ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY Cornett University Wiliam E. Davis, Jr. INELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924090279849 UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING. Agricultural College Department. WYOMING EXPERIMENT STATION, BULLETIN NO. 55. SEPTEMBER, 1902. Le /* “ih ROCKY MOUNTAIN JAY “Came ROBBER.” The Birds of Wyoming. By WILBUR C. KNIGHT. . Bulletins will be sent free upon request. Address: Director Experinieét Station, Laramie, Wyo. * De ABS ee ——$__— gs Wyoming Agricul wel Experinet station, UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING. .BOARD OF TRUSTEES, Hon. OTTO GRAMM, President, Laramie.................0005 1903 Hon. GRACE RAYMOND HEBARD, B.S.,Ph.D.,Sec’y, Cheyenne.1903 Hon. HENRY L. STEVENS, M. D.,. Laramie...............0000- 1903 Hon. TIMOTHY F. BURKE, LL. B., Vice President, Cheyenne. 1907 Hon. JOHN C. DAVIS, Treasurer, Rawlins..............+0.000- 1907 Hon. MORTIMER JESURUN, M. D., Douglas...............055 1907 Hon. ARTHUR C. JONES, Laramie............. cece eee renee 1903 Hon. JOHN A. BECKWITH, Evanston..............--0 see seers 1905 Hon. S. CONANT PARKS, Ph. D., Lander................-0005 1905 State Supt. of Public Instruction T. T. TYNAN.........66- Ex-officio President ELMER E. SMILEY, A. M., D. D............0055 Ex-officio Agricultural Committee of the Board of Trustees. H. L. STEVENS, Chairman...:......... cece cece cece ees Laramie OTTO! GRAMM. «wii sawec is awa ceive nes ones nersiwe se seees Laramie As GWJONES | 2s distaste. cio hans cae eee Mise es cha oe4 gees Laramie President of the University of Wyoming, ELMER E. SMILEY, A. M., D. D. STATION COUNCIL. BE. E, SMILEY, Ay Mi [De Diss .soeiiessn dow ceians ce neva ces’. President B. C. BUFFUM, M.S&...... Director, Agriculturist and Horticulturist A. NELSON, M. S., A. M............ FEES CADEETAA MATS Cu ceE Botanist HB. B, SLOSSON, M. S., PH. Di... ce. cece eee cence cece enees Chemist W. C. KNIGHT, A. M., PH. Do... ... ce cece eee n eee tenes Geologist C. B. RIDGAWAY, A. M.... cece eee eee Physicist and Meteorologist G. R. HEBARD, A. M., Ph. D.......... Ss Aa astaneea ae Secretary BURTON P. FLEMING, B. S........--eeeeecees Irrigation Engineer ELIAS B. NELSON, A. M........ceeeeeeees Assistant Horticulturist WO BN. SIGMAN 6 sesie te iece acon She tases Shree Foreman Experiment Farm Introduction. Being a geologist it may appear strange for me to pose as the author of a bird bulletin. No doubt I should apologize for undertaking work of this nature. A simple staternent of the case will, I trust, make it plain to all why I have taken up this study. For a number of years we have had constant inquiries at the University for some literature on the birds of the state. As time went on these became more numerous but there was no one to take up the subject. Being the curator of the museum I volunteered my services five years ago, and the board have been very generous in granting me assistance. While I make no pretense at being an ornithologist, I have always been deep- ly interested in the birds, and at one time when a young man did spend considerable time in studying them. Upon taking up the work there were three avenues open from which I could secure data: 1, the published reports per- taining to the birds of the state. 2, observations of ornitholo- gists or collectors in the state that had not been published. 3, to make a collection of skins, and secure as much data as possi- ble first hand. While there was considerable material available under the first and second divisions, yet there was a wide field that had not been worked, and a great deal of valuable infor- mation to be secured. A collection was immediately started and with the valuable assistance of Chas. W. Gilmore, who was a student at that time, but at the present is in the depart- ment of palaeontology of the Carnegie Museum, rapid progress was made. ‘The collection at this time numbers a little less than 600 skins ; but in many instances there is but a single skin representing a species. 2 Wyoming Experiment Station. Those in the state who have been sufficiently interested in the birds to make collections have furnished valuable infor- mation, all of which is duly accredited under the heading “Ac- knowledgments.” The published notes have not been satisfactorily disposed of. Some of the earlier work is a half century old, and to make this conform to the present nomenclature without having the specimens to consult, is more difficult than it appears on the onset. Where the early data could be placed unquestionably this was done. In other cases they were as a rule. placed in accordance with the recent geographical distribution of the species. Since there are many eastern and western forms that iningle in eastern Wyoming it will be necessary to have extensive collections made before many points can be settled. The fact that many new species and varieties have been named during the last quarter of a century caused a great deal of confusion, since in many cases it was impossible to tell anything about the specimens that had been collected. The material in this bulletin is a very insignificant contri- bution to the history of the birds of the state, and is offered as an aid rather than a study of this great subject. Vast areas in the state remain without having been visited and no locality has been sufficiently worked to secure all of the attainable data. Southwestern Wyoming offers special inducements for the study of birds, and there are only a few references to Uinta county in this publication. In collecting these data there has been but one aim—scientific accuracy. No attempt has been made to swell the list so that it might compare favorably with or exceed the adjoining states. Unless there has been good reasons for including data they have been set aside. Those who have furnished data have in every instance been fully competent to judge as to the legality of the determinations, and it is hoped that there will be but few if any birds included in this list which will not be found by fu- ture collectors. It is my opinion that within the next ten years the list will be increased by at least fifteen or twenty species. The Birds of Wyoming. 