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maker. Black advertised his taxidermy skills locally as early as 1917. Over time, he improved his craft until his decoys were of such high quality that they received nationwide demand, with some selling for as much $ 36 in 1957 ($ 299 today). Black recounted selling thousands of decoys during his
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lifetime. He credited his life-like mounts to having created casts of mounted specimens to get the exact proportions, and then using these casts to create models from which he could create the decoys. His decoys were allegedly so accurate that they would occasionally be attacked by
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Black also made a name for himself in the
Nebraska ornithological community, helping confirm identifications of birds from Central Nebraska and relaying sightings on to the ornithological community. He was the president of the
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during a time when this species was near its lowest recorded population, and not all of his records are considered credible. Some of the more notable finds reported by Black include that of a
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as "Swanson's
Warbler"), which Black allegedly shot in a tree in his yard on April 9, 1905. This particular specimen is from a much earlier date than other
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Despite being considered a talented ornithologist by his contemporaries, many of his records have since been called into question after reports that he
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Poell, Charles (November 16, 1957). "'Cy' Black's Duck and Goose Decoys Are Prized by
Sportsmen In all Parts of Country". Kearney Hub.
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203:(1911). After finishing his baseball career, he served as a scout and maintained close contacts within the baseball industry.
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460:"Name examiners for scout tests: Vocational training is part of boys' activities". Kearney Hub. May 9, 1929.
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Nebraska
Ornithologists' Union (1933). "Annual meetings of the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union".
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563:"Rare Bird Located Here: Swanson Warbler Is Captured By C. A. Black". Kearney Hub. May 2, 1936.
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in
Kearney, Nebraska, at the time (1921) the westernmost record in the state, those of nesting
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data for specimens acquired in other regions. One such specimen is of a
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After his baseball career, Black worked as a taxidermist and as a
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Sharpe, Roger S.; Silcock, W. Ross; Jorgensen, Joel G. (2001).
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387:"Cy Black minor league baseball Statistics on StatsCrew.com"
310:" and now resides with the rest of Brooking's collection.
449:"Fine Specimen of Eagle". Kearney Hub. February 23, 1915.
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also from Garden County, its identity was verified by
529:"Revisory Notes on the List of the Birds of Nebraska"
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Taxidermist, naturalist, minor league baseball player
495:"Some Bird Notes from Central and Western Nebraska"
362:. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press.
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191:Cy Black played for multiple teams, including the
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438:"Want Ads". Kearney Daily Hub. October 16, 1917.
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328:"Photos of Cyrus Black - Find a Grave Memorial"
260:in 1916, and the alleged first state record of
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596:Ornithology in the United States
284:(erroneously referred to in the
131:is best known for his work as a
111:Isabella M. Black (née Dufield)
611:Baseball players from Nebraska
242:Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
172:Kearney State Teachers College
1:
591:People from Kearney, Nebraska
97:Bessie S. Black (née Snowden)
178:away from his family home.
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527:Swenk, Myron H. (1918).
294:of this species in the
158:between 1904 and 1911.
108:Joseph Henderson Black
493:Black, C. A. (1922).
197:Rock Island Islanders
153:minor league baseball
137:amateur ornithologist
616:Ornithological fraud
606:American naturalists
473:Nebraska Bird Review
272:Allegations of fraud
533:The Wilson Bulletin
499:The Wilson Bulletin
266:Harry C. Oberholser
168:Woodstock, Illinois
139:around his home in
45:Woodstock, Illinois
332:www.findagrave.com
282:Swainson's warbler
195:(1904, 1907), the
166:Black was born in
391:www.statscrew.com
360:Birds of Nebraska
234:Oshkosh, Nebraska
201:Kearney Buffaloes
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250:Cape May warbler
199:(1906), and the
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41:December 1, 1871
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228:specimen from "
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207:Wildlife career
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72:Known for
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60:(aged 89)
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25:Cy Allen Black
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162:Personal life
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601:Taxidermists
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505:(1): 43–43.
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296:Great Plains
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58:(1962-07-03)
56:July 3, 1962
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586:1962 deaths
581:1871 births
287:Kearney Hub
133:taxidermist
129:Allen Black
80:Ornithology
575:Categories
314:References
278:fabricated
226:bald eagle
156:outfielder
37:1871-12-01
545:0043-5643
511:0043-5643
217:duck call
84:Taxidermy
479:(1): 24.
292:vagrants
230:Elmcreek
187:Baseball
145:Nebraska
88:Baseball
141:Kearney
102:Parents
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222:eagles
182:Career
176:blocks
94:Spouse
213:decoy
149:fraud
121:Cyrus
541:ISSN
507:ISSN
364:ISBN
215:and
135:and
66:, US
53:Died
47:, US
31:Born
256:in
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125:Cy
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