File:Birds of California in Relation to the Fruit Industry (1910) (14565383369).jpg

Identifier: birdscali00felb (find matches)
Title: Birds of California in Relation to the Fruit Industry
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: F.E.L. Beal
Subjects: Birds--California--Fruit--Diseases and pests.
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Biological Survey
Contributing Library: University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries with support from LYRASIS and the Sloan Foundation

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
lturist. While the western meadowlark can not be classed inthe front rank of the proved friends of the farmer, its services aresufficiently real and important to earn protection wherever it is found. BULLOCK ORIOLE. (Icterus bullocki. i Over most of the plains and valleys of California, where trees areavailable for nesting and foraging, the Bullock oriole (PL V.) is a com-mon summer visitant. In the West it takes the place occupied in theEast by the Baltimore oriole. In food, nesting habits, and song thebirds are similar. Both are migratory and remain on their summerrange only about five or six months. They are rather domestic inhabits, and take kindly to orchards, gardens, and the vicinity offarm buildings, and often live in villages and in the parks of largetowns. Their diet is largely made up of insects that infest orchardsand gardens. Their favorite foraging places are trees, where theymay be seen examining every leaf in search of their customary food, 34. 8. ,, (J. S. Dei cv->
Text Appearing After Image:
Bullock Oriole l;l \« ECBIBD, 0BI01 i . \M- mi \i»\\ i \i;k i winy. daterpillars and other leaf-haunting insects, When fruit trees are inbloom tlnN are constantly busy among the blossoms, and probabl)save manj of them From destruction. For the investigation of the food of the Bullock oriole 162 stomachcwere available. Thej were taken in the h\< months from April toAugust inclusive, and probably give a verj fair idea of the food forthose months. Analysis of the contents Bhows about 79 percent ofanimal mat ter to 21 of \ egetable. Animal ( percent, and all except ;i few Ladybugs (Coccinellidsa wereharmful species. The coccineUids were found in 9 stomachs, but thepercentage was insignificant. Many of the beetles were weevils, andquite a number belonged to the genus Balaninus, which lives uponacorns and other nuts. Ants were found in 1!

Note About Images