BIRDS OF MARSHALL COUNTY 



129 



on the distribution of breeding- as well as migratory birds. The 

 more noticeable effects on breeding birds are discussed here. 



The pure or almost pure stands of oak found at frequent in- 

 tervals on hills along the streams contain comparatively few 

 breeding birds. In such timber there is little or no undergrowth 

 and birds find little shelter. The oven-bird, whip-poor-will, 

 wood pewee and various hawks and owls frequented this wood- 

 land and where such timber had been cut off enough to allow a 

 growth of hazel and other shrubs, the red-eyed vireo. warbling 

 vireo, redstart, chewink, oven-bird, and yellow warbler are com- 

 mon. The open wooded pastures, both upland and bottom land, 



Fig. 13. Characteristic woodland pasture on the river Bottom. The trees 

 in the foreground are the Kentucky Coffee-tree. (Gi/iiinocladns dioica.) 



harbored the greatest variety' of breeding birds, the most com- 

 mon being the crow, blue jay, chickadee, blue-bird, green heron, 

 and song sparrow in the more densely wooded section ; dickcissel^ 

 catbird, brown thrasher, indigo bunting, yellow-billed cuckoo, 

 migrant shrike, and field sparrow in the shrub and open forest 

 portions; while the open or nearly treeless pastures furnished 

 acceptable nesting sites for the vesper sparrow, meadow lark 

 and bobolink. The cultivated areas are not rich in breeding 

 birds. The clover contains perhaps the greatest variety of 

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