MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE BIRDS 



BY A. A. ALLEN, PH.D. 



ASSISTANT tROFESSOR OF ORNITHOLOGY, CORNELL UNIVERSITY 



TMERF. is a common belief, nurtured by the time- 

 honored fables of Aeso|) and La Fontaine, that, 

 someulieic, tliere lies hidden the key to the aniiiia.l 

 world ; that there is a secret or m\sterious lanj;uage 

 which, when discovered, 

 will permit one to pene- 

 trate the woods and have 



MAKING FRIENDS WITH A 

 PHEASANT 



But the friendship is all on cue 



side, for the hird is held only by 



its unusually <leveloped instinct 

 to keep its eHfJS warm. 



the birds and beasts come from their retreats tu ^reet 

 one. The disappointment felt by the child when the 

 birds flit from sight or when the squirrels scamper into 

 their holes is shared by all of us, and whether we be- 

 lieve in the mysterious language or iK)t, we all wish that 

 there were some way bv wiiich we could individualK 



make friends with the bird.-- and the wild animals. 



-A. small boy. when t(]ld by his teacher to study the 

 habits of birds instead of stoning them, replied, "But 

 birds don't have habits when I watch them." This 

 thought occurs to most of us and so when we read some 

 of the niodern animal stories with their strong appeal 

 we are led to believe, either that the authors have used 

 their imaginations, or that they have some secret power 

 or control over the animals they watch that permits them 

 to penetrate so intimately into their lives. Some of the 

 stories are avuwedly fiction, but others are based on ac- 

 tual experiences with animals that have jiermitted the 

 closest ac<|n.nnlanee. 



This intimate knowledge, naturalists tell us. we may 

 .gain for ourselves, and. if we will but devote the time 

 and ]jatience to it. we can make friend.-- with any bird or 

 l)east without having discovered a secret language. I'os- 



HEl-ORK l'F..\k UE\"EL01'S 



Young Redwinged blackbirds responding at the approach of an intruder as 

 eagerly as at the approach of their parents. The altricial young of most birds 

 do not know fear until their wing feathers grow out and they are able to 

 answer to the calls of their parents. 



484 



ANOTHER FEARLESS ( i WAKULER 

 .\ chestnut-sided warbler, whose desire to feed its young has destroyed fear. 



sibly this is so. if we do not ex].)ect too much. In my 

 exjjerience the number of wild birds or wild animals that 

 have entirely lo.st their fear of man and become real 

 friends has been very small. If one will remain absolutelv 

 cpiiet or if one will conceal himself or disguise himself so 

 that he no longer appears like a human being, many ani- 

 mals may come close to him and appear fearless. But 

 when the disguise is thrown off, fear immediately gains 

 the upper hand. There are some birds which no amount 

 of time or patience could bring to friendly terms, and 

 there are others, even of the same species, which are more 

 approachable than a self-conscious human being. Aniinal 

 fear is the great stumbling block to one's becoming better 

 ac<|uainted with his wild nei.ghbors. P.irds are creatures 



