Part 1

Chapter 12,939 wordsPublic domain

THE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF BIRDS

OLIVE THORNE MILLER

WITH SIXTEEN COLORED PLATES AND MANY OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge

PREFACE

THE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF BIRDS combines under a single cover the First and Second Books of Birds, originally published in 1899 and 1901 respectively and still popular with children in and out of school and with other beginners in the study of birds.

The book is intended to interest young people in the ways and habits of birds and to stimulate them to further study. It has grown out of my experience in talking to schools. From the youngest kindergarten scholar to boys and girls of sixteen and eighteen, I have never failed to find young people intensely interested so long as I would tell them about bow the birds live.

Some of the results of these talks that have come to my knowledge have been astonishing and far-reaching, such as that of one boy of seven or eight, who persuaded the village boys around his summer home to give up taking eggs and killing birds, and watch them instead, and who was dubbed "Professor" by his eager followers. The effect has always been to make children love and respect the living bird.

It has therefore seemed to me that what is needed at first is not the science of ornithology,--however diluted,--but some account of the life and habits, to arouse sympathy and interest in the living bird, neither as a target nor as a producer of eggs, but as a fellow-creature whose acquaintance it would be pleasant to make.

Naturally I have drawn on my own observations for much of the matter contained in this book, but these have been supplemented by consultation of recognized authorities in the various fields of ornithology.

In each bird family treated of in the Second Book I have given accounts of species to be found in the South and West as well as in the Eastern States, and I have selected the most common or typical species of each family. In cases where it was possible, I have chosen species represented in the different sections of the country, not only because the family traits are better shown, but because it is more encouraging to a beginner to become acquainted with birds he can see almost anywhere. When familiar with these, he will be able to identify and study the rarer species.

OLIVE THORNE MILLER.

CONTENTS

FIRST BOOK

I. WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW 1 II. WHEN THEY COME IN THE SPRING 3

THE NESTLING

III. THE BIRD'S HOME 9 IV. THE BABY BIRD 13 V. HOW HE IS FED 17 VI. HIS FIRST SUIT 21 VII. HOW HE CHANGES HIS CLOTHES 25 VIII. HIS FIRST FLIGHT 29 IX. HIS EDUCATION 33 X. SOME OF HIS LESSONS 37

THE BIRD GROWN UP

XI. THE BIRD'S LANGUAGE 43 XII. WHAT HE EATS 48 XIII. MORE ABOUT HIS FOOD 52 XIV. WHERE HE SLEEPS 57 XV. HIS TRAVELS 61 XVI. HIS WINTER HOME 66 XVII. HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS 70 XVIII. HIS KINDNESS TO OTHERS 74 XIX. HIS AFFECTIONS 78 XX. HIS INTELLIGENCE 83

HOW HE IS MADE

XXI. HIS BODY 91 XXII. HIS BEAK AND TONGUE 95 XXIII. HIS EYES AND EARS 100 XXIV. HIS FEET AND LEGS 105 XXV. HIS WINGS AND TAIL 109 XXVI. HIS DRESS 114 XXVII. DIFFERENT COLORED SUITS 118

