Introduction to Our Bird Friends, Volume 2

Part 1

INTRODUCTION TO OUR BIRD FRIENDS VOLUME 2

Text by L. B. Carson Illustrations by Orville O. Rice

Copyright, 1957 BY CAPPER PUBLICATIONS, INC.

Printed in the United States of America

FOREWORD

More and more people are turning to the outdoors and the enjoyment of nature. Many great Americans have been students of wild birds. This is not accidental, for few forms of outdoor recreation offer so much pleasure.

The season of the year will in some cases determine what birds are in your area. Color is important in identifying species. Look carefully at the silhouette or shape; is it slender or chunky, is the tail short or long? Compare its size with a bird with which you are more familiar. Habitat is important, too. One learns to look for Red-winged Blackbirds in wet marshes; for a meadowlark in pastures and fields. Behavior is a clue. Does it walk or hop; does it soar, does it walk headfirst down a tree, as is the habit of the nuthatch, or scratch among leaves like the towhee? Listen to the bird’s song and call note. With a little experience, distinctive songs may be identified. Each bird has its characteristic song.

Bird study can be pursued with as much effort as the watcher cares to exert. Birds need food, water and protection from their natural enemies. You can provide these in your own yard. Some birds will be attracted and you can study them at your leisure. Other species, those which live in swamps, for example, must be searched for aggressively.

A bird guide is a splendid investment, considering the hours of pleasure it will bring you. Binoculars are a help, too, in studying the size, shape, beak, legs and color pattern.

Make written notes of what you see and hear, or a dated list of species and numbers of each. Records will add to your own pleasure and add to the sum of knowledge on birds in general.

This is the second booklet on common birds of the United States published by Capper Publications, Inc. Each of the two volumes illustrates and describes 50 different species. Additional copies (specify whether volume I or II is desired) may be ordered for 25 cents each as follows:

Bird Book Department 2 Capper Publications, Inc. 8th and Jackson Streets Topeka, Kansas

White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Soaring overhead during migration, a flock of White Pelicans is a magnificent sight. These great birds weigh as much as 15 pounds, have a wingspread of 9 feet and a total length of more than 5 feet. Their legs are sturdy but short, the toes fully webbed. The bill is long and flat with a pouch beneath the lower mandible. Three contrasting colors make this bird easily identified. The bird is white except for the outer two-thirds of the wings where the end and rear half is black. The bill, pouch and feet are yellow or reddish-yellow.

The head is carried well back, which rests the bill and pouch on the shoulders. They float high on the water and when surrounded by ducks and grebes, they look like aircraft carriers with a destroyer escort.

Unlike the smaller Brown Pelican, these birds do not dive for their food, but form a line, drive the fish to shallow water, where their built-in landing nets ladle the small fry out of the water. Many “crawdads” find that an open pouch is no place to hide when these birds wave their open beaks back and forth in shallow water.

Pelicans must have originated the game of “follow the leader,” for in flight, whatever the leader does, each bird follows in turn.

On mammoth wings They wend their way, On silent flight, Across the bay.

Snowy Egret Leucophoyx thula

Like ghosts from a bloody past, Snowy Egrets have returned to add their beauty to American bird life. Woman’s vanity and man’s desire for money once brought these beautiful herons almost to the point of extinction. The dainty recurved plumes, which formed a part of the breeding plumage of the birds, were known as “cross aigrettes,” when they were sold by milliners. Women bought, men slaughtered, and egrets died, not only for the plumes; but the nestlings starved after the adults were killed. Plume hunters have departed and the birds are now found in their favorite swamps.

This bird has a length of 20 to 25 inches, white with black bill and legs. The feet are yellow, giving it the nickname of “the bird with the golden slippers.” The young of the Little Blue Heron are also white but have greenish legs, while the bill is 2-tone, blue with black tip. The American Egret is much larger and shows a yellow bill.

The Snowy Egret formerly nested in the Deep South, but is gradually extending its range to include more northern areas. They are prone to wander widely after the breeding season. Western birders will find the Brewster’s Snowy Egret in their area.

With yellow slippers And spotless plumes, Which are more charming The brides or grooms?

Green Heron Butorides virescens

Anyone who spends time near a lake, pond or stream will find this small heron, for it is there that he secures the minnows, frogs and crayfish which form the major portion of his diet. His favorite method is to stand quietly on a partly submerged log where fish are feeding within reach of his long neck and bill. A quick thrust and one course is served. At other times you will see him sneaking carefully up to the water’s edge, where some slight ripple indicates the movement of fish or frogs.

This bird is small, measuring only 16 to 22 inches in length, but appears even smaller until he extends his long chestnut-colored neck. At a distance he appears to be black but a closer view shows a bluish or greenish tinge to the feathers, depending on lighting conditions. His legs are short and range from greenish to almost orange in color, depending on the season.

The Green Heron builds a loosely-constructed nest, usually not more than 20 feet above the ground, but often some distance from water. They are inclined to nest singly, but may form loose colonies when abundant. The 3 to 5 eggs are greenish in color and can usually be seen thru the frail structure which these birds consider home.

Sometimes they’re green And sometimes blue When reflected light Plays tricks on you.

Part 2

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

There is something about the Canada Goose that demands respect. Farmers see him as a weather prophet for his fall flight indicates that winter is on the way, while his spring migration tells them that warmer days will follow. Hunters see him as the prize game bird, worthy of their best efforts. Others point to this bird as a model for man, for his strength, courage and fidelity leave little to be desired. Even the newsboy stops selling papers to watch and listen as these great birds pass over the cities.

Americans are fortunate, for at least one of the 5 sub-species of Canada Geese is found in all areas. They range from the Cackling Goose, a small dark sub-species not much larger than a Mallard and weighing around 3 pounds, to the huge Western Canada and the Common Canada with weights of 10 pounds or more. Richardson’s Goose at 4 pounds and the Lesser Canada at 5 pounds are two smaller sub-species both lighter in plumage like the Common Canada.

All show the same pattern: black head, neck, tail, feet and bill with a white cheek patch and light belly. Back and wings are brownish-gray. The cheek patch in most types is joined beneath the chin. The white of the belly extends around the tail, making the black tail feathers distinctive. The gray shows a barred effect.

He comes in various sizes, And raises quite a din, But you can always know him By the strap beneath his chin.

American Pintail Anas acuta

This duck has the widest nesting range of any species in the northern hemisphere. An American Pintail looks much the same whether you find him in Hawaii, Europe, Asia, Alaska, Canada, Mexico or on either coast of the United States. The drake is a large gray-backed, white-breasted duck. The white of the breast extends up the long neck to a point back of the brown head; gray feathers extend up the back of the neck to the head. The tail gives a clue to the name, for the 2 center feathers are long, black and pointed. The female is a mottled brown and shows a long, thin neck, bluish-gray feet and a pointed but not elongated tail.

These birds are strong fliers and do much of their courting on the wing, the female leading a convoy of males, each trying to outdo the others. Perhaps she chooses the strongest flier for her mate. The male has a whistled note while the female utters a muffled quack.

Pintails feed in shallow water where their long necks give them some advantage over the shorter-necked puddle ducks which enjoy the same habitat. Nests are placed on dry ground and are usually a deep hollow lined with grasses and down. The site is variable and might be near or far from water, but the American Pintail will go all out to protect her young.

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