Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-30
SOME INsEcTIYoRoUs BIRDS

SOME INSEcTN0RoUS BIRDS.
There are many birds which play an inn
portant part IN relation TO agriculture. but
people generally dwell on the harm rather
than the good they DO in the neld and
forest Whether a bird Is injurious or not
depends entirely upon what II eats, ana
we should not reach conclusions 100
quickly because birds are seen In numbers
IN the field or orchard. and think they
must therefore be doing harm. As a mat
Ter OF fact, there are but few birds which
are really harmful the vast majority OF
them proving By their true life habits 20
Be % untold value 90 agriculture IL all
she fuseefivorous birds were destroyed. it
would be almost impossible 70 raise crops
or fruit in a few years thereafter.
Apnreciating the high value and the I'M
portance OF preserving the lives Of these
enemies 10 injurious insects and obnox-
tous weed seeds. nearly all OF the states
IN the union have. within recent years.
nassed laws TO protect nearly all OF our
common birds excepting those which are
useful as game birds. During the last ses-
sion Of the general assembly IN this state
4. such a law was introduced and passed
making II misdemeanor TO trap. Kill or
cell any OF the song OF insectiyorous birds
fn Georgia. except crows. English spar
rows. meadow larlzs, rice birds and
horned owls. Among the game birds which
are protected only during certain months
q the year are quail. woodcoeA. doves,
Wild turkeys and duck. All other birds In
this state. whether songsters or not viii
IN future be protected by law, ana any
person who traps. kills or captures and
offers for sale any OF them can be pun
tshed as for a misdemeanor- The state
rnent was made before the house commit
tee on general agriculture in November,
during the Investigation OF this question.
that al one time last year more than 1900
young mocklnE birds were shipped from
Savannah 10 New York for sale TO north
eru bird dealers These birds are regard
ed as the property OF the state. and being
locked upon as highly useful to the agrt-
cultural interests OF the state. viii in fu-
tlre be protected BY the strong arm OF
the law. ..-
Some Common Birds.
Birds usually feed upon the kind OF food
that Is most accessible within certain
limits. InsectivOrOus birds. therefore. eat
sucn insects as are most easily obtained.
hence. a ground-feeding bird viii eat
those q finds among the dead leaves and
grass while the woodpecker and such va
rfsties that inhabit the tree tops select
different kinds OF insects. II Is impossible
to tell what bird eats simply By watch
ing ii While feeding. either IN the field or
orchard. The daily diet OF q bird can be
only determined by an EXAMINATION OF its
stomach contents IN the laboratory III a
farmer has reason 20 believe that certain
kinds OF birds are proving injurious 20
his fields OF orchards, he should shoot
few and examine the contents OF their
stomachs. which VIII definitely determine
whether injury IS done or not.
IN response 70 a general demand for In
vestfgztion along this line. the department
Of agriculture az washington has. during
the past few years. examined thousands
OF BIRDS stomach and all the svailable da-
"a respecting the food they contained
brought together. The practical value OF
Birds IN controlling insect pests should be
more generally recognized and appreciat-
ed BY the farmers II would be no difficult
matter 10 XIII out ali the birds in an or
chard OF grain field and IN the garden. but
10 exterminate the insect pests which
would afterwards have fun right of way
to everything would be no easy matter.
The destruction OF uoxi0us weed seeds by
sparrous and other birds Of that class ia
but little Appreciated. yet weed seeds
form one OF the most important stems OF
food 20 these birds during the fall and
winter months. and Il Is almost impossi-
bic to estimate the immense number OF
noxiOus weed seeds which are thus annu7
ally destroyed -ar- q. $50 taef
There are some i've or six species OF
woodpeckers. some OF which farmers are
prone 10 look upon with suspicion. -Ex-
cepting single species. the yellow
breasted woodpecker. OF sapsucker. these
birds rarely leave any important mark
on healthy tree. The sapsucker Is some
times guilty OF peclxing holes IN the bark
Of apple trees from which II drinks the
sap when the little pits. become filled.
Large numbers OF insects are also at
tracted BY The sweet fluid in these pits.
which the sspsucker also feeds upon, and
20 that extent largely compensates for
the damage done 70 the tree The Kicker.
or golden-w1nged woodpecker, Is seen
mostly on the ground, searching for food
which consists principally OF ground ants
and grasshoppers The examination OF a
hicker's stomach was found to contain
more than 1000 ants. yet some people per-
sist IN shooting this valuable insect de-
sfroyer for purposes OF food.
Other IaseetlVorous Birds. &.
The common blue Jay Is well known all
over the United States east Of the great
plains Quite q number OF -ornithologists
and LEGAL observers contend that IN spring
and early summer a large porlson Of the
f0od OF this bird consists OK the egg and
young OF smaller birds. Some farmers
claim that Jay birds steal considerable
corn from their barns IN the fan of the
year. But while there may be some truth
IN these accusations. an examination OF
the stomachs OF several hundred OF these
BIRDS az different periods OF the year.
shows these charges 10 be largely exzg-
gerated- The food OF the blue jay con-
Eists principally OF mice. FISH. salamanca
ers. snafis. beetles, grasshoppers, CATER
pillars. spiders. etc. .----. I'll ...s.t..
The common black crow. while OUTLAW
ed as one OF the birds not protected by
law. Is not responsible for all the charges