Our Disappearing Birds

Recently we had an occasion to look through a book containing hundreds of colored pictures of birds. In looking through the pages we came upon the pictures of so many we used to know over the years, but within the span of a quarter of a century or less, quite a few seemed to have disappeared or perhaps become very scarce.

We decided to make a list of the birds for you and perhaps you, too, will remember where you last saw them.

First there was the upland plover which used to stand on the country fence posts, or, when flying high it gave out its familiar whistle or call. Next was the killdeer with its two black banded markings on its breast. It was a familiar sight to the farmer when cultivating his fields. It's nest was only a depression in the ground containing two or three small brown dotted eggs which made them very difficult to find.

The quail or Bob White's population was practically exterminated in the 1936 severe winter storms. Once in a while one can be heard along the country side. Chances are they were raised and released by the Game Commission. Some states have classified them as a song bird and are protected.

Many years ago one could not ride through the country without seeing many varieties of hawks. To most farmers a hawk was a hawk and his only thought was to exterminate it with his shotgun. Locally there were several varieties; the Rough-legged, the Red Shouldered, the Red Tailed and the Broadwing. They are slow flying, heavy bodied with a broad tail and wide wings. Often they could be seen perched on a dead tree limb. These hawks belong to the 'Buteos' family.

The most destructive types are the 'Aceipiters'. They are the Cooper's hawk, the SharpShinned and the Goshawk. The latter is claimed to be the worst of the three. It can be identified by the pronounced white eye stripe and barred pearly grey breast. All three have short wings and long tails. They are very fast flyers.

The most colorful of the hawk family is the small Sparrowhawk. Each year a pair returns to the same hollow tree, occupying a hole which a woodpecker or flicker had hollowed out. They are great field mice and mole exterminators. One could often see them perched on telephone poles and along the road. It was interesting to see them fly over a grassy field and hover in midair for a few moments and then suddenly dive to the ground and grab an unsuspecting rodent and then fly back to its perch anct devour it.

Another rare bird of prey is the Barn Owl. It is sometimes referred to as the Monkeyfaced Owl. They are extremely heneficial as are the small Schreech Owls. There are two phases of these little birds, the reddish and the grey.

A few years ago we discovered that a pair had hatched two young in a hole in a tree in our front yard. One was red and the other gray. It was interesting to watch them in the evenings. We also discovered a pair in a tree hole in front of the local Post Office. They are very shy but do tolerate humans.

A few years ago we discovered that a pair had hatched two young in a hole in a tree in our front yard. One was red and the other gray. It was interesting to watch them in the evenings. We also discovered a pair in a tree hole in front of the local Post Office. They are very shy but do tolerate humans.

We used to see many Wood Pewee and Phoebes. I remember one pair of Pewee's would return every year and build their nest on top of a window under our front porch. The old wooden bridges with the large log supports were favored nesting places for the Phoebe. The modern cement bridges over these same small streams, today, no longer provides a spot for them.

Very few farms, which contained orchards, failed to have a pair of Kingbirds. An old apple tree was its favorite nesting place as well as a look-out point. These birds were the 'watchdogs' of every farm. No hawk or crow dared to venture close. They would be driven off by the vicious dive bombing attacks of this small bird. Many times feathers could be seen falling to the ground and they would not be from the Kingbird's body.

Within the past ten years we have noticed a remarkable decrease in the number of Chimney Swifts. These fast flying birds seem to resemble a cigar with wings.

The number of hummingbirds seen in our gardens seems to be growing smaller even though we find almost as many flowers in our yards, we seem to see less and less each year.

Another of our summer visitors which has suddenly decreased or in some places completely disappeared is the Purple Martin. Hurricane Hazel a few years ago caused thousands to starve. These little birds feed only on flying insects and during the course of the week long rain they could not find enough food to eat.

The Barn Swallow is another of our birds which is slowly disappearing. What a familiar sight it was to see them flying low over the fields or perched on telephone wires. A few years ago in a barn near Bedford we were shown dozens of nesting Cliff Swallows. They build their nests out of mud in the shape of a long hollow gourd. The farmer was quite proud of his temporary tenants. These birds are not plentiful in this county.

When we were kids we used to find Bluebirds along the country side An old hollow apple tree or a hole in a fence post provided nesting places for these beautiful birds. The same can be said of the Red headed Woodpecker. The telephone poles and dying trees were their favorite perching places. It has been years since we last saw either of these two birds. I strongly suspect that the lowly Starling, which has multiplied so rapidly in the past two decades, has contributed strongly to their disappearance.

The fast disappearance of our farm orchards has also led to the decrease in numbers of our Baltimore and Orchard Orioles. One of their favorite nesting materials was the long hairs from the horse's tails. Now that the farm tractor has replaced the horse they have to use short pieces of string and long blades of grass to weave their swinging basket-like nest.

The Yellow billed Cuckoo, once found in the orchards, is also very rare. Its favorite food is the tent worm. However, the Cuckoo, like many other birds, are poisoned from eating worms which have been sprayed by certain insecticides.

Ornithologists also contribute the fast disappearance of the eagle and Osprey to chemicals used in spraying. As these birds devour contaminated fish, the poison builds up in the body systems which affects the hardness of their egg shells, thus the parent bird cannot hatch the eggs.

The rapid increase in starlings, blackbirds and purple grackles in the past quarter century has caused a drastic change in the number of our summer visitors as well as the winter bird life. We are afraid that within the next quarter century we will see additional decreases and perhaps total disappearance in many of our once popular song birds.