HIS RELATIONS WITH US

XXVIII. HOW HE WORKS FOR US 125 XXIX. HOW TO ATTRACT HIM ABOUT OUR HOMES 131 XXX. HOW TO STUDY HIM 136

SECOND BOOK

I. WHAT IS A BIRD FAMILY? 1 II. THE THRUSH FAMILY 5 American Robin 6 Hermit Thrush 11 III. THE KINGLET AND GNATCATCHER FAMILY 14 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 14 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 16 IV. THE NUTHATCH AND CHICKADEE FAMILY 18 White-breasted Nuthatch 18 Red-breasted Nuthatch 20 Chickadee 22 Tufted Titmouse 24 V. THE CREEPER FAMILY 27 Brown Creeper 27 VI. THE CAVE-DWELLING FAMILY (First Branch) 30 House Wren 31 VII. THE CAVE-DWELLING FAMILY (Second Branch) 34 Mockingbird 34 Catbird 37 Thrasher 40 VIII. THE DIPPER FAMILY 42 American Dipper 42 IX. THE WAGTAIL FAMILY 46 Sprague's Pipit 46 X. THE WARBLER FAMILY 49 Yellow Warbler 50 Oven-bird 52 Yellow-breasted Chat 53 XI. THE VIREO FAMILY 55 Yellow-throated Vireo 56 Warbling Vireo 57 XII. THE SHRIKE FAMILY 59 Loggerhead Shrike 59 XIII. THE WAXWING FAMILY 63 Cedar-bird 63 Phainopepla 67 XIV. THE SWALLOW FAMILY 69 Barn Swallow 69 Cliff Swallow, or Eave Swallow 72 Purple Martin 72 XV. THE TANAGER FAMILY 75 Scarlet Tanager 75 Summer Tanager 78 Louisiana Tanager 78 XVI. THE SPARROW AND FINCH FAMILY 80 SPARROWS Song Sparrow 81 FINCHES Goldfinch 82 Towhee, or Chewink 84 XVII. THE GROSBEAK BRANCH 86 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 86 Black-headed Grosbeak 88 Cardinal Grosbeak, or Cardinal 88 XVIII. THE CROSSBILL BRANCH 91 American Crossbill 91 White-winged Crossbill 92 XIX. THE BLACKBIRD FAMILY 94 MARSH BLACKBIRDS Red-winged Blackbird 94 Cowbird 98 XX. THE MEADOW STARLINGS 100 Meadowlark 100 Western Meadowlark 102 XXI. THE ORIOLE BRANCH 104 Baltimore Oriole 104 Orchard Oriole 107 Arizona Hooded Oriole 108 XXII. THE CROW-BLACKBIRD BRANCH 110 Purple Grackle 112 Bronzed Grackle 112 Brewer's Blackbird 113 XXIII. THE CROW FAMILY 117 American Crow 117 Blue Jay 121 Steller's Jay 126 American Magpie 126 XXIV. THE LARK FAMILY 131 Horned Lark 131 Prairie Horned Lark 131 XXV. THE FLYCATCHING FAMILY 135 Kingbird 136 Arkansas Kingbird 140 Wood Pewee 140 Western Wood Pewee 142 XXVI. THE HUMMING FAMILY 143 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 144 Anna's Hummingbird 149 XXVII. THE SWIFT FAMILY 150 Chimney Swift 150 XXVIII. THE GOATSUCKER FAMILY 155 Whip-poor-will 155 Chuck-will's-widow 157 Poor-will 157 Nighthawk 158 XXIX. THE WOODPECKER FAMILY 160 Northern Flicker 161 Red-shafted Flicker 162 Red-headed Woodpecker 165 Californian Woodpecker 167 XXX. THE KINGFISHER FAMILY 170 Belted Kingfisher 170 XXXI. THE CUCKOO FAMILY 174 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 174 XXXII. THE OWL FAMILY 178 Screech Owl 180 Burrowing Owl 182 XXXIII. THE BARN OWL FAMILY 185 American Barn Owl 185 XXXIV. THE HAWK AND EAGLE FAMILY 188 American Sparrow Hawk 189 American Osprey, or Fish Hawk 190 Bald Eagle 192 XXXV. THE SCAVENGER FAMILY 194 Turkey Vulture 194 APPENDIX Characters of the North American Representatives of the Families mentioned in this Book 197 INDEX 205

ILLUSTRATIONS

BARN SWALLOW (colored) _Frontispiece_

FIRST BOOK

BALTIMORE ORIOLE AND NEST (colored) 10 REDSTARTS (FEMALE ON NEST) (colored) 14 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD--MALE, FEMALE, AND NEST WITH YOUNG 18 YOUNG WOOD THRUSH 22 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (colored) 26 BLUEBIRD (colored) 38 INDIGO-BIRD 46 AMERICAN ROBIN (colored) 60 CHEWINK 76 HOUSE WREN 80 FLICKER 86 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 96 LESSER YELLOWLEGS 106 BROWN THRASHER 112 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER 120 CEDAR-BIRD (colored) 126 SCARLET TANAGER--MALE AND FEMALE 142

