THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN SASKATCHEWAN by C. Stuart Houston, 863 University Drive, Saskatoon It is a surprising but not always PASSENGER PIGEON RECORDS appreciated fact that, for much of the FOR SASKATCHEWAN AND last century, Carlton House and Cum¬ ADJACENT MANITOBA berland House were better known orni- thologically than most other areas on July 24, 1691. [Nipawin]. Henry this continent, and probably better Kelsey (1929). “ . we sat down & than any other area in Canada. Fauna roasted 3 pigeons wch I had kill’d yt Boreali- Americana, Volume 2 the morning.” Birds (Swainson and Richardson, Whillans’ (1955) detailed and plaus¬ 1832), describing the collections and ible reconstruction of Kelsey’s route, observations of Richardson and Drum¬ presuming Kelsey had ascended the mond, in the 1820’s, largely at these Saskatchewan, would place this a few two localities, antedated by 60 years miles south of the present site of Nipa¬ the publication of Mcllwraith’s Birds win. Alternatively, if Kelsey had of Ontario. The studies by another ascended the Carrot River, as Bell sug¬ serious observer, Thomas Blakiston gested (1928), he would have been a (1861-63), who lived at Carlton in bit further south, somewhere east of 1857-58, antedated Mcllwraith by 25 the present sites of Carrot River or years. Arborfleld. It is regrettable that Richardson, 1774-1775. [Cumberland House]. Drummond and Blakiston left us so Samuel Hearne (1795). ‘Tn the interior little solid information about the two parts of the country they fly in large species which later disappeared—the flocks, and perch on the poplar trees Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migra- in such numbers that I have seen torius) and the Eskimo Curlew (Nu- twelve of them killed at one shot. They menius borealis). The explanation is usually feed on poplar buds, and are quite simple—these two species were good eating, though seldom fat. They so common as to merit little comment, build their nests in trees, the same as much less any attempt to collect speci¬ the Wood Pigeons do; never lay but mens. The situation might be com¬ two eggs, and are very scarce near the pared to one of us visiting another sea-coast in the Northern parts of city today, and recording little or Hudson’s Bay.” nothing about the status of the now- The only inland site where Hearne ubiquitous House Sparrow. lived for any time was Cumberland The classic, scholarly study of the House, which he founded September 3, Passenger Pigeon by Bchorger (1955) 1774 and where he resided until May omitted some important observations 29, 1775 and again from August 19 of this species within the present to October 16, 1775. boundaries of Saskatchewan. Several publications were not available to 1800 - 1802. Assiniboine and Swan Schorger and in several others the Rivers. Daniel W, Harmon (1820). geographical references were unclear “May 2 [1802] ... of fowls, we have and misinterpreted. I have collected 21 swans, geese, bustards [Canada Geese], observations of the Passenger Pigeon cranes, cormorants, loons, snipes, sev¬ within Saskatchewan and two within eral species of ducks, water - hens immediately adjacent portions of Mani¬ [Coots], pigeons, partridges [Ruffed toba. These are listed below in chrono¬ Grouse], pheasants [sharp - tailed logical order. Grouse], &c. &c.” June, 1972 77 Harmon resided at Alexandria, a principal supply of specimens was North West Company trading post on obtained” collected by John Richardson the Assiniboine River, 10 miles north or Robert Hood. Joseph Sabine, in and two miles east of the present site the zoological appendix to the account of Canora, Saskatchewan, from Octo¬ of that expedition, quoted several facts ber 23, 1800 to March 6, 1801 and from from Alexander Wilson, but Sabine’s June 1 to October 2, 1801. He then prophecy of the ultimate decline in moved to Thunderbird Mountain post, numbers of the Passenger Pigeon was named for the nearby Thunder Hill, on apparently original. October 2, 1801. This post was on the July 29, 1820. Ile-a-la-Crosse. Robert Swan River, seven miles north of the Hood (in Franklin, 1823). “The only present site of Durban, Manitoba and birds visible at this season, are com¬ six miles west of the the present Sas¬ mon to every part of the Missinnippi katchewan boundary. His observations [Churchill River]: gulls, ducks, undoubtedly refer to the Upper Assi¬ pigeons, goatsuckers and the raven niboine and the entire Swan River jy • • • • valley. June 28 - August 20, 1825. Cumberland August, 23, 1808. Saskatchewan River, House. Thomas Drummond (1830). east of The Pas, Manitoba. Alexander “The Passenger Pigeon is very com¬ Henry (the younger). (1897). ‘‘We mon, building its nest in the willow shot a number of wild fowl during the bushes on the margins of the lake, and day—outardes [Canada Geese], ducks, feeding