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The Journals
of Lewis and Clark: The Birds
The following
excerpts are taken from entries of the Journals of Lewis
and Clark - Birds. A general description of the beasts,
birds and Birds, &c. found by the party in this expedition.
The
birds which we have seen between the Rocky mountains and
the Pacific may be divided into two classes, the terestrial
and the aquatic. In the former class are to be arranged:
•1. The grouse or prairie-hen. This is peculiarly the inhabitant
of the great plains of the Columbia, and does not differ
from those of the upper portion of the Missouri. The tail
is pointed, the feathers in the center, and much longer
than those on the sides. This species differs essentially
in the formation of the plumage from those of the Illinois,
which have their tales composed of feathers of an equal
length. In the winter season this bird is booted to the
first joint of the toes; the toes are curiously bordered
on their lower edges with narrow hard scales, which are
placed very close to each other, and extend horizontally
about one eighth of an inch on each side of the toes, adding
much to the broadness of the feet, a security which bounteous
nature has furnished them for passing over the snows with
more ease, and what is very remarkable, in the summer season
these scales drop from the feet. This bird has four toes
on each foot, the color is a mixture of dark brown, reddish
and yellowish brown, with white confusedly mixed. In this
assemblage of colors, the reddish brown prevails most on
the upper parts of the body, wings, and tail, and the white
underneath the belly, and the lower parts of the breast
and tail. These birds associate in large flocks in autumn
and winter, and even in summer are seen in companies of
five or six. They feed on grass, insects, leaves of various
shrubs in the plains, and on the seeds of several species
of speth and wild rye, which grow inricher soils. In winter
their food consists of the buds of the willow and cotton-wood,
and native berries.
•2. The cock of the plains is found on the plains of the
Columbia in great abundance, from the entrance of the southeast
fork of the Columbia to that of Clarke's river. It is about
two and three quarter inches the size of our ordinary turkey:
the beak is large, short, covered and convex, the upper
exceeding the lower chop: the nostrils are large, and the
back black; the color is an uniform mixture of a dark brown,
resembling the dove, and a reddish and yellowish brown,
with some small black specks. In this mixture the dark brown
prevails, and has a slight cast of the dove color: the wider
side of the large feathers of the wings are of a dark brown
only. The tail is composed of nineteen feathers, and that
inserted in the centre is the longest, the remaining nine
on each side gradually diminish. The tail when folded comes
to a very sharp point, and appears proportionably long,
when compared with the other parts of the body. In the act
of flying, the tail resembles that of the wild pigeon, although
the motion of the wings is much like that of the pheasant
and grouse. This bird has four toes on each foot, of which
the hindmost is the shortest, and the leg is covered with
feathers about half the distance between the knee and foot.
When the wing is expanded there are wide openings between
its feathers, the plumage being too narrow to fill up the
vacancy: the wings are short in comparison with those of
the grouse or pheasant. The habits of this bird resemble
those of the grouse, excepting that his food is that of
the leaf and buds of the pulpy-leafed thorn. Captain Lewis
did not remember to have seen this bird but in the neighborhood
of that shrub, which they sometimes feed on, the prickly
pear. The gizzard is large, and much less compressed and
muscular than in most fowls, and perfectly resembles a maw.
When this bird flies he utters a cackling sound, not unlike
that of the dunghill fowl. The flesh of the cock of the
plains is dark, andonly tolerable in point of flavor, and
is not so palateable either as that of the pheasant or grouse.
The feathers about the head are pointed and stiff and short,
fine and stiff about the ears; at the base of the beak several
hairs are to be seen. This bird is invariably found in the
plains.
•3. The pheasant, of which we distinguish the large black
and white pheasant, the small speckled pheasant, the small
brown pheasant:?1. The large black and white pheasant differs
but little from those of the United States; the brown is
rather brighter, and has a more reddish tint. This bird
has eighteen feathers in the tail, of about six inches in
length. He is also booted to the toes: the two tufts of
long black feathers on each side of the neck, so common
in the male of this species inhabiting the United States,
are no less observable in this pheasant: the feathers on
the body are of a dark brown, tipped with white and black,
in which mixture the black predominates; the white are irregularly
intermixed with those of the black and dark brown in every
part, but in greater proportion about the neck, breast,
and belly: this mixture makes this bird resemble much that
kind of dunghillfowl, which the housewives of our country
call Domminicker. On the breast of some of these species
the white predominates: the tufts on the neck leave a space
about two and a half inches long, and one inch in width,
where no feathers grow, though concealed by the plumage
connected with the higher and under parts of the neck; this
space enables them to contract or dilate the feathers on
the neck with more ease: the eye is dark, the beak is black,
curved, somewhat pointed, and the upper exceeds the under
chop: a narrow vermillion stripe runs above each eye, not
protuberant but uneven, with a number of minute rounded
dots. The bird feeds on wild fruits, particularly the berry
of the sacacommis, and exclusively resides in that portion
of the Rocky mountains watered by the Columbia.
