The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-18
TO MAKE 1916 COUNT or BIRDS.
Biological Survey Calls for Volunteers. Especially in the West, to Count Birds on Farms and Woodland Tracts


 The third bird count of the United States will AOe made by the Bureau of Biological Survey of the U. s. Depart ment of Agriculture during the breedz> ing season in May and June. In making this survey the Bureau will rely largely on persons interested in bird life who agree to act as volunteer enum orators and codnt the different kinds of birds found in a 40 or 30 acre farm or woodland tract near their homes. The counts thus made by unpaid observers during the last two summers have furnished to the De partment valuable data on the charac- ter, number and distribution of the bird population.
 This year the ornithoIogists of the Department wish particularly to se- 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 to~~the birds in the fruit dis tricts of the Pacific coast and in the South Atlantic and Gulf states.
 The information collected this year it is believed will be of special value fin enabling the Department to test the effect of state and national bird laws and also in determining what relationship exists between bird life and the prevalence of locusts, grass hoppers and other insect pests in, dies- ferent localities. -o7o n.
 As it is impossible to make an ac- tuaI count of alF the birds in amy ex- 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 subur- ban districts. From the figures thus obtained. those in charge of the work l-1 A,,+r,T Der of birds of each Kind in ldiffereTIt sections of the country
 Enum orators who wish to report on birds on farms are asked to choose an area which includes farm buildings, shade trees, orchards, pIowed land, pasture or meadow or. swamp, but not very much woodland. The enumera- tor begins his surveyl at daylight some morning and zigzags back and forth in the selected area, counting the male birds. Early in the morning during the las tof May or the first week of June every male bird should be in full song and therefore easily counted The count of one day is to be verified by observation on several mornings.
 The height of the breeding season should be chosen for this work. In the latitude of Washington, May 3O is about the proper date for the count
  should begin a week later and south of Washington even an earlier date should be selected.
 In addition to reports on farms and suburbs, enumerators who can do so will be asked to report on the birds in a, tim Der area of about 40 acres or in an isolated bit of. woodland of from 10 to 20 acres. In the northeastern states. separate reports ou the number of birds found in the wilder portions. of the farms, preferably those sur veyed in the earlier counts. are de- sired.
 Those wishing to take part in the survey can obtain complete instruc- tiens by writing to the Bureau of Biological 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 diff ferent kinds should uad ertake to make returns for their lbca fiti es