Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) by Quy Tran
Bible Birds – Roseate Spoonbill
Author Archives: Lee
Vol. 2, No. 3 – How The Birds Secured Their Rights
Song Sparrow by Ray
HOW THE BIRDS SECURED THEIR RIGHTS.
Deuteronomy xxxii 6-7.—“If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree, or on the ground, young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young. But thou shalt in anywise let the dam go, that it may be well with thee, and that thou may prolong thy days.”
T is said that the following petition was instrumental in securing the adoption in Massachusetts of a law prohibiting the wearing of song and insectivorous birds on women’s hats. It is stated that the interesting document was prepared by United States Senator Hoar. The foregoing verse of Scripture might have been quoted by the petitioning birds to strengthen their position before the lawmakers:
“To the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: We, the song birds of Massachusetts and their playfellows, make this our humble petition. We know more about you than you think we do. We know how good you are. We have hopped about the roofs and looked in at the windows of the houses you have built for poor and sick and hungry people, and little lame and deaf and blind children. We have built our nests in the trees and sung many a song as we flew about the gardens and parks you have made so beautiful for your children, especially your poor children, to play in. Every year we fly a great way over the country, keeping all the time where the sun is bright and warm. And we know that whenever you do anything the other people all over this great land between the seas and the great lakes find it out, and pretty soon will try to do the same. We know. We know.
“We are Americans just the same as you are. Some of us, like some of you, came across the great sea. But most of the birds like us have lived here a long while; and the birds like us welcomed your fathers when they came here many, many years ago. Our fathers and mothers have always done their best to please your fathers and mothers.
“Now we have a sad story to tell you. Thoughtless or bad people are trying to destroy us. They kill us because our feathers are beautiful. Even pretty and sweet girls, who we should think would be our best friends, kill our brothers and children so that they may wear our plumage on their hats. Sometimes people kill us for mere wantonness. Cruel boys destroy our nests and steal our eggs and our young ones. People with guns and snares lie in wait to kill us; as if the place for a bird were not in the sky, alive, but in a shop window or in a glass case. If this goes on much longer all our song birds will be gone. Already we are told in some other countries that used to be full of birds they are now almost gone. Even the Nightingales are being killed in Italy.
“Now we humbly pray that you will stop all this and will save us from this sad fate. You have already made a law that no one shall kill a harmless song bird or destroy our nests or our eggs. Will you please make another one that no one shall wear our feathers, so that no one shall kill us to get them? We want them all ourselves. Your pretty girls are pretty enough without them. We are told that it is as easy for you to do it as for a blackbird to whistle.
“If you will, we know how to pay you a hundred times over. We will teach your children to keep themselves clean and neat. We will show them how to live together in peace and love and to agree as we do in our nests. We will build pretty houses which you will like to see. We will play about your garden and flowerbeds—ourselves like flowers on wings—without any cost to you. We will destroy the wicked insects and worms that spoil your cherries and currants and plums and apples and roses. We will give you our best songs, and make the spring more beautiful and the summer sweeter to you. Every June morning when you go out into the field, Oriole and Bluebird and Blackbird and Bobolink will fly after you, and make the day more delightful to you. And when you go home tired after sundown Vesper Sparrow will tell you how grateful we are. When you sit down on your porch after dark, Fifebird and Hermit Thrush and Wood Thrush will sing to you; and even Whip-poor-will will cheer you up a little. We know where we are safe. In a little while all the birds will come to live in Massachusetts again, and everybody who loves music will like to make a summer home with you.”
