210 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



their sustenance during part of the year, at least, is sur- 

 prisingly large and includes birds of almost every type 

 from the woodpeckers to the thrushes, even the warblers, 

 vireos and flycatchers being fond of some varieties. 

 In planting to supply fruit an effort should be made 



NEST OF THE HORNED LARK 



This net was overtaken by a snowstorm during early April. The 

 horned lark is the first of the smaller native birds to nest, often 

 beginning to build as early as the middle of March so that fre- 

 quently the birds are snowed in while incubating. 



to select trees and shrubs with different fruiting periods, 

 so that the supply will be more or less continuous. If 

 nothing but mulberry trees were planted, for example, 

 the birds would have a surfeit during June, July and 

 August, but would starve during September and Oc- 

 tober. If wild black or bird cherries are added, the birds 

 will be provided for until November. The Virginia 

 creeper and wild grape will hold their fruit through the 

 entire winter, and the hackberry, sumacs and barberry 

 practically throughout the year. These last mentioned, 

 while not so attractive, in the fall, when other fruits are 

 available, are often the means of saving birds during 

 the storms of early spring. 



Mr. W. L. McAtee, of the Biological Survey, at Wash- 

 ington, has prepared a list of fruit-bearing shrubs and 

 trees attractive to birds, in which he gives the fruiting 

 season of each species. 



Anyone considering the planting of fruits for birds 

 should consult this list in Farmers' Bulletin No. 621. 

 Most of these bushes and trees lend themselves to orna- 

 mental planting quite as satisfactorily as the more popu- 

 lar shade trees and could be used to great advantage 

 about private grounds as well as in forests and sanctu- 

 aries. 



Another strong argument in favor of planting the wild 

 fruits is that of protecting the cultivated varieties. In 

 some places the robins and waxwings do much damage 

 to cherries, the catbirds and thfushes to berries, and the 

 warblers to grapes, but in every case it is because there 



are no native fruits in the neighborhood to supply their 

 need. It is well known that birds prefer the native to 

 the cultivated varieties wherever they are allowed a 

 choice. If one is planning to grow berries where there 

 are birds, he should see to it that there are wild berries 

 somewhere in the vicinity; if he is to grow cherries, he 

 should plant mulberries, June berries, wild cherries, 

 honeysuckle or red-berried elders about his orchard. If 

 the birds bother the apples or pears, there are always 

 the Asiatic service tree, the crab apples and thorn apples 

 that can be offered to them in part payment for the ser- 

 vices which they have rendered at all seasons of the year. 

 The second problem in a bird's life is that of shelter. 

 Although an abundant supply of food will usually serve 

 to detain birds, they will not remain to nest unless 

 abundant and attractive shelter for raising their young 

 is offered. Broadly speaking, birds prefer bushes and 

 trees having a thick or scrubby method of growth in 

 which to conceal their nests. They likewise show a 

 preference for those which are easy of access to their 

 feeding grounds. In nature, the best feeding grounds 

 are about the edges of forests, in clearings or along 

 streams. Nine-tenths of the birds of a region are found 

 nesting in such places while the center of the woods 

 is almost devoid of bird life. On a smaller scale the 

 same holds true of the woodlot and the thicket, nests 

 are arranged chiefly around the edges. In fact, we might 

 say that the amount of available nesting ground varies 

 directly with the circumference of the woodlots or 

 thickets rather than with their area. A large number 



WINTER FOOD FOR ROBINS 



Robins feeding on the berries of the Virginia creeper. These berries 

 remain on the vine all winter or until consumed and are relished by 

 all kinds of birds from the vireos to the woodpeckers. 



of small thickets or woods, each surrounded by a little 

 open country, therefore, would shelter many more birds 

 than the same area of woods or thicket all in one piece. 

 A few species require extensive growth of forest all 