2. The small speckled pheasant resides in the same country
with the foregoing, and differs only in size and color.
He is half the size of the black and white pheasant, associates
in much larger flocks, and is very gentle: the black is
more predominant, and the dark brown feathers less frequent
in this than in the larger species: the mixture of white
is more general on every part. This bird is smaller than
our pheasant, and the body more round: the flesh of both
this species is dark, and with our means of cooking, not
well flavored.
3. The small brown pheasant is an inhabitant of the same
country, and is of the same size and shape of the speckled
pheasant, which he likewise resembles in his habits. The
stripe above the eye in this species is scarcely perceptible,
and is, when closely examined, of a yellow or orange color,
instead of the vermillion of the other species: the color
is a uniform mixture of dark yellowish brown, with a slight
aspersion of brownish white on the breast, belly, and feathers
underneath the tail: the whole appearance has much the resemblance
of the common quail: this bird is also booted to the toes:
the flesh of this is preferable to the other two.
4. The buzzard is, we believe, the largest bird of North
America. One which was taken by our hunters was not in good
condition, and yet the weight was twenty-five pounds. Between
the extremity of the wings the bird measured nine feet and
two inches: from the extremity of the beak to the toe, three
feet nine and a half inches; from the hip to the toe, two
feet; the circumference of the head was nine and three-quarter
inches: that of the neck seven and a half inches; that of
the body inclusive of two feet three inches: the diameter
of the eye is four and a half tenths of an inch; the iris
is of a pale scarlet red, and the pupil of a deep sea-green:
the head and part of the neck are uncovered by feathers:
the tail is composed of twelve feathers of equal length,
each of the length of fourteen inches: the legs are uncovered
and not entirely smooth: the toes are four in number, three
forward, and that in the centre much the largest; the fourth
is short, inserted near the inner of the three other toes,
and rather projecting forward: the thigh is covered with
feathers as low as the knee, the top or upper part of the
toes are imbricated with broad scales, lying transversely:
the nails are black, short, and bluntly pointed: the under
side of the wing is covered with white down and feathers:
a white stripe of about two inches in width marks the outer
part of the wing, embracing the lower points of the plumage,
covering the joints of the wing: the remainder is of a deep
black: theskin of the beak and head to the joining of the
neck, is of a pale orange color; the other part, destitute
of plumage, is of a light flesh color. It is not known that
this bird preys upon living animals: we have seen him feeding
on the remains of the whale and other fish thrown upon the
coast by the violence of the waves. This bird was not seen
by any of the party until we had descended Columbia river,
below the great falls, and he is believed to be of the vulture
genus, although the bird lacks some of the characteristics,
particularly the hair on the neck, and the plumage on the
legs.
5. The robin is an inhabitant of the Rocky mountains: the
beak is smooth, black, and convex; the upper chop exceeds
the other in length, and a few small black hairs garnish
the sides of its base: the eye is of a uniform deep sea-green
color: the legs, feet, and talons are white, of which the
front one is of the same length of the leg, including the
talon; these are slightly imbricated, curved, and sharply
pointed: the crown, from the beak back to the neck, embracing
more than half the circumference of the neck, the back,
and tail, are all of a bluish dark brown: the two outer
feathers of the tail are dashed with white near their tips,
imperceptible when the tail is folded: a fine black forms
the ground of their wings; two stripes of the same color
pass on either side of the head, from the base of the beak
to the junction, and embrace the eye to its upper edge:
a third stripe of the same color passes from the sides of
the neck to the tips of the wings, across the croop, in
the form of a gorget: the throat, neck, breast, and belly,
are of a fine brick red, tinged with yellow; a narrow stripe
of this color commences just above the centre of each eye,
and extends backwards to the neck till it comes in contact
with the black stripe before mentioned, to which it seems
to answer as a border: the feathers forming the first and
second ranges of the coverts of the two joints of the wing
next to the body, are beautifully tipped with this brick
red, as is also each large featherof the wing, on the short
side of its plumage. This beautiful little bird feeds on
berries. The robin is an inhabitant exclusively of the woody
country; we have never heard its note, which the coldness
of the season may perhaps account for.The leather-winged
bat, so common to the United States, likewise inhabits this
side of the Rocky mountains.