The singers are:
| Brown Thrasher, | King Bird, | |
| Robert o’Lincoln, | Swallow, | |
| Vesper Sparrow, | Cedar Bird, | |
| Hermit Thrush, | Cow-bird, | |
| Robin Redbreast, | Martin, | |
| Song Sparrow, | Veery, | |
| Scarlet Tanager, | Vireo, | |
| Summer Redbird, | Oriole, | |
| Blue Heron, | Blackbird, | |
| Humming Bird, | Fifebird, | |
| Yellow-bird, | Wren, | |
| Whip-poor-will, | Linnet, | |
| Water Wagtail, | Pewee, | |
| Woodpecker, | Phoebe, | |
| Pigeon Woodpecker, | Yoke Bird, | |
| Indigo Bird, | Lark, | |
| Yellow Throat, | Sandpiper, | |
| Wilson’s Thrush, | Chewink. | |
| Chickadee, |
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) by Kent Nickell
Lee’s Addition:
By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. (Psalms 104:12 NKJV)
Things were tough for the birds back in 1897 and I guess they wanted their rights protected. This was one way to do it. Thankfully, today there is very few of the feathers and birds being stuck on hats for the ladies. Most don’t wear hats these days. Hunters still hunt, but not so much for “Songbirds.” Unfortunately young folks still like to cause problems for the birds instead of enjoying their songs and antics. They fail to realize the beauty of God’s created avian critters. Several groups became concerned and several laws were passed to protect the birds.
See National Council of Women about this hat campaign.
Lacey Act
By the late 1800s, the hunting and shipment of birds for the commercial market (to embellish the platters of elegant restaurants) and the plume trade (to provide feathers to adorn lady’s fancy hats) had taken their toll on many bird species. Passenger pigeons, whose immense flocks had once darkened the skies, were nearing extinction. Populations of the Eskimo curlew and other shorebirds had been decimated. The snowy egret and other colonial-nesting wading birds had been reduced to mere remnants of their historical populations. The Lacey Act (passed on May 25, 1900) prohibited game taken illegally in one state to be shipped across state boundaries contrary to the laws of the state where taken. The Lacey Act has become a very effective tool for enforcing the wildlife protective laws of the States and the Federal government (a detailed synopsis is available). However, in the early years of the 20th century the Act was ineffective in stopping interstate shipments, largely because of the huge profits enjoyed by the market hunters and the lack of officers to enforce the law. These early failures of the Lacey Act led to passage of the Weeks-McLean Law. (The Migratory Bird Program – Conserving America’s Birds – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
The above article is an article in the monthly serial for September 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.
To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)
Next Article – The Captive’s Escape
The Previous Article – The Mourning Dove
Links:
Birds Vol 1 #5 – National Council of Women
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 – Wikipedia
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Bible Birds – Eyes and Birds
Vol. 2, No. 3 – The Mourning Dove
The Mourning Dove for Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, 1897
THE MOURNING DOVE.
Dear Young Bird Lovers:
Most every person thinks that, while my actions are very pretty and attractive, and speak much in my favor, I can only really say, Coo-o, Coo-o, which they also think does not mean anything at all. Well, I just thought I would undeceive them by writing you a letter. Many grown up people fancy that we birds cannot express ourselves because we don’t know very much. Of course, there is a good reason why they have this poor opinion of us. They are so busy with their own private concerns that they forget that there are little creatures like ourselves in the world who, if they would take a little time to become acquainted with them, would fill their few hours of leisure with a sweeter recreation than they find in many of their chosen outings. A great English poet, whose writings you will read when you get older, said you should look through Nature up to Nature’s God. What did he mean? I think he had us birds in his mind, for it is through a study of our habits, more perhaps than that of the voiceless trees or the dumb four-footed creatures that roam the fields, that your hearts are opened to see and admire real beauty. We birds are the true teachers of faith, hope, and charity,—faith, because we trust one another; hope, because, even when nature seems unkind, sending the drifting snow and the bitter blasts of winter, we sing a song of summer time; and charity, because we are never fault finders.
I believe, without knowing it, I have been telling you about myself and my mate. We Doves are very sincere, and every one says we are constant.
If you live in the country, children, you must often hear our voices. We are so tender and fond of each other that we are looked upon as models for children, and even grown-up folks. My mate does not build a very nice nest—only uses a few sticks to keep the eggs from falling out—but she is a good mother and nurses the little ones very tenderly. Some people are so kind that they build for us a dove cote, supply us with wheat and corn, and make our lives as free from care and danger as they can. Come and see us some day, and then you can tell whether my picture is a good one. The artist thinks it is and he certainly took lots of pains with it.