SECOND BOOK

HERMIT THRUSH 10 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET 14 CHICKADEE 22 BROWN CREEPER (colored) 28 CATBIRD 36 AMERICAN DIPPER 42 SPRAGUE'S PIPIT 46 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT (colored) 52 YELLOW-THROATED VIREO AND NEST 56 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 60 SCARLET TANAGER (colored) 76 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (colored) 86 CARDINAL 90 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 94 MEADOWLARK (colored) 100 BLUE JAY 122 AMERICAN MAGPIE (colored) 126 DESERT HORNED LARK 132 KINGBIRD (colored) 136 NIGHTHAWK 158 DOWNY WOODPECKER 166 BELTED KINGFISHER (colored) 170 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 174 SCREECH OWL 180 SPARROW HAWK 188 AMERICAN OSPREY, OR FISH HAWK (colored) 192

Eight of the sixteen colored plates are from drawings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, and these are signed with his name. The other colored plates and the twenty-eight plain half-tones are from photographs of mounted specimens, many of which are in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and are reproduced by permission.

The First Book also contains twenty cuts in the text.

FIRST BOOK

THE FIRST BOOK OF BIRDS

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW

BIRDS seem to be the happiest creatures on earth, yet they have none of what we call the comforts of life.

They have no houses to live in, no beds to sleep on, no breakfast and dinner provided for them.

This book is to tell something about them; where they live and what they eat, where they sleep, how they get their beautiful dress, and many other things. But no one can tell all about their lives and habits, for no one knows all their ways.

Men who study dead birds can tell how they are made, how their bones are put together, and how many feathers there are in the wings and tail. Of course it is well to know these things. But to see how birds live is much more interesting than to look at dead ones.

It is pleasant to see how mother birds build their nests, and how they take care of their nestlings. It is charming to see the young ones when they begin to fly, and to know how they are taught to find their food, and to keep out of danger, and to sing, and everything young birds need to know.

Then when they are grown up, it is interesting to find out where they go in winter, and why they do not stay with us all the year round.

One who goes into the field to watch and study their ways will be surprised to find how much like people they act. And after studying living birds, he will never want to kill them. It will seem to him almost like murder.

WHEN THEY COME IN THE SPRING

IN the long, cold winter of the New England and Middle States, not many birds are usually seen. In the cities there is always the English sparrow, and in the country, now and then a chickadee, or a woodpecker, or a small flock of goldfinches.

But very early in the spring, long before grass is green, even while snow is on the ground, the birds begin to come.

Some morning a robin will appear, standing up very straight on a fence or tree, showing his bright red breast and black cap, flirting his tail, and looking as if he were glad to be back in his old home.

Then perhaps the same day will come the hoarse chack of a blackbird, and two or three will fly over and alight in a big bare tree, looking, it may be, for a good place to build a bird city.

Soon will be heard the sweet little song of the song sparrow or the bluebird, and then we shall know that summer is coming, for these are the first birds of spring.

Day after day, as the snow melts away and the sunshine grows hotter, more birds will come. One day a catbird or two, another day an oriole in black and gold, and another day a pert little wren. So it will go on, till by the time June comes in, all our birds will be back with us, very busy, hopping around in our bushes and trees, making their nests all about, and singing the whole day long.

Almost the first thing every bird thinks of, when he comes to us, is making the nest. For summer is the only time in his life that a bird has a home.

He does not need a house to live in. He cares nothing for a roof to cover him, because when the sun is hot, he has the broad green leaves on the trees to shade him. And when it rains his neat feather coat is like a waterproof that lets the drops run off, leaving him warm and dry under it.

He does not need a dining-room, because he eats wherever he finds his food, and he wants no kitchen, because he prefers his food raw.

He has no use for a bedroom, because he can sleep on any twig; the whole world is his bedroom.