3 A PARTIAL LIST OF THE PUBLICATIONS PER- TAINING TO WYOMING BIRDS. While this list includes most of the important papers there are a good many others to be found in the various journals that have made a specialty of publishing notes on ornithological topics. Wood, W. S. Lieut. Bryan’s Wagon Road Expedition to Salt Lake and Return, 1856-57. Notes 18 species of birds taken in Wyoming. Hayden, Dr. Lieut. Warren’s Expedition, 1857. Hayden notes 22 species taken in Wyoming. U. P. Railroad Surveys, Vol. IX, 1853-56, lists 80 species of birds taken in Wyoming. This includes all of the work of earlier authors. In the appendix of the same volume there is a list of 110 species collected in Wyoming by Mr. Drexel, an assistant to Dr. Cooper in the year 1858. All but a few of these were taken at Fort Bridger and represent nearly all of the col- lecting done in southwestern Wyoming. Collection of birds by Chas. S. McCarthy, Exploration across the Great Basin of Utah, 1859, appendix K., pp. 377-381 inclusive, enumerating 50 species taken in Wyoming. U. S. Geol. Sur. of the Territories, Hayden, 1870. Smith and Stevenson reported a list of 124 species from Wyoming. Hayden’s U. S. Geol. Sur. of the Territories, 1872, pp. 670-704 inclusive, in which Dr. Merriam, author of the section, mentions 34 species taken in Wyoming. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 3, No. 6. Notes of an Orinthological Reconnoissance of Portions of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. By J. A. Allen. In this paper theré are 28 species that were taken in Wyoming. Notes on the Birds of Wyoming and Colorado, by C. H. Holden, Jr., with additional memoranda by C. E. Aiken. Pro- ceedings of the Boston Society of National History, pages 193- 210 inclusive, Vol. XV, 1873. This list numbers 142 species. 4 Wyoming Experiment Station. Most of these were collected’in the vicinity of Sherman, Wyo., and southward into Colorado and in but few instances were. exact locations given. Black Hills of Dakota, Ludlow, 1874, pages 85-102, by G: B. Grinnell, a list of 110 species of birds taken on this ex- pedition. Although near the Wyoming boundary on the east and north only 5 species are accredited to Wyoming. There are, however, very few, if any, reported that have not been found in this state. : Birds of the Northwest. Coues, 1874. Refers 159 species to Wyoming. This list includes the work of Dr. Coues and all previously published records. G. B. Grinnell, Carroll, Montana, to Yellowstone National Park, 1875, pp. 73 to 92 inclusive. Dr. Grinnell enumerates 52 species taken in Wyoming and adds a list of 81 birds known in the Park, which represents the work of Dr. Merriam and himself. S. W. Williston, with notes by G. B. Grinnell, Forest and Stream, Vol. XII, four papers citing 109 species taken in Car- bon county. State Agricultural College, Bulletin No. 44, Ft. Collins, Colo. Further Notes on the Birds of Colorado, by W. W. Cook. In this bulletin Mr. Cook makes several references to Wyoming birds. The most of these data were obtained through this university, and without our consent or permission were used in the above publication. There are also several refer- ences to specimens that had been collected by this institution which he published and did not give credit to this institution or the collector. I wish to call attention to the following in this bulletin: No. 120, p. 156; No. 187, p. 157—the data re- garding this specimen was secured by me. No. 222, p. 1 58; No. 434, p. 162, the data on which he extended the range of this species was secured by C. W. Gilmore and was taken from this institution. Likewise is the note on No. 607, p. 167. On page 168, No. 645a, Mr. Cook is-in error, for this is a typical Nash- The Birds of Wyoming. 5 ville Warbler. All of the above data were collected for this bulletin and shown Mr. Cook upon his request; but he did not ask permission to use it in his bulletin, nor did he suggest more than that he wanted it for his private information. NOTES PUBLISHED IN THE AUK. Auk, Vol. VI, p. 341, May 23, 1889—Dendroica pennsyl- vanica, one—Bond. Auk, Vol. VI, p. 341, May 25, 1889—Micropalama himan- topus, 2 bds.—Bond. Auk, Vol. VI, p. 341, May 28, 1889—Piranga erythromelas, one—Bond. Auk, Vol. X, p. 206, May 20, 1893—Ridgway recalls cap- ture of birds at Fort Bridger which he called Junco Ridgwayi, but this name was referred to annectens afterwards. ... Auk, Vol. XI, p. 258————,, 1894—Mimus polyglottos nesting at Cheyenne, Bond. aga Auk, Vol. XIV, p. 94—Ridgway cites the capture of Juncos at Fort Bridger which is (Auk, 1897) called Junco mearnst. Auk, Vol. XVI, 1899, July 12—Pelecanus occidentalis, Cheyenne, first record, Bond. Auk, Vol. XVIII, 1901—Scotiaptex cimerea—specimen found mounted at Wells P. O. near head of Green River. Kill- ed by Wm. Wells with snowshoe pole in April, 1899. Bond. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. I take this opportunity to sincerely thank those who have assisted me in the preparation of this bulletin. I wish to es- pecially mention the names of Mr. Robt. Ridgway and Dr. Merriam of Washington, who have identified skins and fur- nished me with literature and. other valuable data; Mr. Frank Bond, of Cheyenne; Dr. Mortimer Jesurun, of Douglas; Mr. West, of Buffalo, and Mr. Burnett, of Little Medicine, for fur- 6 Wyoming Experiment Station. nishing valuable data regarding the birds of their own vicinity; all of which is acknowledged in the body of the Bulletin. Messrs. Bond and Jesurun each furnished data pertaining to over 200 species. Tio Mr. Chas. W. Gilmore, a faithful and deserving student, I wish to more than thank, for without his assistance this bulletin would have been an impossibility. Again I thank Mr. Bond for the excellent work he’ chas done in mak- ing the drawings, and also for donating all of the line work from which the zinc etchings were made. NOMENCLATURE. In this bulletin the A. O. U. check list has been followed as closely as possible. With the exception of the ninth and tenth supplements of the revised second edition I'am