With new resources now available, I am thinking about compiling a
checklist of all wild bird species observed in Franklin County, Ohio.
The basis of the checklist will be the 214+ native species documented by
specimens at the OSU Museum, certainly a good start, even if very few
have been collected over the past 50 years. The list includes species
like passenger pigeon but also Eurasian collared-dove, greater
prairie-chicken and gray partridge, red-cockaded woodpecker, golden
eagle, yellow rail, Bewick's wren, Bachman's sparrow, purple gallinule,
ruff, king eider, western grebe--I could go on and on--and obviously
there must be many more not verified by specimens but worthy of
inclusion. For example, among gulls there are Museum specimens from the
county of only Bonaparte's and great black-backed: obviously we can add
herring and ring-billed and kittiwake, and I believe little, and perhaps
Franklin's and laughing.
        I am going to put together a first draft list, based on the specimens
and what I know of sight records. I imagine it'll be between 250 and 300
spp. I'll make it available soon and ask those inclined to help by
looking it over. In the meantime, please make notes of unusual sightings
for the list, but wait until after seeing the draft before taking the
trouble to send them. I am going to prefer published or vetted records,
but am willing to consider others on a case-by-case basis. Notes on
Franklin County specimens in other museum collections would be helpful
as well. Thanks in advance, and
More later,
Bill Whan
Columbus

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