FLORIDA KEYS BEST

A Guide to John Audubon's visit to the Florida Keys

CLICK image Above for LODGING Hotels and motels Florida Keys and Key West     AUDUBON IN THE FLORIDA KEYS     INDEX    AUDUBON INDIAN KEY 1832 CORMORANT ROSEATE TERN GRAY KINGBIRD REDDISH EGRET LOUISIANA HERON SANDY KEY WHITE IBIS WILLET   ZENAIDA DOVE WHITE CROWNED PIGEON THE AUDUBON HOUSE IN KEY WEST AUDUBON'S KEY WEST KEY WEST AFTER AUDUBON ROSEATE SPOONBILL GREAT WHITE HERON GREAT BLUE HERON KEY WEST DOVE FLAMINGOS BLUE- HEADED QUAIL DOVE FRIGATE BIRD BROWN PELICAN MANGROVE CUCKOO TORTUGAS SOOTY TERN BLACK HEADED GULL BROWN NODDY CAYENNE TERN BROWN BOOBY SANDWICH TERN NIGHT HERON GREENSHANK GREAT MARBLED GODWIT MANGO HUMMING- BIRD TROPIC BIRD BIRDING LODGING ONLINE STORE   BOOK ORDERS AUDUBON PRINTS NATURALIST PHOTOS     FLORIDA KEYS BEST INDEX KIDS IN THE KEYS LINKS FAMILIES IN THE FLORIDA KEYS COMPANION SITE - DUCK KEY ONLINE     BIRD LINKS

John Audubon visits Key West and observes the Blue-headed Pigeon   May 1832 - Observes Blue-headed Pigeon in Key West     (Blue-Headed Quail Dove)   Above image from Historical Museum of Southern Florida - Audubon images at the Historical Museum website were produced from prints of an original Elephant Folio belonging to the museum. collection. http://www.historical-museum.org/collect/audubon/audubon.htm) See Audubon House     While in Key West, Audubon sighted two Blue-Headed Quail Doves in early May 1832. This species native to Cuba has not been seen in Florida since Audubon observed them. Part of what Audubon writes in his Ornithological Biography, Volume. II, pages 411 and 412 appears below: "I have represented three of these Pigeons on the ground, with some of the creeping plants which grew in the place where I saw the pair mentioned above. . . " The wild poinsettia plants [Cyperus] visible in the background were painted by Lehman. Audubon wrote, "The beautiful Cyperus represented in this plate is quite abundant on all the dry Keys of the Floridas, and is also found in many parts of the interior of the peninsula."    "A few of these birds migrate each spring from the island of Cuba to the Keys of Florida, but are rarely seen, on account of the deep tangled woods in which they live. Wearily in May 1832, while on a shooting excursion with the Commander of the United States Revenue Cutter, Marion, I saw a pair of them on the western side of Key West. They were near the water, picking gravel, but on our approaching them they ran back into the thickets, which were only a few yards distant. Several fishermen and wreckers informed us they were abundant on the 'Mule Keys;' but although a large party and myself search these islands for a who;le day, not one did we discover there. I saw a pair which I was told had been caught when young on the latter Keys, but I could not obtain any other information respecting them, than that they were fed on cracked corn and rice, which answered the purpose well. "   Since the Blue-headed Pigeon has not been seen in the Florida Keys since Audubon saw them the bird has been placed on the Hypothetical List - The Check-list of North American Birds by the American Ornithological U. indicating that Audubon's record of observation of this Cuban species [Blue-headed Pigeon] is 'unsatisfactory.'          THIS PAGE CREATED BY FLORIDA KEYS BEST COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL http://www.floridakeysbest.com site map email@floridakeysbest.com Florida Keys Best 386 East Seaview Drive Marathon, Florida 33050 305-289-1872