Destruction by Natural Enemies 21 



a great deal of damage, others only a little, and 

 some so offset their own evil deeds by keeping 

 other bird enemies in check that it is hard to 

 decide whether we should class them as friends 

 or foes. 



Probably all our wild cats, including mountain 

 lions, kill some birds if good opportunity offers, 

 and when wild turkeys and grouse were abundant 

 they probably took their share. Audubon once 

 saw a bob cat capture a wild turkey and on 

 another occasion watched one pounce upon a 

 partridge in a covey which it had been carefully 

 stalking. He also states that grouse and other 

 birds form part of the food of the Canada lynx. 

 But these powerful cats prey upon so many 

 four-footed creatures, such as squirrels, rabbits, 

 and even deer and mountain sheep, that it is 

 doubtful if they would be a serious menace to 

 bird life even if they were much more numerous 

 than they are. 



The damage done to birds by wolves is prob- 

 ably slight, owing to the fact that wolves 

 prey chiefly upon other creatures. But we may 

 be sure that no bird or nest of birds discovered 

 by a wolf is permitted to escape if he can help it. 

 Both timber wolves and coyotes have been 

 known to kill domestic poultry. A tame coyote 

 I once had at my home used to kill wounded 



