THE birds const.i.tute a large group of the animal kingdom. Their chief distinguishing feature is their covering of feathers. Another characteristic is the production of their young enclosed in eggs.
THE VULTURES.
[Ill.u.s.tration: TURKEY BUZZARD.]
The name "vulture" is applied to a family of birds of prey. The bill of the vulture is large and very strong; the head and neck are almost naked, being very lightly sprinkled with down. It is a carrion-devouring bird and does not attack living animals. It displays marvelous quickness in discovering a dead body. Vultures are generally protected in the countries where they are found because of their value in clearing away the putrid animal matter which would otherwise be injurious as well as disagreeable. The American vultures sometimes reach a large size and are very powerful in flight.
The Turkey Buzzard and Carrion Crow, both of which are vultures, are common in the temperate parts of America. The Carrion Crow is found as far North as Carolina. The Turkey Buzzard is not a true buzzard and is wrongly so called.
THE EAGLE.
Eagles are large and powerful birds. The flight of this magnificent bird is very beautiful and imposing, but its gait when on land is rather awkward. Its food is usually smaller birds and quadrupeds such as hares, rabbits, etc., but it does not hesitate to carry off young lambs or sometimes to destroy sickly sheep. It generally hunts in pairs, one eagle watching at some height while the other courses along the ground and scares the game from the bushes. It lays two eggs of a yellowish-white color with brownish spots on a nest composed of a great ma.s.s of sticks, brush and gra.s.s. The young are fledged about the end of July. While the young are in the nest it is very dangerous to approach it as the eagles are then extremely fierce and daring. Some instances have been related of children that have been carried off by an eagle, but these stories are very doubtful. Eagles have certainly been known to pounce upon children and carry them a little way, but there are no true accounts of children having been actually taken to the eagles" nest, although there are many stories founded on such a supposition. The beak of the eagle is curved from the face, having a sharp point. Its wings are long and large. They catch and kill their own prey, but unlike the vultures will not eat carrion. The eagle which is found in North America is usually the golden eagle, and inhabits the Western States. The Indians called it "the War Eagle." Its feathers are dark brown.
[Ill.u.s.tration: AMERICAN BALD EAGLE.]
THE BUZZARDS.
The family of Buzzards are distinguished by their short beaks, large rounded wings and squared tails. They live on small animals, reptiles and various insects.
[Ill.u.s.tration: COMMON BUZZARD.]
The Common Buzzard, when searching for food, rests upon some high branch, keeping a keen watch on the ground, and waiting patiently until some small animal makes its appearance or some bit of carrion is scented. Its length is from twenty to twenty-two inches. In flight it is rather slow and heavy. The bird popularly known as a Hen Hawk is a buzzard.
THE FALCONS.
The falcons are also birds of prey. Hawks are members of this family.
The Peregrine Falcon is an inhabitant of most parts of Europe, Asia, South America and North America. It builds its nest on cliffs and lays from two to four eggs which are spotted with dark red. It preys on other birds; its strength and swiftness are very great, enabling it to strike down its prey with great ease; indeed, it has been known to disable five partridges in succession. It changes the color of its plumage several times before it arrives at full maturity. Its length is from fifteen to eighteen inches.
The Sparrow Hawk feeds on mice, ground squirrels, insects, small birds.
It displays great pertinacity in pursuit of its prey which it will chase for a long while, skimming along a few feet above the ground. When taken young it is easily tamed and will then a.s.sociate with the most incongruous companions. Its length is from twelve to fifteen feet. It builds upon lofty trees.
THE OWLS.
The owls are nocturnal birds, pursuing their prey by night and sleeping by day. They have a large round head with enormous eyes looking forward.
Many species possess two feathery tufts placed on the head greatly resembling horns. In order to enable them to see their prey their eyes are enormously large, capable of taking in every ray of light. To protect them from the cold they are furnished with a dense covering of downy feathers which also prevents the movements of the wing from being heard. The beak is short and h.o.r.n.y, but very strong. They prey on small animals, fish, insects, reptiles. The cry of the owl is very peculiar and weird. This, coupled with their strange appearance, has made them objects of superst.i.tion. The ancients adopted them as symbols of wisdom.
The owls of North America that are the best known are the Horned Owl, the Grayish-barred Owl and the Mottled Owl.
[Ill.u.s.tration: AN OWL.]
