bird neighbors-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　South。　One　day　he　asked　an　old　colored　man　what　these　squashes　were　for。

〃Why；　deh　is　martins'　boxes；〃　said　Uncle　Remus。　〃No　danger　of　hawks　carryin'　off　de　chickens　so　long　as　de　martins　am　around。〃

The　Indians；　too；　have　always　had　a　special　liking　for　this　bird。　They　often　lined　a　hollowed…out　gourd　with　bits　of　bark　and　fastened　it　in　the　crotch　of　their　tent　poles　to　invite　its　friendship。　The　Mohegan　Indians　have　called　it　〃the　bird　that　never　rests〃a　name　better　suited　to　the　tireless　barn　swallow；　Dr。　Abbott　thinks。

Wasps；　beetles；　and　all　manner　of　injurious　garden　insects　constitute　its　diet　　another　reason　for　its　universal　popularity。　It　is　simple　enough　to　distinguish　the　martins　from　the　other　swallows　by　their　larger　size　and　iridescent　dark　coat；　not　to　mention　their　song；　which　is　very　soft　and　sweet；　like　musical　laughter；　rippling　up　through　the　throat。


COWBIRD　（Molothrus　ater）　Blackbird　family

Called　also：　BROWN…HEADED　ORIOLE；　COW…PEN　BIRD；　COW　BLACKBIRD；　　　COW　BUNTING；　＇BROWN…HEADED　COWBIRD；　AOU　1998＇

Length　　7　to　8　inches。　About　one…fifth　smaller　than　the　robin。　Male　　Iridescent　black；　with　head；　neck；　and　breast　glistening　　　brown。　Bill　dark　brown；　feet　brownish。　Female　　Dull　grayish…brown　above；　a　shade　lighter　below；　and　　　streaked　with　paler　shades　of　brown。　Range　　United　States；　from　coast　to　coast。　North　into　British　　　America；　south　into　Mexico。　Migrations　　March。　November。　Common　summer　resident。

The　cowbird　takes　its　name　from　its　habit　of　walking　about　among　the　cattle　in　the　pasture；　picking　up　the　small　insects　which　the　cattle　disturb　in　their　grazing。　The　bird　may　often　be　seen　within　a　foot　or　two　of　the　nose　of　a　cow　or　heifer；　walking　briskly　about　like　a　miniature　hen；　intently　watching　for　its　insect　prey。

Its　marital　and　domestic　character　is　thoroughly　bad。　Polygamous　and　utterly　irresponsible　for　its　offspring；　this　bird　forms　a　striking　contrast　to　other　feathered　neighbors；　and　indeed　is　almost　an　anomaly　in　the　animal　kingdom。　In　the　breeding　season　an　unnatural　mother　may　be　seen　skulking　about　in　the　trees　and　shrubbery；　seeking　for　nests　in　which　to　place　a　surreptitious　egg；　never　imposing　it　upon　a　bird　of　its　size；　but　selecting　in　a　cowardly　way　a　small　nest；　as　that　of　the　vireos　or　warblers　or　chipping　sparrows；　and　there　leaving　the　hatching　and　care　of　its　young　to　the　tender　mercies　of　some　already　burdened　little　mother。　It　has　been　seen　to　remove　an　egg　from　the　nest　of　the　red…eyed　vireo　in　order　to　place　one　of　its　own　in　its　place。　Not　finding　a　convenient　nest；　it　will　even　drop　its　eggs　on　the　ground；　trusting　them　to　merciless　fate；　or；　still　worse；　devouring　them。　The　eggs　are　nearly　an　inch　long；　white　speckled　with　brown　or　gray。　

Cowbirds　are　gregarious。　The　ungrateful　young　birds；　as　soon　as　they　are　able　to　go　roaming；　leave　their　foster…parents　and　join　the　flock　of　their　own　kind。　In　keeping　with　its　unclean　habits　and　unholy　life　and　character；　the　cowbird's　ordinary　note　is　a　gurgling；　rasping　whistle；　followed　by　a　few　sharp　notes。


STARLING　（Sturnus　vulgaris）　

＇Called　also：　EUROPEAN　STARLING；　AOU　1998＇

Length　　8　to　9　inches。　Weight　about　equals　that　of　robin；　but　　　the　starling；　with　its　short；　drooping　tail；　is　chunkier　in　　　appearance。　Male　　Iridescent　black　with　glints　of　purple；　green；　and　blue。　　　On　back　the　black　feathers；　with　iridescence　of　green　and　　　bronze；　are　tipped　with　brown；　as　are　some　of　the　tail　and　wing　　　feathers。　In　autumn　and　early　winter　feathers　of　sides　of　head；　　　breast；　flanks　and　underparts　are　tipped　with　white；　giving　a　　　gray；　mottled　appearance。　During　the　winter　most　of　the　white　　　tips　on　breast　and　underparts　wear　off。　Until　the　first　moult　　　in　late　summer　the　young　birds　are　a　dark　olive…brown　in　color；　　　with　white　or　whitish　throat。　These　differences　in　plumage　at　　　different　seasons　and　different　ages　make　starlings　hard　to　　　identify。　Red…winged　blackbirds　and　grackles　are　often　mistaken　　　for　them。　From　early　spring　till　mid…June；　starling's　rather　　　long；　sharp　bill　is　yellow。　Later　in　summer　it　darkens。　No　　　other　black　bird　of　ours　has　this　yellow　bill　at　any　season。　Female　　Similar　in　appearance。　Range　　Massachusetts　to　Maryland。　Not　common　beyond　100　miles　　　inland。　（Native　of　northern　Europe　and　Asia。）　Migrations　　Permanent　resident；　but　flocks　show　some　tendency　　　to　drift　southward　in　winter。

