent like variola, also known as smallpox or the disease of the white man. Truly acting as double gangers of the European invaders that brought them, the Rock Dove has cowered within the barricadoed environs of urban streetscapes. The Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) was similarly introduced in Florida, and has since proliferated dramatically with the first sighting in Muskogee, Oklahoma on September 16, 1995.(6) With temperature change an historical influx of the species Inca Dove (Columbina Inca) has occurred. The forceful cooing of POOHpup is interpreted by many birders as No Hope! Indeed, bird lovers across the nation are hopeful that the conquistadors have all but returned with an armada.

Most people are not zoologists or anyways conscious of the impact a foreign species can have on an ecosystem. Some people love a bird simply because an old dead guy wrote about it in a sonnet or play or book. The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) has to be a stellar paradigm for this form of recklessness. Sixty birds were released north of Soho in the Central Park of New York City, hence due to extreme compatibility not a place is bereft of this bird. (7) Eurotrash is commonly found alongside the word starling in a conversation. But many convicts have found the companionship of this species a glimmer of hope. Yellow-billed and orange-legged the constitution displayed by this bird of the passerine order is incomparable. Changing with the conditions, the starling turns from dark brown in the winter to a glossy greenish black round Mayday. Too many of the birdwatching public deem the oily black sheen vulgaris displays as repulsive, like a Typhoean monster. These people know nothing about the toil and moil fate flogs one’s shoulders with in fearsome fury. Surviving on the refuse of other beings, a starling thoroughly represents life. A better representative of the phrase Carry on or Be Carrion there is not. Of certainty, this blackbird will still be singing in the dead of night!

The Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) roamed throughout Northwestern Oklahoma and it was seen in Woods County south of Waynoka in August, 1902. The last records being for Cimarron County in 1911 and 1920.(2) The Sage Grouse has an elaborate mating ritual. The cocks parade round and clear a portion of land, close to half an acre, to display for the females. All the cocks stand around the hen and point their tail feathers. Yellowish neck sacs are inflated to create a noise that can be heard for at least a mile.(7)  The Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) was previously seen in northwestern counties and last sighted circa 1932 at Cimarron County.(3) Sutton says it was formerly a resident in Northwestern Oklahoma, probably never too common; eastern limit and nature of overlap with Sage Grouse and Lesser Prairie-Chicken is conjectural.(8)

The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicintus) is a species of bird that is unique to Oklahoma. Extinction is highly possible for this bird, because the few adults left are susceptible to disease, destruction of habitat, and inbreeding. A related species, the Greater Prairie-Chicken, also has the same chance for extirpation. As a typical plainsman this species can be found on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, north of Okmulgee. The mating call of the Greater Prairie-Chicken is an Oklahoman experience not to be missed. The hunting season for this bird has been terminated, and the Sutton Center is monitoring both chicken species.

In the not too distant past, collection was the only modality of positive identification. Oklahoma University’s George Sutton promoted this barbaric method, killing creatures almost in facsimile of the Former normans. The starlings suffered from this depredatory tactic when they first appeared in Oklahoma on November 3, 1929. Sutton writes, "...1 preserved of several shot at Overholser Lake."(8) The extensive group of seemingly ill-recorded species is no longer on public display at the Sam Noble Museum. The hoards of lifeless birds behind glass resemble virtually every museum in Europe. Of great concern are the recent sightings of the near extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) and the burden of proof logging companies and governments will place on conservators. Fears that private interests will only accept the body of a dead bird before action is taken are rampant.

House finches are a common visitor to most urban locals. The bright red-orange forehead and malar of the House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) are the field marks for easy identification. But on occasion one will run across a yellow variation in the southwest. (5) Today the bird is practically omnipresent, but the population has migrated inland from the coastal regions of the United States. Originally from the lands surrounding the Sierra Nevadas, the House Finch is known also as the Hollywood Finch. Unfortunately pet store owners around Long Island—fearing audits for illegal sales by the controller—freed the birds before the government acted on the legality issue.(8)

No history will be complete without the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. The Latin name for this species is Tyrannus forficatus. Magnificent to admire in flight, the beauty of our state bird eclipses all other states' combined. The farmer will always cease putting into practice the labor omniavincit motto to watch the antics of this ruler of the sky. From the sweet breeding melody to the Jekyll-and-Hyde attacks on a pigeon hawk, this tyrant really is an Oklahoman symbol. In the fall the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher migrates to places near Costa Rica and Venezuela. Our home is very lucky to have this bird as a resident. Not bad for land hardly good enough for the white man.

