The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-20
IN BEHALF OF HAWKS

The Alabama commissioner of conserva- ton, through the newspapers, has sent out an appeal to citizens to observe "Anti-Hawk Week" by killing at least one hawk during the last week in March. The wording of the order causes wonder why the department is called one of conservation. The purpose, of course, is to protect the quail, but the entire program shows lack of hawk lore that deserves enlightenment. For, be it known, there are hawks and hawks, good hawks and bad hawks, destructive hawks and hawks that are the friend of man. The commissioners appeal, however, makes no distinction. He calls for a hawk or more from every gun, regardless of it's kind or nature. It is hoped that the farmers, who are included in the number to whom the appeal is addressed, hawks are concerned.
 There are three kinds of hawks that de- serve death: The sharp-shinned hawk, the Cooper's hawk, and the goshawk, all of which prey upon chickens and have no redeeming qualities. There are many other kinds of hawk that are valuable to the farmer and rid his fields of many destructive insects and rodents. Among these are the marsh or meadow hawk, sparrow hawk, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, and the swallow-tailed kite or snake hawk, as it is commonly called. Of the hawks beneficial to mankind some perhaps occasionally kill a quail or a chicken, but there is no doubt that the loss from this cause is negligible, and the service the hawks of the better species render far outweighs any pos sible damage they may do. The favorite and principal food of most hawks, even those that prey also on birds, is field mice, and other small rodents, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, spiders and snakes The National Geographic Society's "Book of Birds" says that, with the exception of the three destructive hawks named at the begin ming of this paragraph, the hawks are "of great economic importance and should be protected" unless caught in some "overt act" of destruction, for, be 1t known, there are some individuals that learn bad habits not shared by their tribe in general.
 As to the real enemies of our game birds the Book of Birds," easily foremost au- thority on the subject, says: 'Taking into account bird life in general, the cat is un- doubtediy the most destructive mammal we have, and the aggregate number of birds annually killed by them in the United States is enormous" Still more significant is the statement of the same authority that "it $ the gun that has been the chief cause of the destruction of our game, large and small. Whatever weight may be attached to other causes, these fade into insignificance when compared with the effect of firearms" It is eminently important that there be no campaign against hawks in general based on the theory that the result will be moro quail for the huntsman to shoot at. The quail is a valuable bird, and he increases rapidly in protected fields. The hawk has little appreciable effect upon tho number of quail, but the hawk, with three exceptions, is the firm and indispensable friend of the farmer, and deserves the farmers protec- tion against any sort of anti-hawk hysteria.