Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1916 — Common American Birds [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Common American Birds

Interesting info** mation about them supplied by the Bureau of Biological , Survey of the I United States of

Meadowlark •turnella magna and Bturnella negiacta Length, about ten and three-fourtha inches. Range: Breed generally In the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico to Costa Rica; winter from the Ohio and Potomac valleys and British Columbia southward. Habits and economic status: Our two meadowlarks, though differing much in song, resemble each other closely in plumage and habits. Grassy plains and uplands covered with a thick growth of grass or weeds, with nearby water, furnish the conditions best suited to the meadowlark’s taste. The song of the western bird is loud, clear, and melodious. That of its eastern relative is feebler and loses much by comparison. In many localities the meadowlark Is classed and shot as a game bird. From the farmer’s standpoint this a mistake, since Its value as an insect eater is far greater than as an object of pursuit by the sportsman. Both the boll weevil, the

foe of the cotton grower, and the alfalfa weevil are among the beetles It habitually eats. Twenty-five per cent of the diet of this bird is beetles, half of which are predaceous ground beetles, accounted useful insects, and onetifth are destructive weevils. Caterpillars form 11 per cent of the food and are eaten in every month in the year. Among these are many cutworms and the well-known army worm. Grasshoppers are favorite food and are eaten in every month and almost every day. The vegetable food (24 per cent of the whole) consists of grain and weed seeds. Bobolink Dollchonyx oryzlvorus Length, about seven inches. Range: Breeds from Ohio northeast to Nova Scotia, north to Manitoba, and northwest to British Columbia: winters in South America. Habits and economic status: When American writers awbke to the beauty and attractiveness of our native birds, among the first to be enshrined In song and story was the bobolink. Few species show such striking contrasts in the color of the sexes, and few have songs more unique and whimsical. In its northern home the bird is loved for its beauty and its rich melody; in the South it earns deserved hatred by its destructiveness. Bobolinks reach the southeastern coast of the United States the last half of April Just as

flee Is sprouting and at once begin to pull up and devour the sprouting kernels. Soon they move on to their northern breeding grounds, where they feed upon Insects, weed seeds, and a little grain. When the young are weU on the wing, they gather in flocks with the parent birds and gradually move southward, being then generally known as reed birds. They reach th,e> rice fields of the Carolinas about August 20. when the rice is. In the milk. Then until the birds depart for South America planters and birds fight for

the crop, and in spite of constant watchfulness and innumerable devices for scaring the birds a loss of 10 per cent of the rice is the usual result. White-Breasted Nuthatch Bltta carollnensis Length, six Inches. White below, above gray, with a black head. Range: Resident in the United States, southern Canada, and Mexico. Habits and economic status: This bird might readily be mistaken by a careless observer for a small woodpecker, but ite note, an oft-repeated yank, is very unwoodpeckerlike, and.

unlike either woodpeckers or creepera, it climbs downward as easily as upward and seems to set the laws of gravity at defiance. The name was suggested by the habit of wedging nuts, especially beechnuts, In the crevices of bark so as to break them open by blows from the sharp, strong bill. The nuthatch gets its living from the trunks and branches of trees, over which it creeps from daylight to dark. Insects and spiders constitute a little more than 60 per cent of its food. The largest items of these are beetles, moths, and caterpillars, with ants and wasps. The animal food is all in the bird’s favor except a few ladybird beetles. More than half of the vegetable food consists of mast, L e., acorns and other nuts or large seeds. One-tenth of the food is grain, mostly waste corn. The nuthatch does no injury, so far as known, and much good. Bullock’s Oriole Icetrus bullocki Length, about eight inches. Our only oriole with top of head and throat black and cheeks orange. Range: Breeds from South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas to the Pacific ocean and from southern Canada to northern Mexico; winters in Mexico. Habits and economic status: la the West this bird takes the place occupied in the East by the Baltimore oriole. In food, nesting habits, and

song the birds are similar. Both are migratory and remain on their summer range only some five or six months. They take kindly to orchards, gardens, and the vicinity of farm buildings and often live In villages and city parks. Their diet Is largely made up of insects that infest orchards and gardens. When fruit trees are in bloom they are constantly busy among the blossoms and save many of them from destruction. In the food of Bullock's oriole beetles amount to 35 per cent and nearly all are harmful. Many of these are weevils, some of which live upon acorns and other nuts. Ants and wasps amount to 15 per cent of the diet The black olive scale waa found In 45 of the 152 stomachs examined. Caterpillars, with a few moths and pupae, are the largest item of food and amount to over 41 per cent Among these were codling-moth larvae.- The vegetable food Is practically all fruit (19 per cent) and in cherry season consists largely of that fruit small fruits Is the bird’s worst trait but It will do harm In this way only when very numerous.