unfamiliar, and there may be some changes adopted in the supplements number- ing from 1 to 8, inclusive, that I-have not included. In a few instances I have followed Ridgway in his Bulletin No. 50, Smithsonian Institution, and have placed an interrogation after the number, not knowing whether . they have been adopted by the committee or not. A NOTE ON STUDYING BIRDS. The study of birds is one of those intensely interesting subjects that can be taken up-by any one. I do not mean by this statement that any one can become an ornithologist; but that all can with due care and study become well acquainted with the birds of their own vicinity, and add much valuable data to the bird literature by careful observations. In case you are not familiar with birds, the first thing will be to purchase a few books that will describe the characters that are used in description. After one is fairly well posted on this line it will be well to purchase a book entitled Robert Ridg- AECHMOPHORUS OCCIDENTALIS. Western Grebe. 1. COLYMBUS HOLBGLLII. Holbell’s Grebe. COLYMBUS NIGRICOLLIS CALIFORNICUS. American Eared Grebe, The Birds of Wyoming. T way’s Manual of North American Birds. With this purchase the latest check list of the A. O. U., and become a member of the American Ornithologists’ Union. Then with this bulletin to tell you what has been done with the birds of Wyoming you are ready to commence work. I would recommend that you commence to make a collection of skins immediately, for in no other way can you accumulate really valuable data. There are numerous small publications that will explain in detail how to make bird skins. As soon as you commence to study, do not think that you will have to quit work to study birds. Get up before the sun in the morning and about your own home you will find ample material to keep you busy for several seasons. Then upon your vacations and holidays you will always find ample time.to add data to your collection. Provide yourself with a large note book. Do not simply note that you have seen a certain species ot that you have captured one; but take careful notes on migration, nesting, food habits and every phase of a bird’s life. In this way you will within the space of a few years, if you are diligent, accumulate a large amount of very interesting and valuable data. In identifying birds there is always more or less difficulty with a few groups; but on the whole one can very soon learn to recognize the most of the birds that he meets. When there are difficult specimens, as for instance the sparrows, it is al- ways advisable to call upon some one that has a large collection of skins that are properly identified, for comparison. The university will always be glad to grant any aid it possibly can to those in the state who will study the birds. When there are difficult problems to solve I would recommend that the skin be sent to the National Museum or to the Department of Agri- culture at Washington, D. C., for determination. To the citizens of Wyoming, let me ask that they interest their boys in the study of birds. Give them an opportunity to become acquainted with birds, and in learning to study them 8 Wyoming Experiment Station. you will create a desire to study something else. It is a health- ful exercise, it will keep your boys in good company and pre- vent them from looking up some less hélpful recreation, as well as stimulate them for greater exertions. The university will always be very glad to assist any one in starting upon this subject in the way of giving advice, identifying birds or recom- mending the best publications for the various lines of work. Birds in Their Relation to Agriculture. There are as a rule only a few persons in each vicinity that pay any attention to birds. Some note their beauty, oth- ers their song, while the vast majority ask the question—are they good to eat? In case they are not, then they are con- sidered as valueless and it matters not whether they receive any attention from man or not. While there are many species of birds that are valuable for food, the part they play in the economy of an agricultural or grazing region is insignificant as compared with the numerous other species that act as an army to keep down insect pests, or destroy troublesome goph- ers, mice and prairie dogs. On account of the great benefit that is to be derivéd from birds taken as a whole, I take great pleasure in publishing the following article which was written by Prof. Laurence Bruner of the University of Nebraska, and published in the proceedings of the second annual meeting of the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, pp. 18-29, 1901, under the title, “Birds in Their Relation To Agriculture.” “When civilized man takes possession of new regions and begins cultivating the soil and establishes his sovereignty there, the equilibrium as it existed upon his arrival is very quickly disturbed. One or more of the many forms of life, plant and animal, that were previously held within certain lim- its gain ascendency. The introduction of new crops that furn- The Birds of W ‘yoming. 9 ish an abundance of the proper food for some insect, enables this form to increase out of all proportions and harm soon results. The killing off of certain other forms of life that nat- urally keep still others in check also assists in disturbing the equilibrium further. The cutting down and clearing away of forests removes the shelter and homes of others, as does also the turning under of prairie grasses. Then, too, many of the natural residents of primeval forests and virgin prairies shun the sight of man, hence they gradually withdraw from the region, and their influence for good or evil goes with them. Since the majority of such forms are timid and inoffensive creatures, their withdrawal only adds that much more to the already overbalanced conditions. Year by year the gap which at first was scarcely noticeable becomes widened, so that fre- quent inroads are made and harm results. Instead of trying to ascertain the true cause for all this trouble perhaps exactly the wrong thing is done by the settlers. This of course only has the effect of further widening