Now, if you will be kind to all birds, you will find me, in name only,
From col. F. M. Woodruff. Copyrighted by Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.
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Summary:
MOURNING DOVE.—Zenaidura macrura. Other names: “Carolina Dove,” “Turtle Dove.”
Range—Whole of temperate North America, south to Panama and the West Indies.
Nest—Rim of twigs sufficient to retain the eggs.
Eggs—Usually two; white.
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) by Quy Tran
Lee’s Addition:
So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. (Psalms 55:6 NKJV)
Doves are mentioned many times throughout Scripture therefore making them on of our Birds of the Bible. Below are the sounds of a song of this Dove and also the sound of the Mourning Dove flying. You can hear how they named it “mourning.”
Dove Song
Wing Sound
The Mourning Dove is a member of the Columbidae – Pigeons, Doves Family. They have over 330 cousin doves and pigeon that are part of the family. Doves and Turtledoves are mentioned 47 times in the NKJV.
“The bird is also called the Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year.
Its plaintive woo-OO-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 55 mph (88 km/h).
Mourning Doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning Doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.
The Mourning Dove occupies a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, such as urban areas, farms, prairie, grassland, and lightly wooded areas. It avoids swamps and thick forest. The species has adapted well to areas altered by humans. It commonly nests in trees in cities or near farmsteads.
Most Mourning Doves migrate along flyways over land. On rare occasions, mourning doves have been seen flying over the Gulf of Mexico; but this is exceptional. Spring migration north runs from March to May. Fall migration south runs from September to November, with immatures moving first, followed by adult females and then by adult males. Migration is usually during the day, in flocks, and at low altitudes. However, not all individuals migrate. Even in Canada some mourning doves remain through winter, sustained by the presence of bird feeders.” (Wikipedia)
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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
The above article is an article in the monthly serial for September 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.
To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)
Next Article – How The Birds Secured Their Rights
The Previous Article – The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Links:
Bible Birds – Doves and Pigeons
Mourning Dove – Wikipedia
Mourning Dove – All About Birds
Mourning Doves – National Geographic
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The Mourning Dove – Vol. 2, No. 3
The Mourning Dove for Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, 1897
THE MOURNING DOVE (Relocated)
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Bible Birds – Filling The Ark
Birds of the Bible – Loading the Ark
Snowy Egret – Wind Blown at Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving
Dan and I just got back from a trip to Tampa for just 2 nights for the Thanksgiving holiday. My brother had a knee replacement on Wednesday (he’s doing fine), so we tied visiting him and doing some birdwatching in that area. Do you know how much we carried with us for just three days? Of course we carried our binoculars, cameras, tripod, laptop, plus clothes. Plus…
I also am starting my reading cycle through the Bible again and just read about Noah and the Ark. Because the earth had become so corrupt and violent, God said He was going to destroy man, beast, creeping things and birds.
So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:7-9 NKJV)
And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:13 NKJV)
Willit – Laughing Gull – Forster’s Tern at Ft DeSoto 11-22-12 Thanksgiving
Most of us know this history in the Word. Through Genesis 6, the Ark is built and Noah keeps trying to tell others to repent, but eventually the time comes and it is time to “Load the Ark.”
And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. (Genesis 6:19-22 NKJV)
Noah didn’t need to worry about taking cameras and laptops, but they had a whole lot more to get loaded on the Ark. We have all taken trips and know how long it takes to get everything in the car or van. Can you imagine when the LORD finally said that it was time to “start loading.” Noah and his family had been preparing and gathering the food, water, and supplies. If I read the first few verses of Genesis 7 correctly, they had a week (seven days) to put that in and the animals and birds. Those came to Noah, but they still had to arrange them into the different places on board the Ark. Whew! Some of us have enough trouble just loading the trunk.
