Evening star., 1945-04-20
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceUeH.
Spring VALLEY.


Dear Sir:
"I have noticed several cowbirds in
our yard the last few days and as they
usually lay their eggs in the nests Of
our song sparrows, should like to know
if it is possible to take the eggs out of
the nests, If we find the nests, using
a teaspoon?
'I have seen the dutiful little parents
trying to feed the greedy impostors,
year after year, and 1t does seem a
shame, for their own babies are bound
to be neglected.
1--WE were having the cutters cleaned
out recently and the men found a
doves nest in one. 1t had two eggs, and
the bird was on the nest at the time.
Do they often nest near a dwelling?
Sincerely, B. L."
*k*
It Is an odd fact of nature that the
foster mothers to cowbird eggs and ba-
bies seldom seem to resent the intru-
sion.
Feeding the young is their supreme
care, and evidently they are unable, ex-
cept in rare cases, to distinguish be-
tween their own and other eggs and
babies.
The fact that the cowbird baby Is
much larger than their own, and is not
the same color, makes no difference.
The small mother goes right ahead,
in the old way, feeding the most vocif-
erous one, and as usual it gets the most
attention-and the most food.
AS result. often all or nearly all OF
the rightful heirs of the nest are starved
to death.
Sometimes a yellow warbler has been
one in which the cowbird has laid her
egg. Occasionally a bird will desert
the nest Most often no notice is taken
of the intrusion.
Almost always smaller species Is
used, so that the cowbird egg, being
larger than the rightful eggs of the
nest, get the most warmth and so
matches first.
The mother bird, responding to the
sight Of the gaping bill, and the loud
cries for food, cannot resist, but feeds
the baby cowbird; often she is so busy
at this that her own eggs do not get
enough warmth to hatch.
AS if this were not enough, sometimes
the cowbird mother punctures the right
full eggs, to make sure that there will
be no competition.
Since she will lay-in other birds
nests-as many as IL eggs season, and
since most of them will grow up at the
expense of other native birds, it has
been estimated that literally every new
cowbird costs our country at least five
other birds, most of them far more
beneficial to agriculture. It may be
realized, then, that newcomers to bird
watching who insist on blaming the
decrease Of native birds solely on Eng
lish sparrows or cats are speaking as
so many beginners do, without much
knowledge. Decrease of native species
Is not so simple.
AS for taking a cowbird egg out of a
nest with spoon, 1t might be tried;
certainly no guarantee of success would
be given, for birds are very touchy, when
1t comes to human beings around their
nests.
Doves do not ordinarily nest on houses
Their preference is for small trees
bushes, thickets or even on the ground
The nest Is placed low, and consists oil
| a few twigs, usually without edges, sc
that the wonder is that the eggs do not
roll out. Mostly but one or two eggs are
laid, with three and sometimes foul
broods a season.
Perhaps 1t is not to be wondered al
that now and then they would adopt
| a gutter on house, for their feet and
bills are both poorly adapted to nest
making.
In some OF the middle Western States
where doves seem even more at home
than around here, they have been found
incubating eggs every month in the yeal
except December and January.