6 ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLETIN 
help save the Kirtland’s Warbler), the ultimate goal in non-game programs i: 
a balanced, diverse wildlife. 
Diversity depends on vegetation, which means that the non-game 
manager must be competent in botany. Experience seems to prove that the 
diversity of species increases with each successional stage in vegetation, and 
becomes greatest when a climax vegetation is reached. This means that 
songbird variety is lowest in agricultural land and herbaceous field cover — 
of which we have much in Illinois. The forest edge, or ecotone, will have the 
greatest productivity. Riverine habitats rank high in species, but they alse 
rank high on the list of endangered habitats. 
In managing birds, it is important not to worry about a single kind o} 
tree or bush, but to make certain that the habitat conforms to the structural 
needs of species. Generally, birds react best to a complex vegetational 
configuration with a wide mix of tree heights, textures and ground covers. 
They apparently like least of all a planting of single tree species with a 
uniform height. Modern timbering practices with the removal of snags, the 
reduction of brush, heavy pesticide usage and emphasis on short timber- 
cutting rotations, don’t seem to go well with managing for non-game 
species. High-yield timber plantations tend to be biological deserts. 
My final comment on principles involves the need for setting priorities. 
Management must first be directed at endangered species, with a close 
second going to species that are on the decline, especially those with a 
narrow range of tolerances and a minimum power of dispersal. Three 
species are readily suggested in Illinois as prime subjects in this context: the 
barn owl, which has virtually disappeared from our increasingly sterile 
farmsteads; the bluebird, which is losing out in the competition for a 
declining number of natural nesting cavities; and the bald eagle, an over- 
wintering species with a highly specific roosting site requirement. 
The tasks of non-game management are abundant, but funds to carry 
out these activities are almost unavailable. Money-raising schemes have 
been suggested that range all the way from a tax on birdseed and binoculars 
to special (meaning higher-priced) license plates for wildlife enthusiasts. In 
some states, special non-game stamps have been offered for sale. The results 
have been poor. The public will not respond adequately to these schemes. 
The reason is clear: they depend on voluntary participation. How many 
hunters would buy stamps or licenses if they were not required to do so by 
law? 
Even with the best of non-game programs and adequate finances, we 
would still be in deep trouble with our wildlife, for the simple reason that the 
loss of habitat continues unabated, and habitat preservation is largely 