Many believe the Critters rested most of the time while on board.
I am thankful that Noah and his family lived righteously and that they found grace. If not, I wouldn’t be writing this blog, nor would I be enjoying all the things the Lord created, especially the birds I love to write about.
Praise the Lord!
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Other Birds of the Bible articles about this:
God’s Commands and Promises To Them – Part I
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Bible Birds – Birds and Names?
Vol. 2, No. 3 – The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet for Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, 1897
THE RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
ASKETT says that the Kinglets come at a certain early spring date before the leaves are fully expanded, and flutter upward, while they take something from beneath the budding leaf or twig. It is a peculiar motion, which with their restless ways, olive-green color, and small size, readily distinguishes them. It is rare that one is still. “But the ruby-crowned sometimes favors me with a song, and as it is a little long, he usually is quiet till done. It is one of the sweetest little lullaby-like strains. One day I saw him in the rose bush just near voluntarily expand the plumage of his crown and show the brilliant golden-ruby feathers beneath. Usually they are mostly concealed. It was a rare treat, and visible to me only because of my rather exalted view. He generally reserves this display for his mate, but he was here among some Snow-birds and Tree Sparrows, and seemed to be trying to make these plain folks envious of the pretty feathers in his hat.”
These wonderfully dainty little birds are of great value to the farmer and the fruit grower, doing good work among all classes of fruit trees by killing grubs and larvae. In spite of their value in this respect, they have been, in common with many other attractive birds, recklessly killed for millinery purposes.
It is curious to see these busy wanderers, who are always cheery and sociable, come prying and peering about the fruit trees, examining every little nook of possible concealment with the greatest interest. They do not stay long after November, and return again in April.
The nest of this Kinglet is rarely seen. It is of matted hair, feathers, moss, etc., bulky, round, and partly hanging. Until recently the eggs were unknown. They are of a dirty cream-white, deepening at larger end to form a ring, some specimens being spotted.
Mr. Nehrling, who has heard this Kinglet sing in central Wisconsin and northern Illinois, speaks of the “power, purity, and volume of the notes, their faultless modulation and long continuance,” and Dr. Elliott Coues says of it: “The Kinglet’s exquisite vocalization defies description.” Dr. Brewer says that its song is clear, resonant, and high, a prolonged series, varying from the lowest tones to the highest, and terminating with the latter. It may be heard at quite a distance, and in some respects bears more resemblance to the song of the English Sky-lark than to that of the Canary, to which Mr. Audubon compares it.
From col. F. M. Woodruff. Copyrighted by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.
Summary:
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.—Regulus calendula.
Range—Entire North America, wintering in the South and in northern Central America.
Nest—Very rare, only six known; of hair, feathers, moss, etc., bulky, globular, and partly pensile.
Eggs—Five to nine; dull whitish or pale puffy, speckled.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) by BirdingPix
Lee’s Addition:
He will bless those who fear the LORD, Both small and great. (Psalms 115:13 NKJV)
Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” (Revelation 19:5 NKJV)
“Kinglets are among the smallest of all passerines, ranging in size from 3.2–4.3 in (8–11 cm) and weighing 0.2–0.3 oz (6–8 g); the sexes are the same size. They have medium-length wings and tails, and small needle-like bills. The plumage is overall grey-green, offset by pale wingbars, and the tail tip is incised. Five species have a single stiff feather covering the nostrils, but in the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, this is replaced by several short, stiff bristles. Most kinglets have distinctive head markings, and the males possess a colourful crown patch. In the females, the crown is duller and yellower. The long feathers forming the central crown stripe can be erected; they are inconspicuous most of the time, but are used in courtship and territorial displays when the raised crest is very striking.” (Kinglet-Wikipedia)
“The Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) is a very small passerine bird found throughout North America. The bird has olive-green plumage with two white wing bars and a white eye-ring. Males have a red crown patch, which is usually concealed. The sexes are identical (apart from the crown), and juveniles are similar in plumage to adults. It is one of the smallest songbirds in North America.
