The Washington times., 1914-07-26
::ount Shows 160 Pairs on
Twenty-three Acres, With
Representatives of Thirty
five Species Noted.
robins in United States Esti-
mated at 100000.
Mississippi Valley Leads in
Feathered Denizens.
By LEONARD oRMEROD.


Since the first song bird twittered
from the leafy branches in the Gar
den of Eden until the dawn of a
May morning in the year 1914 A. D.,
nobody but a Divine Providence
that marks the sparrow's fall" ever
attempted a bird census.
But there has arisen in the De-
partment of Agriculture a man who
aspires to know how many birds
there are in the United States;
whether all Of them or any particu-
lar species are diminishing, and to
this end he has inaugurated a bird
census, that already has produced
gratifying results and will serve as
a basis for further and wider inves-
tigation.
Washingtonians are chiefly interest
ed in the fact that returns from
every State in the Union show that
Chevy Chase, Nd, has the densest
bird population of any section of
the country. Not only are there
more birds there. but there is a
greater variety of species than can
be found on any similar tract, any
where. 1t is a veritable open aviary,
where plumage of every hue and
songs OF every note are to be en-
Joyed by all who have eyes and
ears.
Conceives Bird Census.
The first man to conceive the
idea of a bird census was Prof.
Wells W. Cooke, assistant biol
ogist of the Bureau of Biological
Survey and in charge of the bird
migration work of that bureau.
For four years he experimental
on a tract of fifty acres near his
home at Viresco. Va. on the great
Falls electric line, and finally hit
that answers all practical pur-
poses.
In this work he had the cooper
alton of DR.. Henry w. Henshaw,
chief of the biological survey,
out the plan for finding out how
many birds there are in the
had no money to spend for This this
project, but throughout the coun-
try there are hundreds of bird
lovers who have co-operated with
Dr.. Henshaw in his work in be-
and these people did the greater
share of the work gratis.
The plan followed was for each
person to take definite tract Of
land. usually, covering from forty
II in the early morning. In the
latitude of Washington about
May go every male bird is in full
song near its nest at that hour,
the season beginning a few days
earlier in the South and about a
week later in the latitude of Bos-
ton. Each male bird was there
fore counted as a pair by. the
census takers, and as most of the
enumerators were more or less
accomplished as ornishologists
they had little trouble in identi-
fying the species by its plumage
and song.
Hundred Million Robins.
The census takers were advised
TO repeat their work several times.
in order to make sure that eacS
bird seen was actually nesting with
in the prescribed area and to make
certain that no species was over
looked The areas selected were
supposed to represent average farm
conditions. Fields entirely covered
with woodland or entirely bare were
not included in this classification.
The results of this sweeping emu
meration have not ali been compiled
as yet, but Prof. Cooke has been able
to make some reasonably definite
calculations.
The ubiquitous robin comes first in
our bird population. and the red
vested fellow you saw hopping over
your lawn this morning, is only one
OF one hundred million flying about
the United States. An average Of
fifty pairs will be found on every
square mile of the country.
Tho nYfnnSgUa Forest
was taken in Montana, where the
careful counting of birds on nearly
1000 acres showed an average Of one
pair to each three acres. The arid
Southwest can boast of but one pair
of birds to seven acres. The Mis-
issippi valley is far ahead of this
average and has a greater bird popu-
vision of the country.
Chevy Chase, Md, Leads.
But no figures submitted to the
department came anywhere near the
report from Chevy Chase, Nd,
which showed 160 eRirs Of birds to
twenty-three acres, or an average
OF seven pairs to the acre. This
census was taken by DR.. S. W. Mel
lott, an examiner in the Patent Of
flee. who lives at the corner OF
Brookv'lle road and Newlands street.
Dr. Mellott himself was surprised
at this showing and checked UP on
the figures several mornings, but
each time he found the same birds
greeting the rising sun with an out
burst Of song, and he sent in his fig-
uTes accordingly. II happens that
Prof. Cooke is a close friend Of DR..