the gap between safety and danger. Since an insect or other animal becomes noticeably harmful only when present in alarming numbers, it stands to reason that anything which favors such an abnormal increase is a factor in disturbing nature and should be quickly rectified where possible. In order that these disturbances should be looked after the all-wise God of the universe created birds and gave them the power of flight that they might the more readily move about rapidly from place to place where their services might be needed in balancing affairs. Hence birds have naturally and rightfully been called the ‘balancers’ in na- ture. This being true, let us see just what their relations are to agriculture. “The farmer sows in order that he may reap an increased measure of what he has sown. In doing this he must first turn over the soil. This destroys many existing plants as well as animals that depend upon them for food. The plants thus turned down cannot regain their position and must of neces- 10 : Wyoming Experiment Station. sity die. Not so with many of the animals, however, which soon work their way to the surface. Some of these attack the growing plants which have.been made to occupy the place of those destroyed by the plow. Others take wing and seek suitable food in adjoining districts where they add 'to the num- bers already drawing upon the vegetation up to the point of possible continued supply. Here, then, the scales begin to vibrate. In the field the new and tender crop entices the ever- shifting individuals of myriads of forms that have been crowded out elsewhere. The result here too is, or would be, very disastrous were it not for the timely visit of flocks of birds likewise in search of food. “Tt is during the period of first settlement of a country, when the fields are small, few and widely separated, that in- jury may and frequently does result from birds. It is then a ptoblem that needs careful consideration, not only for the time being, but also for the future welfare of that countty. If animal life is destroyed indiscriminately and without intel- ligent forethought, calamities unforeseen are sure to follow in the not distant future. “Birds can be useful to man in many ways. ‘They can benefit him by carrying the seeds of various plants from place to place so as to assist him in establishing new groves in which to find shelter from the cold in winter and refuge from the heat of the noonday sun in summer. They plant various shrubs by the wayside that spring up and later are laden with luscious fruit. They also carry the spawn of fishes and small crus- taceans among their feathers into new waters, and feed upon the countless seeds of weeds that are scattered broadcast over the face of the earth. Some kinds live almost exclusively upon insects, while others hunt out the small rodents that would, if left to themselves, destroy great quantities of grain and other vegetation. Still other birds benefit mankind by acting as scavengers in the removal of putrid and other offensive matter which would endanger our health. In addition to dll The Birds of Wyoming. 11 these varied direct benefits which are brought about by the presence of birds, man is further indebted to these creatures for the cheer which their gay music, bright plumage and pleasant manners bring to him. The birds form a carefully organized army of police which is engaged in keeping affairs balanced in nature. ’ , “But we can go even further summing up the benefits that men may derive from the birds. A great many kinds make excellent food, while others furnish sport and pleasure to a large number of men and boys who seem to require a cer- tain kind of entertainment while accompanied with dog ana gun, Dead birds when embalmed as mummies and attached to the head-gear worn by some girls and women are also claimed to cause much happiness. “Birps AS ENEMIES.—It would be ridiculous for me to assert here that no injury ever resulted from the presence of birds on the farm or in the orchard. Quite a number of differ- ent species are continually stepping over to the wrong side of the ‘ledger’ as it were, and committing depredations of various kinds which if considered alone would render the perpetrators liable to severe punishment—in some cases even unto death. Some of the crimes that can be charged to the feathered tribe are cherry and berry-stealing, grape-puncturing, apple-pecking, corn-pulling, grain-eating, the unintentional carrying from place to place of some kinds of scale insects that happen to crawl on their legs and feet, the possible spreading of hog cholera by crows and buzzards, the robbing of the poultry yards, and lastly some birds are accused of making noises that awaken us from our slumbers in the morning. “Some of these crimes are genuine and are to be deplored, while others are more imaginary than real. A few of them could be prevented in part or altogether, while others might be diminished if we were inclined to take the trouble to do it. “After all that can be said pro and con concerning the usefulness of birds in general there remains no doubt, in the 12 Wyoming Experiment Station. minds of thinking people at least, as to the value of these crea- tures. It is only the vicious, biased, and thoughtless persons who continue ruthlessly to destroy birds indiscriminately with- out first pausing to consider whether or not, it is a proper thing to do, whether it is right or wrong. “Foop Hasrrs.