24 BIRDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA 
BIRD ENEMIES 
There are more bird nests in the trees about our homes 
than in the outlying groves, and more birds in a well shaded 
town than in many times the same area of wild woods. The 
Robin places its nest in the tree nearest the walk; the Wren 
occupies a box under the porch roof; the Quail grows tamer in 
spring and makes her nest in the old orchard. 
Birds thus bring their families about our homes for pro- 
tection from enemies, such as snakes, weasels, minks, skunks, 
foxes, coyotes, and other mammals. Crows, some Hawks and 
some Owls are also enemies. Some of these are not serious 
bird enemies, but, taken together, they make a formidable 
army, and the birds fly to us for protection. 
The destruction of birds’ nests by these enemies, together 
with wind and storms, is almost past belief. A careful observer 
says that during a whole season he has not known a single Wood 
Thrush’s nest to succeed. In 1915 five Meadowlarks’ nests were 
observed in a grassy corner of the University campus and only 
one succeeded. During a whole season his efforts to secure a 
photograph of young Kingbirds failed. Something invariably 
happened either to eggs or young. Probably not more than one 
out of five Yellow Warblers’ nests succeeds. And even the 
strong, masterful Robin has been observed to “make good” 
only with his third nest. 
English Sparrows are bird enemies in two ways: they 
are sO numerous, curious and persistent that they flock to any 
spot where other birds are busy and make themselves a nuisance, 
so that other birds simply leave; they also rifle birds’ nests. 
The writer has seen them get into a Robin’s nest, throw the 
eggs to the ground, tear up the lining, and leave the egg-cradle 
a wreck. 
There is perhaps no more destructive bird enemy than 
the Cowbird. It builds no nest of its own, but lays its spotted 
eggs in the nests of other birds, usually those that hold spotted 
eggs. The egg of this parasite has a smoky ground color spotted 