The Snowy Owl also is found in North America; it is a good fisher, s.n.a.t.c.hing its prey from the water by a sudden grasp of the foot; it also preys on small animals, chasing and striking at them with its foot. It makes its nest on the ground and lays three or four white eggs. Its length is from twenty-two to twenty-seven inches. It extends its wings four feet. There are some species of owl found in America that burrow, living in the same hole with prairie dogs, making their nest in the mouth of the prairie dog"s burrow.
Cousins to the owls are the Nightjars, for example, the night hawk and whip-poor-will. They feed on moths and insects which they catch as they fly. Their eggs are laid on the ground without a nest.
THE SWALLOWS.
Swallows are remarkable for their great power of wing, their wide mouths, their short legs and weak feet. Their wing feathers are long, stiff and pointed, and their tails are long and forked. Nine species of swallow are found north of Mexico. They spend most of their time on the wing and live almost entirely upon insects which they capture as they fly; their large mouths particularly adapt them for this manner of feeding. They nest frequently in colonies; they migrate in large flocks and can often be seen in great quant.i.ties at roosting places. They show skill in the construction of their nests. The purple martin belongs to this family; it is common in the South but rare in the Northern States.
The tree swallow builds its nest, of gra.s.ses and feathers in the hollow of a tree. The bank swallow nests in a sand-bank.
THE SWIFTS.
The swifts are often confused with swallows owing to the similarity of their flight and the manner in which they feed. A Chimney Swift, commonly but erroneously called the Chimney Swallow, in construction is more like the humming-bird than the swallow; they nest in chimneys about ten feet from the top.
THE KINGFISHER.
These birds are chiefly tropical, the Belted Kingfisher being the only one of the family that is found north of Texas. They feed on fishes and frequent the land near the water and nest in holes which they make in a bank. They perch on some limb overhanging the water and watchfully wait for their dinner.
[Ill.u.s.tration: KINGFISHER.]
THE HUMMING-BIRD.
[Ill.u.s.tration: HUMMING-BIRD.]
Eighteen species of these have been found in the United States, but only one of these is found east of the Mississippi. They feed on insects and also on the juices of flowers. The humming-bird has no song, but the beauty of its plumage makes up for this deficiency. It darts through the air almost as quickly as thought; now it is within a yard of your path--in an instant gone--now it flutters from flower to flower to sip the dew--it is now a ruby--now a topaz--now an emerald--now burnished gold. Its tongue is almost like that of the woodp.e.c.k.e.r, being curled around the head under the skin, and is thus capable of being darted to a considerable distance; like many other little creatures, it is remarkable for its a.s.surance and impudence; it is easily tamed for that very reason and has been known to domesticate itself in an hour from the time it is captured, and often when released has returned again to partake of the dainties which it has tasted during its captivity. It seems to have no fear and will attack any bird, irrespective of size.
The nest of the humming-bird is as dainty as the bird itself.
THE WRENS.
The American House Wren is larger than the European wren, being about five inches long. It is of a reddish-brown color. The nest of the wren is built in any convenient cranny: an ivy-covered tree, the thatch of a barn or a warm scarecrow are all used by this featherless little bird.
It is a good fighter and will attack bluebirds and swallows. The nest is usually of an oval shape, always covered on the outside with some material resembling the color of the objects around it, such as green moss, if built among ivy, or brown lichen, if built on a rock or in the fork of a withered branch. The eggs are six or eight in number--white, specked with reddish-brown.
The Carolina Wren frequents the undergrowth in thickets; he is the most nervously active of all the wrens.
The Bewick"s Wren is often found in the barnyard.
The Winter Wren builds its nest usually in the tree-roots and heaps of brush.
The Marsh Wrens build their nests of a globular shape with the entrance at the side, either attached to weeds or tall gra.s.s, near or on the ground.
THE WARBLERS.
This is a very large family; they feed almost entirely upon insects.
They are the first to leave upon the approach of winter and the last to come in the spring. They migrate at night and thousands are killed annually by dashing against lighthouses.
The black and white warbler is streaked with black and white and can be readily identified; it can be often seen creeping under branches in search of its insect food.
The yellow warbler. What boy has not seen a "wild canary"? It likes to inspect the gardens and shrubbery around our houses, and consequently may be frequently noticed. There are a great many more in this numerous family.