The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-10-21
SHOULD
Be PROTECTED
INVESTIGATIONS SHOW THAT
THEY DO A GREAT DEAL OF
GOOD AND LITTLE HARM TO
THE FARMER

THE FARMER
That thrushes--the group Of birds
in which are included robins and blue
birds-do a great deal of good and
very little harm to agriculture is the
conclusion reached by Investigators Of
the department who have carefully
studied the food habits Of these birds.
Altogether ther are thin the limits Of
the United States II species of thrush
es, five of which are commonly known
as robins and bluebirds. The other 6
include the Townsend solitaire, the
wood, the very, the gray cheek, the
olive-back, and the hermit thrushes.
The robins and bluebirds nest close
to houses, and even the shiest of the
other species are content with the
seclusion Of an acre or two of wood
land or swamp. For this reason the
thrushes are among the best known
and most carefully protected of native
American birds, and at times their
numbers become SO great that it is
feared they will do much harm to
crops and fruits.
?The recent Investigations of the de-
partment, however, show that there is
very little ground for this fear. On
the other hand, they destroy such a
vast number of insects each year that
it is probable that without them many
crops would suffer serious damage.
Of all the thrushes, the robin is
probably the best known. 1t has been
frequently accused of destroying fruits
and berries, but it has 10Y been ascer-
tanned that this only occurs in regions
that are SO thickly settled that there
is no wild fruit upon which the robin
may subsist. In some years the bird
is a great pest in the olive orchards
of California, but it is probable that
they are driven to the orchards be-
cause of the scarcity of native berries
at these times. Where a wild fruit is
available, the birds seem to prefer
this to the cultivated varieties.
Lie the robin, the bluebird is very
domestic, but unlike the robin, it does
not prey upon the cultivated product
or work any injury whatsoever to the
fruit grower. During the fruit season
in fact, f%ve-sixths of its food consists
of insects. 1t seems, therefore, that
the common practice of encouraging
the bluebird to nest near houses by
placing convenient boxes in which i
may build its HON els thoroughly JUS
titled.
A detailed description of the habit:
of the robins and blue birds is con
tanned in Department Bulletin No. III
Buletinl No. $50, which has just beer
published, takes up the habits of the
six other species of the thrush groul
which are not quite so we'll known
These birds also feed principally OF
insects and fruits, but quite a portion
of the fruit they consume is wild Der
ries. Domestic fruits are eaten 81
sparingly by these species that tn,
damage done is quite negligible.
The bird known as the TOWNSEND
solitaire is noted chiefly for it's song
which is said to be at timee the fines
of any of the thrush family. Thi'
thrush, however, confines itself aloms
entirely to the mountains and gorge!
in the far west. The wood thrush, OF
theother hand, is distributed over thu
eastern part of the United States, ant
is a %frequenter of open groves ant
bushy pastures. This thrush also il
noted for its sweet song, especially il
the early evening. It does not mes
in gardens or orchards, however, ant
is seldom seen about farm buildings
so that many people who are familia!
with it's song would not know the birt
by sight. The wood thrush consume!
a number of harmful insects, such a!
the Colorado potato beetle and white
grubs. The fruit which, it eats i
usually picks up from the ground in
stead of taking fresh from the tree
There is therefore no reason why thu
wood thrush should not be rigidly pro
tected.