Henry Pratten's List of Birds

from D. D. Owen's 1848-49 Survey of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa

Henry Pratten was a member of David Dale Owen's staff during the 1848-49 geological survey of northern states. His list of birds sighted during the survey is published in David Dale Owen, Report of a Geological Survey of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota; and Incidentally of a Portion of Nebraska Territory. Made under Instructions from the United States Treasury Department, Lippincott, Grambo & Co., Philadelphia, 1852. Pratten's list occupies pages 622-3 of Owen's Report. Many of the names used for birds before 1850, both common names and scientific, have been changed. No effort has been made here to give modern names, but you can glean some of them by visiting the University of Florida website, Photo Gallery of Southeastern U. S. Birds (link below). The site features photographs by Dr. Dan Sudia, whom I thank for permission to use the copyright-protected image of our national bird. You will find this species near the top of Pratten's list. The list is shown here in a format somewhat different from that in Owen's Report:

SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF BIRDS OBSERVED IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA,
BY HENRY PRATTEN

ORDER I. ACCIPITRES

FALCONIDÆ
Golden eagle, Aquila chrysætos Giraud
Bald eagle, Haliætos leucocephalus Wilson
Red-tailed hawk, Buteo, borealis Gmelin
Swallow-tailed hawk, Nauclerus furcatus Wilson
American sparrow-hawk, Falco sparverius Bonaparte
Marsh harrier, Circus uliginosus Wilson

STRIGIDÆ
Great horned owl, Bubo virginianus Gmelin
Little screech owl, Bubo asio Wilson
Barred owl, Ulula nebulosa Linnæus

ORDER II. PASSERES

CAPRIMULGIDÆ
Whippoorwill, Caprimulgus vociferus Wilson
Night hawk, Chordeiles americanus Wilson

HIRUNDINIDÆ
Purple martin, Hirundo purpurea Linnæus, Gmelin
White-bellied swallow, Hirundo bicolor Vieillot Bank swallow, Hirundo fulva Vieillot, Clinton, Bonaparte

AMPELIDÆ
Cedar bird, Bombycilla carolinensis Bonaparte

ALCEDINIDÆ
Belted kingfisher, Alcedo alcyon Linnæus
Red-throated Hummingbird, Trochilus colubris Linnæus

CERTHIDÆ
White-breasted nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis Brisson
Wood wren, Troglodytes americanus Audubon
Mocking wren, Troglodytes ludovicianus Bonaparte
Short-billed wren, Troglodytes brevirostris Nuttall

PARIDÆ
Black cap tit, Parus atricapillus Linnęus

SYLVIADÆ
Bluebird, Sialia wilsoni Swainson

MERULIDÆ
Brown thrush, Orpheus rufus Bonaparte
Catbird, Orpheus carolinensis Linnæus, Giraud
American robin, Merula migratoria Linnæus, Richardson
Wood thrush, Merula mustelina Gmelin, Bonaparte
Hermit thrush, Merula solitaria Wilson, Richardson
Oven bird, Seiurus aurocapillus Linnæus

SYLVICOLIDÆ
Yellow throat warbler, Trichas marilandica Wilson, Audubon
Golden-winged warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera Linnæus
Spotted warbler, Sylvicola maculosa Gmelin
Spotted Canada warbler, Sylvicola pardalina Bonaparte
Blackburnian warbler, Sylvicola blackburnię, Latham
Summer yellow bird, Sylvicola ęstiva, Gmelin
Chestnut-sided warbler, Sylvicola icterocephala Linnæus

MUSCICAPIDÆ
American redstart, Muscicapa ruticilla Linnæus
Wood pewee, Muscicapa virens Linnæus
Kingbird, Tyrannus intrepidus Vieillot
Great-crested kingbird, Tyrannus crinitus Linnæus

VIREONIDÆ
Red-eyed greenlet, Vireo olivaceus
Yellow-breasted chat, Icteria viridis Gmelin, Bonaparte

LANADÆ
Northern butcher bird, Lanius septentrionalis Gmelin

CORVIDÆ
Bluejay, Garrulus cristatus Linnæus, Giraud
Common crow, Corvus americanus Audubon
Common crow blackbird, Quiscalus versicolor Vieillot
Golden oriole, Icterus baltimore Linnæus
Red-winged oriole, Icterus phœniceus Linnæus
Yellow-headed blackbird, Icterus xanthocephalus Bonaparte
Cow bunting, Molothrus pecoris Gmelin
Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus Linnæus

FRINGILLIDÆ
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Coccoborus ludovicianus Linnæus
Song sparrow, Fringilla melodia Wilson
White-throated sparrow, Fringilla pennsylvanica Brisson
Emberiza pallida Audubon
American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis Linnæus
Chewink, or Ground robin, Pipilo erythrophthalmus Linnæus
Indigo bird, Spiza cyanea Linnæus
Black-winged Red Bird, Pyranga rubra Linnæus

PICIDÆ
Red-headed woodpecker, Picus erythrocephalus Linnæus
Hairy woodpecker, Picus villosus Linnæus
Downy woodpecker, Picus pubescens Linnæus
Yellow-bellied woodpecker, Picus varius Linnæus
Golden-winged woodpecker, Picus auratus Linnæus

CUCULIDÆ
Black-billed cuckoo, Coccyzus erythrophthalmus Wilson

COLUMBIDÆ
Wild pigeon, Ectopistes migratoria Linnæus
Carolina turtle-dove, Ectopistes carolinensis Linnæus

ORDER III. GALLINĘ

PHASIANIDÆ
Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo Linnæus

TETRAONIDÆ
American quail, Ortyx virginiana Linnæus
Common partridge, or Ruffed grouse, Tetrao umbellus Linnæus
Pinnated grouse, or Prairie hen, Tetrao cupido Linnæus

ORDER IV. GRALLÆ

CHARADRADĘ
American king plover, Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte
Wilson's plover, Charadrius wilsonius Ord, Bonaparte
Killdeer plover, Charadrius vociferus Linnæus
Golden plover, Charadrius virginianus Borkheim
Great blue heron, Ardea herodias Linnæus

SCOLOPACIDÆ
Spotted sand lark, Totanus macularius Linnæus
Solitary tatler, Totanus chloropygius Vieillot
Gray plover, Totanus bartramius Wilson
Varied tatler, or Tell-tale Totanus melanoleucus Vieillot
Marlin, Limosa fedoa Gmelin
American coot, Fulica americana Gmelin

ORDER V. NATATORES

PELICANIDÆ
White pelican, Pelicanus trachyrhyncus Latham
Black tern, Sterna nigra Linnæus

ANATIDÆ
Hooded sheldrake, Mergus cucullatus Linnæus
Black tern, Sterna nigra Linnæus
Bastard broadbill, Fuligula rufitorques Bonaparte
Ruffle-headed duck, Fuligula albeola Linnæus
Wood duck, Anas sponsa Linnæus
Blue-winged teal, Anas discors Linnæus
Green-winged teal, Anas carolinensis Gmelin
Mallard, Anas boschas Linnæus
Wild goose, Anser Canadensis Willoughby

COLYMBIDÆ
Great loon, or Diver, Colymbus glacialis Linnæus