28 



BULLETIN 868, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table I. — Comparison of depredations by various species of birds on cherry trees in Con- 

 necticut. 





Number of birds that came to eat cherries. 



Date and length of time 

 spent at each tree. 



Star- Rob- Cat- 

 lings. I ins. birds 



Pur- 

 ple 

 grack- 

 les. 



Rose 

 breast- 

 ed. 



gros- 

 beaks. 



Eng- 

 lish 

 spar- 

 rows. 



Balti- 

 more 

 ori- 

 oles. 



Cow- 

 birds. 



Red- 

 winged 

 black- 

 birds. 



Blue 

 jays. 



Chip- 

 ping 

 spar- 

 rows. 



Total 

 birds. 





12 17 7 

 19 17 

 42 9 



1 

 8 



2 



1 



2 











42 





1 



1 







46 









1 







52 



June 27, 3 hrs 



8 1 14 

 1 15 2 



5 



2 



1 



1 









31 











17 



June 29, 3 hrs., 30 mins. SO 4 



4 



1 

















58 





1 50 

 20 4 



















52 



















24 



Julv 10, 2 hrs 



3 ! 24 4 3 2 



3 









4 



5 



48 



Totals 











113 187 22 22 6 



5 



3 



2 



1 



4 



5 



370 



30.54 50.55 5.94 ; 5.94 1.63 1.35 



0.81 



0.54 



0.27 



1.08 



1.35 





On examination of this table it is found that about half the birds 

 feeding on cherries were robins, less than a third were starlings, and 

 the others were of various species, none numerous enough to be of 

 any consequence. This interesting bit of evidence is confirmed by- 

 stomach analyses of robins and starlings. The stomachs of 1 1 robins, 

 collected while feeding in cherry trees, contained 10.27 per cent 

 animal matter and 89.73 vegetable matter, of which 85.73 per cent 

 was cultivated cherries. Forty-nine starlings, obtained under the 

 same circumstances, had fed on animal matter to the extent of 58.12 

 per cent of their food; and vegetable matter, 41.88 per cent; cultivated 

 cherries formed 36.72 per cent of the total. 



It was the experience of the writers that shooting a few starlings 

 from cherry trees soon discouraged the survivors so effectually that 

 they seldom returned. The robins, on the other hand, were exceed- 

 ingly bold and paid no attention to any frightenmg devices placed 

 in the trees or to shooting. Frequently a starling or a robin was 

 shot from a tree. without alarming other robins feeding. 



From the above data it will be seen that the starling eats fewer 

 cherries, both individually and as a species, than the robin, although 

 his attacks are much more conspicuous. According to most ob- 

 servers, the robin, as well as the starling, increased considerably in 

 numbers in the decade following 1910 throughout the area covered 

 by this investigation, and both species are undoubtedly responsible 

 for the increasing difficulties of cherry culture. Both species have 

 habits to recommend them on economic grounds, with the starling 

 in the more favorable position on account of its smaller consumption 

 of fruit and much larger consumption of noxious insects. 10 



10 For a detailed record of the robin's food, see Food of the Robins and Bluebirds of the United States, 

 by F. E. L. Beal, Bull. 171, U. S. Dept. of Agr., pp. 2-15, 1915. 