6. The crow and raven is exactly the same in appearance
and note as that on the Atlantic, except that it is much
smaller on the Columbia.
7. The hawks too of this coast do not differ from those
of the United States. We here see the large brown hawk,
the small or sparrow hawk, and one of an intermediate size,
called in the United States, the hen hawk, which has a long
tail and blue wings, and is extremely fierce, and rapid
in its flight. The hawks, crows, and ravens are common to
every part of this country, their nests being scattered
in the high cliffs, along the whole course of the Columbia
and its southeastern branches.
8. The large blackbird is the same with those of our country,
and are found every where in this country.
9. The large hooting owl we saw only on the Kooskooskee
under the Rocky mountains. It is the same in form and size
with the owl of the United States, though its colors, particularly
the reddish brown, seem deeper and brighter.
10. The turtle-dove and the robin (except the Columbian
robin already described) are the same as those of the United
States, and are found in the plains as well as in the common
broken country.
11. The magpie is most commonly found in the open country,
and resemble those of the Missouri, already described.
12. The large woodpecker or laycock, the lark woodpecker,
and the common small white woodpecker, with a red head,
are the inhabitants exclusively of the timbered lands, and
differ in no respect from birds of the same species in the
United States.
13. The lark, which is found in the plains only, and is
not unlike what is called in Virginia, the old field lark,
is the same with those already described as seen on the
Missouri.
14. The flycatcher is of two species.The first is of a small
body, of a reddish brown color: the tail and neck short,
and the beak pointed: some fine black specks are intermingled
with the reddish brown. This is of the same species with
that which remains all winter in Virginia, where it is sometimes
called the wren.The second species has recently returned,
and emigrates during the winter. The colors of this bird
are, a yellowish brown, on the back, head, neck, wing and
tail; the breast and belly are of a yellowish white; the
tail is in the same proportion as that of the wren, but
the bird itself is of a size smaller than the wren: the
beak is straight, pointed, convex, rather large at the base,
and the chops are of equal length. The first species is
smaller, and in fact the smallest bird which Captain Lewis
had ever seen excepting the humming bird. Both of this species
are found exclusively in the woody country.
15. Corvus. The blue-crested, and the small white-breasted
corvus, are both natives of the piny country, and are invariably
found as well on the Rocky mountains as on this coast. They
have already been described.
16. The snipe, &c. The common snipe of the marshes, and
the common sand snipe, are of the same species as those
so well known in the United States. They are by no means
found in such abundance here as they are on the coast of
the Atlantic.
17. The leathern winged bat, so familiar to the natives
of the United States, is likewise found on this side of
the Rocky mountains.
18. The white woodpecker, likewise frequents these regions,
and reminds our party of their native country, by his approaches.
The head of this bird is of a deep red color, like that
of the United States. We have conjectured that he has lately
returned, as he does not abide in this country during the
winter. The large woodpecker, and the lark woodpecker, are
found in this country, and resemble those of the United
States.
19. The black woodpecker is found in most parts of the Rocky
mountains, as well as in the western and southwestern mountains.
He is about the size of the lark woodpecker, or turtle-dove,
although his wings are longer than the wings of either of
those birds: the beak is one inch in length, black, curved
at the base, and sharply pointed: the chops are the same
in length; around the base of the beak, including the eye
and a small part of the throat, there is a fine crimson
red: the neck, as low down as the crook in front, is of
an iron gray: the belly and breast present a curious mixture
of white and blood-red, which has much the appearance of
paint, where the red predominates: the top of the head,
back, sides, and upper surface of the wings and tail, exhibit
the appearance of a glossy green, in a certain exposure
to the light: the under side of the wings and tail, is of
a sooty black: the tail is equipped with ten feathers, sharply
pointed, and those in the centre the longest, being about
two and a half inches in length: the tongue is barbed and
pointed, and of an elastic and cartilagenous substance:
the eye is rather large, the pupil black, and the iris of
a dark and yellowish brown: the bird in its actions when
flying, resembles the small red-headed woodpecker common
to the United States, and likewise in its notes; the pointed
tail renders essential service when the bird is sitting
and retaining his resting position against the perpendicular
sides of a tree: the legs andfeet are black, and covered
with wide imbricated scales: he has four toes on each foot,
two in the rear and two in front, the nails of which are
much curved and pointed remarkably sharp: he feeds on bugs
and a variety of insects.
