Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-05
CURIOUS BITS OF BIRD LIFE
Narvels and Mysteries OF Winged Creatures
Difficult To Solve.
STRANGE HABITS OF DIFFERENT SPECIES
Characteristics and Eccentricitics
Noted by Close Observers-Life
In the Air. on Land and
on the water.

the bird. with the marvels and mysteries
Of his life, is still a wonder to us. Early
in any really close study Of his life and
habits one is struck with this fact. Years
Of careful observation and study without
a gun will be necessary before we shall
be familiar with his many extraordinary
ways, and still more before we shall be
able to understand the eccentricities Of a
life which appears at a casual glance as
simple.
The whole subject Of migration, for ex-
ample, is wonderful, and full Of problems
which have furnished material for miles Of
manuscript and bushels of books, and are
still unsolved. And Herr Gatke has added
one more. having discovered that the birds
always travel with perfectly empty stom-
achs.
The remarkable feat Of sinking the body
In water to any desired depth, and holding
it there without motion, and without cling
ing to anything, is another unexplained
secret. Geese, ducks, sandpipers and cor
morants are all expert in this maneuver.
The air would naturally appear to be the
domain Of winged creatures, yet many Of
them are almost equally at home in the
water. A FISH itself might envy the speed
and ease with which the penguin and ouzel
dash about in the native lement. Hardly
more than a fish does that strange creature,
the petrol, need to com to land; eating
and sleeping on the waves, his only tie to
earth is the necessity Of a cradle for the
helpless young. Whole families Of sea
birds pass their lives In and on the ocean,
and come to the shore only for the nesting
season.
We smile at the idea of a seabird who Is
as much at home on water as on land,
needing or wishing to ride, yet the tropic
bird is said occasionally to vary his wing
exercises by alighting for a sail on the
back Of a tortoise which he hnds lazily
floating on the surface. Major Bendine tells
Of a little owl at the west caught riding
on the back OF an unwilling gopher with
an air Of such composure that the observer
was convinced that it was a common ex-
plot Of the bird.
Keep on the Earth.
II 1t seems strange to think Of birds
spending their lives on the water 1t 10 al
most as odd to know Of whole families who
spend theirs in the air and never come to
the ground. In tome of the tropical for
ests where trees are between 200 and 300
feet in height, the upper branches and
the air above them are the home Of count
lCbS bllub ~ hbtONb ~ hiOhhVyS HSaC
than 200 feet from the earth below they
find not only light and air, but food in
plenty, and even water In the various reser-
volrs Of the giant plants and creepers.
Birds have many extraordinary habits,
with which all arc so familiar as to fail
to realize their singularity. The strange
habits OF the European cuckoo, Sinking
the pains and pleasures NJ Matchmaking anS
rearing a family, and even in the cradle, ~
is said, e~victing the rightful nestlings to
secure exclusive care; the hornbill, wall
ing up his mate, with her assistance, dur
Ing the process OF brooding and feediEG thS
young-and many others.
Some persons will perhaps scoff at the
idea OF a birds polite manners, and we
shall hear again the old complaint Of those
who have no real acquaintance with birds
In their homes that we make them too
human, but let me present a few trust
worthy ~facts-explain them who can. Many
of our winged fellow-creatures welcome the
approach OF their mates by a sudden open
ing and closing OF the wings. The several
kingbirds, whom l have studied, first flew
around in a circle Of a few feet, added a
note or two Of greeting, then lifted the
wings with an air that spoke founder than
words" The sea eagle, according to Audu-
bon, answers the note Of his mate by open
ing his broad wings, bending the body in a
low bow, and uttering a cry. That we have
not seen more of such things in bird life Is
probably because We have not studied them
| closely enough. The BOWS and genudections
, Of the burrowing owl OF the west, as one
passes his mound, which gives him the name
Of "How-d'y-do OWL" and the we'll anthem
ticated and oft-repeated account of the
aaaay htrdsu nfarfn1 q daIaQfa hIa mnrspl IN
his neighbor. in some cases passing 1t back
and forth among several. both call for ex-
PLANTATION from the skeptical.
1t is certainly a most peculiar thing for a
creature with wings to go over the ground
on "all %fours," yet there are at least two
we'll known birds who progress in that way
ION occasions" One is the common grebe,
80 lily fitted for land travel that when there
is occasion for haste he simply drops to
| the ground and uses the wings as a second
pair Of legs, quAdruped fashion.
individuality of Birds.
In association with one another birds
show as much individuality as men. There
are birds of solitary tastes who are never
found with their kind, excepting with a
mate In nesting time. and others who mate
for life and are always found in pairs.
Again, there are species who separate by
sexes, each sex forming a flock of It's own
and remaining thus except during the period
Of nesting. Our red winged blackbird is an
example. Still others Of the tribe live al
ways in a crowd, not even in nesting time
separating from their fellows. This is the
habit Of graekles. martins, swallows and
others. They are not associated for mu-
tual protection, for most OF them are abund-
antly able to take care OF themselves, buI
evidently for pure love OF society. One OF
these communities is as sociable and talk
alive as a sewing society or an afternoon
tea.
AS to the various ways Of food getting n
the bird world sons Of the large sea birds
get 1t by robbing other birds. and the Eng
lish sparrow is rapidly becoming expert in
this business. He began by taking tood
from young birds who we're being fed by
their parents. and now II is not uncommon
10 see him snatching from the robin the
worm he has Just drawn out OF the ground
He is not so big as the native bird, but he
is a good deal quicker.
There are birds on the other hand who
confer benefits by their way OF feeding. re,
lieying animals Of their parasites. One II
Africa attends to the camels, elephants anT
cattle, and IL is very droll to see the busil