NOV 10 191« 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Washington, D. C. Te>£> October 26, 1916 
Contribution from the Bureau of Biological Survey, Henry W. Henshaw, Chief. 
COMMON BIRDS OF SOUTHEASTERN UNITED 
STATES IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE. 
By F. E. L. Beal, W. L. McAtee, and E. R. Kalmbach, 
Assistant Biologists. 
Hi,ms _ 
Introduction. 
House wren. 
Carolina wren. 
Mockingbird. 
Brown thrasher... 
Cardinal. 
Gray grosbeak.... 
Fainted bunting.. 
Common crow. 
Blue jay. 
Meadowlark. 
Boat-tailed grackle 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
1 
5 
7 
9 
11 
13 
14 
15 
17 
18 
19 
22 
Bluebird. 
Carolina chickadee. 
Tufted titmouse. 
Purple martin. 
Scissor-tailcd flycatcher... 
Ked-cockaded woodpecker 
Chuck-will’s-widow. 
Nighthawk. 
Yellow-billed cuckoo. 
Bob-white. 
Swallow-tailed kite..:. 
Turkey buzzard. 
i 
Page. 
23 
24 
26 
28 
29 
31 
32 
33 
34 
36 
37 
37 
INTRODUCTION. 
By W. L. McAtee. 
In the Southeastern States, as restricted for the purposes of this 
bulletin (fig. 1), there occur at some season of the year more than 
460 species of birds. Of these, about 280 are common, and the 
number includes some of the handsomest birds of the United States, 
as the scissor-tailed flycatcher, the painted bunting, and the cardinal; 
besides some of the most pleasing songsters, as the last-named species, 
the mockingbird, the brown thrasher, and the Carolina wren. The 
general habits, and particularly the economic value, of 23 of the best- 
known species are treated in the following pages. 1 
The food habits of southeastern birds are of particular interest on 
account of the prevalence in this section of the country of a number 
of the worst insect enemies of agriculture, many of which arc eagerly 
1 For a list of department publications relating to the food of certain other birds inhabiting this same 
area, see last page of this bulletin. 
Note.— The food habits and relation to agriculture of 23 species of birds common in the Southeastern 
States arc described; of general interest but especially applicable to the section covered. 
50402°— Bull. 755—16 - 1 
JT 