—So varied is this task of evening up in nature mentioned above that if attended to properly the work- ers must be numerous in individuals and possess widely differ- ent habits. That such is the case can readily be seen by the following brief account of the various groups of our Nebraska birds, along with brief statements of their food-habits. “The Grebes and Loons feed chiefly upon snails and oth- er aquatic animals such as are found about their haunts. They also capture many grasshoppers and similar insects that hap- pen in their way. They cannot, therefore, be classed among the especially bebeficial birds, néither can they be termed in- jurious on account of what they eat. “The Gulls, provided as they are with long wings and great powers for flight, are not confined to the sea-coast, hence they reach far inland in their migrations, feeding extensively upon insects like locusts, June-beetles, crickets, etc., large num- bers of which they destroy annually. Several kinds of these birds are known to follow the plow and pick up the white grubs and other insects that are turned up and laid bare. In early days, when grasshoppers did much harm in this state, numerous flocks of these birds were seen to feed upon these insects. “The Cormorants and Pelicans are chiefly destroyers of fishes and frogs, hence can hardly be classed among the most beneficial forms, but whether or not they do any more than to maintain the necessary equilibrium in that particular part of the vast field of nature it is difficult to judge without time for investigation. “The various Ducks and Geese which are also nearly as aquatic in their habits as some of the foregoing, frequently : The Birds of Wyoming. 13 leave their haunts and make excursions into the surrounding country where in summer they feed upon locusts, beetles and other injurious insects. They also partake of considerable quantities of vegetable food, as grains, weed seeds, grasses and other herbage. While not included among the insectivorous forms these birds do much towards diminishing the-ever in- creasing horde of creeping and jumping things. Ducks and geese on the other hand are largely utilized by us as food; while their feathers make comfortable pillows and coverlets. “The Herons, Cranes, and Rails are frequenters of marshes and the margins of streams and bodies of water, where they assist in keeping the various forms among the animal life balanced. Fishes, frogs, snails, insects, and crustaceans are alike devoured by them. “The Snipe, Sandpipers, Plovers, Phalaropes, Curlews, etc., are great destroyers of insects. Moving as many of them do in great flocks and spreading out over the meadows, pas- tures, and hillsides, as well as among the cultivated fields, they do a large amount of careful police service in arresting the cul- prits among insects. They even pry them out of burrows and crevices in the earth where these creatures lurk during day- time only to come forth after nightfall to destroy vegetation. The large flocks of Eskimo Curlews that formerly passed through eastern Nebraska did magnificent work during years when the Rocky Mountain Locust was with us, as did also the equally large flocks of Golden Plovers. The Bartramian Sandpiper even now is a great factor each summer in check- ing the increasing locusts on our prairies. “The various members of the Grouse family, while be- longing to a grain-eating group, are certainly quite prominent as insect destroyers. Especially is this true with respect to the Quail, Prairie Hen, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and Wild Tur- key, all of which are occupied most of the summer months in capturing and destroying vast numbers of such insects as are found on the prairies. Grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, cater- 14 Wyoming Experiment Station. pillars, and similar insects comprise the bulk of their insect food—forms that are all among the most numerous as well as destructive species. In writing about these birds as in- sect destroyers Prof. Samuel Aughey writes: ‘I happened to be in the Republican valley, in southwestern Nebraska, in Au- gust, 1874, when the locust invaded that region. Prairie chickens and quails, that previous. to- their coming had a large number of seeds in their stomachs, when dissected, seemed now for a time to abandon all other kinds of food: At least from this onward for a month little else than locusts were found in their stomachs. All the birds seemed now to live solely on locusts for a while.’ In winter and at other times of the year when insect life is scarce and difficult to obtain these birds feed more or less extensively upon seeds and other Kinds of vegetation. Some even enter cultivated grounds and seek food that belongs to the farmer, thereby doing more or less direct injury. The extent of such injury, of course, de- pends upon the number of birds engaged in the depredations, and, also on the time over which it is allowed to extend. If corn and other. grain is harvested at the proper time, but little damage ensues ; but if allowed to remain in the field through- out winter, much of the crop is liable to be taken by the birds. “Perhaps no other bird that frequents the farm pays high- er prices for the grain it eats than does the Quail. Living about the hedgerows, groves and ravines, where insect ene- mies gather and lurk during the greater part of the year, this bird not only seizes large numbers of these enemies daily dur- ing the summer months when they are ‘abroad in the land,’ but all winter through it scratches among the fallen leaves and other rubbish that accumulates about its haunts seeking for hibernating insects of various kinds. Being a timid little crea- ture, the Quail seldom leaves cover to feed openly in the fields, and therefore does but little actual harm in the way of de- stroying grain. In fact it only takes stray kernels that other- wise might be lost. This bird is one of the few that feeds 1. GAVIA IMBER. Loon. 2. HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA SURINAMENSIS. Black Tern. 8. STERNA HIRUNDO. Common Tern, ‘y7ng palnig-Buly “SISNIYYMYTIG SNYYT ‘11ND s,azavdouog “y/HdTFGVTIHd SN4VT “Lk The Birds of Wyoming. 