Our Grosbeaks and Their Value to 



Agriculture 



By W. L. McKee 



Seven kiiifis of finches, commonly known as grosbeaks, summer within our 

 boundaries. The majority of these are good friends of the farmer and deserve 

 to be widely known in order that their services may be appreciated. The gros- 

 beaks are easily distinguished from other finches by their stout form, bright 

 plumage, massive bills, and melodious voices. Two of them live mainly in cold 

 or mountainous areas, and, haAing little to do with farms or with the insects that 

 prey on crops, may be dismissed without further notice. The other five live 

 largely in agricultural regions and secure most of their food about cultivated 

 lands. .Ml of them feed to some extent upon crops, but only one does appreciable 

 harm. (Jn the other hand, all perform in\aluable service in destroying certain 

 of our worst insect pests. It is the purpose of this bulletin to make known the 

 exact nature of the services rendered by grosbeaks, to suggest means of reducing 

 or preventing such damage as they do. and to propose methods of protecting them. 



The rosebreast has an extensive range, breeding from Kansas and the moun- 

 tains of Tennessee north to Newfoundland and the Great Slave Lake region. It 

 eats some green peas, and is charged with injuring orchards, both by budding and 

 by eating the fruit. Our investigations lend no support to the latter accusation, 

 and, although the birds eat peas, they invariably consume enough injurious insects 

 to more than ofifset the damage. 



The rosebreast has long been held in high esteem because of its habit of 

 preying upon the Colorado potato beetle, and the name potato-bug bird suggests 

 its important services in this direction. Larvae, as well as adult beetles, are con- 

 sumed, and a great many are fed to nestlings. No less than a tenth of the total 

 food of the rosebreasts examined consists of potato beetles — evidence that the 

 bird is one of the most important enemies of the pest. Its services in devouring 

 other exceedingly harmful insects are scarcely less valuable. It vigorously attacks 

 cucumber beetles and manj' of the scale insects. It proved an active enemy of 

 the Rocky Moimtain locust during that insect's ruinous invasions, and among the 

 other pests it consumes are the spring and fall cankerworms, orchard and forest 

 tent caterpillars, tussock, gipsy, and brown-tail moths, plum curculio, army worm, 

 and chinch bug. In fact, not one (jf our birds has a better record. The rose- 

 breast attacks the worst enemies of agriculture, making them its favorite prey, 

 and time after time it has rendered valuable aid in checking their destructive 

 infestations. 



Cardinals range from southern jMexico. Lower California, and .\rizona, 

 north to Iowa and Ontario, and ea.st to the .Atlantic coast. They are permanent 

 residents, spending the summer and winter in the same locality. It has been 



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