Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-05-24
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Of shorebirds feeding on Rocky Noun
them consuming large numbers. Even
under ordinary conditions grasshop-
pers are a staple food of many mem.
bers of the shorebird family.
Shorebirds are fond of other insect
pests of forage and grain crops, in
Guiding the army worm. which is
known to be eaten by the killdeer and
spotted sandpiper; also cutworms.
among whose enemies are the avocet,
woodcock, pectoral and Baird sand
pipers, upland plover and killdeer.
Two caterpillar enemies of cotton, the
cotton worm and the cotton cutworm.
are eaten by the upland plover and
killdeer. The latter bird feeds also
on caterpillars of the genus Phlege-
thontius, which includes the tobacco
and tomato worms.
The principal farm crops have many
destructive beetle enemies also, and
some of these are eagerly eaten by
shorebirds. The boil weevil and clover
leaf weevil are eaten by the upland
plover and killdeer. the rice weevil by
the killdeer, the cowpea weevil by
the upland plover. and the clover
root curculio by several species OF
shorebirds.
Bill bugs, which often do considera'
Bile damage to corn, seem to be favor
lite food of some of the shorebirds.
They are eaten by the Wilson phala'
rope, avocet, black-necked stilt pee
toraI sandpiper, killdeer and upland
ployer. They are an important ele-
ment of the latter birds diet. and no
fewer thar eight species OF them have
beer found in its food.
Wireworms and their adult forms,
click beetles, are devoured by the
northern phalarope, woodoock, jack
snipe, pectoral sandipper, killdeer and
upland plover The last three feed
also on the southern corn leaf-beetle.
and the last two upon the grapevine
colapsis. Other shorebirds that eat
leaf-beetles are the Wilson phalarope
and dowitcher.
Crayhshes, which are pest In rice
and corn fields in the south and which
injure levees, are favorite food OF the
black-necked silt, and several other
shorebirds feed upon them, notably
the jacksnipe, robin snipe, spotted
sandpiper, upland plover and killdeer.
Thus 1t is evident that shorebirds
render important aid by devouring the
enemies of farm crops and in other
ways. and their services are appreci'
ated by those who have observed the
birds in the field. Thus, w A. Clark
of Corpus Christi. Tex, reports that
upland plovers are industrious In foE
lowing the pillow and in eating the
grubs that destroy garden stuff, corn
and cotton crops. H. w. Tinkham Of
Fall River, Mass. says Of the spotted
sandpiper: Three pairs nested In
young orchard behind my house and
adjacent to my garden. | did not see
them once go to the shore for food
(shore about 1900 feet away, but |
did see them many times make faith
full search Of my garden for cutworms,
spotted squash bugs. and green files
Cutworrns and cabbage worms were
their especial prey After the young
could fly, they still kept at work in my
garden, and showed no inclination 10
20 to the shore until about August To-
They and flock of quails just over
the wall helped me wonderfully"
In the uncultivated parts OF their
range also, shorebirds search out and
destroy many creatures that are detri-
mental to mans interest. Several
species prey upon the predaceous div
ing beetles (Dytiscidae), which are a
nuisance in fish bztcheries and which
destroy many insects, the natural food
of fishes.
Large numbers of marine worms OF
the genus Nereis, which prey upon
oysters, are eaten by shorebirds. These
worms are common on both the At
lantic and gulf coasts and are eaten
nv sborebirds wherever they occur. II
It not UNI ommon to find that from 100
TO $50 q them have been eaten at one
meal.
To summarize: Shorebirds have
been hunted until only remnant Oh
their once vast numbers Is left Thelr
limited powers Of reproduction, coupled
with the natural vicissitudes OF the
breeding period. make their increase
slow, and peculiarly expose them 70
danger Of determination.
In the way OF protection a begin
ming has been made. and a continuous
close season until 1915 has been 81
tablished for the following birds:
The killdeer. in Massachusetts, and
Louisiana; the uplard ploYer, in Mas
sachusetts and Vermont; and the pi-
ping plover, in Massachusetts,. But
the needs and value OF
these birds, this modicum III protec-
ton is small indeed.
The above-named species are lot
the only ones that should be exempt
from persecution, fc- all the shore
birds Of the United States are in great
heed Of better protection They should |
be protected, first, TO save them from
the danger Of determination. and, SEQ
ond. because Of their ec9nozie i'm |
portance. So great, indeed, Is their
economic value, that their retention /
on the game list and their destruction
By sportsmen is a serious loss to sgrt I
culture.