70 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



The Blue Grosbeak is an interesting bird of 

 the Southern States. He is not quite so handsome 

 nor has he such interesting notes as the Cardinal 

 and the Rose-breast. And he is not as well known 

 as tliose distinguished relatives, for nowhere is 

 he common. In short trees and bushes from 

 Maryland to the ("lulf coast he may be found 

 probably as often as anywhere. The blue is not 

 so blue as to attract attention. The color is so 

 dark that in certain lights the bird might be mis- 

 taken for a Cowbird. He is a very quiet bird. 

 The evidence available would seem to make 

 him more suspicious of man than is the Rose- 

 breast. 



is but one variety in the Southwest. The Utah 

 and California birds differ from the Arizona 

 birds, and they from the Texas birds. The 

 western is paler colored ; and bird observers in 

 those areas seem to know the bird better than do 

 those of the East, showing that his haunts are 

 nearer the homes of men. Even there his haunts 

 are most often along the rushing streams in the 

 brush of the canons of the foothills. 



Blue Grosbeaks do no damage during the nest- 

 ing period, and, in fact, are of great value to any 

 farm they choose for a home, since thev eat 

 large numbers of injurious insects and feed their 

 young exclusively upon them. In certain locali- 



Dramng by R. I. Brasher 



BLUE GROSBEAK ( ;, nat. size) 

 You will have to look closely to see the " blue " in this bird's plumage 



His song is a weaker effort than the Rose- 

 breast's. It is a rather sweet warble of the 

 Purple Finch nature, and has sometimes been 

 called a beautiful song. No doubt this rare bird 

 far away from the human ear pours forth a very 

 sweet melody to his mate, but no one has yet 

 given a biography of this interesting bird as has 

 been done of his near relatives, the Cardinal and 

 Rose-breast. 



The territory of the Blue Grosbeak extends 

 entirely across the southern half of the United 

 States ; but west of Louisiana there are so many 

 differences in coloration of the bird that the 

 scientists have made of them a separate variety, 

 the Western Blue Grosbeak ( Guiraca ccrrulca 

 laciiliA. Ridgwav is not at all sure that there 



ties, however, after the breeding season. Blue 

 Grosbeaks collect in flocks, move into grain fields, 

 particularly those of oats and rice, and sometimes 

 do considerable harm. Despite such depreda- 

 tions, the loss of cereals is repaid many fold, 

 since the birds consume almost five times as 

 much insect food as grain. Moreover, some of 

 the insects they devour are especially destructive, 

 such as weevils. More than a fourth of the 

 seasonal food is composed of grasshoppers, in- 

 cluding the lesser migratory locust. A tenth of 

 the subsistence is made up of caterpillars and 

 cotton cutworms, enemies of sugar beets and 

 cotton. Because of its effective warfare on 

 these pests, the Blue Grosbeak is an efficient ally 

 of the farmer and deserves to be protected. 



