The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-22
SURVEY DISCLOSES
CHANGES IN HABITS
OF MIGRATORY BIRDS
Species Which Are Plentiful in
One Locality Are Found to
Be Scarce Elsewhere

So much more material came to
hand that 1t has seemed necessary to
make a second report upon u sum-
mer censu Additional reports are
as follows: o. A.. Stevens, Park Riv-
er, IS species; Gale w. Monson,
Argusville. 80 species; H. L. Chaffee,
Armenia, AZ species: Albert Harris,
Napoleon. 20 species. In general the
frequency Of the different birds re-
mains about the am as reported last
week.
The Argusville and Park River lists
are Of particular interest because
they were taken on the same day,
June IA, under favorable conditions
and include the numbers Of individual
birds see for each species. The
number Of individuals Is at hand for
the Fargo and Mapleton lists also.
The writer was interested to find that
at Park River he had just about the
same difficulty in securing as many
as so species as he had at Fargo. The
diversity Of country covered at Park
River seemed much more favorable,
but the 10 additional species were OBJ
tanned chiefly by reason OF a much
longer time in the field and several
which were expected were still miss
Ing from the list.
The total number Of individuals
listed at Park River was 1885, half Of
which were included In eight species
as follows: Clay-colored sparrow 81,
yellow warbler 81, robin So, goldfinch
60, red-winged blackbird So, mourn
ing dove S., kingbird 81, meadowlark
50. At Argusville the total was 497
and the leading species considerably
different as follows: Savanna SPAR
row Ill. bobolink As, kingbird 80,
meadowlark 80, Arkansas kingbird "a,
grasshopper sparrow "a, cowbird ~.
mourning dove Is.
The Fargo list included $50 birds
with red-winged blackbird ITS,
mourning dove Al, cowbird 81, robin
q, meadowlark 26, savanna sparrow
81. goldfinch 20, barn swallow 20. The
Mapleton list of 248 includes meadow
Lark Sc, red-winged blackbird ~,
hronzed grackle SO. kingbird 20, Ark
ansas kingbird II, horned lark IL,
bobolink 10, mourning dove Z.
It is interesting that In every case
SO few as 8 species would include half
OF the total. The numbers found
vary considerably with the territory
covered. The Fargo route included a
half-mile or more OF drainage ditch
where the red-winged blackbirds
nest in numbers. None Of the other
lists contain any such number found
in one place, 7 and 8 being the larg-
est groups recorded at Park River.
The Argusville territory was more
largely natural meadow as shown by
the many savanna sparrows and
bobolinks but few robins and yellow
warblers. The Fargo and Park River
routes included more of river woods
and groves.
Arkansas kingbirds were notably
less common at Park River than at
Fargo. The writer "a unable to
find either the redstart or ovenbird
at Park River though he explored
carefully considerable territory OF the
proper type. One or more individuals
of both species are found regularly
at Fargo in q certain small area. On
ly 8 clay-colored sparrows were count
ed at Fargo. This seems difficult to
account for unless it Is as a very To-
cal condition, since they were listed
in considerable numbers at Argus
vile.