WESTERN BIRDS Sparrows, Finches, etc. 



Warblers, but because of the large number of species, 

 their dull plumage, and the similarity in markings, the 

 Sparrows are as tantalizing to differentiate as are the 

 Warblers. 



Economically, this family of birds are among our 

 most beneficial. Although they are seed-eaters, they live 

 largely upon insect life during the spring and summer, 

 rearing their young on such food. When fall comes, and 

 the seeds are ripe they turn their attention to gathering 

 them, often banding together in large flocks and in many 

 cases staying all winter. Care must be taken not to 

 confuse our native Sparrows with that interloper, and 

 pest, the English Sparrow, since our birds are, with few 

 exceptions, beneficial and attractive. 



Dr. Sylvester D. Judd, in "The Relation of Sparrows 

 to Agriculture," Bulletin No. 15, Biological Survey, has 

 made a comprehensive study of these birds. 



While insects seldom form more than one-third of the 

 food of the adult Sparrows during the year, the nestlings 

 are almost entirely insectivorous. Since the birds raise 

 two or three broods at the time the crops are growing, 

 they do the greatest good as insect-pest destroyers by 

 cramming down the throats of their ravenous young, 

 countless numbers of caterpillars, grasshoppers, Rocky 

 Mountain locusts and others. 



But the greatest service done for man by these birds 

 is in the destruction of noxious weed-seeds during the 

 fall, winter, and spring months. 



Seven hundred seeds of pigeon grass were found in 

 the stomach of a Tree Sparrow; while one thousand seeds 

 of pigweed had been taken at one meal by a Snowflake. 

 Forbush tells of putting out Japanese millet one hard 

 winter and having thirty Sparrows that came to his 

 window for this food. A careful watch revealed that 

 these birds were eating great quantities of the seed. A 

 Fox Sparrow ate 103 seeds in two minutes and forty- 



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