24 Archaeological Evidence of the Carolina Parakeet in Ontario by FlosennaryPrevec

The identification of the bones of bones (Prevec 1984). These snnall the Carolina Parakeet (Conuropis bones fronn the head, wing and tail carolinensis) on the Calvert site (prennaxilla, proxinnal half of the (Borden Nunnber AfHg-l), left carponnetacarpus, and pygo­ provides the first confimned style; Figures 2 andJ) were found evidence of this species in Ontario in association with three artifacts ­ (Prevec 1984). Its presence an unusual stone pipe bowl, a suggests cerennonial irhplications ground slate knife and an antler to the archaeologist and a possible prong tool. range extension to the naturalist The Carolina Parakeet, extinct The Calvert site, a Glen Meyer since the 1930s, was the only Indian site dating about 1100 North Annerican breeding parrot A.D., is located in southwestern (Bent 1964). Flying in flocks; it Ontario near London, Middlesex was considered a pest by farnners. County (Figure 1). The site is It was also hunted for food, sport, connplex, with nnany overlapping use as a cage bird and for its bright houses and a large nunnber of green, yellow and red plunnage storage pits containing great (Hasbrouck 1891). quantities of deer bone (Fox In eastern North Annerica the 1982). Located on the western range of the Carolina Parakeet edge of the Dorchester swamp, an reached northward fronn Florida and .excellent yarding area for deer, the Gulf states to the Great Lakes the site provided ready access to and eastward fronn the Mississippi the local deer population; Fox drainage systenn to the Atlantic (1982) suggests that the final coast (Bent 1964). It was plentiful phase of occupation nnay have in the south and. along the been strictly as a hunting camp. Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois During the faunal analysis of the Flivers and their tributaries as far ' site, it was discovered that one of north as Lake Michigan. However, the 350 excavated features east of the Allegheny Mountains, contained three Carolina Parakeet it was seldonn found north of Flosennary Prevec, 944 LaSalle Park Fload, Burlington, Ontario L7T 1M9.

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 1985 25

j:.

c.

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o r-.~\O

\ ~ ~ 50 6 figure 1: Location of the Calvert Village

.,

Figure 2: 1. Internal view of c~meta­ Figure 3: 1. External view of left

carpus (proxirnal half); c~metacarpus greatest breadth of proximal 2. Dorsal view of premaxilla; extremity - 7.55 rnrn* width of septUJTl 2. Left of premaxilla; length of 3. Left view ofpygostyle nares - 4.15 mm; width of nares - 4.60 mm 3. Right view of pygostyle; length - 12.80 mrn; width at *Guide to bone measurement taken from waist - 5.30 rnrn Von Den Driesch (1976) VOLUME 3 NUMBER 1 26

Maryland (Wilson and Bonaparte (salt licks) regularly and showed a 1878; Barton 1883; Greenway preference for certain seeds, 1958; Bent 1964). particularly those of cockleburs The species was of casual (Xanthium spp.), thistles (Cirsium occurrence in New York and New spp.), maples (Acer spp.), elms Jersey. It was sighted in New York (Ulmus spp.), and pines (Pinus State on two occasions during the spp.) (Greenway 1958; Bent late 1700s and 1800s. In 1889, 1964). The latter author noted Bergtold (1927) received a report that the most dense populations of 13 Carolina Parakeets observed occurred in areas that supplied years before on buildings in these three requirements. The Buffalo. The same reporter also breeding range and nesting habits told him of many being captured in of the Carolina Parakeet are West Seneca, New York. The uncertain (Hasbrouck 1891; other sighting occurred 25 miles Greenway 1958; Bent 1964). northwest of Albany when a large Some say nesting occurred in tree flock was seen in the middle of hollows, while others claim the winter. The date is uncertain ­ nests were in the forks of January 1780 according to Barton cypresses. (1883) and January 1795 Because of predation by man, according to DeKay (1844). It which coincided with the was suggested that they were destruction of forests, the blown into the area by a storm (De parakeets' numbers were reduced Kay 1844). An unconfirmed New rapidly in the last half of the Jersey sighting was made in East nineteenth century. The last Orange, Essex County between specimen in the wild was taken in 1850 and 1860 (Bent 1964). March 1913 on the north fork of There is an unconfirmed report the Sebastian River, Brevard from London, Ontario (Saunders County, Florida and in 1918, the and Dale 1933). It was reported last captive bird died in the that in about 1877, Russell Burnett Cincinnati Zoo (Greenway 1958). shot a Carolina Parakeet out of a There were unconfirmed sightings tree at the head of Maitland Street, in Florida in 1926 and in South London. Since the specimen was Carolina in 1936 (A.a. U. 1983). not preserved, Saunders and Dale In analyzing the parakeet bones (1933) considered this a from the Calvert site, it was "hypotheticaf' sighting. observed that they came from the Wilson and Bonaparte (1878) extremity areas of the head, wing and Greenway (1958) suggest that and tail. Since these bones are left the parakeet preferred a habitat in a skin if it is to resemble the along river valleys and alluvial living creature, it is probable that swamps, especially with groves of the identified bones formed part of Bald Cypress (Taxodium a skin that had a ritualistic use. distichum), Tupelos (Nyssa This view is strengthened by the sylvatica) and Sycamore (Platanus fact that the bones were found in occidentalis). It also used salines association with unusually fine

