8 
OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: BULLETIN 250 
AS CONSUMERS OF GRAIN, VALUABLE INSECTS, FRUIT, BUDS, 
EGGS, AND YOUNG OF OTHER BIRDS 
It is true that birds eat more or less grain, some beneficial in¬ 
sects and fruit; also, that a few species devour the eggs and young 
of useful birds, and that many of them may be in other ways some¬ 
what detrimental; but the balance for good is in favor of the class of 
birds, considered as a whole, and the same favorable balance holds 
true for most of our native species, considered separately. The 
larger percentage of the grain eaten, by most species is unquestion¬ 
ably waste grain, gleaned from the ground after harvest. The chief 
insects useful to man are bees, those of parasitic habits, and various 
others, such as are instrumental in the fertilization of blossoms. 
More or less loss is occasioned because of such valuable insects as 
these being eaten by birds, but this is insignificant compared with 
the offsetting gain obtained by the destruction of the myriads of 
harmful forms which constitute the usual food of so many birds. 
Beneficial insects, if too numerous, sometimes become a source of 
injury, so it is possible that the birds are merely maintaining the 
proper balance in numbers, even of these. 
A few species are accused of doing injury to buds of fruit or 
ornamental trees; but ordinarily, little injury is likely to occur 
through this cause, since nature produces many times the number 
of buds that can possibly mature. Bate winter and early spring is 
the time when buds are most likely to be sought because of a scarcity 
of other food. If not destroyed in great quantity, the plucking of 
buds may result in actual benefit, the effect resulting the same as 
pruning. Some of the Finches and the Grosbeaks sometimes eat 
buds, but it is doubtful if serious harm ever results. The Ruffed 
Grouse is forced to eat buds during winter, when the ground is cov¬ 
ered with snow, but little economic importance need be attached to 
this, because the buds are of shrubs and trees of the forest, and the 
loss of some buds from such trees cannot be considered serious. 
A serious accusation against some otherwise beneficial birds is 
that of nest-robbing. Crows, Jays and Blackbirds are guilty of 
this practice, but to what extent is not known. The Blue Jay is a 
noted pilferer of the eggs of other birds and sometimes takes the 
callow young when eggs are not to be had. It is altogether likely 
that certain individuals are addicted to this pernicious habit, and not 
the whole species. If such is the case, the killing of such individuals 
would be justifiable and advisable, while their well behaved brothers 
should be spared. 