20. The calamut eagle, sometimes inhabits this side of the
Rocky mountains. This information Captain Lewis derived
from the natives, in whose possession he had seen their
plumage. These are of the same species with those of the
Missouri, and are the most beautiful of all the family of
eagles in America. The colors are black and white, and beautifully
variegated. The tail feathers, so highly prized by the natives,
are composed of twelve broad feathers of unequal length,
which are white, except within two inches of their extremities,
where they immediately change to a jetty black: the wings
have each a large circular white spot in the middle, which
is only visible when they are extended: the body is variously
marked with black and white: in form they resemble the bald
eagle, but they are rather smaller, and fly with much more
rapidity. This bird is feared by all his carniverous competitors,
who, on his approach, leave the carcase instantly, on which
they had been feeding. The female breeds in the most inaccessible
parts of the mountains, where she makes her summer residence,
and descends to the plains only in the fall and winter seasons.
The natives are at this season on the watch, and so highly
is this plumage prized by the Mandans, the Minnetarees,
and the Ricaras, that the tail feathers of two of these
eagles will be purchased by the exchange of a good horse
or gun, and such accoutrements. Amongst the great and little
Osages, and those nations inhabiting the countrieswhere
the bird is more rarely seen, the price is even double of
that above mentioned. With these feathers the natives decorate
the stems of their sacred pipes or calumets, from whence
the name of the calumet eagle is derived. The Ricaras have
domesticated this bird in many instances, for the purpose
of obtaining its plumage. The natives, on every part of
the continent, who can procure the feathers, attach them
to their own hair, and the manes and tails of their favorite
horses, by way of ornament. They also decorate their war
caps or bonnets with these feathers.
As to the aquatic birds of this country, we have to repeat
the remark, that, as we remained near the coast during the
winter only, many birds, common both in the summer and autumn,
might have retired from the cold, and been lost to our observation.
We saw, however,
The large blue, and brown herron; the fishing hawk; the
blue-crested fisher; several species of gulls; the cormorant;
two species of loons; brant of two kinds; geese; swan; and
several species of ducks.
•1. The large blue and brown herrons, or cranes, as they
are usually termed in the United States, are found on the
Columbia below tide-water. They differ in no respect from
the same species of bird in the United States. The same
may be observed of .
•2. The fishing hawk, with the crown of the head white,
and the back of a mealy white, and
•3. Of the blue-crested or king-fisher, both of which are
found every where on the Columbia and its tributary waters;
though the fishing hawk is not abundant, particularly in
the mountains.
•4. Of gulls, we have remarked four species on the coast
and the river, all common to the United States.
•5. The cormorant is, properly speaking, a large black duck
that feeds on fish. Captain Lewis could perceive no difference
between this bird and those ducks which inhabit the Potomack
and other rivers on the Atlantic coast. He never remembered
to have seen those inhabiting the Atlantic states, so high
up the river as they have been found in this quarter. We
first discovered the corvus on the Kooskooskee, at the entrance
of Chopunish river: they increased in numbers as we descended,
and formed much the greatest portion of the water-fowl which
we saw until we reached the Columbia at the entrance of
the tides. They abound even here, but bear no proportion
to the number of other water-fowl seen at this place.
•6. The loon: there are two species of loons: the speckled
loon, found on every part of the rivers of this country.
They are of the same size, color and form, with those of
the Atlantic coast.The second species we found at the falls
of Columbia, and from thence downwards to the ocean. This
bird is not more than half the size of the speckled loon;
the neck is, in front, long slender and white: the plumage
on the body and back of the head and neck are of a dun or
ash color: the breast and belly are white, the beak like
that of the speckled loon; and like them, it cannot fly,
but flutters along on the surface of the water, or dives
for security when pursued.
