The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-07-15
BIDS N WISCONSIN
HsigFailsts Prepare Interesting
Facts il Regard to Feathsred
inhabitants of State
FlND $50 DIFFERENT SPECIES

There arc $50 different species OF
birds IN Wisconsin. How many OF
chem doiyou know? Five maybe, ten;
liz you have spent summer in the
country, possibly fifteen. If you can
distinguish more than that your friends
consider you marvel.
Get acquainted with the birds of
Iyourpstato this summer You II be sur
prlScd TO see how much like human be
Flngs they are. Some are inquisitive,
some improvident. They have their
little quarrels and joys and tragedies
the same as the larger bipeds. There
are scoids and philanthropists, thieves
and gossips among them A bird
colony has a thousand sides.
You . ! get a good many lessons
from observing the birds if you only
will. ExPresident Roosevelt would
have been dee-lighted with the rewees,
one of the most common of Wisconsin
birds. These little fellows one ambi-
ton in life is to raise large families.
Usually they rear two and sometimes
three broods of FIVE or six every sea
son. Of course it keeps Mr.. and Mrs.
Pewee hustling to provide food for SO
many gaping mouths, but they don t
seem to mind. From early morning till
shutdown they can be seen scurrying
vafter elusive flies or waterbugs, but
Enever getting very far away from their
nest.
To the uninitiated all small, gray
birds are common sparrows. In
reality there are twenty different vari-
cites Of sparrows in Wisconsin, accord
ing to the Bulletin Of the Wisconsin
Natural History society. They are all
related, but have little liking for one
another and inter-family quarrels are
of frequent occurrence.
The Beau Brummel of Birdville is
the robin. With lis gray red vest and
bright black eyes he makes an ideal
lover. When he starts to WOO the OBJ
Ject of his alteration, his Fspooning'
would eclipse anything ever attempted
by his human brother.
The swallow is philanthropist and
therefore often imposed upon. When
he sees a nestful of young birds de-
serted by their parents and about to
starve, he manfully sets to work to
raise the brood, making no discrimina-
ton between them and his own young
ones. The cowbird, a harum- scarum,
| light Witted creature. knows this char
acteristic of the swallow very well and
often lays her eggs in the swallow IS
nest to be Matched and cared Tor.
The most suspicious of all Wisconsin
birds is the yellow breasted chat His
song is extremely clear and penetrat-
woods, but when you want to see the
ing and can be heard in any thick
singer that is another matter. A vel
low streak flashes down from a tall
tree top and that is ALL To touch
nestful of young chats is to seal
their death warrant. The parents i'm
mediately desert them and build some
where else A nestful of eggs touched
by a humand hand is likewise deserted.
Wisconsin is an ideal place to study
bird life. The numerous lakes and
rivers attract great numbers of the
feathered folk A walk in the woods
or the fields will disclose to the OBJ
servant man or woman all sorts of
wonders Of bird life And such a walk
will do any one good. To get intimate
| ly acquainted with the birds not only
broadens ones sympathies for the lit
tie things of nature, but also gives
the overworked city man or woman a
healthful and normal form of relaxa-
ton