The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-12-24

thrashers seek their insect prey on or near INC
ground: woodpeckers, nuthatches, ttmice anu
chickadees closely search the trunks and nmDs Oh
trees: yireos and warblers scan the leaves anu
probe the flowers: and dycatchers anu swallows
sweep their prey from the air itself. Every rev
minutes all day long the hungry young must be
fed and that they are well fed their rapid growth
attests The quantity Of insects they and their
parents consume Is enormous. Not only orcharus
benefit by the good work Of birds, but gardens
berry patches, and pIowed and newly sown nelos
as WELL While fields actually grown 10 tan cfops
are less freely visited a crops are helped 70 some
extent, and practically every farm pest mas us
bird enemies.
To learn exactly how and to what extent BIRDS
are aids to agriculture horticulture, and forestry
the biological survey has been making scientinc
study Of their food habits ever since its establish
ment In 1885. Its investigations are carried on IN
hoth the field and laboratory All that can be
learned ont OF doors by direct observation and by
study Of the available food supply Is valuable Dut
there Is surer way of finding out what bird
eats namely, to look into its stomach. II mas
heen repeatedly demonstrated that the nature OF
the food ard feeding habits of birds IS sucn tnat
II Il impossible to arrive at Definite results Dy III
.Ssct chservation On the other hand, the examlna-
80. q the laboratory of the contents OF the stom-
sch cives information that is definite. exact and
lndIsputabie
Trrom the percentages and the economic value
- the. food items >the utility Of a bird can be
closely estimated. The biological survey IS tnen
able 10 recommend how It should De tFeateu.
n the United States are found more than SOO
Ast,rct kinds Of birds Of 60 families. Of which ~
families are classed as waterfowl as shoreDros,
4 a INLAND game birds, as birds OF prey, ana %
as land birds. .n...
Tho INLAND game birds comprise such familiar
xroups as the quail, grouse, ptarmigan. WHO TUT
KEYS wild pigeons. and doves. The last two Wnile
usually harmless, sometimes damage clops ~ -. "a
ertent which requires that they be controlled ana
economically they deserve less consideration tnan
tha turkey mail. and grouse. These three klndS
q hIrda have feeding habits which are helpfui 20
agriculture They may be hunted. but their num-
hers should not be reduced below the norman pop
ulation for each type Of country.
Hawks and owls though not closely related,
NAV be considered together on account OF the SIM
iarity Of their feeding habits. Feeding cnieny up
on living animals smaller than themselves, natur-
ally they sometimes prey upon some OF the domes-
ticated kinds, particularly poultry Iris mas gwen
them bad reputation with farmers. so long estan-
lished as to amount to traditional prejudice Sci
entIe Investigation of their habits shows tnat o'y
few species OF hawks and only one owl feed cMei-
~ or even largely. upon birds, and therefore 70
INV great extent upon poultry The birds OF prey
regarded as chiefly Injurious include the sharp.
S ahmed. Cooper and duck hawks. the goshaWk, anu
the great horned owl. The great horned Owl, Wnlcn
like most Of Its relatives feeds az Night sets vs
poultry that Is Improperly exposed, and when Pre-
vented from doing this Its habits are largely Dene
ncial
The remaining species OF hawks and owls, more
Than 500 In all, have useful habits. They feed OF
great variety OF rodents and have = tremendous
efSect in controlling the Numbers Of these pests
Their staple food consists for the most part q
meadow mice, but 1t includes also many other de
atrnctfve rodents. such as rabbits ground SOUR
rels. prairie dogs. pocket gophers. and house rat
and mice.
The barn owl e one OF the most usefuI OF en-
49,. - This group. Its food Is easily studied b.
~r.mination Of the pellets made Of the hair an
hcneZ "a It's victims. which accumulate about =
rcoSt Il CTS bar1l-owl pellets collected IN WASH
s.. ,,.ssons 81 q. ERE found the remains Of Ill