The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1916-04-29
dow Many Birds
Do You Think Are
Roaming The Air

The third annual bird count of the
United States will be made by the
Bureau Of EpluE.ca Survey of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture du'
ing the breeding season in May aud
June. In making this survey the bur
eau will rely largely on persons inter
ested in bird life who agree to act as
volunteer enumerators and count the
different kinds of birds found in a 40
acre or 80-acre farm or woodland
tract near their homes. The counts
thus made by unpaid observers during
the asst two summers have furnished
to the department valuable data on
the character, number and distribution
of the bird population.
This year the ornithologists of the
department wish particularly to Sc
cure a large number of volunteers in
the West to report on the bird life IN
the plains. the semiarid regions, the
deserts and the mountains in that part
of the United States. Especial atten-
ton also is to be given to securing
data as to the birds in the fruit dis
tricts of the Pacific coast and in tue
South Atlantic and Gulf States.
leStS DiTu Laws.
The information collected this year
it is believed will be of special value
in enabling the department to test the
effect of State and national bird laws
and also in determining what relation
ship exists between bird life and the
prevalence of locustS, grlSShopperS
and other insect pests in different To-
calities.
AS it is impossible to make an ac-
tual count of all the birds in any e.
tended district. each enumerator IS
asked to report only upon the number
of birds breeding in a selected area of
40 to so acres in country or suburban
districts. From the figures thus OBJ
tanned those in charge of the work
are abe to approximate the total
number of birds of each kind in differ
ent sections of the country.
The Selected Points.
Enumerators who wish to report on
birds on farms are asked to choose an
area which includes farm buildings,
shade trees, orchards, plowed land,
pasture or meadow or swamp, but not
very much woodland. The enumera-
tor begins his survey at daylight some
morning ard ZigZags back and forth
in the selected area, counting the
male birds. Early in the morning
during the last of May or the first
week of June every male bird should
be in full song ard therefore easily
counted. The count of one day is to
be verified by observation on severa.
mornings.
The height of the breeding season
should be chosen for this work. IN
the latitude of Washington May 30 Is
about the proper date for the count.
In the latitude of Boston the work
should bc%in a Week later, and south
of Washington even an earlier date
should he selected.
Chance For Bird Lovers.
In @duition to reports on farms aHd
suburbs. enumerators who can do so
VIII he asked TO report on the birds in
a timber area of about 40 acres or In
al isolated bit of woodland Of from 10
to 20 acres. In the Northeastern
States, separate reports on the num-
Der OF birds found in the wilder por-
tlons OF the farms, preferably those
surveyed in the earlier counts, are de
sired.
Those wishing to take part in the
survey can obtain complete irstruc-
tions by writing to the Bureau of Bio
logica Survey U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, d. c. The
work, however. calls for considerable
knowledge of birds. and only those
who can readily distinguish the differ
ent kinds should undertake to make
returns for their localities.