principally at this season upon pelicans, and some pigeons, of which the berries of the Cornus alba [red we saw great numbers.” osier dogwood] and C. Cayiadensis Owing to mention of a “pine island”, [bunchberry].” Schorger erred in assigning latitude This is the only nesting record for and longitude to this observation; it the present province of Saskatchewan, was one day’s paddle east of The Pas, and the farthest northwest for the con¬ between 59° 30’ and 53° 50’ North and tinent. between 100° 30’ and 101° West. October 23, 1819 — June 13, 1820. May through July 14, 1827. Carlton. [Cumberland House]. Robert Hood and Thomas Drummond. May 24 - June 21, John Richardson (compiled by Sabine, 1827. Cumberland House, John Rich¬ in Franklin, 1823). “They breed to¬ ardson (Swainson and Richardson, gether in large numbers, rearing only 1832). “Summer. In small flocks . one young at a time . though they arrives in the fur-countries in the prefer living thus in common, they are latter end of May and departs in Octo¬ frequently known to make their nests ber. It annually attains the sixty- second degree of latitude [Great Slave in detached places ... It seems likely Lake] in the warmer central districts, that, as population and cultivation ex¬ but reaches the fifty-eighth parallel on tend westward, the countless multi¬ tudes of these birds, which darken the the coast of Hudson Bay [north of York Factory] in very fine summers air for hours and miles together in only. ... A few hordes of Indians, their flight, will be reduced; their that frequent the lowyflooded tracts at visitations must be ruinous to agricul¬ the south end of Lake Winnipeg, sub¬ tural districts, and consequently incom¬ patible with civilization; indeed, it is sist principally on the pigeons during a period of the summer when the probable that their less frequent ap¬ sturgeon-fishery is unproductive, and pearance in the Atlantic States has been caused by the necessity they have the Zizania aquatica [wild rice] has felt to retire from the frequented not yet ripened; but farther north, abodes of man.” these birds are too few in number to furnish a material article of diet.” A specimen was sent back from the first Franklin expedition, most likely July 25, 1828. Saskatchewan River, from Cumberland House, where “the eight miles east of Manitoba boundary. 78 THE BLUE JAY Archibald McDonald and George Simp¬ The likely sites for the pigeon sight¬ son (McDonald, 1872). “Put up about ings were the Moose Woods, south of two leagues below the Barriere . the present site of Saskatoon, and the Shot three or four pigeons.” area from St. Laurent to the forks east of St. Louis. July 6, 1833. Sturgeon Landing on Namew Lake. Richard King (1836). July 2, 1859. East of Fort Qu’Appelle. “ . and encamped at the mouth of James Carnegie, Earl of Southesk Sturgeon River. While the men were (1875). “M’Kay, however, discovered a occupied in pitching our tents and pre_ few pigeons in a little grove, and shot paring the supper, Mr. Annance and two or three of them. We halted for myself took a stroll through the woods dinner not far from Qu’Appelle Fort.” in pursuit of some pigeons that had July 25 - Sept. 12 - October 22, 1873. been seen to alight. Although we got Winnipeg to Rocky Mountain House to no pigeons ...” Grand Rapids. Alfred R. C. Selwyn July 14 - August 8, 1835. Churchill, (1875). “Cranes, bitterns, plovers, Sturgeon - Weir and Saskatchewan sand-pipers, snipe and other waders, rivers from La Loche to Grand Rapids. as well as pigeons, blackbirds, larks Richard King (1836). “Along the and a number of other small birds are whole course of the Missinnippi [Chur¬ plentiful on the prairies or in the chill] and Saskatchewine Rivers, we swamps, or along the river valleys, met with small flocks of the Columba and crows and several kinds of hawks migratoria, or passenger pigeon, and are also very common.” here [Grand Rapids, Manitoba] they Autumn, 1874. Fort Pelly on the Assi- were extremely numerous.” niboine. Charles A. Boultbee (in (Atkinson, 1905). “I have resided in May 23, 1858. Carlton. Thomas W. Manitoba since 1872 and have taken Blakiston (1862-63). “Common in the pigeons as far north as Fort Pelly in interior. The first Passenger Pigeon the fall of 1874 ...” arrived at Fort Carlton in 1858, on the 23rd day of May; and by the middle of Mid - May, . 1877. Whitesand River June numerous flocks were making [northwest of Kamsack]. W. J. Mc¬ their way northwards. They may be Lean (in Atkinson, 1905). “1877 was distinguished at a long distance, from the last occasion on which I saw any waterfowl or waders, by their flight numbers of the birds, when I encoun¬ being in no particular order, but on tered large flocks of them passing the principle of ‘everyone for himself, northwesterly from White Sand River and the devil take the hindermost’.” near Fort Pelly.