8 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
crowned warbler, black-throated blue warbler, cerulean warbler, yellow 
throated warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, Connecticut warbler, norther 
waterthrush, Canada warbler, scarlet tanager, red crossbill, Henslow’ 
sparrow and Lincoln’s sparrow. 
The central unit, with a more varied habitat both in topography an: 
vegetation, had over twice as many “more abundant” birds as were note 
on the other two units (Table 1). One hundred and eighteen species wer 
seen here, while 104 were sighted on the Fox River unit and 98 on th 
eastern unit. 
Certain avian species or family groups found the central-unit habita 
specific to their requirements. Deep shade, hilly terrain, abundant insect 
on the ground and progressively up to tree top, moist earth around sprin 
seepages, rich soil with its granular structure which promotes the growt 
of earthworms, snails, slugs and centipedes, the game farm with captiv 
birds numbering 100,000 or more, and lakes with a few shallow pond 
apparently satisfied survival needs. These birds included hawks, shore 
birds, swallows, thrushes, kinglets, vireos, warblers, house sparrows, ceda 
waxwings and finches. 
Another group of birds preferred the eastern or agricultural sectio 
as their micro-area. Here, buildings are in close proximity in a few lc 
cations, and waste grain is plentiful and thinly scattered over much of th 
landscape at the time of planting and harvesting. Cattle barns and fee 
lots provide survival essentials, as well as acres of evenly-spaced nurser 
trees planted—as far as the black birds and robins are concerned—Just fo 
roosting. Fall plowing provides large areas of bare ground which attrac 
other species. Birds seeking this type of land were starling, six species c 
sparrows, and ground birds such as the horned lark—both prairie an 
northern sub-species—and American pipits. 
The Fox River offers still another habitat with the lowland, marsh 
areas mentioned earlier. Standing water here has been responsible fo 
the weakening of box elders and peach-leaf willows. This, along wit 
Dutch elm disease which is taking its toll on upland elm trees, has provide 
micro-habitats for bark beetles, wood borers, and wood-inhabiting termite: 
and thus attracts the majority of woodpeckers seen on the property. Othe 
bird families noted most often here were waterfowl, gulls, and terns. 
Little numerical difference could be found among a few bird group 
which survived equally well on two of the three census areas. Uplan 
game birds thrived on both the central area and the eastern unit, but, du 
to lack of stocking, only a remnant population of escaped or native phea: 
ants, and a turkey or two, were present on the Fox River. Flycatchet 
were observed about equally on the central area and the Fox River, bu 
were seen in fewer species and numbers on the eastern unit. “Blackbirds 
on the central unit were almost comparable with those on the eastern un 
in species and in numbers, but they were observed less often on th 
Fox River. 
Dr. George V. Burger and Richard C. Oldenburg contributed dat 
concerning upland game bird food and cover plant species, their distribu 
tion, and acreages under cultivation. 
Literature Cited 
Dillon, S. T. 1968. “A Bird Count on a Restricted Site in Northeastern 
Illinois.’ Audubon Bulletin, Illinois Audubon Society 146 (16-20) 