15 upon that unsavory insect, the chinch-bug; and the number of this pest that occasionally are destroyed by it is really as- tonishing. No farmer or fruit-grower should ever kill a quail himself nor allow anyone else to hunt it on his premises. “Our domestic fowls, save ducks and geese, from which so much direct income is derived throughout the year, belong here. It would be folly on my part to assert that they are useless to the farmer. Besides furnishing eggs and meat for the table, they ‘are great aids in keeping down a variety of noxious insects during spring, summer and fall. “The various species of Doves or Pigeons are not, as a tule, thought of as being especially harmful, yet repeated ex- aminations of their stomach contents would indicate that their food seldom, if ever, consists of anything but grains and vari- ous kinds of seeds along with other particles of vegetation. The good done by these birds as destroyers of weed seeds more than pays for the harm done by them as grain-eaters. “Recent careful study with reference to the food habits of Hawks and Owls carried on by the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture go to show that these birds, with but few exceptions, are the farmer’s friends rather than his enemies. It appears that the good which they accomplish in the way of destroying mice, gophers, rabbits and other small mam- mals along with great quantities of noxious insects far exceeds the possible harm they do by the occasional destruction of poultry and other birds. A critical examination of the actual contents of abotit 2,700 stomachs of these birds showed that only six of the seventy-three species found in the United States are injurious. Three of these are so rare that they need not be considered. Of the remaining three the Fish Hawk is only indirectly injurious ; hence but two remain to be considered, viz., the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks. ‘Omitting the six species that feed largely on poultry and game, 2,212 stom- achs were examined, of which 56 per cent contained mice and other small mammals, 27 per cent insects, and only 3% per cent poultry and game birds.’ 16 Wyoming Experiment Station. “The food habits of both the Turkey Vulture and the Car- rion Crow, or Black Vulture, are of such a nature that the destruction of these birds should be prohibited. In fact, in many of the states this is done by law. They live almost ex- clusively upon carrion or decomposing animal matter, and in this manner aid in the prevention of diseases that might re- sult from the presence of such filth, They may, however, be the cause of indirectly spreading hog cholera where animals that have died from this disease are left unburied or unburned. “The Cuckoos are among the few birds that habitually, feed upon hairy caterpillars, such as the various ‘tent-making’ species. They also destroy large numbers of other caterpil- lars, and do not object to beetles and other insects which they find among the foliage of trees. Although shy birds they are frequently seen in cities, where they do their share in protect- ing the shade trees from the ravages of insect defoliators. “Taking the Woodpeckers as a family, there are few per- sons but who will readily admit that these birds comprise a very useful group. Feeding, in fact, as most of them do, upon the larvae of. wood boring insects, they can readily do much greater good for the actual number of insects destroyed than if they destroyed only those that feed upon the foliage of trees. Not unfrequently will a single borer kill an entire tree if left to itself, while hundreds of foliage-feeding caterpillars of the same size have but little effect upon the appearance, to say nothing of the health, of the same tree. “Mr. F. E. L. Beal, assistant in the Division of Ornitholo- gy and Mammalogy of the United States Department of Ag- riculture, in summing up the results obtained from the ex- amination of. 679 stomachs of these birds, writes as follows: ““In reviewing the results of these investigations and comparing one species with another; without losing sight of the fact that comparative good is not necessarily positive good, it appears that of seven species considered the Downy Wood- pecker is the most beneficial.’ He then goes on to give the The Birds of Wyoming. 17 food habits based on contents of the stomachs of our most common species. ‘Judged by the stomach examinations the Downy and Hairy Woodpecker and Flicker it would be hard to find three other species of our common birds with fewer harmful qualities.’ “The Flicker is one of our most common woodpeckers in Nebraska and does much towards keeping down a number of different kinds of insects. It is very fond of ants as a diet, im fact is partial to them, and this element forms almost half of its entire food-supply during the year. It also occasionally feeds. upon the chinch-bug, as can be attested by the fact that the stomach of a specimen killed near Lincoln contained in the vicinity of 1,000 of these bugs. It is also a fruit-eater to the extent of about one-quarter of its entire bill of fare, but na- ture, not man, furnishes the supply. It takes the wild kinds in preference to those that are cultivated. “The Whippoorwill, Night Hawk, and Swifts feed entire- ly on insects, and must consequently be classed among the beneficial birds. They all capture their prey while upon the wing, and naturally destroy large numbers of troublesome kinds. “The various species of Flycatchers, as the name implies, destroy insects which they capture for the most part while on the wing. Flies and allied insects are quite prominent on their bill of fare but these by no means are the only kinds of in- sects destroyed by them. Many a luckless locust, butterfly, moth or even beetle is snapped up and devoured by the differ- ent species of the family. The Bee-bird, or King-bird as it is more frequently called, sometimes even catches bees. These latter, however, consist largely of drones, henee comparative- ly little harm is done. “One should be unprejudiced in order to write a fair bi- ography of even a bird, or group of birds. To say that I am without such prejudice with reference to some of the mem- bers of the family of birds now to be considered, would be a falsehood. Still, I shall endeavor to give as unbiased testi- 18 Wyoming Experiment Station. mony as possible with reference to their food habits at least, and let the reader judge for himself as to what would be the proper treatment for these birds. Taking the family as a whole that which is made up of birds like the Crows, Ravens, Magpies, Jays, Nut-crackers, ‘Camp-robbers,’ etc., though some of them have unenviable names and reputations at least, are not really as bad as we are sometimes requested to believe them to be. “The Crows, Ravens, Magpies