The kinglet is migratory, and its range extends from northwest Canada and Alaska south to Mexico. Its breeding habitat is spruce-fir forests in the northern, mountainous, United States and Canada. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet builds a cup-shaped nest, which may be pensile or placed on a tree branch and is often hidden. It lays up to 12 eggs, and has the largest clutch of any North American passerine for its size. It is mainly insectivorous, but also eats fruits and seeds.” (Ruby-crowned Kinglet-Wikipedia)
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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
The above article is an article in the monthly serial for September 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.
To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)
Next Article – The Mourning Dove
The Previous Article – The Phoebe
Links:
Regulidae – Goldcrests, Kinglets
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Wikipedia
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – Whatbird
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – IBC
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Vol. 2, No. 3 – The Phoebe
The Phoebe or Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, 1897
From col. J. G. Parker. Jr. Copyrighted by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.
THE PHOEBE
Oft the Phoebe’s cheery notes
Wake the laboring swain;
“Come, come!” say the merry throats,
“Morn is here again.”
Phoebe, Phoebe! let them sing for aye,
Calling him to labor at the break of day.
—C. C. M.
EARLY everywhere in the United States we find this cheerful bird, known as Pewee, Barn Pewee, Bridge Pewee, or Phoebe, or Pewit Flycatcher. “It is one of that charming coterie of the feathered tribe who cheer the abode of man with their presence.” There are few farmyards without a pair of Pewees, who do the farmer much service by lessening the number of flies about the barn, and by calling him to his work in the morning by their cheery notes.
Dr. Brewer says that this species is attracted both to the vicinity of water and to the neighborhood of dwellings, probably for the same reason—the abundance of insects in either situation. They are a familiar, confiding, and gentle bird, attached to localities, and returning to them year after year. Their nests are found in sheltered situations, as under a bridge, a projecting rock, in the porches of houses, etc. They have been known to build on a small shelf in the porch of a dwelling, against the wall of a railroad station, within reach of the passengers, and under a projecting window-sill, in full view of the family, entirely unmoved by the presence of the latter at meal time.
Like all the flycatcher family the Phoebe takes its food mostly flying. Mrs. Wright says that the Pewee in his primitive state haunts dim woods and running water, and that when domesticated he is a great bather, and may be seen in the half-light dashing in and out of the water as he makes trips to and from the nest. After the young are hatched both old and young disport themselves about the water until moulting time. She advises: “Do not let the Phoebes build under the hoods of your windows, for their spongy nests harbor innumerable bird-lice, and under such circumstances your fly-screens will become infested and the house invaded.”
In its native woods the nest is of moss, mud, and grass placed on a rock, near and over running water; but in the vicinity of settlements and villages it is built on a horizontal bridge beam, or on timber supporting a porch or shed. The eggs are pure white, somewhat spotted. The notes, to some ears, are Phoebe, phoebe, pewit, phoebe! to others, of somewhat duller sense of hearing, perhaps, Pewee, pewee, pewee! We confess to a fancy that the latter is the better imitation.
Summary:
PHOEBE.—Sayornis phœbe. Other names: “Pewit,” “Pewee.”
Range—Eastern North America; in winter south to Mexico and Cuba.
Nest—Compactly and neatly made of mud and vegetable substances, with lining of grass and feathers.
Eggs—Four or five; pure white, sometimes sparsely spotted with reddish brown dots at larger end.
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) by Dan
Lee’s Addition:
I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. (Psalms 50:11 NKJV)
Luckily today, at least here, we can ignore this one remark; “She advises: ‘Do not let the Phoebes build under the hoods of your windows, for their spongy nests harbor innumerable bird-lice, and under such circumstances your fly-screens will become infested and the house invaded.’ ” I am sure back in 1897 that was a problem for them. Isn’t it amazing how times have changed for humans, but the birds are pretty well doing the same nest building and living as before. Not sure of the interchange between the Phoebe and the Pewee. They are in the same family, Tyrannidae – Tyrant Flycatchers, but they are different species.
