Historical Bird Lists

Historical Bird Lists

The thick-papered bird checklist is something every birder needed just a few decades ago. However, the age of the published bird checklist appears to be coming to a close. Electronic lists, specifically constructed through eBird, can be created and stored more efficiently than a mass-produced paper checklist.

In Texas, some of the older paper checklists provide a window into the state's ornithological past. According to Strecker's 1925 annotated Texas checklist, the Eskimo Curlew was a "common migrant through the extreme eastern portion of the state". In Stillwell's 1939, A Checklist of Birds of Dallas County, Texas, there was no reference of the now common Great-tailed Grackle in Dallas County because there were none to be found then. It would be ten more years before that species moved into north Texas from the Rio Grande brushland. There were also unfamiliar name changes in these checklists. Some names like Bartramian Sandpiper, Texan Woodpecker, Wright's Flycatcher, and the Arkansas Goldfinch would today force us to the nearest search engine. These checklists, with check marks and scribbled notes, were evolutionary snapshots of our favorite hobby. It's unlikely we will see these published bird checklists much longer. They are now of another era.

All of the lists mentioned below have been combined in a spreadsheet format for the indicated region or county. While I treasured the appearance of these old checklists, I had to admit they were more useful when put into a comparative spreadsheet to be viewed over time. Thanks to all who contributed, particularly Chuck Sexton, John Sproul, Jim Henderson, and Mike Wolfson.