File:Bird lore (1906) (14751299945).jpg

Identifier: birdlore81906nati (find matches)
Title: Bird lore
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: National Committee of the Audubon Societies of America National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals National Audubon Society
Subjects: Birds Birds Ornithology
Publisher: New York City : Macmillan Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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MALE GROSBEAK ON THE NEST the nest. I could almost touch him before he got off. Then, as I retreateda step, he would return to the nest. The male seemed to share very faith-fully, with his mate, the cares of the household. The male usually wassilent about the home tree, while the female kept chirping shrilly in theneighboring shrubbery. The mates seemed to take turns in feeding the young. While one wasaway foraging the other would stay at the nest, at least while observerswere near. The returning bird always notified the other of his coming bycalling. After the feeding, the parent usually sat on the edge of the nestwatching the offspring with solicitous care. The food consisted of locusts,caterpillars, moths and other insects, and fruit. I never saw the parentsfeeding potato beetles to the young, though the Grosbeak is called thepotato-bug bird in the West, for its destructiveness of this insect.
Text Appearing After Image:
164 Bird - Lore I came near missing the final departure from the nest. As it was, two ofthe young had already left. The mother bird was watching the rest, whichwere clambering in the branches of the home tree. On my approach theytried to escape, but I caught them and posed them upon a twig for theirportrait. The male parent came for a moment at the call of his mate, butsoon left again, probably to keep an eye on the youngsters that had got away. The mother bird tried every inducement and allurement to coax heryoung from the perch upon which I had placed them, and frequently one orthe other of them would attempt to fly to her, and had to be replaced. I never before heard the female Grosbeak sing. This mother bird, how-ever, among other endearing calls, actually sang short, warbling snatchesthat were very sweet. At times she came with a worm in her bill and sat ona bush near by to coax the young away. She would come nearer and nearer,and almost but not quite place the morsel in the open

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