12 . BIRDS OF SWOPE PARK 



GENERAL ECOLOGY OF SWOPE PARK 



As is well known, the general distribution of birds de- 

 pends to a great extent on their surroundings. The presence 

 or absence of water in the form of streams, lakes or marshes, 

 and the dryness of the soil are of great importance with ref- 

 erence to the species that make up the bird population. 



The general character of the vegetation, whether wooded, 

 brushy or open; whether native prairie or cultivated land, is 

 also an important factor in bird distribution and numbers. 

 Even the species of plants that occur are important in that 

 they furnish food and shelter for certain species of birds. For 

 instance; the pine trees with their cones invite the Crossbills, 

 the tall hedge rows lure the Shrike, and the shrubbery thick- 

 ets attract the Thrasher and the Catbird. Moreover, the pres- 

 ence or absence of man with his improvements has come to 

 be a very important factor in bird distribution and numbers. 

 All these factors of environment are collectively referred to 

 as Ecological Factors. 



Swope Park is located in the extreme southeast part of 

 Kansas City, Missouri. It covers an area of thirteen hundred 

 thirty-two acres. 



The greater part of this area is wooded upland with hills 

 having rather steep slopes. The hills were formed by the 

 erosion of the Blue River that flows through the Park and by 

 a number of smaller streams that find their way to the Blue 

 and thence to the Missouri River. 



The larger of these streams, especially the Blue River, 

 have rich alluvial flood plains, covered for the most part with 



