Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-10-29
OUR NATIVE THRUSHES.
We Have Eleven Species and All Are
Friends Of she Farmer.

FRIENDS OF she Farmer.
Prepared by United States department OF
agricultural
Altogether there are within the limits
OF the United States eleven species Of
thrushes. five of which are commonly
known as robins and bluebirds. The
other six include the Townsend soil
taire. the wood. the veery. the gray
cheek. the olive back and the hermit
thrush.
The robins and bluebirds nest close
to houses, and even the shiest Of the
other species are content with the Sc
clusion Of an acre or two Of woodland
or swamp. For this reason the thrush
es are among the best known and most
carefully protected of native American
birds. and at times their numbers be-
come SO great that 1t Is feared they
Will do much harm to crops and fruit.
The Investigations of the department
of agriculture. 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 prob
ably the best known. 1t has been fire.
quently accused Of destroying fruits
and berries, but it has now 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 1t is probable that they
are driven to the orchards because Of
the scarcity of native berries at these
times. Where a wild fruit is available
the birds seem to prefer 1t to the cult
waited varieties.
Like the robin. the bluebird is very
domestic; but. unlike the robin, it does
not prey upon any cultivated product
or work any injury whatever to the
fruit grower. During the fruit season.
in fact, five-sixths of its food consists
Of insects. It seems. therefore. that the
common practice Of encouraging the
bluebird to nest near houses by placing
convenient boxes in which it may build
its home is thoroughly justified.
The six other species Of the thrush
group also feed principally on insects
and fruit. but a great portion Of the
fruit which they consume Is wild ber-
ries. Domestic fruits are eaten so spar
ingly by these species that the damage
done IL quite negligible.
The bird known as the Townsend
solitaire Is noted chiefly for its song.
which Is said to be at times the finest
Of any Of the thrush family. This
thrush, however. confines itself almost
entirely to the mountains and gorges Of
the far west. The wood thrush. on the
other hand. IL distributed over the east
eFn part Of the United States and Il q
freQuenter Of open groves and bushy
pastures This thrush also 10 noted for
IT. sweet song. especially IN the early
evening. 1t does not nest In gardens or
orchards, however. and IL seldom seen
about farm buildings, 20 that many
people who are familiar with its song
would not know the bird By sight. The
wood thrush consumes q number Of
very harmful insects such a. the Colo
RADIO potato beetle and white grubs.
Tho fruit which It eats It usually picks
up from the ground instead Of taking
fresh from the trees. There II there
fore no reason why the wood thrush
should not be rigidly protected.
The other varieties also seem to eat
little that's Of value to farmers. while,
on the other hand. they DESTROY multi.
tudes Of harmful insects each year.