File:Baby birds at home (1912) (14564796478).jpg

Identifier: babybirdsathomebb00kear (find matches)
Title: Baby birds at home
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Kearton, Richard, 1862-1928
Subjects: Birds -- Behavior Birds -- Juvenile literature
Publisher: London, New York (etc.) Cassell and company, ltd.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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ts, and the budsand leaves of water-plants. During flightflocks of these birds travel in single file withoutstretched necks and legs. The speciesarrives in Europe as a rule during themonth of April, and after breeding inHolland, Spain, and other countries, retiressouthward again in September and October. The nest is made of a few dead reedsformed into a rough kind of platform, a fewinches above the water in some swamp. InIndia this bird breeds in trees along withherons, just as it used to do in England inolden times. Five or six eggs, of a dull,chalky white, spotted and streaked withreddish brown, are laid. The nestlings are covered with wThitedown and are fed by their parents in thesame way that young pigeons are fed. Pro-portionately their bills are not so large asthose of the old birds, and are, as might beexpected, softer in texture. It is easy to see from our illustrationwhy this bird has had given to it the com-mon name of Spoonbill. In Norfolk it isalso known as the Banjo-bill.
Text Appearing After Image:
The Great Tit THIS is the largest and most handsomemember of the Titmouse family inhabit-ing our country. His black head, whitecheeks, olive green back, and yellow under-pays divided from the chin downwards by ablack line render him quite unmistakableeven to the most careless observer. Themale is easily distinguished from the femaleby the fact that the black line down thecentre of his breast is broader and moredefined. The Great Tit, or Oxeye, as it is frequentlycalled, is common in orchards, gardens, woods,plantations, and wherever trees and shrubsabound. It feeds upon grubs, caterpillars,and insects in summer, but in winter willreadily devour the kernels of hazel nuts,which it splits by repeatedly hammering withits powerful bill, Indian corn thrown downin woods for pheasants and almost any otherkind of grain. Along with other tits it can 63 64 Baby Birds at Home be attracted to the garden by hanging out ameat bone, a coco-nut divided into two, or thekernels of Barcelona nuts. It is

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