There are three Phoebes:
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)
Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
There are 14 Pewees and Wood Pewees:
Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax)
Dark Pewee (Contopus lugubris)
Smoke-colored Pewee (Contopus fumigatus)
Ochraceous Pewee (Contopus ochraceus)
Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus)
Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens)
Tropical Pewee (Contopus cinereus)
Tumbes Pewee (Contopus punensis)
White-throated Pewee (Contopus albogularis)
Blackish Pewee (Contopus nigrescens)
Cuban Pewee (Contopus caribaeus)
Hispaniolan Pewee (Contopus hispaniolensis)
Jamaican Pewee (Contopus pallidus)
Lesser Antillean Pewee (Contopus latirostris)
The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds in the Tyrant flycatcher family Tyrranidae native to North and South America.
They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on a perch and then catch insects in flight, also sometimes picking them up from the ground. Their nest is an open cup sometimes placed on man-made structures.
They often slowly lower and raise their tails while perched.
This species appears remarkably big-headed, especially if it puffs up the small crest. Its plumage is gray-brown above. It has a white throat, dirty gray breast and buffish underparts which become whiter during the breeding season. Two indistinct buff bars are present on each wing. Its lack of an eye ring and wingbars, and its all dark bill distinguish it from other North American tyrant flycatchers, and it pumps its tail up and down like other phoebes when perching on a branch. The Eastern Phoebe’s call is a sharp chip, and the song, from which it gets its name, is fee-bee. (Wikipedia)
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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
The above article is an article in the monthly serial for September 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.
To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)
Next Article – The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
The Previous Article – The House Wren
Links:
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Vol. 2, No. 3 – The House Wren
The House Wren for Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, 1897
From col. F. M. Woodruff. Copyrighted by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.
THE HOUSE WREN.
“It was a merry time
When Jenny Wren was young,
When prettily she looked,
And sweetly, too, she sung.”
N looking over an old memorandum book the other day,” says Col. S. T. Walker, of Florida, “I came across the following notes concerning the nesting of the House Wren. I was sick at the time, and watched the whole proceeding, from the laying of the first stick to the conclusion. The nest was placed in one of the pigeonholes of my desk, and the birds effected an entrance to the room through sundry cracks in the log cabin.”
| Nest begun | April 15th. | |
| Nest completed and first egg laid | April 27th. | |
| Last egg laid | May 3rd. | |
| Began sitting | May 4th. | |
| Hatching completed | May 18th. | |
| Young began to fly | May 27th. | |
| Young left the nest | June 1st. | |
| Total time occupied | 47 days. |
Such is the usual time required for bringing forth a brood of this species of Wren, which is the best known of the family. In the Atlantic states it is more numerous than in the far west, where wooded localities are its chosen haunts, and where it is equally at home in the cottonwoods of the river valleys, and on the aspens just below the timber line on lofty mountains.
Mrs. Osgood Wright says very quaintly that the House Wren is a bird who has allowed the word male to be obliterated from its social constitution at least: that we always speak of Jenny Wren: always refer to the Wren as sheas we do of a ship. That it is Johnny Wren who sings and disports himself generally, but it is Jenny, who, by dint of much scolding and fussing, keeps herself well to the front. She chooses the building-site and settles all the little domestic details. If Johnny does not like her choice, he may go away and stay away; she will remain where she has taken up her abode and make a second matrimonial venture.
The House Wren’s song is a merry one, sudden, abruptly ended, and frequently repeated. It is heard from the middle of April to October, and upon the bird’s arrival it at once sets about preparing its nest, a loose heap of sticks with a soft lining, in holes, boxes, and the like. From six to ten tiny, cream-colored eggs are laid, so thickly spotted with brown that the whole egg is tinged.
