The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-10
RISKS OF BIRDS.
They Are Liable to as Many Acct
dents as Are Other Creatures.

OF all creatures birds are most ex-
empt from liability to accident, yet they
not infreQuently lose their lives in most
unexpected ways. Once above trees and
buildings they have the whole upper air
free of every obstacle and though their
flight sometimes equals the speed of a
railroad train they have little to fear
when well above ground. Collision with
other birds seems scarcely possible, but
II sometimes occurs. When a covey OF
quail are flushed occasionally two birds
will collide, at times meeting with such
force that both are stunned. Flycatch-
ers darling at the same insect will now
and then come together, but not hard
enough to injure either bird In the
English papers few years ago a rare
accident was recorled-a heron mad
spiked itself on one of the pointed iron
arms of a cross surrounding a church
steeple. Even the smallest and most
wonderful of all flyers, the humming
bird, may come to grief in accidental
ways, as was recently shown by the
case of tiny bird of the ruby-throated
variety, which became, entangled in the
hooks of burdock burr and died
prisoner before help could free 1t.
Young phoebes sometimes become en-
tangled in the horse hairs which are
used in the lining of the nest. When
they are old enough to fly and attempt
to leave they are held prisoners or left
dangling from the nest. When mink
trans are set in the snow in winter
owls frequently fall victims, mice be-
ing scarce and the bait tempting.
Lighthouses ara perhaps the cause of
more accidents to birds than any other
obstacle they encounter on their noe
turnal migrations north and south.
Many hundreds are found dead at the
base of such structures. The sudden
glare is so confusing and binding as
they shoot from intense darkness into
its circle of radiance that they are COM
pletely bewildered and dash headlong
against the thick panes of glass. Tele-
graph wires sese another menace to
low-f1ying birds. especially those which,
like quail and woodcock, enjoy a hirl-
wind and attain great speed within
few yards. Such birds have been found
cut almost in two by the force with
which they struck the wire.
The elements frequently catch birds
unawares and overpower them A sud-
den wind or storm will drive coast-fiy-
ing birds hundreds of miles out to sea
and oceanic birds may be blown as far
inland. Hurricanes in the West Indies
are said to cause the deaths of innum-
cradle birds, as well as other creatures.
Small islands are known to have be-
come completely depopulated of their
feathered inhabitants from such a cause.
Violent hailstorms, coming without
warning in warm weather, are quite
common agents in the destruction OF
birds and thousands of English spar
rows have been stricken in a city during
such storm.
Ruffled grouse have a habit of bur-
rowing deep beneath the snow in winter
and letting the storm shut them in. They
spend the night in this warm. coy re-
treat, their breath making its way out
through the loosely packed crystals. But
this becomes fatal trap when a cold
rain sets in during the night and an
BILE crust cuts off their means
of escape.-New York Post.