He cares nothing for closets and bureaus, because he has only one suit of clothes at a time, and he washes and dries that without taking it off.

He wants no fire to keep him warm, for when it is too cold he spreads his wings and flies to a warmer place. A bird has really no need of a house,--excepting when he is a baby, before his eyes are open, or his feathers have come, or his wings have grown. While he is blind, naked, and hungry, he must have a warm, snug cradle.

So when the bird fathers and mothers come in the spring the first thing they do is to find good places and build nice cradles, for they are very fond of their little ones. They spend the spring and summer in working for them, keeping them warm, feeding them till they are grown up, and then teaching them to fly and to take care of themselves, so that when summer is gone they will be ready to go with the other birds to their winter home.

THE NESTLING

III

THE BIRD'S HOME

EACH bird mother has her own way of making the nest, but there is one thing almost all of them try to do, and that is to hide it.

They cannot put their little homes out in plain sight, as we do our houses, because so many creatures want to rob them. Squirrels and snakes and rats, and some big birds, and cats and many others, like to eat eggs and young birds.

So most birds try, first of all, to find good hiding-places. Some tiny warblers go to the tops of the tallest trees, and hide the nest among the leaves. Orioles hang the swinging cradle at the end of a branch, where cats and snakes and naughty boys cannot come. Song sparrows tuck the little home in a tuft of weeds, on the ground, and bobolinks hide it in the deep grass.

After a safe place is found, they have to get something to build of. They hunt all about and gather small twigs, or grass stems, or fine rootlets, and pull narrow strips of bark off the grapevines and the birch-trees, or they pick up strings and horsehairs, and many other things. Robins and swallows use mud.

As they go on building, the mother bird gets inside and turns around and around to make it fit her form, and be smooth and comfortable for her to sit in.

When a nest is made, it must be lined. Then some birds go to the chicken yard, and pick up feathers, and others find horsehairs. Some of them pull off the soft down that grows on plants, or get bits of wool from the sheep pasture, or old leaves from the woods, and make it soft and warm inside.

Some bird homes are only platforms, where it seems as if the eggs must roll off, and others are deep burrows, or holes in the ground, where no one can get in. Some are dainty baskets hung between two twigs, and others are tiny cups of felt with lichens outside.

Each species of bird builds in its own way. There are as many different ways to make nests as there are kinds of birds to make them.

Then after all the trouble birds have taken to build a nest, they seldom use it a second time. If a pair have two broods in a season, they almost always build a new one for each family.

A few birds, such as eagles, owls, and sometimes orioles, and others, repair the home and use it again, and woodpeckers sometimes nest in the old holes. But generally, after the young birds have flown, we may be sure the nest will not be wanted again.

When the nest is finished, the eggs are laid in it, one by one. We all know how pretty birds' eggs are. Some are snowy white, some are delicate pink, and some blue. Many have tiny dots and specks on them, and a few are covered with queer-looking streaks and lines. But pretty as they are, I think no one would be so cruel as to take them away from the poor little mother, if he remembered that her young ones are inside them, and that she loves them as his own mother loves him.

I have heard people say that birds do not care for their eggs. Let me tell you what a little chickadee mother did when a man tried to steal the eggs out of her nest.

The nest was in a hole in an old stump, and the man could not get his hand in, so he had to take them out one at a time with a little scoop.

At first the mother flew at him and tried to drive him away. Then chickadees and other birds who lived near came to help her. All flew about his face with cries, so that he had to use one hand to keep them away from his eyes. But still he went on taking out the eggs.

At last the little mother was so wild with grief that she dashed into the hole and sat there in the doorway, right before his face. He could not get another egg without hurting her, and he was ashamed to do that.

This was as brave in the tiny creature as it would be for a human mother to throw herself before a fierce, hungry tiger. Do you think she did not care for her eggs?

THE BABY BIRD

A BABY bird, as you know, always comes out of an egg. And beautiful as these eggs are, they are most interesting when you think that each one holds a tiny bird.