Not all that long ago, most birds were regarded as items of food for
humans. I was reminded of this when a friend wrote to me sharing
writings from an ancestor, who was a naturalist and a Civil War
combatant. I recommended to her an old book, "The Market Assistant,"
published in 1867; it offered advice on the food qualities of a large
spectrum of animals, including wild birds.
        Its descriptions of birds as food begin with poultry and domesticated
birds on p. 132ff, but get interesting on "Game Birds,"  on pp. 145-180,
which describe many wild birds then legal to kill for food. Needless to
say, the number of "game bird" species has diminished since then. Game
at his time involved waterfowl of course, but also shorebirds and rails
(some of which remain legal to eat today), herons, passenger pigeons
[long treatment of this one], robins, woodpeckers, orioles, larks,
blackbirds, kingfishers, jays, nighthawks, cuckoos, etc., etc. He
includes a list on pp 179-180 of birds which--while still perfectly
legal to kill for food--were difficult to find and kill, or once
prepared for the table, to eat.
        His book comes from a time when many wild bird species were regarded as
common enough to sell for the table. Those days are mostly gone, but his
book remains as a reminder of...well, a lot of things. Worth a read.
Bill Whan
Columbus
        It might be easier to search "De Voe The Market Assistant," but the URL is
https://books.google.com/books?id=2z4EAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA464&lpg=PA464&dq=De+Voe,+the+Market+Asistant&source=bl&ots=KleThbncq-&sig=8ZZ4x7nz3LfOXpAv6as80oqE1dY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mNQnVeyjMoqCsAXjiICgDw&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=De%20Voe%2C%20the%20Market%20Asistant&f=false

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