1624 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April, 1918 



Helping The Robins to Nest 



By Winthrop Packard 



In a Bird- Lore census, taken not 

 long ago, it was estimated that 

 the robin was the most numerous 

 American bird, the house sparrow 

 coming next. The robin, in one 

 form or another, nests practically 

 ail over the continent of North 

 America and the bird is one of the 

 most friendly that we have. The 

 poet Wordsworth once referred to 

 the English robin as 



"Honest Robin, who loves man- 

 kind both alive and dead," 

 and the words might apply equally to 

 the American robin, for the bird loves 

 to nest not only in our gardens 

 but in our cemeteries and upon 

 our verv houses. 



Courtesy "Our Dumb Animals." 



Often a robin will select a corner 

 of the porch, a nook under the 

 eaves, or even go inside of the 

 building itself. Recently one is 

 reported to have flown in at the 

 open window of a church during 

 service and to have begun to build 

 his nest on a cornice just over the 

 pulpit. The window was left partly 

 open from that time on and the 

 family of young robins was success- 

 fully reared in this admirable sanc- 

 tuary. 



The nesting robins may be assisted 

 by providing nesting sites; a shelf 

 up under the eaves will often tempt 

 them or a sheltered platform set 

 on the limb of a tree. If there 



