4 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Bird Protection in Illinois 



The Bulletin published one year ago gave much space to a discussion of 

 the defects in the then existing laws for bird protection and forecast a 

 program for revision to be brought up at the session of the legislature which 

 was at that time well under way. This issue of the Bulletin may fittingly 

 concern itself at some length with the outcome of that legislative ses- 

 sion. First of all the very gratifying assertion can be made that nearly 

 everything outlined in the Audubon Society's program for law revision one 

 year ago was embodied in the revised Game and Fish Code for Illinois that 

 passed the legislature, was approved by Governor Lowden, and went into 

 effect July 1, 1919. Notable changes were made in the provisions relating 

 to. law enforcement and to the issuing of hunting licenses, the list of birds 

 without the protection of law was improved, by certain omissions, and the 

 law was expressly amended to make its provisions identical with the regula- 

 tions issued by the United States Biological Survey under authority con- 

 ferred by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 



It was a famous victory but there was little opposition. Representatives 

 of sportsmen's organizations, state officials, and members of the legislature 

 all worked in more or less accord to effect desirable changes. The Presi- 

 dent and the Secretary of the Illinois Audubon Society made one visit to 

 Sringfield to confer with state officials and by invitation to present the 

 program of the Society to a gathering representing the Illinois Sportsman's 

 League, Mr. Ralph F. Bradford, Chief Game and Fish Warden, invited 

 the Illinois Audubon Society to present detailed suggestions as to desirable 

 revisions as did Mr. J. H. Vickers, Chairman of the House Committee on 

 game legislation. This committee as well as that of the Senate worked in 

 close accord with Mr. Bradford and his assistants and the law as it stands 

 today represents, as is very fitting, the cooperation of law maker and ad- 

 ministrative officials. What we now have on the statute books to invoke for 

 the protection of our feathered folk appears in the following inventory. 

 The Illinois Law Relating to Non-Game or Insectivorous Birds. 



Section 17. Non-Game Birds. It shall be unlawful: 



(a) For any person to shoot, kill, destroy or catch, or attempt 

 to shoot, kill, destroy or catch, or have in possession, living or dead, 

 any song, insectivorous or non-game seed-eating bird, or part of 

 such bird, other than an English sparrow, crow, blackbird, blue-jay, 

 Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, goshawk, duck hawk, pigeon 

 hawk, great horned owl or cormorant. 



(b) For any person to take or needlessly destroy the nest of 

 eggs of any song, insectivorous or non-game seed-eating bird, or 

 have in his or her possession the nest or eggs thereof. 



Comment on Section 17. 



It will be noticed that the list of outlawed birds set forth in (a) above 

 includes five of the hawk family, all but one being small hawks and all of 

 deservedly bad reputation. On the other hand the big hawks, commonly 

 called hen-hawks, conspicuous as targets but very generally useful members 

 of society, — the red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, 

 marsh hawk, etc., are no longer on the list of outlaws and are entitled to the 

 same protection as the bluebird and the wren. This is also true, now, of all 

 the owls, except the great horned owl which is more or less rare in Illinois 