This　newcomer　to　our　shores　is　by　no　means　so　black　as　he　has　been　painted。　Like　many　other　European　immigrants　he　landed　at　or　near　Castle　Garden；　New　York　City；　and　his　descendants　have　not　cared　to　wander　very　far　from　this　vicinity；　preferring　regions　with　a　pretty　numerous　human　population。　The　starlings　have　increased　so　fast　in　this　limited　region　since　their　first　permanent　settlement　in　Central　Park　about　1890　that　farmers　and　suburban　dwellers　have　feared　that　they　might　become　as　undesirable　citizens　as　some　other　Europeans　　the　brown　rat；　the　house　mouse；　and　the　English　sparrow。　But　a　very　thorough　investigation　conducted　by　the　United　States　Bureau　of　Biological　Survey　（Bulletin　No。　868；　1921）　is　most　reassuring　in　its　results。　

Let　us　first　state　the　case　for　the　prosecution：　（1）　the　starling　must　plead　guilty　to　a　fondness　for　cultivated　cherries；　（2）　he　is　often　a　persecutor　of　native　birds；　like　the　bluebird　and　flicker；　（3）　his　roosts；　where　he　sometimes　congregates　in　thousands　in　the　autumn；　are　apt　to　become　public　nuisances；　offensive　alike　to　the　eye；　the　nose　and　the　ear。　

But　these　offences　are　not　so　very　serious　after　all。　He　does　not　eat　so　many　cherries　as　our　old　friend　the　robin；　though　his　depredations　are　more　conspicuous；　for　whereas　the　robins　in　ones　and　twos　will　pilfer　steadily　from　many　trees　for　many　days　without　attracting　notice；　a　crowd　of　starlings　is　occasionally　observed　to　descend　en　masse　upon　a　single　tree　and　strip　it　in　a　few　hours。　Naturally　such　high…handed　procedure　is　observed　by　many　and　deeply　resented　by　the　owner　of　the　tree；　who　suffers　the　steady　but　less　spectacular　raids　of　the　robins　without　serious　disquiet；　

Less　can　be　said　in　defense　of　the　starling's　scandalous　treatment　of　some　native　birds。　〃Unrelenting　perseverance　dominates　the　starling's　activities　when　engaged　in　a　controversy　over　a　nesting　site。　More　of　its　battles　are　won　by　dogged　persistence　in　annoying　its　victim　than　by　bold　aggression；　and　its　irritating　tactics　are　sometimes　carried　to　such　a　point　that　it　seems　almost　as　if　the　bird　were　actuated　more　by　a　morbid　pleasure　of　annoying　its　neighbors　than　by　any　necessity　arising　from　a　scarcity　of　nesting　sites。。。

〃In　contests　with　the　flicker　the　starling　frequently　makes　up　in　numbers　what　disadvantage　it　may　have　in　size。　Typical　of　such　combats　was　the　one　observed　on　May　9；　at　Hartford；　Conn。；　where　a　group　of　starlings　and　a　flicker　were　in　controversy　over　a　newly　excavated　nest。　The　number　of　starlings　varied；　but　as　many　as　6　were　noted　at　one　time。　Attention　was　first　attracted　to　the　dispute　by　a　number　of　starlings　in　close　proximity　to　the　hole　and　by　the　sounds　of　a　tussle　within。　Presently　a　flicker　came　out　dragging　a　starling　after　him。　The　starling　continued　the　battle　outside　long　enough　to　allow　one　of　its　comrades　to　slip　into　the　nest。　Of　course　the　flicker　had　to　repeat　the　entire　performance。　He　did　this　for　about　half　an　hour；　when　he　gave　up；　leaving　the　starlings　in　possession　of　the　nest。。。

〃Economically　considered；　the　starling　is　the　superior　of　either　the　flicker；　the　robin；　or　the　English　sparrow；　three　of　the　species　with　which　it　comes　in　contact　in　its　breeding　operations。　The　eggs　and　young　of　bluebirds　and　wrens　may　be　protected　by　the　use　of　nest　boxes　with　circular　openings　1　1/2　inches　or　less　in　diameter。　This　leaves　the　purple　martin　the　only　species　readily　subject　to　attack　by　the　starling；　whose　economic　worth　may　be　considered　greater　than　that　of　the　latter；　but　in　no　case　was　the　disturbance　of　a　well…established　colony　of　martins　noted。〃　

As　for　the　nuisance　of　a　big　established　roost　of　starlings；　it　may　be　abated　by　nightly　salvos　of　Roman　candles　or　blank　cartridges；　continued　for　a　week　or　at　most　ten　days。　

So　much　for