Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1916 — Common American Birds [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Common American Birds

Interesting inf of* mation about them supplied by the Bureau of Biological l Survey of the States of

White-Crowned Sparrow (Zonotrlchfa leucophrys) Length, seven Inches. The only similar sparrow, the white-throat, has a yellow spot in front of eye. Range: Breeds in Canada, the mountains of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, and thence to the Pacific coast; winters in the southern half of the United States and in northern Mexico. « Habits and economic status: This beautiful sparrow is much more numerous tn the western than in the eastern states, where, indeed, it is rather rare. In the East it is shy and

retiring, but it is much bolder and more conspicuous in the far West and there 6ften frequents gardens and parks. Like most of its family it is a seed eater by preference, and insects comprise very little more than 7 per cent of its diet Caterpillars are the largest item, with some beetles, a few ants and wasps, and some bugs, among which are black olive scales. The great bulk of food, however, consists of weed seeds, which amount to 74 per cent of the whole. In California this bird is accused of eating the buds and blossoms of fruit trees, but buds or blossoms were found in only 30 out of 516 stomachs, and probably it Is only under exceptional circumstances that it does any damage in this way. Evidently neither the farmer nor the fruit grower has much to fear from the whitecrowned sparrow. The little fruit it eats is mostly wild, and the grain eaten is waste or volunteer.

Common Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) * Length, nineteen inches. Range: Breeds throughout the United States and most of Canada; winters generally in the United States. Habits and economic status: The general habits of the crow are universally known. Its ability to commit such misdeeds as pulling corn and stealing eggs and fruit and to get away unscathed is little short of marvelous. Much of the crow’s success in life is due to co-operation, and

the social instinct of the species has Its highest expression In the winter roosts, which are sometimes frequented by hundreds of thousands of crows. From these roosts daily flights of many miles are made in search of food. Injury to sprouting corn is the most frequent complaint against this species, but by coating the seed grain with coal tar most of this damage may be prevented. Losses of poultry and eggs may be averted by proper housing and the judicious use of wire netting. The insect food of the crow includes wireworms, cutworms, white grubs, and grasshoppers, and during outbreaks of these insects the crow renders good service. The bird is also an efficient scavenger. But chiefly because of its destruction of beneficial wild birds and their eggs the crow must be classed as a criminal, and a reduction in its numbers in localities -where it is seriously destructive is justifiable. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelalu* phoeniceus) Length, about nine and one-half Inches. Range: Breeds in Mexico and North America south of the barren grounds-, winters In southern half of United States and south to Costa Rica.

Habits and economic status: The prairies of the upper Mississippi valley, with their numerous sloughs and ponds, furnish ideal nesting places for redwings, and consequently this region has become the great breeding ground for the species. These prairies pour forth the vast flocks that play havoc with grain fields. East of the Appalachian range, marshes on the shores of lakes, rivers, and estuaries are the only available breeding sites and, as these are comparatively few and small, the species is much less abundant than in the West. Redwings are eminently gregarious, living in flocks and breeding in communities. The food of the redwing consists of 27 per cent animal matter and 73 per cent vegetable. Insects constitute practically one-fourth of the food. Beetles (largely weevils, a most harmful group) amount to IV per cent. Grasshoppers are eaten in every month and amount to about 5 per cent. Caterpillars (among them

the injurious army worm) are eaten at all seasons and aggregate 6 per cent Ants, wasps, bugs, flies, dragonflies, and spiders also are eaten. The vegetable food consists of seeds, including grain, of which oats is the favorite, and some small fruits. When in large flocks this bird is capable of doing great harm to grain. Flicker (Colaptes auratus) Length, thirteen inches. The yellow under surface of the wing, yellow tall shafts, and white rump are' characteristic. Range: breeds tn the eastern United States west to the plains and in the forested parts of Canada and Alaska; winters in most of the eastern United States. Habits and economic status: The flicker inhabits the open country rather than the forest and delights in parklike regions where trees are numertydß* and scattered. It nests in any large cavity in a tree and readily appropriates an artificial box It is possible, therefore, to insure the presence of this useful bird about the farm and to increase its numbers. It is the most terrestrial of our woodpeckers and procures much of its food from the ground. The largest item of animal food is ants, of which the flicker eats more than any other common bird.- Ants were found in 524 of the

684 stomachs examined and 98 stom» achs contained no other food. Ono stomach contained over 5,000 and two others held over 3,090 each. While bugs are not largely eaten by the flicker, one stomach* contained 17 chinch bugs. Wild fruits are next to anta in importance in the flicker.'s dietary. Of these sour gum and vrild black cherry stand at the head. The food habits of this bird are such as to recommend it to complete protection.