•7. The brant are of three kinds; the white, the brown,
and the pied. The white brant are very common on the shores
of the Pacific, particularly below the water, where they
remain in vast numbers during the winter: they feed like
the swan-geese, on the grass, roots, and seeds which grow
in the marshes: this bird is about the size of the brown
brant, or a third less than the common Canadian wild goose:
the head is rather larger, the beak thicker than that of
the wild goose, shorter, and of much the same form, being
of a yellowish white color, except the edges of the chops,
which are frequently of a dark brown: the legs and feet
are of the same form of the goose, and are of a pale flesh
color: the tail is composed of sixteen feathers of equal
length as those of the geese and brown brant are, and bears
about the same proportion in point of length: the eye is
of a dark color, and nothing remarkable in size: the wings
are larger when compared with those of the geese, but not
so much as in the brown brant: the color of the plumage
is a pure uniform white, except the large feathers at the
extremity of the wings, which are black: the large feathers
at the first joint of the wing next to the body are white:
the note of this bird differs essentially from that of the
goose; it more resembles that of the brown brant, but is
somewhat different; it is like the note of a young domestic
goose, that has not perfectly attained its full sound: theflesh
of this bird is exceedingly fine, preferable to either the
goose or brown brant.
2. The brown brant are much of the same color, form, and
size as the white, only that their wings are considerably
longer and more pointed: the plumage of the upper part of
the body, neck, head, and tail, are much the color of the
Canadian goose, but somewhat darker, in consequence of some
dark feathers irregularly scattered throughout: they have
not the same white on the neck and sides of the head as
the goose, nor is the neck darker than the body: like the
goose, they have some white feathers on the rump at the
joining of the tail: the beak is dark, and the legs and
feet also dark with a greenish cast: the breast and belly
are of a lighter color than the back, and is also irregularly
inter-mixed with dark brown and black feathers, which give
it a pied appearance: the flesh is darker and better than
that of the goose: the habits of these birds resemble those
of the geese, with this difference, that they do not remain
in this climate in such numbers during the winter as the
others, and that they set out earlier in the fall season
on their return to the south, and arrive later in the spring
than the goose. There is no difference between this bird
and that called simply the brant, so common on the lakes,
on the Ohio and Mississippi. The small goose of this country
is rather less than the brant; its head and neck like the
brant.
3. The pied brant weigh about eight and a half pounds, differing
from the ordinary pied brant in their wings, which are neither
so long nor so pointed: the base of the beak is for a little
distance white, suddenly succeeded by a narrow line of dark
brown: the remainder of the neck, head, back, wings and
tail, all except the tips of the feathers, are of a bluish
brown of the common wild goose: the breast and belly are
white, with an irregular mixture of black feathers, which
give those parts a pied appearance. From the legs back underneath
the tail and around its junction with the body above, the
feathers are white: the tail is composed of eighteen feathers,
the longest in the centre, and measures six inches with
the barrel of the quill: those on the sides of the tail
are something shorter, and bend with the extremities inwards
towards the centre of the tail: the extremities of these
feathers are white: the beak is of a light flesh color:
the legs and feet, which do not differ in structure from
those of the goose or brant of other species, are of an
orange color: the eye is small, the iris of a dark yellowish
brown, and pupil black: the note is much that of the common
pied brant, from which in fact, they are not to be distinguished
at a distance, although they certainly are of a distinct
species: the flesh is equally palatable with that of common
pied brant. They do not remain here during the winter in
such numbers as the bird above mentioned: this bird is here
denominated the pied brant, on account of the near resemblance,
and for want of another appellation.
•8. The geese are either the large or small kind: the large
goose resembles our ordinary wild or Canadian goose; the
small is rather less than the brant, which it resembles
in the head and neck, where it is larger in proportion than
that of the goose: the beak is thicker and shorter; the
note like that of a tame goose. In all other points it resembles
the large goose, with which it associates so frequently,
that it was some time before it was discovered to be of
a distinct species.
•9. The swan are of two kinds, the large and the small:
the large swan is the same common to the Atlantic states:
the small differs only from the large in size and in note:
it is about one fourth less, and its note is entirely different.
It cannot be justly imitated by the sound of letters; it
begins with a kind of whistling sound, and terminates in
a round full note, louder at the end: this note is as loud
as that of the large species; whence it might be denominated
the whistling swan: its habits, color, and contour, appears
to be precisely those of the larger species: these birds
were first found below the great narrows of the Columbia,
near the Chilluckittequaw nation: they are very abundant
in this neighborhood, and remained with the party all winter,
and in number they exceed those of the larger species in
the proportion of five to one.
Accounts of the
Animals
Accounts of the
Ducks
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