OCR Text |
Show ; i Birds That Are 'I lip Your Friends ! The bluebird, one of the most fa- j jjgV miliar and welcome of our feathered l jjffi .visitors, is a common inhabitant of ii ml all the states east of the Rocky II jKj mountains from the Gulf of Mexico v jl ,JB to southern Canada. In the Missis- tjljM, sippi valley it winters as far north jJ as southern Illinois, and in the East 'ttlS as far as Pennsylvania. It is ono of ai' the earliest northern migrants, and jj$ everywhere is hailed as a harbinger , mJL of spring. Very domestic in habits, ' i it frcquouts orchards and gardens, jfj - and builds its nests in cavities of , Lll trees, crannies in farm buildings or tfjtL boxes provided for its use. fcjj' The bluebird has not been ac- ISyB cused, as far as known, of stealing IitI fruit or of preying upon crops An j examination of S55 stomachs showod , ( that 68 per cent of the food consists ml of Insects and their allies, while tho jiff other 32 por cent is made up of va- Ijrl rious vegetable substances, found lirafr mostly in stomachs taken In wintor. Mi Beetles constitute 21 per cent of tbo MM whole food, grasshoppers 22, cater- gjjjfi pillars 10 and various other insects f lm 9, while a number of spiders and tHJ, myriapoas, aoout o per ceai, com- wb ; prise tho remainder of the animal fl diet All these ar6 more or less ,in harmful, except a few predacious J beetles, which amount to 9 per cent. fjlljj fn view of the large consumption of ' j grasshoppers and caterpillars we l may at least condone this offenso, if 'fjjn such it may be called. The destruc- m tion of grasshoppers is very notice- fn able in August and September, when (JJM, theso insects make up about 53 per JM,' cent of the diet ; lj It is evident that In the selection lffl. of Its food tho bluebird Is governed I'jlf more by abundance than by choice. M Predacious beetles are eaten In jj insects to appear; but in early sum- jl ;j . mer caterpillars form an imporinnt jji1 part If the diet, and these are later HM; replnced by grasshoppers. Beetles Ijrijjii are eaten at all times, except when j ish' ' grasshoppers are more easily ob- j1 'fljj . tained. ! i So far as its vegetable food Is con- ;Jl k cerned tho bluebird Is positively , M harmless. Tho only trace of any 31 1 useful product In the stomachs con- Jg sistcd of a few blackberry .seeds, f Jj and even these probably belonged to ' m ' wild rather than cultivated vari- ' if , etics. The bluebird depends but lit- "ji tie on the farm or garden to supply 'j j I its needs. j ; ! Two species of bluebirds Inhabit Ll the Western states the mountain j jl bluebird and the Western bluebird. ; I In their food habits they are even ' I I more to be commended than their jl J Eastern relative. Their insect food - I is obtainable at all times of the year, ft fl and the general diet varies only in Ifs LI the fall, when some fruits, prln- ,, I cipally elderberries, is eaten, though t,,J I an occasional blackberry or grape hji I is also relished. . j:j U In an examination of 217 stomachs j 'n I of the Western bluebird, animal i 1 1 1 matter (Insects, and spiders) was liftlil found to tho extent of S2 per cent, t! M H and vegetable matter to the extent g;1fB of 18 por cenL. fM fm ' ' 'Ml JSI |