The House Wren is not only one of our most interesting and familiar neighbors, but it is useful as an exterminator of insects, upon which it feeds. Frequently it seizes small butterflies when on the wing. We have in mind a sick child whose convalescence was hastened and cheered by the near-by presence of the merry House Wren, which sings its sweet little trilling song, hour after hour, hardly stopping long enough to find food for its meals.
Summary:
HOUSE WREN.—Troglodytes aedon.
Range—Eastern United States and southern Canada, west to the Mississippi Valley; winters in southern portions.
Nest—Miscellaneous rubbish, sticks, grasses, hay, and the like.
Eggs—Usually seven; white, dotted with reddish brown.
House Wren Proof Shot by Lee at Circle B – Cropped
Lee’s Addition:
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. (1 Chronicles 16:9 KJV)
What a neat little bird. I was thrilled to get to see one up close just this last Saturday. We don’t see them often, at least I don’t. We were birdwatching out at Circle B Bar Reserve and the Wren just sat there and sang while three of us tried to get its picture. My photos are not so good, but at least they are a “proof shot.” I have heard and seen the Carolina Wren out there occasionally, but not the House.
House Wren Proof Shot Singing cropped
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Now here is a real photo by a much better photographer:
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) by Ray
Wrens belong to the Wrens – Troglodytidae Family which has 83 species at present. “The wrens are mostly small, brownish passerine birds in the mainly New World family Troglodytidae. Only the Eurasian Wren occurs in the Old World, where in Anglophone regions it is commonly known simply as the “wren” as it is the originator of the name. The name wren has been applied to other unrelated birds, particularly the New Zealand wrens (Acanthisittidae) and the Australian wrens (Maluridae).
Most wrens are small and rather inconspicuous, except for their loud and often complex songs. Notable exceptions are the relatively large members of the genus Campylorhynchus, which can be quite bold in their behavior. Wrens have short wings that are barred in most species, and they often hold their tails upright. As far as known, wrens are primarily insectivorous, eating insects, spiders and other small arthropods, but many species also eat vegetable matter and some will take small frogs/lizards.
The House Wren, (Troglodytes aedon), is a very small songbird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren. Its taxonomy is highly complex and some subspecies groups are often considered separate species.
Adults are 4.3 to 5.1 in (11 to 13 cm) long, with a 5.9 in (15 cm) wingspan and weigh about 0.35 to 0.42 oz (10 to 12 g ). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 1.9 to 2.1 in (4.7 to 5.3 cm), the tail is 1.5 to 1.7 in (3.9 to 4.4 cm), The subspecies vary greatly, with upper parts ranging from dull greyish-brown to rich rufescent-brown, and the underparts ranging from brown, over buff and pale grey, to pure white. All subspecies have blackish barring to the wings and tail, and some also to the flanks. All subspecies show a faint eye-ring and eyebrow and have a long, thin bill with a blackish upper mandible, and a black-tipped yellowish or pale grey lower mandible. The legs are pinkish or grey. The short tail is typically held cocked.
This bird’s rich bubbly song is commonly heard during the nesting season but rarely afterwards. There is marked geographical variation in its song, though somewhat more gradual than in the birds’ outward appearance which can strikingly differ e.g. on neighboring islands in the Caribbean. Birds from far north and south of the species’ range nonetheless have songs that differ markedly.” (Wikipedia w/editing)
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Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
The above article is an article in the monthly serial for September 1897 “designed to promote Knowledge of Bird-Live.” These include Color Photography, as they call them, today they are drawings. There are at least three Volumes that have been digitized by Project Gutenberg.
To see the whole series of – Birds Illustrated by Color Photography – Revisited
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(Information from Wikipedia and other internet sources)
Next Article – The Phoebe
The Previous Article – The Ruby-Throated Humming Bird
Links:
Wrens – Troglodytidae Family
House Wren – All About Birds
House Wren – Wikipedia
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The Ruby-Throated Humming Bird – Vol. 2, No. 3
The Ruby-throated Humming Bird or Birds Illustrated by Color Photography, 1897
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