The Birds of Coblenz 



By PERLEY M. JENNESS. 29th Engineers, 3d Army of Occupation 



At the beginning of this brief sketch of the birds of Coblenz as the writer 

 /-% observed them in the four months, February to May inclusive, I would 

 point out that my observations have been entirely casual. The times 

 at my disposal have been such that I have lost the most valuable part of the 

 day — the morning hours. Again, I have not been far afield, confining my 

 wanderings largely to the immediate city, especially along the beautiful 

 Rhine-shore promenade of over a mile in length. Here many species keep high 

 up in the shade-trees, and, lacking a glass, satisfactory observations have been 

 quite out of the question. From text-books I have learned a little, but have 

 been handicapped here both by a limited knowledge of German and by a failure 

 to find anything comparable to our bird-guides of the United States. Any 

 assistance from the native people has been prevented by the military non- 

 fraternization regulation. As a consequence of these circumstances, these 

 remarks on the local bird-life must be considered very incomplete. 



During February, winter conditions prevailed in the Rhineland. Much 

 of the time the ground was frozen and there were several days when the tem- 

 perature did not rise above the freezing point. Down in the valleys there was 

 not as much snow as in the heights of the Eifel, Hundsriick and Westerwald, 

 but even there the amount of snow on the ground did not exceed three inches 

 at any time. 



Winter bird-life during this period was much like that of central New 

 England. Three permanent residents were common. The House Sparrows, or 

 as we know them, the English Sparrows, were present everywhere, but in very 

 much smaller numbers than they are to be found in American communities. 

 Over here the House Sparrow does not appear to be regarded with disfavor, 

 and seems nowhere so noisy and filthy as we know him. The Crow, or Raven, 

 was seen about more or less, not differing in appearance and general habits 

 from our familiar Crows. Another species present in small numbers — I have 

 seen no more than three or four birds together here, and nowhere in my travels 

 more than thirty or forty in a flock — is the Starling, which through importa- 

 tion and increase is becoming only too familiar in our eastern states. But here 

 the Starlings are quiet and unobtrusive, only one or two to be seen here and 

 there walking sedately about some lawn, or sitting in a shade-tree, occasion- 

 ally giving forth a few of their unmusical notes. As there are no cattle 

 in this region, I have had no opportunity to observe Starlings in this 

 connection. 



Of these species to be classed as winter birds, and which later disappeared, 

 the Titmice, so closely resembling our Chickadee, were the most common. 

 Nuthatches and Creepers, or Tree Runners as they are known here, very much 

 like our American species, were also noted. Also, during the winter and early 



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