UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



ft BULLETIN No. 715 



^>^^^* Contribution from the Bureau of Biological Survey, <^ 



JZ&^&~ E - W - NELSON, Chief. J&P'^Ztl. 



Washington, D. C. 



August 12, 1918 



ATTRACTING BIRDS TO PUBLIC AND SEMIPUBLIC 

 RESERVATIONS. 



By W. L. McAtee, Assistant Biologist. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



National reservations 2 



Attracting waterfowl , 3 



Improving coverts for upland game birds 4 



State, municipal, and other parks 5 



Zoological gardens 8 



Botanical gardens 8 



Page 



Parkways, boulevards, and roadsides 9 



Reservoirs '. 10 



College and other school grounds 10 



Cemeteries 11 



Right of ways 11 



Conclusions 12 



The popular motive for attracting birds is esthetic enjoyment. 

 The sprightly activity of birds, their beauty of form and color, and 

 their interesting and often charming notes have a wide appeal. Thou- 

 sands of persons, therefore, have taken steps to increase the number 

 of birds upon their own property. 1 While less has been done by con- 

 certed public effort, still a beginning has been made. Any campaign 

 of this kind must take into account the economic as well as the 

 esthetic results of bird attraction and protection. Birds are beneficial 

 as enemies of a great variety of pests, and it is claimed by several 

 observers that an abundance of birds on their grounds has kept in 

 subjection all the ordinary enemies of trees, shrubbery, and herbage. 

 At all events, birds exert a steady influence in reducing the numbers 

 of injurious plant feeders and should be particularly useful in public 

 reservations, where beauty and utility so largely depend upon pre- 

 serving the vegetation. 



1 Information on attracting birds is contained in the following Farmers' Bulletins: 621, relating to the 

 Northeastern States; 760, to the Northwestern States; 844, to the Middle Atlantic States; and 912, to the 

 East Central States. 



Note. — For general distribution among organizations and individuals interested in the protection of wild 

 birds. Of especial value to those in charge of parks, cemeteries, and other public and semipublic reserva- 

 tions. 



64452°— 18— Bull. 715 



