Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-14
OUR MOCKING BIRDS.
INTERESTING INFORMATION FROM
ONE WHO STUDIES THEM.

zach One Defends His Own Farm-The
w.,e bird Is Very Greedy-what They
Feed Upon Catching the Singers.
The most remarkable thing about a
mocking bird is its way OF laying out a
range. In the autumn it goes south and
establishes itself for the winter on patch
of ground that will yield berries and ether
food enough to last until the following
snrin9. The tract IL determined respect
ing boundaries with as much accuracy as
a mining prospector would use in stalking
ont claim. Perhaps it may be only so
yards square, or 1t may have q length and
breadth Of as much as 100 yards. The
space depends mainly upon the food sup
ply In sight, but the hooking bird is
great glutton and wants ten times the
quantity that would be necessary to keep
him alive. Having laid out his range, the
owner will defend 1t with his life, and no
other fruit eating bird is permitted to en-
ter 1t.
In this manner vast areas In southwest
Texas are thiclzly occupied by hooking
birds, each Of them holding his range
against intrusion by neighbors whose
tracts Immediately adjoin his Perhaps
boundary line will run through the mid
die Of q bush, and If 1t Is disputed you
will see the pugnacious proprietors trying
to settle the question by conflict after
the style OF the duello.
When very young after leaving the
nest, the hooking birds keep together in
punches, feeding along the river courses,
At that stage of their career they have
spcckled breast feathers which they shed
after awhile. When they are old enough
to look out for themselves, they are driven
off the home range. After shedding they
separate, and each one attends exclusively
to his own affairs. Their most important
business Is to locate claims of their own.
The tramps are usually young birds look
ing for homcsteads. During most Of the
year the males and females have nothing
to do with each other. The latter seek the
woods, while the former browse on the
cactus covered plains. In the breeding
season the hen birds come to the range of
the males, but after the young are reared
tho cock parts with his mate. He will not
have her on his range in winter because
he would have to divide the food.
In winter the hooking bird doesn't do
anything but eat and look out for tramps.
Once In awhile an interloper will steal
into the range unobserved and feed under
tho cactus, keeping as still as death. The
chosen food Of the species consists chiefly
Of the fruit Of the cactus, mistletoe, mes
quite and poison Ivy. The mistletoe is n
parasitic plant that grows on trees, and it
is propagated by the BIRDS which eat the lit
tic white berries and drop the seeds upon
tho branches Of the trees. Thus they may
be said to plant their own farms. Tho
country described is very dry, and you
will find hooking birds so miles or more
from any water but what they need in the
way of moisture Is obtained from the cac-
tus and other juicy fruits.
Mocking birds are very fond Of water
After rain one may see them pecking the
drops from twigs with avidity. But If
far away from n stream-say, moro than
half milo or so-they will never go in it
because they are afraid to leave their claims
even for few moments lest they be occu-
pied by intrudcrs. IL the stream is not
far of, tho mpcking bird will risk the trip
occasionally. He does so with every pre-
caution, first rising perpendicularly to a
great height in the air. As he passes over
the ranges that lie between his own and the
stream every bird is eager to attack him,
but In no case will any bird pursue him
beyond the limits Of its farm. Having oh
tainod tho coveted drink, the knocking
bird returns In the same manner.
Naturally, inasmuch rs the available
territory Is crowded, each mocking bird
holds his own against continual pressure
on every side. His business is to retain
as much ground as ho is able to defend
They arc like human beings in many re-
spects, and some of them arc much moro
intelligent than others. Certain individ-
uals have known year after year, and
mako no attempt to trap them because l
know that 1t Is useless. They know too
much. Season after season they occupy
the same ranges, and l can point out the
very twig upon which each of these slick
follows finds his natural perch. Try to
catch them with bird lime? Not much I!
1t Is performance unworthy of skilled
trapper, and besides it would ruin the
feathers.
Tho biggest and best marked hooking
birds are found within belt 90 miles
north and so miles south of San Antonio
These birds seem to DO migrating further
north and further south every year. They
are very prolific and arc steadily increas-
ing in numbers apparently. If this IL true
it follows that they would be obliged to go
further for food. They have their summer
ranges In the north and their winter
ranges In the south. am not sure that
my theory Is correct, but have notion
that along certain narrow line of lati-
tude the knocking birds stay on the same
ranges all the year around and do not
migrate at all. Those a little outside Of
this belt fly over the heads of those which
are stationary, having thus very short
migration. This goes on until you find
the hooking birds that are farthest to the
north In summer going farthest to the
south in winter. This they are obliged to
do in order to avoid contesting claims of
territory with the intermediate birds.
Some hooking birds are taken from tho
nests, but ordinarily they are captured by
means of traps and decoys. For decoy
use either u male or female mocking
bird confined in cage. The cage has %
trap attachment. l put the cage anywhere
in the range of n hooking bird. He re-
CARDS the decoy bird as an intruder and
marches around the cage until he finds an
entrance. He walks in for the purpose of
attacking the captive bird, and the trap
closes behind him. / come along at my
leisure, take out one of the birds and set