Show birds good in checking pests of great economic importance because of appetite for insects Prepa md by the th unit united d stats stat bt s V pitt P ri mt mat of aarle u it ure i without birds the country would be overrun with insect pests to la tile the opinion of many and en credit for eating obnoxious lusetta should also be given to I 1 n umber number of other vertebrates especially to toads shrews moles oles aad end ek kinks but because of tile the numbers of birds and their appetite for r insects in all stages binges their powers of swift locomotion end and their tend ency to concentrate wherever unusual I 1 numbers of insects appear iipp they are of chief economic importance among insectivorous vertebrates gulls gull destroy crickets A historical and roost most picturesque example of birds a crop from insect destruction was given ghen by chiyi fornia pills gulls in pioneer dayi in when they swooped down on on the mor llor won crickets that were devouring deTour lii the wheat of the early settlers since that time these birds have been held hi id almost sacred in utah and a bonu abent has bas been erected to commemorate rate their services ai in an lion by the biological survey of the united states department of agriculture of cases of satisfactory and 88 eases cases of local slon llon of insects by birds many tutor later biting food habits were brought to light contrary to popular belief various birds eat cat even the hairy types of caterpillars like those of the us ocl gypsy and brown tall moths und ond the tent caterpillars sparrows me are noted for feeding on ants cabbage bugs elch cleedas das green buga alfalfa weevils we evils army worms and caterpillars meadow larks eat grnes p nas hoppers and crickets white breasted nu thatches have been observed to reduce greatly the numbers of pear sylla and tho the codling moth gold cinches finches c lies like plant lice of several cles cleo woodpeckers are among the most effective ene enemies bieti of bark beetles and wood borers of various kinds BS as well as tile european corn borer find and they tey also eat leopard and codling mot moths h 9 and many other wood woodlan woodlands pat pasti 4 crows blackbirds and crnek les are fund fond of white grubs in quan quantities title and will follow a plow to get them to in the spring feed fed on alfalfa weevil Forti lve species of birds wore found to feed extensively on the altal fa fia Weevil while valle W ao attack the cotlon hull ive weevil evil will pia weevils out of the squares square sor or lower flower buds of the cotton while swallows feed on them when to flight and extending their range mallard ducks have been effectively used in n ponds for mosquito control rede hed ayed ed seem to be attracted by tall fail web worms while cutworms cut worms form a large part of the diet of starlings bows rows and jackdaws blackbirds help to keep down the numbers of the bol worm and many other pests sparrows aud other birds have been ob serve served dJu tu clean up infestations of termites according to the biological survey birds bay be looked tooke duDon upon as an ever present force that automatically tends enda to check outbreaks of insect pests I 1 force that should be kept at maximum efficiency by protective measures mea sIrell ro BO that their services vices may be utilized whenever possible |