The status of Oklahoma City is truly evident, through the foreshadowing of the Protonotary Warbler (Prothonotaria citrea), a former resident of the Stinchcombe refuge near Overholser Lake. Nesting pairs inhabited boxes constructed by John Newell of the Oklahoma City Audubon Society. This species is no longer present in the refuge, despite recent efforts to provide the requisite nesting structures. The water level in the park has been greatly reduced by the flourishing development of our Bricktown district. In order to fill the ridiculous Oklahoma river section of the North Canadian River, water is not diverted into the refuge as was the custom and the level of lakes Hefner and Overholser have been reduced. On complaint of a few bird lovers, the refuge was promptly filled for one mating season only. But this meager amount of water was hardly enough for the warblers. Oklahoma City is on the edge of an impending environmental disaster, if the Department of Environmental Quality were to survey the environmental impact of the Oklahoma river and Bricktown. Members of the bird club question whether potable water needs to be sacrificed to the cimices or bedbugs of the electriclight towns. Also of important note is the erosion of the bank of the North Canadian River near the landfill between Rockwell and Council roads. One member has even seen the banks collapse, and horrorstruck watched trash float downstream. The collection of pollutants and sediment and detritus could make the the fishes uneatable, if not altogether deadly. These problems bring credence to the looming words of Darthvader in Starwars, "Do not be too proud of this technological terror you have constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force!"(9)

The Mountain Plover (Charadrius montana) is a little bit of a misnomer. This species is found in short grass, not the mountains suggested by its name. A few migrate to coastal regions of the Pacific, yet remain inland and apart from other plovers.(7) Rarely provoked into flight the Mountain Plover prefers to flee afoot. The short flights of this bird have made it an easy target for hunters until laws halted their killing. Little was known about the nesting habits in Oklahoma, so a birdwatcher, John Shackford graduate of Duke University, began to study breeding plovers in Cimarron County. The rangewide use of cultivated fields by Mountain Plovers during breedingseason(4) was an invaluable study conducted to highlight the plight of this threatened species. In the summer it can be seen from March 15 to October 6. Predominantly located in Cimarron County, but also Alfalfa, Grant, Comanche counties and Fort Cobb and Camp (now Fort) Supply. Typically feeding in shortgrass away from water, the Mountain Plover will occasionally be seen at ponds and cattle range.(8) Mr. Shackford believed the firstrecorded sighting of the Mountain Plover to be at Fort Supply.

The Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus) is a species close to extinction. A few nests can be found in the midst of dense vegetation along the easterns hore of Stanley Draper Lake. Recent plans to develop the lake were abandoned, when a member of the Oklahoma City Audubon Society alerted the city council to the bird’s endangerd status. The city has a moral obligation to tend the habitat, since the urban-local prevents the effects of nature to unfold. Commonly found in dense juniper, sumac, and cedar patches, the nesting zone often sustained grassfires to keep the flora at the proper height for the birds. The Black-capped Vireo is present in other areas of Oklahoma, namely the Wichita Mountains, and the relict stand of Methodist/Redrock Canyon. The records of Bunker tell of a few nests at Blaine County in 1903.2 Joseph A. Gryzbowski, Ph.D. set traps for the notorious Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) to prevent nest parasitism. In the metropolitan area of Oklahoma City, the cowbird has become a less frequent sight as urban sprawl has increased. The Black-capped Vireo was recommended for classification as an endangered species on October 6, 1986, and there from officially listed on November 5, 1987.

The Blackthroatedgreenwarbler (Dendroica virens) is rare and often seen in transiency. Nathan Kuhnert, a birdclub member, looks for the warbler in April and May when it is migrant, and again in October and November as a remigrant. Mr. Kuhnert has recently studied and located the firstbreedingblackthroatedgreenwarblers in the Kiamichimountains. Virens has an affinity for the easternportion of the Crosstimbers and is seen in the woodlands.

A species of sparrow, Nelson Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Ammodramus nelsoni), has scarcely been seen in Oklahoma City. A group of birdclub members, James Merlin and John Christopher Bates saw and filed a record with the Oklahoma City Audubon Society on October 20, 2002. The birds love cattails and swamp rushes. Nevertheless the area of grass was mowed to erect a shed. The Bateses know that location will never hold another sharp-tailed sparrow. On hearing the news, a group of concerned birders waxed mad as hell, in some wise parallel to a popular Dixie Chick song. One member of the Oklahoma bird club, a southern gentleman not wishing to curse an individual, politely spoke in a lamentable tone the oath, "Why my dear Mayor Lake, thou art but a fool!"


1. Long, Major Stephen H., National Archives, microfilm 617-1187
2. Nice, Margaret Morse, “The Birds of Oklahoma”, Oklahoma Biological Survey,
3(No.1), 1931.
3. Baumgartner, Frederick M. and A. Marguerite Baumgartner, Oklahoma Bird Life, University of Oklahoma Press, 1992.
4. Shackford, John S., David M. Leslie, Jr. and Warren D. Harden, "The rangewide use of cultivatedfields by Mountainplovers during breedingseason", 1996.
5. Sibley, David Allen, National Audubon Society the Sibley Guide to Birds, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York and Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto, 2000.
6. Reinking, Dan L., Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 2004.
7. Wetmore, Alexander, Water, Prey, and Game Birds of North America, R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co., Chicago,1965. Vol. 1&2.
8. Sutton, George Miksch, Oklahoma Birds, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1967.
9. Lucas, George, "Starwars", 20th Century Fox, 1977.