Bronx County Bird Club

Last updated

Bronx County Bird Club
NicknameBCBC
FormationNovember 29, 1924;100 years ago (1924-11-29)
Dissolved1978;46 years ago (1978)
Legal statusInformal club
PurposeBirding
Location
Membership
11

The Bronx County Bird Club (BCBC) was a small informal club of birders based in the Bronx, New York, active between 1924 and 1956, with residual activity through 1978. The club was a major participant in the Audubon Society's Christmas census, observing more species in the eastern US than any other team for three consecutive years. Club members Roger Tory Peterson, Joseph Hickey, Allan Cruickshank, and William Vogt became well-known ornithologists and authors.

Contents

Formation

The group's interest in birding began in 1918 when John (Matty) [1] Matuszewski, his older brother Charlie, and Richard Kuerzi began looking for birds at the Hunts Point dump near where they lived, working from a copy of Chester A. Reed's Bird Guide: Land Birds East of the Rockies. [2] Charlie, a member of Boy Scout Troop 149, was working on his bird study merit badge at the time. [3]

During this time, Matty, Charlie, and Richard met up with Irving Kassoy, another local birder who frequented the dump and the group started calling themselves the "Hunts Dumpers". [2] It was at the dump that this group encountered naturalist Charles Johnston, who introduced them to the Linnaean Society where they met other Bronx birders. Through the Linneaens, the BCBC members were introduced to Ludlow Griscom, who acted as a mentor to the club. [4]

The BCBC was officially founded on November 29, 1924. Nine teenage boys (John F. Kuerzi and his brother Richard, Joseph Hickey, Allan D. Cruickshank, Frederick J. Ruff, Richard A. Herbert, Irving Kassoy, John E. Matuszewski and Philip Kessler) met in the attic of the Kuerzis' home at 978 Woodycrest Ave in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, where they elected John Kuerzi to be chairman, and Hickey as secretary. [2] William Vogt became a member later. [5]

Hickey later wrote Guide to Bird Watching and was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in the field of Organismic Biology & Ecology. [6] Cruickshank wrote several books, including Birds Around New York City. He was a staff member of the National Audubon Society for 37 years and had pictures published in over 175 books. [7] Vogt served as curator of the Jones Beach Sanctuary, editor of Bird-Lore , and eventually as Conservation Chairman of the Pan-American Union. [8]

In about 1927, Roger Tory Peterson joined the club as its eleventh member, the club having waived its unwritten rule that only Bronx residents could join. [2] [9] Peterson, who later wrote A Field Guide to the Birds and contributed to nearly 50 other books, was also the last living member of the club. [10] [11] Ludlow Griscom taught Peterson how to quickly identify birds visually [12] [13] and his 1923 book, Birds of the New York City Region, was depended upon by the club members. [14] Helen G. Cruickshank, wife of Allan, was made an honorary member in either 1937 [15] or 1978. [3] Ernst Mayr was also associated with the club. [3] [16]

The founders were described by The New York Times Magazine in 2015 as "a group of competitive, iconoclastic young naturalists", [13] and by Chicago Reader in 1987 as "smart-assed teenagers" who "astounded their stuffy elders with the sightings they reported and their ability to defend the accuracy of those sightings". [5] Ernst Mayr described the group as "a somewhat rowdy group of youngsters who were having a wonderful time". [16]

Locations

The members purchased a used Buick which they used to travel to birding locations, with sewer outfalls and garbage dumps as popular destinations. They found, for example, "four snowy owls feeding on rats" at the Hunts Point Dump. [17] The BCBC did not limit itself to observing in the Bronx. In 1931 they were reported to have made several trips to Putnam County. [18] The club members took over 40,000 photographs covering 400 species of birds. [15]

The last BCBC meeting was held in early 1978 at Fort Myers, Florida after it was made known that Kassoy was terminally ill. Club members attended from Florida, New York, Wisconsin, and Antarctica. The meeting lasted three days, and included a field trip to the Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Roger Tory Peterson was elected permanent president and Joseph Hickey permanent secretary. [3]

Christmas census

In 1922, the club participated for the first time in the annual Christmas census run by the Audubon Society, recording 35 species in Pelham Bay, Van Cortlandt, and Bronx parks that year. The BCBC recorded more species each subsequent census; 26 species in 1923, [2] 67 in 1925, 83 in 1926, 87 in 1927 and 93 in 1929. [3] In 1934, the club spotted 97 species, reported to be one more than they had the previous year. [19] By the group's twelfth census in 1935, 107 species were seen. [2] [3] In later years, the Queens County Bird Club were rivals in the competition. [20]

The club introduced a new technique, with teams of two or three assigned to survey specific areas. [21] This proved to be a successful strategy, with the BCBC observing more species in the eastern US than any other team for three consecutive years. The 1935 total of 107 species was the first time any census participant had ever found more than 100. [3] Initially called the Bronx County Christmas Bird Count, the boundary lines were redrawn in 1940 to include lower Westchester County and renamed the Bronx-Westchester Christmas Bird Count. [14] The last BCBC member to participate in a Christmas count was Richard Herbert in 1956. [22]

Additional reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Tory Peterson</span> American naturalist, ornithologist and writer (1908–1996)

Roger Tory Peterson was an American naturalist, conservationist, citizen scientist ornithologist, artist and illustrator, educator, and a founder of the 20th-century environmental movement, where he was an inspiration for many.