and immediate relatives are what might be termed ‘omnivorous’ in fodd-habits, eating everything that comes their way. Crows, however, have been shown to feed largely on insects, which in great measure at least, offsets the harm done in other directions. They also feed on various substances, the removal of which is for the general good. “The Raven is too rare a bird in this state to be taken into consideration in respect to food-habits, and the Magpie cer- tainly can be put out of the question of doing any possible harm for the same reason. This leaves then to be considered, the Jays, of which we seem to have six or seven distinct kinds; but only two of these are at all common. The Blue Jay is found over the entire state and-is familiar to everybody. The second species is found only in the western and northwestern portions among the pine forests, and is known as the Pinon Jay or ‘Camp-robber,’ the latter name not very flattering to the bird I must confess. “The Blue Jay does much of the mischief that is laid at the door of the Robin, Orioles, Thrushes and other birds, and then sneaks away unobserved. He also destroys large num- bers of insects and robs the nest of small birds. “Tn the Bobolink, Meadowlark, Orioles and Blackbirds we have some of the most important insect destroyers among the feathered tribes. The Bobolink is with us duting the sum- mer months when it is entirely insectivorous, and the same can be said of the Cowbird, although the latter has the bad habit of compelling other birds to rear its young. The Birds of Wyoming. 19 “In the Red-winged Blackbird we havea friend that we lit- tle dream of when we see the large flocks gathering about our cornfields during late summer and early fall. During the balance of the year it is engaged most of the time in waging war on various insect pests, including such forms as the ‘grub- worm,’ cut-worms, grasshoppers, army worm, beet caterpil- lar, etc. Eyven when it visits our corn fields it more than pays for the corn it eats by the destruction of the worms that lurk under the husks of a large per cent of the ears in every field. “Several years ago the beet fields in the vicinity of Grand Island were threatened great injury by a certain caterpillar that had nearly defoliated all the beets growing in many of them. At about this time large flocks of this bird appeared and after a week’s sojourn the caterpillar plague had vanished, it having been converted into bird tissues. Numerous other rec- ords of the efficiency of their labor as destroyers of insect pests might be quoted in favor of this bird, but I do not be- lieve this to be necessary, although considerable evidence has been recorded of its destroying both fruits and grains. “The Baltimore Oriole has received such a bad reputation here in Nebraska as a grape thief during the past few years that I feel inclined to give extra time and space in endeavoring to ‘clear him’ of such an unenviable charge. This, however, I hardly think necessary when the facts in the case are known. As insect destroyers both this bird and the Orchard Oriole have had an undisputed reputation for many years; and the kinds of insects destroyed by both are of such a class as to count greatly in favor. Caterpillars and beetles belonging to injurious species comprising 96 per cent of the food of three specimens killed is the record we have in their favor. On the other hand, grapes have been punctured only ‘presumably by this bird, since he has so frequently been found in the vine- yard and must be the culprit.’ Now I myself have seen the oriole in apple orchards under compromising circumstances, and have heard pretty strong evidence to the effect that it will occasionally puncture ripe apples. It also belongs in the same 20 Wyoming Experiment Station. family with some generally accepted ‘rascals,’ hence I will admit that possibly some of the charges with which he is cred- ited may be true, but I still believe that most of the injuries to grapes in this and other states must be laid to the English Sparrow. “If we take pains to water our birds during the dry sea- sons they will be much less apt to steal this supply from the juices of fruits that are so temptingly near at hand. Place lit- tle pans of water in the orchard and vineyard where the birds can visit them without fear of being seized by the house cat or knocked over by a missile from the alert ‘small boy,’ and I am sure that the injury to fruit, to a great extent at least, will cease. “Recent investigations tend to prove that the Grackle or Crow-Blackbird does more good than harm and should be pro- tected. “Our Sparrows and their allies, taken together, form a very extensive family of very beautiful as well as useful birds. Like the warblers, they occupy themselves with searching for and destroying insects all summer long; but this is not all they do that is good. In fall, winter and early spring, when Mother Earth has lost her brilliant green and rests in sombre browns or beneath ice and snow, the Longspurs, Snow Bunting, Snow- bird, and some of the sparrows that have remained with us are busily engaged in gathering for themselves a living. They hop and fly about from place to place searching for and pick- ing up little seeds of grass, grain and weeds, of shrubs and trees, and appropriating the same to their use, chirping mer- rily as they work away. The European House Sparrow, or the English Sparrow as it is more commonly called, has the worst reputation of the entire family. But even this bird has some redeeming traits. “The Tanagers are insect destroyers, feeding for the most part on such forms as attack the foliage of trees. “All of our Swallows are insect destroyers, capturing such forms as gnats, flies, etc., which they seize while on the wing. The Birds of Wyoming. 