The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-01-10

OF OVER 500 SPECIES ONLY
THREE HELD INJURIOUS
While Many Do Slight Damage,
Their Beneficial Work So Much
Over-Balances Their Harm
That They Are an Asset

specialists and practical farmers the
country over is evidence not only Of
better intelligence on the part of the
farmer in that. he takes advantage
of the feathered farm hand who
works free of wage, but also q mat
ter for sincere pleasure on the part
OF the bird lovers of the country
whom not few are in North Yaki-
ma. 1t isn't only the poets who see
in the birds of the changing season
an addition to the joy of living. And
when it can be proved in figures and
facts that nearly all birds work for
the good of the farmer, and that of
those who do some damage, the bal
ance is yet held by the good, it means
the encouragement of birds in all aa-
ricultural districts, and more music In
the world.
Only Three Bad Ones
A report Of the Kansas agriculutr-
al college on the economic value Of
bird life is to the effect that only
three species out Of 302 found there
are to be classed as positively harm
ful--the sharp-shinned hawk, the]
Cooper hawk and the English SPAR
row. s. A. Aughey. of Nebraska, says
that 135,000,OO0 insects were ds-
stroyed in one county in one month
by birds and that the killing of such
birds is national. continental loss.
Insects pests have increased, conse-
quent on the ruthless destruction OIL
birds at such rate that since 1853
the annual loss from noxious insects
in the. United States had increased
from 100000, 900 to $S00,00o,00o in
1904.
Enormous Tribute
The insect and rodent pests at this
dgte demand a tribute from cultivat-
ed crops of $1,000.O00,000 or more al
year, and still other millions are ex-
acted from the forests, shrubbery and
exposed property Of the land. These
sums represent more than the nation
al debt of the United States, and near
ly twice the capitalization of all the
national banks of the country.
Prefer Wild Forage
.ird, according to the best testi-
mony, prefer wild fruit and forage
and in sections where birds do some
damage to cultivated fruit, if the or
chard owner would plant a few Wild
fruit bearing trees, vines or shrubs,
of which there are nearly seventy va
rieties, he would not only protect his
orchard, but give the birds the kind
of fare they prefer. Millions of tons
of weed seeds are eaten annually by]
the birds and much of the forestation
of barren lands has been traced di-
rectly to them. Fruit eating birds
are known to be the most valuable
tree planters in the world distribute
ing seeds far and wide through
ejectments or excrements. In this way
blue jays and other birds of similar
habits perform a positive service to
man in the propagation of oak,
beech and other trees.
Have Big Appetites
The appetites of birds is astonish-
ing and only an examination of the
stomachs can convince of the truly
beneficial effects of bird life in an ag-
rcultural or fruit raising community.
Generally speaking, sparrows, cat
birds, thrushes, thrashers, towhee,
blue birds grosbeaks. robins and the
like scour the ground to obtain food
for themselves and their nestlings.
Warblers. tanagers. vireos, tit mice.
wrens, orioles, and cuckoos search
the vines and trees in summer for
insects. larvae and eggs
Eat on the Wing
Martins, swallows, swifts and night
hawks and the various fiy-catchers
take large proportion of their food
ON the wing, and some species sub
sist almost entirely on insects caught
in flight. The various woodpeckers,
nuthatches.8 titn;lce. juncos, kinglets
and creepers spend the cold. somber
days in winter hunting over domestic
and forest trees for the dormant lar
vs.e and eggs of the previous seasons
insect life, which are destroyed by
the billions.
Analysis of the diet of the robins
show that their annual food proper
tons are as follows: insects, A per
cent; wild fruit, Az percent, domestic
fruit, per cent, miscellaneous, ) per
cent The various vireos, small dull
green-yellowish birds of the summer
eat apple lice, hairy, tent. gypsy and
tussock caterpillars, weevils. beetles,
leaf hoppers, grass hoppers, cut
worms and army worms The night
hawk, or bull bat as it is known, is
one of the greatest destroyers of hy-
ing ants in bird life House martins,
swallows and swifts eat rose and 9TH
er beetles and horse and house flies.
These birds are 100 per cent insecti-
vorous. The hycatchers such as
Phoebes, powees, kingbirds and 9TH
ers eat among other noxious insects
cooling moths and click beetles.
Keeps Parents Busy
e'hickadees have been observed to
feed their young six times in thirteen
minutes. Woodpeckers are among the
most Important enemies of the insect
sec urges OF vegetation The red
headed woodpeckef is fond OF cher
ries and other fruits. but its PREFER
enee is for insect diet The various
are the amt eaters of the