Evening star., 1944-04-27
This and That
By Charles E. TrnceUeu.
"TAKOMA PARK, Md.
By Charles

Z y,
Dear Sir:
Perhaps you can identify recent
visitor to my window feeding station.
This bird is approximately Z to tx
inches in length and in form and actions
very similar to the startling and the
grackle. The plumage, above and be-
meath, is purplish- black to coal black.
Fee and legs are black and the head
and neck are solid cinnamon brown.
{ The bill is almost black. To me 1t ap-
pears to be an unusual color cosnbina-
ton. do not find similar description
applied to any of the species described
IN my book on wildbirds.
II have been a constant reader of your
column for the past decade, or longer,
and have always found your obserya-
tions on people, animals and birds to be
very interesting and instructive.
my feeding station is surrounded by
shrubbery and trees, and has been
catering to the cardinal, catbird, blue
jay, titmouse, chickadee, mockingbird,
thrush and thrasher for the past three
years. The thrasher is not a frequent
visitor but the wood thrushes eat the
raisins and share them with the robins
and mockingbirds all through the sum-
mer
Il have often wanted to ask you if you
have ever seen the thrasher throw dead
leaves over his shoulder to a distance
OF foot or more? This performance is
almost unbelievable unless one has wit
messed it from closeup position.
Yours truly, G. F. S."
X X *
Our correspondents bird is the cow
bird.
Many persons cannot believe that a
cowbiro is a fine looking bird. They
have read about the evil habits of the
creature, in laying its eggs in some
other birds nest, and seem unwilling to
accept the bird they see for the bird it
really is.
The simple truth is that the cowbird
IN the East Is not only handsome, but
unique, in that it is the only species
with black body and brown head.
Seen close at hand, the combination
Is really very striking and attractive.
The female is gray and brown bird.
lacking the eye appeal of the mate. The
young are streaked and cannot compare
with the old man.
A walking bird, the cowbird attracts
instant attention, because there are not
many species which walk The grackle
and the Startling and the oven bird are
the ones which come to mind. The
pipit also walks.
The coWbird in the West is rather
larger and more uncouth, lacking the
real glamor of the species which is seen
hereabouts
The length of our bird is inches.
Its social habits have outWeighed all
its beauty, in descriptions and writings.
Like the European cuckoo, it puts it's
eggs IN the nests of other birds and per-
mlJS the foster parents to feed and bring
up the parasites.
The eggs are deposited by the mother
5ingly, usually in the nests of smaller
birds, thus putting tremendous strain
on the economy of the nest. SparroWs
or warblers are favorite victims.
Occasionally as many as five cowbird
eggs have been found in a nest.
The cowbird egg, being larger than
the rightful egg, receives more warmth
from the small foster mother. The cow
bird eggs also requires shorter period
of incubation.
So the baby cowbird gets an early
start and usually manages to get the
lions Share-or shall we simply say the
cowbirds share?-of the food
1t is strange fact of nature that the
foster mother never seems to resent the
presence Of the larger egg, and takes as
good care of the baby as of her very
own, In fact, she takes better care of
it, since its Importantly for food makes
the mother give 1t more.
For every cowbrd raised, it is esti-
mated that from two to five other birds
must perish. We therefore pay high
price for them. The actual food habits
Of the adult cowbirds are beneficial.
Grasshoppers are favorite tidbit.
The bird gets its name from its habit
OF associating with cattle. which 1t uses
to ffNsp Its game" the insects 1t enjoys