21 The large colonies of different species of these birds that breed within the state, as well as those that pass through dur- ing their migrations, destroy vast numbers of these insects. They should be protected. “The Waxwings, both the Cedar Bird and Bohemian Wax- wing, feed principally upon berries, etc., which they find throughout the year. Still in his studies of the food contents ‘of the stomachs of a variety of birds taken in a certain orchard that was overrun with cankerworms, Professor Forbes found that the seven specimens of the Cedar Waxwing had eaten nothing but canker-worms and a few dung beetles, the latter in such small numbers as to scarcely count. The number of caterpillars eaten by each bird ranged from 70 to Io1. “The Shrikes or ‘Butcher Birds,’ are known as veritable “‘brigands’ or ‘pirates’ when it comes to the destruction of oth- er forms of life. They are true to their name, and ‘butcher’ for pastime large numbers of insects, mice, lizards, small snakes, and even a few birds. They then fly to some thorn bush or barbed-wire fence and impale the luckless victim and leave it for future use, or to dry up and finally blow away. The. good they do will outweigh the harm. “The food of the various Greenlets or Vireos is made up almost entirely of insects, of which a large percent are cater- pillars, such as infest shade trees and the larger shrubs. They should be protected and encouraged, about the orchard in par- ticular. “Tn the words of that pleasing writer, Dr. Elliott Coues: ‘The Warblers we have always with us, all in their own good time; they come out of the south, pass on, return, and are away again, their appearance and withdrawal scarcely less than a mystery; many stay with us all summer long, and some brave the winters in our midst. Some of these slight creatures guided by unerring instinct, travel true to the meridian in the hours of darkness, slipping past like a ‘thief in the night,’ stopping at daybreak from their lofty flights to rest and re- cruit for the next stage of the journey. Others pass more 22 Wyoming Experiment Station. leisurely from tree to tree, in a ceaseless tide of migration, gleaning as they go; the hardier males, in full song and plum- age, lead the way for the weaker females and yearlings. With tireless industry do the warblers befriend the human race; their unconscious zeal plays due part in the nice adjustment of nature’s forces, helping to bring about the balance of vege- table and insect life without which agriculture would be in vain. They visit. the orchard when the apple and pear, the peach, plum and cherry are in bloom, seeming to revel care- lessly amid the sweet-scented and delicately-tinted blossoms, ‘but never faltering in their good work. They peer into the crevices of the bark, scrutinize each leaf, and explore the very heart of the buds, to detect, drag forth, and destroy those tiny creatures, singly insignificant, collectively a scourge, which ‘prey upon the hopes of the fruit-grower, and which, if undis- turbed, would bring his care to naught. Some warblers flit incessantly in the terminal foliage of the tallest trees, others hug closely to the scored trunks and gnarled boughs of the forest kings, some peep from the thicket, coppice, the impene- trable mantle of shrubbery that decks tiny water-courses, play- ing at hide-and-seek with all comers; others humbler still, de- scend to the ground, where they glide with pretty mincing ‘steps and affected turning of the head this-way and that, their delicate flesh-tinted feet just stirring the layer of withered leaves with which a past season carpeted the ground. We may seek warblers everywhere in the seasons; we shall find them a ‘continued surprise; all mood and circumstance is theirs.’ “Much could be written concerning the food-habits of the various members of the group of Thrushes, Mocking-birds and Wrens. Three of the species at least are known to be more or less destructive to fruits, viz.: Catbird, Brown Thrasher and Mocking-bird. Still, if we take into account what these birds eat during the entire time spent within the state, the bal- ance sheet stands on favor of the birds as insect destroyers. The wrens are pre-eminently insect destroyers, and the others are not much behind them in this respect. MERGANSER AMERICANUS. American Merganser. ‘upaljad umo4g *S/TVLNIGIIIO SNNVIITId suvaljad BUY M U_I14aUY *SOHONAHYOUHLAYT SANVOITId *L pet The Birds of Wyoming. 23 “The members of the family of Nuthatches and Tits feeds for the most part on insects. But we lack very definite figures regarding the kinds and number of insects that each destroys. We can be sure, however, that any favors showns them. will not be thrown away. , “The Thrushes, Solitaires, Bluebirds, etc., are all bene- ficial as insect destroyers, and might be well compared with the Robin, which ‘is described quite fully beyond, only they are even less liable to commit injuries to fruits. “The Robin has certainly. been accused often enough of being a first-class rascal to warrant the belief that there must be at least some grounds for such accusations being made. In his examination of 114 stomachs of this bird, taken during ten months of the year, Professor Forbes, of Illinois, found the contents to consist of 65 per cent insects and 34 per cent of fruits and seeds. In the estimates of these food percentages taken by the Robin, as well as by other birds, bulk for bulk is taken, i. e., a quart of caterpillars or other insects is equiva- lent to a quart of cherries or a quart of berries. Professor Forbes asks this question: ‘Will the destruction of seventeen quarts of average caterpillars, including at least eight quarts of cut-worms, pay for twenty-four quarts of cherries, currants, and grapes?’ and then answers it in these words: ‘To this question I, for my own part, can only reply that I do not be- lieve that the horticulturist can sell his small fruits anywhere in the ordinary markets of the world at so high a price as to the Robin, provided that he uses proper diligence that the lit- tle huckster doesn’t overreach him in the bargain.’ “Much more might be said in favor of the Robin had I the time and space at my command. “After having carefully scanned the foregoing notes con- cerning the food-habits of our birds we cannot afford to con- tinue indifferent in our treatment of them, nor can we even al- low our neighbors to kill them though we ourselves have de- cided to reform in this respect. We must work for a change of heart in our neighbors also.” 24