Show A 0 hawks and owls destry destroy many voracious rodents ferruginous a s la Is one of our largest and most beneficial birds as it feeds on meadow mice and other mammals prepared by tho united states department ot of agriculture according to biological authorities of the united states slates department of agriculture certain hawks and owls are of value to tile tho farmer in destroying voracious rodents notwithstanding the deep rooted prejudice against those birds it Is the belief that tho the good they do overbalances over balances the evil haaka and owls may be divided arbitrarily into four classes I 1 species wholly beneficial 2 those cli chiefly lefly beneficial 3 those in which beneficial and harmful qualities about balance 4 harmful species it should be stated that several birds of prey belong to one or another class according to locality A hawk or owl may bo locally injurious because at that place mice squirrels insects and other noxious animals are scarce and consequently the bird Is driven to teed feed on oil things of more or less value to man while in other regions where its natural food abounds it does absolutely no harm bann A good example of tills this kind Is the great horned owl to the wholly beneficial class the squirrel hawk or ferruginous rough leg and the four kites the white tailed kite mississippi kite swallow tailed kite and over everglade glade kite belong the chiefly beneficial class contains cont alna a majority of our hawks and owls and includes the following kinds marsh hawk harris hawk red tailed hawk rod red shouldered li hawk a w k short tailed hawk Sw swainson attison hawk broad winged hawk mexican black hawk Blex mexican ican Z copper hawk chicken hawk upper figure adult male lower alp ure immature female goshawk sparrow hawk audubon car ara barn owl long eared owl short eared owl great gray owl barrel owl western owl richardson owl acadian owl screech owl screech DWI awl snowy owl hawk owl burrowing owl pygmy owl ferruginous pygmy owl mid elf f tho clar which v alch the harmful and beneficial aea balance includes the bolden ble ie bald eagle pigeon hawk hawk falcon prairie falcon and great horned owl the harmful class comprises the duck hawk sharp chinned shinned hav hawk k cooper hawk and goshawk the rough legged hawk and tho the ferruginous rugh rug inous ious or squirrel hawk as it Is sometimes called on account of its fondness fetidness for ground squirrels so destructive in the west are among our largest and most beneficial hawks the former breeds wholly north of the united states migrating south in september and october and remaining un til the following april the latter breeds extensively through tho the great plains region the winter range of the is determined more by the fall of snow than by the intensity of cold tile the main body advancing and retreating as the barrier of snow melts or accumulates meadow mice and lemmings form the staple food of this bird lemmings do not reach our territory except in alaska but in th ho north of europe they occasionally form into vast ast migrating devastating hordes which carry destruction to crops in the country invaded the vole or meadow mouse Is common in many parts of this country and east of the mississippi river without doubt Is the most destructive manit mammal nal to agriculture it destroys destros inea meadows dows by tunneling under them and eating the roots of grass this mouse also destroys grain and various kinds of eg et ables especially tubers but probably does oven even more damage by girdling young oung fruit trees the to lo one of mans most important allies against meadow mice feeding on little else during its six months sojourn in the united states it thus renders important service in chocking checking the ravages of these small but formidable pests the Is somewhat crepuscular in habits being on the alert during twilight and early dawn when small mammals are most moat active other mice rabbit q and around squirrels are eaten occasionally nut anil some of the older arl erb state that thai water waterfowl rowl alq ar captured b this bird but there la Is nl nc known I 1 la I 1 stance of its attacking birds stomachs achs of specimens shot in locations teeming with waterfowl contained nothing but tile tho remains of meadow mice the rough log Is as fully beneficial na as its ita relative t though the G character of its food differs somewhat in many parts of the country inhabited by it meadow mice which play such buell an important part in the economy of tho the other bird are scarce or wanting but are replaced by nearly as destructive rodents tho the ground squirrels upon these this large and I 1 1 6 4 I 1 xa va sharp shinned chinned hawk the enemy of small birds and chickens upper figure immature matucci Im female lower figure adult male handsome hand soma hawk wages continuous warfare and great Is the service it performs in keeping their numbers in check rabbits prairie dogs and occasionally casio caslo nally pouched gophers are eaten the marsh hawk la is one of the most valuable on account of its abundance wide distribution and habits it Is more or less common throughout the united states and may be ba easily recognized by its whito rump slender blender form and long narrow wings as it beats untiringly iver the meadows marshes and prairie lands in search of food if it were not that occasionally it pounces upon small birds gamo game and poultry its place in the first class would be insured for it is an indetta indefatigable rodents such as aa meadow mice rabbits ab bits arboreal squirrels and ground squirrels are its favorite quan quarta 7 in parts of the west the last named animals form its chief all subsistence lizards snakes frogs and birds also are taken abundant proof Is at hand to show that the red tailed hawk greatly prefers the smaller maii man manuals mals reptiles and batrachians ns taking little else when these can bo be obtained in sufficient numbers it if hard pressed by hunger however it will eat any form of life and will not reject even offal and carrion dead crows from about the roost osta poultry which aaa aas ben thrown on the compost heap and flesh from the tha carcasses of goats sheep and tho the larger domesticated animals are eaten at such times the red shouldered hawk or as it Is sometimes incorrectly called tho the hen hawk Is common and very valuable to the farmer it Is more nearly omnivorous than most of our birds ot of prey and Is known to feed on mice birds snakes frogs fish grasshoppers 41 great horned owl centipedes spiders crawfish earth worms and snails about DO per cent of its food consists of injurious main and insects and hardly 1 per cent of poultry and game |