ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIRDS TO THE STATE. 



43 



breeding ground for the birds that have destroyed the crops. With the breeding 

 places more restricted and an environment otherwise changed by increased popula- 

 tion, the number of birds must surely decrease, and in time the proper equilibrium 

 will be restored. In the meantime, it behooves the farmer to apply such remedies 

 as the exigencies of the case suggest, and where these gregarious species are over- 

 abundant it might be well to exempt them from the general protective laws, in 

 order that each landholder may be free to protect himself as best he can." 



Crow Blackbird : Purple Grackle and Bronzed Grackle {Quiscalus quiscula 

 et ivncus.) — "Crow Blackbirds are fond of grain, and being of good size and 

 abundant, evidently have the power to do great harm. Moreover, the examination 

 of more than 2,000 of their stomachs shows that grain formed 45 per cent of the 

 food of the year, and that corn alone constitutes 35 per cent. From this it might 

 be expected that they would attract much attention from grain growers, and such is 

 the case. Hundreds of communications have been received testifying to their 

 destructiveness ; yet many of these acknowledge the fact that Blackbirds eat a large 

 quantity of insects, especially during the breeding season, and that many insects are 

 fed to the young. This last is also borne out by stomach examination. A review 

 of the yearly diet shows that the greater part of the corn eaten is taken during the 

 fall and winter months. That eaten in winter and early spring (March and April), 

 except the small quantity taken from corncribs, must be waste grain, or. picked up 

 in places where grain is left in the shock for a long time. No one will begrudge the 

 birds the corn gathered from the hog lot or about the cattle crib, but when they 

 attack the ripening grain in September it is a different story, and in cases where the 

 birds are so abundant that they take a large part of the crop, it will be difficult to 

 persuade the unfortunate farmer that they did enough good earlier in the season to 

 pay for this loss. There can be no doubt that in many parts of the country these 

 birds are too numerous for the farmer to realize the best results from their serv- 

 ices." (Beal.) 



Red-winged Blackbird {Agelauis phcenicens). — " In investigating the food habits 

 of the Red-wing over 700 stomachs were examined. These were collected in every 

 month of the year, and show that a little more than 13 per cent of the year's food 

 is grain. This is a remarkably small percentage when it is considered that this bird 

 has been the subject of more complaints on the score of grain eating than any other 

 species. In order to understand thoroughly the grain-eating propensities of the 

 Red-wing, a special study of its food for the five months from May to September, 

 inclusive, has been made. Of the stomachs taken in May, 46 per cent contained 

 grain. This percentage falls to 11 in June and then rises -in July and culminates in 



