Appendix D BIRDS Richard H. Brooks The identification of bird bones from archaeological deposits has often been neglected and the avifauna generally has a minor place, if any, in descriptions of subsistence patterns of prehistoric popula- tions. For the San Francisco Bay region Hildegarde Howard has published the only complete report (1929), a monograph describing a large series of bird bone (4,155 specimens) from Emeryville. The use of Howard's collection for comparative purposes has made possible the identification of species commonly used by the West Berkeley people. The bay shore was apparently favorable for the support of an abundant and diversified bird life. This is indicated by the high percentage of bird bones in the local archaeological sites as well as by descriptions of precontact geographical conditions. Schenck (1926:157) reported extensive marshes to the south of Emeryville and to the north of West Berkeley. Four miles further north, Loud noted (1924:359) that in one of the Stege mounds bird bones were so plentiful that only a small percentage was saved. The marshes and adjacent bay determined the predominance of waterfowl over land species. The skeletal remains of various bird species were, as in other nearby shellmounds, abundant in the West Berkeley archaeological deposit. The osseous material was generally in good condition though practically all of the large specimens were broken and some were charred. The bone selected for identification came from Trench F (pits 4-7). From a total of 482 identifiable specimens, the major elements present were radii 91, coracoids 73, tibiotarsi 68, humeri 65, and ulnae 67. These were also essentially the recognizable elements in the Emeryville collection. Of the 18 orders of bird present in the San Francisco Bay area, the following nine were represented in the West Berkeley sample (Table 1): Gaviiformes (Loons), Colymbiforms (Greges), Pelecaniformes (Pelicans, Cormorants, etc.), Anseriformes (Ducks and Geese), Falconiformes (Vultures, Hawks, Falcons, etc.), Gruiformes (Cranes, Rails, Coots, etc.), Charadiiformes (Gulls, Auks, etc.), Strigiformes (Owls), and Passeriformes (Perching Birds). All, as well as Ciconiiformes (Herons, Egrets, Bitterns), Galliformes (Quail), Procellareformes (Albatrosses, Petrels, etc.), were also present at Emeryville. The smaller sample from West Berkeley probably explains the absence of the latter three orders. The preponderance of West Berkeley bone was from the Anseriformes of the family Anatidae or Migratory Ducks and geese (385 of the 482 specimens). This group, due to the large number of 108 genera and species in the family and the lack of comparative material, could not be segregated into smaller components. Following, the Anatidae, Uria troilZe (Murre) and the Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants) contained the next highest number of specimens. This is in agreement with Howard's findings, her series showing the same high frequency for these forms. There was no apparent stratigraphic differentiation at West Berkeley. It may be noted, however, that there was a higher percentage of bird bone below the 24 inch level. The material analyzed seems to indicate a rather wide utilization of the available avifauna. From the forms identified it would appear that the prehistoric population primarily made use of migratory winter waterfowl of the family Anatidae (ducks and geese).1 There was less dependence on the year-round inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay area such as the Murre and Cormorant. The ways in which the birds were used by the West Berkeley people remain conjectural. Most species, particularly the water birds, were undoubtedly captured for food. Others may have been caught for their feathers. Bird bones were occasionally used in making artifacts. 1 Some of the smaller species are year-round inhabitants of the Bay area. Bibliography Howard, H. 1929 The Avifauna of Emeryville Shellmound. University of California Publications in Zoology 32 (2). Loud, L.L. 1924 The Stege Mounds at Richmond, California. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 17 (6). Berkeley. Schenck, W.E. 1926 The Emeryville Shellmound, Final Report. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 23 (3). Berkeley. 109 Table 1 BIRDS REPRESENTED IN WEST BERKELEY SITE Spe cies Gaviiformes. Loons Gaviidae Gavia immer (Brunnich) - common loon 6 Gavia pacifica (Lawrence)? - Pacific loon 1 Gavia stellata (Pontoppidan) - red throated loon 2 Colymbif ormes. Grebes Colymbidae Colymbus (Brehm) - grebe 1 Pelecaniformes. Pelicans, cormorants, boobies, etc. Pele canidae Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus - brown pelican 1 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Grelin - white pelican 1 Phalacro coracidae Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson) - Farallon cormorant 9 Phalacrocorax penicillatus (Brant) - Brant cormorant 17 Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pallas - Pallas Pelagic cormorant 1 Anseriformes. Ducks, geese and swans Anatidae 385 Falconiformes. Vultures, kites, hawks, falcons, etc. *Cathartidae Gymnogyps californianus (Shaw) - condor Accipitridae Circus hudsonius (Linnaeus) - marsh hawk 1 Gruiformes. Cranes, rails, coots, etc. Gruidae Grus canadensis (Linnaeus) - little brown crane 2 Charadriiformes. Gulls, auks, etc. S colopacidae Numenius americanus Bechstein - long-billed curlew 2 Laridae Larus sp. - gulls 2 Al cidae Uria troille (Linnaeus) - murre 42 Strigiformes. Owls Tytonidae Tyto alba (Scopoli) - barn owl 1 S trigidae Bubo virginianus (Grelin) - great horned owl 2 Passeriformes. Perching birds Co rvidae Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm - American crow 6 Unidentified specimens 68 *Not in sample, but a ceremonial burial.