The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world. There are completely independent Audubon Societies in the United States, which were founded several years earlier such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Indiana Audubon Society, and Connecticut Audubon Society. The societies are named for 19th century naturalist John James Audubon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelham Bay Park</span> Large public park in the Bronx, New York

Pelham Bay Park is a municipal park located in the northeast corner of the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is, at 2,772 acres (1,122 ha), the largest public park in New York City. The park is more than three times the size of Manhattan's Central Park. The park is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson Street station</span> New York City Subway station in the Bronx

The Simpson Street station is a local station on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway. Located at the intersection of Simpson Street and Westchester Avenue in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx, it is served by the 2 train at all times, and the 5 train at all times except late nights and rush hours in the peak direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross Bronx Expressway</span> Highway in New York City

The Cross Bronx Expressway is a major freeway in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It is mainly designated as part of Interstate 95 (I-95), but also includes portions of I-295 and U.S. Route 1 (US 1). The Cross Bronx begins at the eastern approach to the Alexander Hamilton Bridge over the Harlem River. While I-95 leaves at the Bruckner Interchange in Throgs Neck, following the Bruckner Expressway and New England Thruway to Connecticut, the Cross Bronx Expressway continues east, carrying I-295 to the merge with the Throgs Neck Expressway near the Throgs Neck Bridge. Though the road goes primarily northwest-to-southeast, the nominal directions of all route numbers west of the Bruckner Interchange are aligned with the northbound route number going southeast, and the southbound route number going northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartow–Pell Mansion</span> Historic house in the Bronx, New York

The Bartow–Pell Mansion is a historic house museum at 895 Shore Road in the northern section of Pelham Bay Park, within the New York City borough of the Bronx. The two-story building, designed in the mid-19th century by an unknown architect, has a Greek Revival facade and federal interiors and is the last surviving manor house in the Pelham Bay Park area. The grounds surrounding the mansion take up 9 acres (3.6 ha) and include a three-story carriage house; terraced gardens overlooking Long Island Sound to the east; and a small burial plot for the Pell family, which once occupied the land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Allen Sibley</span> American ornithologist and artist

David Allen Sibley is an American ornithologist. He is the author and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds, which rivals Roger Tory Peterson's as the most comprehensive guides for North American ornithological field identification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludlow Griscom</span> American ornithologist (1890-1959)

Ludlow Griscom was an American ornithologist known as a pioneer in field ornithology. His emphasis on the identification of free-flying birds by field marks became widely adopted by professionals and amateurs. Many called him "Dean of the Birdwatchers."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Gill (ornithologist)</span> American ornithologist

Frank Bennington Gill is an American ornithologist with worldwide research interests and birding experience. He is perhaps best known as the author of the textbook Ornithology, the leading textbook in the field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Audubon Society</span> American non-profit organization

The Connecticut Audubon Society, founded in 1898 and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "conserving Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats." Connecticut Audubon Society is independent of the National Audubon Society (NAS), just as in the neighboring state of Massachusetts, where Massachusetts Audubon Society is independent of the NAS.

Richard Pough was a major figure in American conservation for more than half of the 20th century. The impact of his work was so broad that he "seemed to be almost everywhere." He initiated efforts to purchase and preserve habitats at locations such as Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, Corkscrew Swamp in Florida, Aravaipa Canyon in Arizona, and Congaree Swamp in South Carolina. Pough was born in Brooklyn, New York. Following in the footsteps of his parents, he graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1926, with a degree in chemical engineering.

The Eisenmann Medal is awarded by the Linnaean Society of New York (LSNY) in recognition of the recipient's ornithological excellence and encouragement of amateur efforts in ornithology and birding.

Joseph James Hickey was an American ornithologist who wrote the landmark Guide to Bird Watching and was instrumental in the activism that led to bans on organochlorine pesticides through his research work on the peregrine falcon. He was a professor of wildlife management at the University of Wisconsin where he obtained his master's degree under the guidance of Aldo Leopold.

Helen Cruickshank was an American nature writer and photographer of birds in their natural habitats in many areas of the world.

