Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-29
The Owls in Court
BY Frederic 7. Haskin

capital city has an oversupply at all
times. The owls have been guilty of
the murder Of, one young rabbit. and
occasionally of larger birds, such as
redwing blackbirds. BY far the great
| er part of the prey consists Of the
loathsOme rat. the most dangerous and
destructive of vermin. These creatures
are all too abundant about many OF
the government buildings, and espec-
tally about the geological park, where
they are attracted by the food for the
animals. The owls are their worst
enemies. as cats are rather scarce in
the vicinity.
In this matter of owls and hawks,
! the government scientists want 1t
brought to the attention Of all country
dwellers that there are just three
species in the eastern United States
which must be destroyed-the cooper
hawk, the sharpshinned hawk, and the
great horned owl. Learn to identify
these species and you have your bird
enemies spotted. There are two other
species that are destructive, but too
rare to be Of much consequence. These
are the duck hawk and the goshawk.
All of the other hawks and owls are
necessary for the protection of crops.
Without them the balance Of nature
would be seriously disturbed and the
/: gophers that plough your lawn into
j long ridges, the field mice that builds
nests in the corn shocks, the rats that
infest your barn and kill your young
chickens, and all the rest of the tribe
of four footed vermin would fairly
! overrun the earth-even as the in
sects are overrunning it now as re-
, suit of the destruction of other birds.
. Washington Is one city where all
/, birds find welcome. 1t is CITY of
/ naturalists, for in addition to those
in the government service, there are
number Of others that make their
. homes here. Numerous biological and
; pathological organizations regularly
meet here There is probably not an
! other city in the United States where
, birds are the object of so much in
terest and solicitude. One devoted
jornithologist identified 294 species in
the District of Columbia, and about
one-third of the number nest here.
Chevy Chase, Maryland, surburb Of
the capital. situated right on the Dis
| trict line is rated by the biological
survey as having larger bird popula-
ton for it's area than any other town
in the United States. This is largely
due to the efforts Of few persons
who have put up nesting houses, fed
the birds in winter, and afforded them
what protection they were able.
A certain Washington. editor living
in Tenleytown, another suburb of the
capital. has also had remarkable sue
succ in attracting birds. His collec-
ton of martens house wrens and
other interesting species was SO I'M
usual that not long ago motion pic
| ture company made a long film of his
aviary and it's daily life.
Washington birds do not conflne
themselves to the suburbs by any
means, however. A remarkable num-
Der of different species are to be seen
| in the parks, including cardinals, tana.
ge-s. various thrushes. and other rare
species. The robin and the big purple
grackles. or blackbirds, are the COM
monest and most numerous. Through
out the summer the grackles may be
! seen everywhere on the capitol grounds
and in the parks, strolling about with
dignity which suggests that they are
successfully initiating the senatorial
gait They are very daring and imper.
tinent. coming within a few feet Of the
passerby to stare at him with heads
cooked inquiringly to one side.
! These birds, together with the
squirrels, give delightful touch of
| life and movement to the wide lawns
and grounds of the capital city. They
are one of the most effective arguments
for bird protection.