by a different route, up the Mississippi River valley. It was during
migration stop-overs where they were vulnerable to indiscriminate
hunting in spring and fall. Despite their small size, they were ship-= (
ped to the big city markets by the trainloads. They were easy targets
for they flew in dense flocks and were easily attracted to decoys. ~
While they were still common, they provided an annual source of food
for Islanders, but here, as everywhere else, the hunting was unregu-
lated. The last confirmed Eskimo Curlew on PEI was one shot in 1904.

So rare is this bird today that, for many years, they were believed

to be extinct. Surprisingly, sightings of Eskimo Curlews from Texas

in spring, mostly single birds or pairs, confirmed that the species

had somehow survived. Its breeding grounds remain unknown but recent
reports indicate that it is still with us and, presumably, still taking
its ancestral migration route through out region each year.

In the past, little regard was shown to conserving wildlife for
future generations. Abundant species such as the Passenger Pigeon and
Eskimo Curlew were decimated by over-hunting while others like the
Pileated Woodpecker suffered from habitat destruction. We have come a
long way in wildlife conservation with carefully regulated hunting
laws but habitat loss remains a major concern. The Piping Plover today
struggles to maintain breeding areas on the Island free from human ©
disturbance and off-road vehicles. The list of birds lost to the
Island is long enough.

REFERENCES

Bain, Francis. 1891. Birds of Prince Edward Island. Haszard and Moore, i
Charlottetown, PEI, 87 p.

Cartier, Jacques. Voyage de Jacques Cartier au Canada en 1534. (ed. M.
H. Michelant, Paris, 1865) p. 41.

Dwight, Jonathan Jr. 1893. Summer birds of Prince Edward Island. Auk
£901): beds.

Godfrey, W. Earl. 1954. Birds of Prince Edward Island. Nat. Mus. Can.
Buisg. 132:7155-213.

Holdway, Capt. E. n.d. Record of birds seen at Wood Island, Prince
Edward Island from May 1956 to December 1965. Report to Earl God-
frey, Nat. Mus. Ottawa. 36 p.

Macready, Professor. 1916. The birds of Prince Edward Island. Prince
of Wales College, Rural Science Dept., Bull. l, pp 1-16.

MacSwain, John. 1908. A catalogue of the birds of Prince Edward Island.
Proc. and trans. Nova Scotian Institute of Science, Vol. 11 part
4, pp. 570-592.

Schorger, A.W. 1955. The Passenger Pigeon: Its Natural History and Ex-

tinction. Univ. of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI. 424 p.

SET DATE FOR BIRDATHON

The Francis Bain Birdathon, scheduled for Saturday, May 25, is a
highlight of the spring birding season on PEI. The count can be done
anywhere you like, and it's a good excuse to get out and enjoy the day.
Contact Geoff Hogan (894-5995) or Jane Symmes (675-4806) for further il
information.