How to Attract and Protect Our Native 

 Birds 



IN the following pages the writer has endeavored to pre- 

 sent in condensed form the methods which may be 

 used to increase bird life about one's home. 



While the list of winter birds is small when compared to 

 the number which arrive in the spring, this season is the best 

 time to commence making one's ground attractive to them. 

 The most timid become brave when hungry, visiting the 

 neighborhood of houses in search of food. At such times 

 they become wonderfully tame, often eating from one's hand. 



It is taken for granted that those who read these sug- 

 gestions are already aware of the economic importance of 

 bird life. For several years past, books, newspapers and mag- 

 azines, as well as Government Bulletins, have emphasized 

 the necessity of a nation wide conservation of our birds, as a 

 means to lessen the annual loss of $800,000,000 from insect 

 pests and weeds. It might be well, however, to sketch briefly 

 what the presence of the winter birds will mean to you. 



As digestion is so rapid, birds are compelled to keep con- 

 stantly on the lookout for their chosen food, whether it be an 

 insect or weed seed diet. 



A failure of the local food supply forces birds to move to 

 other localities or starve. Therefore, in the winter time, when 

 all kinds from natural sources are scarce, one can attract 

 birds to a given district by furnishing a constant supply of 

 artificial food. 



While no substitute we can ofifer will be as eagerly 

 sought as that which nature supplies, winter feeding tides the 

 birds over the days when ice or snow renders their natural 

 food inaccessible. 



For every minute a bird stays at your feeding device, it 

 spends an hour digging out hibernating insects, insect eggs, 

 grubs, beetles, etc., from beneath bark or from decayed tree 

 trunks or branches. If the bird be a seed eater, most of his 

 time will be spent seeking those of noxious weeds. 



If your suet and seed attracts many birds, you may be 



