RTWBC - Birds of Dutchess County (book)

This long-awaited, up-to-date reference is now available!

The new, authoritative source on local birdlife, The Birds of Dutchess County, New York documents Current Status and History since 1870 for all 312 bird species which have occurred in the county. Each species account includes historical distribution, migration dates, nesting dates, flock sizes, and much more. Local birders will recognize many old friends (both feathered and human) and will learn about the role of the county's history in the ever-changing tapestry of birdlife and birding in the area.

The authors, long-standing members of the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club, have spent the last five years meticulously researching the extensive records maintained by the club as well as many older documents not readily available. The result of their work is a comprehensive reference that every serious birder in the region will turn to often.

Financial support was provided through a grant from the New York State Biodiversity Research Institute.

Published September 2006
284 pages, hard cover
ISBN 978-0-9635190-2-3
Price: $25.00

The Birds of Dutchess County - Book Cover

Click image to see a sample page.

Where to Buy It

	Pick up your copy at Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club weekly field trips and monthly meetings (see Barbara Butler).
	Merritt Bookstores - Order it online or pick it up at their Millbrook or Red Hook store.

Reviews

"Birds of Dutchess County, unlike most regional books, promises to have significance beyond the borders of the small area it covers. Those interested in the history of North American birding and ornithology will find the book a rich source of information on many of the most influential figures of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The records the book makes available are an equally important piece in the puzzle of bird distribution in the inland northeast. And most significantly, The Birds of Dutchess County, in the thoroughness of its research, the honesty of its evaluations, and the care of its presentation, provides an authoritative model for how a regional bird book should be put together."

— Rick Wright, professional guide and editor of Winging It, the ABA newsletter

"It's a one-of-a-kind guidebook, written with the authority of — by all appearances — every significant document penned by a serious bird watcher in Dutchess since 1870. It is also a testament to the power of citizen science, as the weekly, monthly and annual bird counts performed for decades by enthusiastic bird club members yield insights into the changes in the local bird population."

— Dan Shapley, Environmental Editor, Poughkeepsie Journal

"Invaluably one of the greatest decisions made by the early members of the [Waterman Bird] club was to have members submit monthly accounts of their sightings. Now, nearly 50 years later, and with these records PLUS those uncovered of earlier birders, the two co-authors had the benefit of the records but were faced with the daunting task of studying, assembling, assessing, sorting and making the records understandable and useful and all in a book form. Still the end product is second to none and should stand as the Standard by which all regional efforts of describing the avian activities of an area are judged."

— Ken McDermott, Edgar A. Mearns Bird Club

"Using records from the 1880s to the present, this remarkable book documents the current and historic status of 312 species of birds of Dutchess County. Ornithologically speaking it is now one of the most thoroughly known counties in the state. The book is full of lively writing and interesting anecdotes about the birds and the birders."

— from Warblings, newsletter of Sullivan County Audubon

Supplemental Data

Historical Photographs

Historical Photographs, many supporting casual or accidental sightings are available on the Good Birds page on this website.

Red-headed Woodpecker
Photo by Florence Germond

Detailed Records Data

The following detailed data are available for viewing on this website:

May Census data, 1919 to date.

Christmas Count data, various years 1901-1951 plus annual records starting in 1958

Waterfowl Count data, 1960 to date.

Bluebird nesting data, 1962 to date.

NOTE: The above data are also available in Excel spreadsheet format.

Updates and Errata

Updates

While minor updates to the book (such as new earliest / latest migration dates or new census maximum numbers) will not be listed here, changes such as new species or first nesting will be shown below.

Page	Species	Description
207	Grasshopper Sparrow	On July 8, 2006, a Waterman Bird Club field trip to Grieg Farm, Red Hook observed a juvenile Grasshopper Sparrow along with a number of adults. Breeding had been suspected in 2005. Previously, the most recent confirmed nesting was in 1982.
217	Blue Grosbeak	The report of the 2003 sighting was accepted by NYSARC. See NYSARC Annual Report for 2003.*
232	Barnacle Goose	The NYSARC decision on the 2003 sighting was "accepted but origin uncertain." See NYSARC Annual Report for 2003.*
270 7/2/07	N/A	Edgar Mearns’ articles from 1878-81 on “Birds of Hudson Highlands.” The entire work can be downloaded from www.archive.org/details/listofbirdsofhud00mearrich.

* For the text of NYSARC (New York State Avian Records Committee) reports see the NYSOA (New York State Ornithological Association) website's NYSARC section.

Errata

Page	Species	Description
53 7/2/07	Eurasian Wigeon	The first entry under Eurasian Wigeon on page 53 includes “see also p.10.” This should refer to page 51.
97 7/2/07	Common Moorhen	The final sentence in the Common Moorhen account refers to Bashakill in Orange County. It is in Sullivan County.
127 7/2/07	Long-eared Owl	Footnote on page 127, for Long-eared Owl, add “no” before “details.”
238 7/2/07	Sky Lark	Footnote on page 238, “Sarah Louise Wagstaff Schieffelin (1835 - ? )” should be “Sarah Minerva Kendall Schieffelin (1834-1921),” the rest is correct.