The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-10
The Horned Lark.

The Horned Lark.
Another famous member of the seed
eating group is the horned lark
These birds are widely distributed
residents Of our state OF course not
aH,that may be seen during the winter
nltnths remain here, but these larks
may be met with in every part of our
state and in every month of the year.
IN. siXty-five-mile stage ride from
Dragon to Vernal in Uintah county,
the larger part of the distance being
an unrelieved sagebrush desert, with
only two rivers in all that distance. the
horned lark was the most common and
the most numerous resident. They ap-
pear TO be perfectly at home in that
hot area: even when the heat of an
August sun causes the entire landscape
TO give forth IA heated breath like that
from a furnace. the horned larks seem
10 be in their element. Their prOtec-
tive colorins constituted them an APP
propriate part of the landscape. They
appear to be perfectly happy as they
run over the burning sands or take
short flights, announcing their depart
uA with a pleasant little peep"
And they are not more at home in
that part of the state than they are in
our fertile valleys, along the roadsides,
about the lakes and streams. In fact,
they appear To be ubiquitous. And
when deep SHOWS have deprived them
Of their usual food supply, they will
come Familiarity into cities and towns.
and feed in the business streets along
with English sparrows.
Food of the Larks.
While larks eat weevils cocoons Of
certain moths, caterpillars, beetles, ants
and STaSShOppeTS. and though the food
provided for the nestlings is largely in
sect fully 80 per cent of the food taken
~ the adult birds is weed seeds. One
plant upon which they feed with great
satisfaction is the foXtail A single
plant of this grass has been known to
produce from $4,000 10 115,300 seeds; as
this is a particularly noxiOus plant.
any bird that helps to keep it in check
IS randering a very great service.
Song of the Lark.
Ordinarily. the only sound one hears
from these birds is a sharp, whistled
note, uttered as they take to wing
someone has noted the fact that this
IL almost exactly like that Of the Eng
fish SkylaTk- But when the nesting
season arrives. then the males have a
habit of rising almost perpendicularlv
and high in the air, all the time singing
2 sweet and varied song. After the
performance the bird returns almost
10 the exact spot from which il sprang
The nest of these larSs is placed on
the ground. in slight hollow, usuapv
under Il small bush or tuft of grass
The eggs are three to four in number
graytsh or greenish, freely marked
with splotches of brown. Both bir5%
appear TO share in the work of incuba-
ton. When flushed on the nest. this
bird feigns lameness and flutters away
as il crippled, to draw aside the in
usder
The Red Winged BIack-Bird.
a group of important seed eaters
which can only be briefly noticed in
passing is that which includes the !
blaCkbrds 1t might be wen To fv
upon the red-wing blackbird as d suit
able representative of this group, as his
characteristic markings are so plain.
and of such Il character that he can
hardly be mistaken for any other The
red epaulets with a band Of orange at
tached can readily be seen even when
the birds are at a considerable dis
lance.
Where They Roost.
These birds are widely distributed
in our state. and IN the valleys, ut al
events. are resident. Tens of thou
sands Of these. together with the other
two principal kndS-the Brewer and !
the yellow-head- roost, during the xiE-
ter, in the tules about the southeastern
part of Utah lake; thence they spread
out over the valley daily for fifte Or
twenty miles in search of food During
the short winter days they usually |
start for the rOOst quite early; and as |
they draw near say within three miles
of the place. the various bands join
and form one continuous stream of
birds. requiring several minutes TO pass
a given point, and at the same time. |
not far away may be other similar
streams parallel TO this. all flowing in |
the same direction.
J Food of the Redwine.
I'm the character of its food the red !
wing takes high rank among the useful |
birds. In may, and sometimes does. |
damage grain. especially where it has
multiplied beyond the normal but the
great work accomplished by these birds |
as destroyers of insects. and especially
fduring a large part of the year, Of
weed seeds. seems to more than COM
pensate any loss for which they may
~be- responsible. The proportions of tha
several kinds of food viii help to make
this clear. Insects are taken to the
amount of "a per cent, vegetable mat
Ter TO practically IS per cent. OF this
% per cent only 13 per cent is of grain.
Seven eighths of the food of the red
wing is made up of insects and weed
seeds that are injurious to agriculture.
Song and Nests.
The familiar and weIl-known Okla
lee" of the redwing is one of the
means of Identifying this bird. II also
has sharp. smacking note.