etietaee tO. BO Ne beUsin ly EtIN 37 
A Refreshing Change of Title—And New Research: 
DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES SHIFTS 
ATTENTION TO OUR STATE FAVORITE 
Most Illinoisans think of ducks, geese and doves when they think of bird 
banding, but there are other species of wildlife which are banded by the 
Illinois Department of Conservation. 
Beginning this year biologists are engaged in a project to band 
cardinals. 
This is the first time biologists have banded the bird, and they expect 
to ring approximately 100. Banding is taking place in southern Illinois at 
the Union County Refuge near the town of Ware. 
“Most people think that the Department of Conservation is interested 
in only game species,” said Henry N. Barkhausen, Director. “But this is 
just not true. We are responsible for all wildlife in Illinois, regardless of 
whether it is a huntable species. We have programs where we do work 
with swans, prairie chickens, eagles and many other species which are not 
game animals in Illinois. 
The director’s statement is further substantiated by a recent name 
change within the department. The “Division of Game” was changed to 
the more accurate title of ‘Division of Wildlife Resources” in September 
1970. The former implied that the Department was interested only in game 
species; the latter more accurately tells the public that the department is 
interested in all wildlife. 
The cardinal banding project was begun by George Arthur, the De- 
partment’s chief waterfowl biologist. 
“T was spending several months each year at the Union County 
Refuge, working with the ducks and geese,’ Arthur said. “I got into the 
habit of feeding the birds, most of which were cardinals, where I was 
staying at the refuge. It got to where there were sometimes over 100 birds 
feeding outside the building.” 
The traps Arthur is using to catch cardinals are dove traps—small wire 
cages with two four-inch throats for the birds to enter. Traps are baited with 
proso millet and sorghum seed. 
“It is easy for cardinals to get in, but hard for them to find their way 
out. A few manage to escape, but they are exceptions. The throats of the 
traps are funneled inward, and it’s just luck when one manages to find his 
way out. 
Although the cardinal is found state-wide, it is not as common in 
northern Illinois as it is in the southern half of the state. 
“The purpose of the project is to learn more about our state bird,” 
Arthur said. “By banding them we hope to learn more about how far a bird 
wanders, the mortality rate, life expectancy and other things we do not 
know at this time.” 
Just as in his waterfowl banding program, Arthur is having several 
retraps in the cardinal banding. 
