116 



The Wilson Bulletin — No. 100 



jfter using ordinary sites for its nests, has taken to occu- 

 pying abandoned oriole nests ; hence the conditions in City 

 Park promote the English sparrow's usual prolificity, and 

 cause a corresponding repression of the natural increase of 

 the native birds, because this sparrow destroys many nests, 

 eggs, and young of our small birds. It is a pity that some 

 systematic effort cannot be made to restrict the multiplication 

 of the English sparrow in our parks ; a routine destruction 

 of its nests would be in itself a large first step in the right 

 direction. 



It has been a real privilege to watqh, in the past years the 

 gradual increase of birds in Denver ; where thirty-five years 

 ago there were robin, warblers, vireos, and house finches by 

 twos and threes there are now dozens ; where years ago nut- 

 hatches, chickadees, and juncoes were to be found sparingly 

 along the Platte River as it passed through Denver, they are 

 now to be seen every winter in all the parks, and even at 

 times in the well built up sections of the city. Furthermore 

 there is no doubt but that our beautiful native bluebird would 

 be as common as robins in the city were it not for the Eng- 

 lish sparrow. These species furnish a few examples of the 

 wonderful increase of bird life in Denver, due mainly to man's 

 alterations in the physical and floral conditions of the region. 



The following named birds have been recorded in the past 

 as having been observed (or taken) " in Denver " or " near 

 Denver " : 



Eared Grebe 



Ftanklin's Gull 



Arctic Tern 



Double-crested Cormorant 



Mottled Duck 



Wood Duck 



Old Wife 



Surf Scoter 



Glossy Ibis 



White-faced Glossy Ibis 



Wood Ibis 



Little Brown Crane 



Black Rail 



Stilt Sandpiper 

 Golden Plover 

 Snowy Owl 

 Bobolink 

 Rusty Blackbird 

 Purple Finch 

 Eastern Goldfinch 

 White-throated Sparrow 

 Oregon Junco 

 Indigo Bunting 

 Palm Warbler 

 Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 



