CHAPTER I 



HOW TO STUDY THE BIRDS 



All temperate North America is inhabited twelve months 

 of the year by bird-hfe. Our feathered friends exist in 

 greater numbers than most people suppose. It is desirable 

 to commence observations about the first of the year, for 

 in January, though our bird ranks are greatly depleted, 

 the hardy winter residents may be observed with ease, as 

 there is little foliage to obstruct the view. Inexhaustible 

 patience, together with "bulldog persistence," is productive 

 of the best results. We may become botanists or geolo- 

 gists with the realization that the object of our search 

 exists in a given locality; but the bird student finds a 

 constant change taking place in his field. The bird he 

 desires most to examine becomes elusive and keeps him 

 constantly on the alert. 



A good pair of field or opera glasses are valuable in 

 determining the colors or markings on various birds, but 

 our chief aim is to learn how and where to look for a 

 given variety. 



One need not absent himself from inhabited sections in 

 order to become acquainted with the common and many of 

 the rarer birds. The average 200-acre farm with its natural 

 timber and lake or water-course is an ideal spot for bird 

 study. Birds, in their efforts to avoid their natural enemies, 

 such as prowling mammals, birds of prey, and reptiles, are 



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