Painted

1917

Published

1930

Volume

5

Plate

306

We want to see all of Rex's birds here, too.

A team of dedicated board members, volunteers, and student interns has published every page in Volume 9. This volume includes 360 images of paintings and lyrical descriptions of birds, now available online for everyone to enjoy anywhere in the world. This is a monumental task. Each volume requires approximately 400  hours to photograph, edit, transcribe, catalog, and publish online. We need your support to complete this work.

If you're tech-savvy, have a good eye, are meticulous with details, and love structured data, please consider volunteering by emailing us at hello@rexbrasher.org.

We encourage all bird lovers and supporters to consider a monetary donation to support our mission to make Rex's work available for everyone. You can provide a one-time or recurring donation online.

Heath Hen

Tympanuchus cupido

DESCRIPTION

While crossing Hempstead Plains in 1875 my father told me he had hunted Prairie Chickens there about 1840. He drove out from Brooklyn and usually secured some of the birds, altho even then they were becoming scarce.

He imitated their booming note and I tried to echo it. We were bound for Babylon where I was to celebrate my birthday by participation in a marine dinner! While standing on the hotel porch awaiting the happy event, a tremendous crash closeby frightened me into a leap over a low rail into bushes below. —— A Negro servant had sounded the dinner call by striking a heavy iron pan with a bass drumstick, within a foot of my back. I scrambled out of the bushes unhurt but disturbed.

"Is that the way Prairie Chickens holler, Father?"

"About like that but not quite so loud." . . .

HEATH HENS are descendants of Prairie Chickens which clung to their original habitat after civilization had driven most of the birds west. They gradually disappeared from their haunts in Eastern States and the last survivors gathered on the island of Martha's Vineyard.

Massachusetts spent over $60,000 in a vain attempt to save them from extinction. In 1906 a fire destroyed all save perhaps fifty. By 1916 these had increased to about 700 but today (1930) there remains only a single male, and with his passing the race is ended. . . . .

The "Heth'en" has made a gallant struggle but even with man's aid the relentless forces of Nature have brought defeat to these splendid birds.

I anchored my sloop "Phalarope" in Martha's Vineyard harbor in 1894. Next morning I flushed six Heth'ens and, watching them fly into the sunrise, I little thot that was the last time I would see the living birds. . . .

We Salute Thee!

BREEDING

RANGE

heath-hen
bobwhite
Bobwhite
289
florida-bobwhite
Florida Bobwhite
289a
texas-bobwhite
Texas Bobwhite
289b
masked-bobwhite
Masked Bobwhite
291
mountain-quail
Mountain Quail
292
plume-quail-san-pedro-quail
Plume Quail, San Pedro Quail
292a-292b
scale-quail
Scale Quail
293
chestnutbelly-scale-quail
Chestnutbelly Scale Quail
293a
california-quail
California Quail
294
valley-quail
Valley Quail
294a
gambel-quail
Gambel Quail
295
mearns-quail
Mearns Quail
296
dusky-grouse
Dusky Grouse
297
richardson-grouse-sierra-grouse
Richardson Grouse, Sierra Grouse
297b-297c
hudsonian-spruce-grouse
Hudsonian Spruce Grouse
298
alaska-spruce-grouse
Alaska Spruce Grouse
298b
franklin-grouse
Franklin Grouse
299
ruffed-grouse
Ruffed Grouse
300
canada-ruffed-grouse-gray-ruffed-grouse
Canada Ruffed Grouse, Gray Ruffed Grouse
300a-300b
oregon-ruffed-grouse
Oregon Ruffed Grouse
300c
willow-ptarmigan
Willow Ptarmigan
301
allen-ptarmigan-alexander-ptarmigan
Allen Ptarmigan, Alexander Ptarmigan
301a-301b
rock-ptarmigan-reinhardt-ptarmigan-nelson-ptarmigan
Rock Ptarmigan, Reinhardt Ptarmigan, Nelson Ptarmigan
302-302a-302b
turner-ptarmigan-townsend-ptarmigan
Turner Ptarmigan, Townsend Ptarmigan
302c-302d
adak-ptarmigan-dixon-ptarmigan
Adak Ptarmigan, Dixon Ptarmigan
302e-302f
evermann-ptarmigan
Evermann Ptarmigan
302.1
welch-ptarmigan
Welch Ptarmigan
303
whitetail-ptarmigan
Whitetail Ptarmigan
304
prairie-chicken
Prairie Chicken
305
heath-hen
Heath Hen
306
lesser-prairie-chicken
Lesser Prairie Chicken
307
sharptail-grouse
Sharptail Grouse
308
columbian-sharptail-grouse-prairie-sharptail-grouse
Columbian Sharptail Grouse, Prairie Sharptail Grouse
308a-308b
sage-hen
Sage Hen
309
merriam-turkey-wild-turkey
Merriam Turkey, Wild Turkey
310-310a
florida-turkey-rio-grande-turkey
Florida Turkey, Rio Grande Turkey
310b-310c
chachalaca
Chachalaca
311
bandtail-pigeon
Bandtail Pigeon
312
viosca-pigeon
Viosca Pigeon
312a
redbill-pigeon
Redbill Pigeon
313
whitecrown-pigeon
Whitecrown Pigeon
314
passenger-pigeon
Passenger Pigeon
315
mourning-dove
Mourning Dove
316
zenaida-dove
Zenaida Dove
317
whitefront-dove
Whitefront Dove
318
whitewing-dove
Whitewing Dove
319
groud-dove
Ground Dove
320
mexican-ground-dove-bermuda-ground-dove
Mexican Ground Dove, Bermuda Ground Dove
320a-320b
inca-dove
Inca Dove
321
key-west-quail-dove
Key West Quail Dove
322
bluehead-quail-dove
Bluehead Quail Dove
323
california-vulture
California Vulture
324
turkey-vulture
Turkey Vulture
325
black-vulture
Black Vulture
326
swallowtail-kite
Swallowtail Kite
327
whitetail-kite
Whitetail Kite
328
mississippi-kite
Mississippi Kite
329
everglade-kite
Everglade Kite
330
marsh-hawk
Marsh Hawk
331
sharpshin-hawk
Sharpshin Hawk
332
cooper-hawk
Cooper Hawk
333
goshawk
Goshawk
334
western-goshawk
Western Goshawk
334a
harris-hawk
Harris Hawk
335
redtail-hawk
Redtail Hawk
337
krider-hawk-western-redtail-hawk
Krider Hawk, Western Redtail Hawk
337a-337b
harlan-hawk-alaska-redtail-hawk
Harlan Hawk, Alaska Redtail Hawk
337d-337e
redshoulder-hawk
Redshoulder Hawk
339
florida-redshoulder-hawk-redbelly-hawk
Florida Redshoulder Hawk, Redbelly Hawk
339a-339b
zonetail-hawk
Zonetail Hawk
340
sennett-whitetail-hawk
Sennett Whitetail Hawk
341
swainson-hawk
Swainson Hawk
342
broadwing-hawk
Broadwing Hawk
343
short-tail-hawk
Short-Tail Hawk
344
mexican-black-hawk
Mexican Black Hawk
345
mexican-goshawk
Mexican Goshawk
346
rufleg-hawk
Rufleg Hawk
347
ferruginous-rufleg-hawk
Ferruginous Rufleg Hawk
348