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 1985 27 artifacts in a small feature that was to small Passenger Pigeon bones. not a food midden. The burial of In southern Ontario, it would be the skin, pipe, blade and antler advisable to examine mature may have served a ceremonial archaeological bird bone which is function for a hunting community. slightly smaller than Passenger There is some indication that Pigeon for morphological differ­ Ontario Indians were familiar with ences. Although there are no the parrot motif. A clay pipe with Carolina Parakeet skeletons for a parrot effigy was recovered in a reference in Canada, other burial at the c. 1640 A.D. Neutral parakeets having similar character­ Grimsby site (Kenyon 1982). istics are available at the Royal There is the possibility that the Ontario Museum, Toronto. Those parakeet identified at the Calvert that match most closely are the site did not tly into the area out Green Parrot (Aratinga holochora was received in trade from Indians brevipes), Crimson-fronted Para­ in the south. In Illinois, where the keet (Aratingajinischz) and Blue­ bird was common, it is rarely headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus found in archaeological middens. rubrigularis). One coracoid bone was found at While the original source of the the Late Woodland Irving site Calvert Carolina Parakeet bones (525-1025 A.D.) near Chambers­ can never be determined, their burg, Illinois (McGregor 1958) discovery will hopefully encourage and twelve elements consisting of faunal analysts in southern Ontario nine upper bills, two ulnae and a to closely check their medium­ tarsometatarsus were recovered sized bird bones. Because of their from the Cahokia site (Middle colourful feathers, the parakeets Mississippi 900-1500 A.D.) by may have been a desirable trade Parmalee (1957), who suggested a item of native Indian cultures. decorative use. However, if more identifications The recovered bones from the are made, it could mean that the Calvert site were identified by the Carolina Parakeet wandered author using reference skeletons at farther north than was previously the Smithsonian Institution in known. Washington, D.C. The Smithson­ ian has seven of the 16 known Acknowledgements skeletons of the Carolina Parakeet Tracking down the identification of in the world (Hahn 1963). A the Carolina Parakeet bones has similarity was noticed between been an adventure beginning with most of the parakeet bones and the bones and skins at the ROM those of the Passenger Pigeon and ending with the bones at the (Ectopistes migratorius). While Smithsonian. Jim Dick of the the large beaked head and short Ornithology Section of the Royal wide tarsometatarsus of the Ontario Museum and Dr. Richard Carolina Parakeet have distinctive Zusi of the Ornithology Depart­ forms that make them easily ment of the Smithsonian identifiable as Psittaciformes, Institution, Washington, D.C., other elements bear a resemblance graciously assisted in confirming

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 1 28

my Carolina Parakeet identifi­ Hahn, P. 1963. Where is That cation. Guidance in a literature Vanished Bird? Royal Ontario search was provided by William Museum Publication, Univer­ A. Fox of the Ministry of sity of Toronto Press, Toronto. Citizenship and Culture, Dr. Hasbrouck, E.M 1891. The James Pringle of the Royal Carolina paroquet (Con. Botanical Gardens in Burlington Carol.). Auk 8:369-379. and Dr. Howard Savage of the University of Toronto. Kenyon, W.A. 1982. The Grimsby Site A Historic Neutral Literature Cemetery. Royal Ontario American Ornitholigists' Union. Museum Publications in 1983. Check-List of North Archaeology. The Alger Press, American Birds. 6th Edition. Toronto. Lawrence, Kansas. McGregor, J. e. 1958. The Pool Barton B.S.. 1883. Barton's and Irving Villages. University Fragments of the Natural of Illinois Press. Urbana, History of Pennsylvania. Edited Illinois. by Osbert Salvin. The Willoughby Society, London. Parmalee, P. 1957. Vertebrate Remains from the Cahokia Site, Bent, A. e. 1964. Life Histories of Illinois. Trans. Illinois State North American Cuckoos, Acad. Sc. 50:235-242. Goatsuckers, Hummingbirds and Their Allies. Part 1. Dover Prevec, R. 1984. The Carolina Reprint Edition, Dover Publi­ Parakeet - Its First Appearance cations, Inc., New York. in Southern Ontario. Ontario Archaeology Society, Kewa 84­ Bergtold, w.H. 1927. The 7,8:4-8. Carolina Paroquet in Western New York. Auk 44:252. Saunders, W.E. and E.MS. Dale. 1933. A History and List of the DeKay, J.E. 1844. Zoology of Birds of Middlesex County, New York, or the New York Ontario, Canada. Trans. Roy. Fauna, Part 2 Birds. Carroll Can. Inst 19:161-248. and Cooks, Printers to the ,Assembly'. Wilson, A. and e.L. Bonaparte. 1878. American Ornithology. Fox, W.A. 1982. The Calvert Porter and Coates, Philadel­ village: Glen Meyer Commun­ phia.l:l08-115. ity Patterns. Ontario Archaeo­ logy Society, Kewa. 82-7, 8:5­ Von Den Driesch, A. 1976. A 9. Guide to the Measurement of Animal Bones From Archaeo­ Greenway, J.e. Jr. 1958. Extinct logical Sites. Bulletin Number and Vanishing Birds of the 1, Peabody Museum of World. Special Publication No. Archaeology and Ethnology, 13. American Committee for Harvard University, Cam­ International Wild Life Preser­ bridge, Massachusetts. vation, New York, New York.

ONTARIO BIRDS APRIL 1985