Allan Dudley Cruickshank was an American ornithologist and writer. He wrote many books about birds and was the National Audubon Society's official photographer and a staff member for 37 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood Park Racetrack</span> 19th-century racetrack in New York City, US

Fleetwood Park was a 19th-century harness racing (trotting) track in what is now the Morrisania section of the Bronx in New York, United States. The races held there were a popular form of entertainment, drawing crowds as large as 10,000 from the surrounding area. The one-mile (1.6 km) course described an unusual shape, with four turns in one direction and one in the other. For the last five years of operation, Fleetwood was part of trotting's Grand Circuit, one travel guide calling it "the most famous trotting track in the country".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of the Bronx</span>

The New York City borough of the Bronx is one of the most densely populated places in the United States, but is home to a wide range of wildlife. The borough has a land area of 42 sq mi (110 km2), of which 24 percent is parkland. Most of the open area is in the northern section of the borough, adjacent to Westchester County, allowing easy migration of animals from the mainland. The tree canopy of the Bronx cover 25% of the land area, hosting a wide range of avian species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birding in New York City</span>

New York City is home to a large birding community and diverse range of bird species. Though it is the most populous and most densely populated city in the United States, NYC is home to a range of ecological habitats and is situated along the Atlantic Flyway, a major route for migrating birds. More than 400 species have been recorded in the city, and their concentration in the city's urban parklands, forests, marshes, and beaches has made birding a popular activity in the city, especially after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Muriel Saphir (1939-2013), known by her nickname Starr Saphir, was an American birder in New York City who led bird walks in Central Park several times a week for nearly 40 years.

Virginia Marie Peterson was the wife of Roger Tory Peterson, founder of the popular Peterson Field Guide series, and contirbutor to many books in that series They wed in 1976, both having been previously married and divorced, she once and him twice. At the time of their marriage, Roger Tory Peterson was a well known naturalist, artist and the author of fourteen books including popular field guides to birds and many other taxonomic groups, including trees, flowering plants, ferns, mammals and insects.

References

  1. Ridl, Julie G. (October 1989). "The Bronx Age: Nine New York teenagers and their birding revolution" (PDF). Birder's World: 26–29. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-08-11 via Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Farrand, John Jr. (Fall 1991). "Bronx County Bird Club: Memories of Ten Boys And an Era That Shaped American Birding" (PDF). American Birds. 45 (3): 372–381. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-06-11. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Allen, Deborah; DeCandido, Robert (February 16, 2022). "The Bronx Age: History of the Bronx County Bird Club 1924–1978 (the BCBC!)". BirdingBob. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  4. Chaisson, Bill (April 25, 2020). "Birding by sight and sound". The Eagle Times. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Sullivan, Jerry (August 27, 1987). "Field & Street". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  6. "Joseph J. Hickey". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  7. Devlin, John C. (October 12, 1974). "Allan D. Cruickshank, 67, Dies; Noted Ornithologist and Author". The New York Times. p. 34. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  8. Peterson, Roger Tory (Winter 1989). "William Vogt: a man ahead of his time" (PDF). American Birds: 1254–1255. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  9. Peterson, Roger Tory (Winter 1989). "William Vogt: a man ahead of his time" (PDF). American Birds. 43 (5): 1254–1255. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-06-25. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
  10. Dunne, Pete (July 27, 1994). "In The Natural State". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  11. "Opinion | Roger Tory Peterson". The New York Times. July 31, 1996. p. A14. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  12. "The Making of a Field Guide: Roger Tory Peterson". Linda Hall Library Online Exhibitions. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Macdonald, Helen (June 19, 2015). "On Nature: Identification, Please". The New York Times Magazine . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "The Bronx Westchester Christmas Bird Count". Hudson River Audubon Society. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  15. 1 2 Rosenzweig, Leah. "How the Bronx Became an Unlikely Birdwatching Haven". InsideHook. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  16. 1 2 Mayr, Ernst. "The Bronx County Bird Club" (Interview). Web of Stories. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. Shushkewich, Val (November 17, 2012). More Than Birds: Adventurous Lives of North American Naturalists. Dundurn. p. 201. ISBN   978-1-4597-0559-3.
  18. Linnaean Society of New York (September 18, 1918). Abstract of the Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New York City, for the year ending March 12, 1918. Linnaean Society of New York. p. 60.
  19. "97 Species of Birds Found in this Area; Bronx Club Members' Census Reveals One More Kind Than Last Year". The New York Times . December 28, 1934. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  20. "A Bird Worth the Chase, Even After Death". Audubon. March 24, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  21. Panze, Shayna (January 1, 1978). "Birdwatchers Make Census of the Skies". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  22. "A Timeline History of the Bronx Westchester Christmas Bird Count From 1924 to Now". Hudson River Audubon Society. Retrieved June 14, 2022.