Evening star., 1948-05-12
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1peH


Dear Sir:
'Your valued comment would be appreciated
on the following subject.
Il am told that the Jenny Wren is a
tyrant and practically a menace in any COM
munity where other birds build their nests In
boxes on trees. Such as bluebirds, titmice and
other species.
II am told the wren destroys the eggs and
even kills the young birds. Kindly inform me-
do snakes enter bird houses and commit
similar depredations?
"You give great pleasure and edihcation by
your rich bird lore and wisdom and personally
want to thank you Sincerely, E. j. r."
4 +
This correspondent has not been told cor
rectly about the house wren.
Although Jenny sometimes does nefarious
deeds, as outlined, most of the time she does
not.
So, such charges against her are true only
in outline; that is. they bear about as much
relation to the average Jenny as murder
charge does to the average woman.
1t must be admitted that now and then
female wren, resenting some bird neighbor,
pecks holes in eggs.
Occasionally, wren will kill another birds
babies but this is not often done.
The egg puncturing Is more common, but
still does not occur often.
A householder can have wrens around Tor
years and never see any such actions
-
An authority writes:
mo species of this family has been accused
of harm, and their presence should be en-
couraged about farms ranches and residences"
Ali the members of the wren tribe have
large families and so need great deal OF
insect food to feed them.
This means that they do great service to
the home gardens by consuming thousands OF
insects inimcal to man.
tor o1<J1t nor
cent animal food They cannot be called
vegetarians. The 2 per cent vegetable food Is
probably taken by mistake, as 1t were, along
with insects.
The house wren has two nestings a year,
with from 6 to eggs, usually white or pale
pink, sometimes spotted but not always.
The wren eggs we once thought were
deserted were the palest pink The mother
and father were playing possum because
they thought too much attention was being
paid to the nest.
When they thought no one was watching,
they would sneak back, not making SOUND
something that must be very hard for
father wren to DO, since he fairly bubbles
with song most of the time.
Despite the fact that he is regarded as
bird "Milquetoast," and very much hen-pecked,
he always is singing, veritable cascade OF
song so he must think Jenny is very nice
sort of bird, after all.
She is considerable of shrew. of course;
no doubt of that, and has been known to do
the evil deeds of which our correspondent
speaks.
Most species however, now and then do
deeds not mice" from human standpoint.
1t is very easy. seeing one specimen DO
something wrong from the human viewpoint
to think all similar specimens act so.
1t is this jumping to unfair conclusions that
has been responsible for the propaganda
against the blue jay and the common sparrow
and the startling.
Jays have been eating the eggs OF other
species-therefore all jays eat eggs, according
to the old line propaganda
Actually one may watch jays for years on
end without seeing any such thing.
As for snakes in bird houses. they may get
in, but it cannot be helped, now and then.
Perhaps people worry too much over things in
nature which may happen but do not always
happen. The birds have their proportion of
evil doers, but it is perhaps less than among
human beings, despite all our education and
teaching of love and kindness
Your average snake might like an egg or
two for breakfast, but heAis not good tree
climber and he does not go around looking
for such food. If he finds it, he eats it, but the
loss from snakes in this respect is compare
lively small, except in certain regions and
at certain times of year. and from certain
snakes. If one sees a snake hanging around
thing to drive 1t away and to keep a sharp
watch out for 1t returning, and to run in
stantly to the help of the songsters at the
first clamor from the yard.