Aside from the tremendous contribution that birds make to man each year, they are extremely interesting in themselves. One who has become acquainted with the habits of the feathered folk cannot help admiring the great number of things birds can do and the way in which they behave. At times it seems as if they are almost human. As travelers, musicians, craftsmen, warriors, and clowns the birds offer an endless and fascinating study. Rare is the person who will not enjoy studying the habits of these creatures after once becoming acquainted with them.

One of the interesting things about bird lore is the fact that it need cost the individual nothing. It is possible to become an ardent student of bird nature without spending a cent. Certainly the most that is needed is a reliable book on birds coupled with a desire to learn about them. Don't imagine that you can learn all about them in a month, or a year, or for that matter in a lifetime. Many men have spent their entire lives studying one small phase of bird life without exhausting the subject.

Getting Acquainted

The matter of getting acquainted with birds is not difficult. They are very democratic and friendly, provided you go about it correcdy. Birds would be even more friendly if they could trust man, but they cannot. In the past he has slaughtered them for no reason. Man is the only animal that kills for sport alone. All other animals kill when food is needed. In addition, man has many advantages over the birds. He carries a gun with which he can send death over long distances. As if this were not enough on his side, he makes a partnership with a dog to scare the birds into flight, so that he can have a good shot at them. Is it any wonder that birds are timid?

In spite of the way man treats his feathered friends, however, it is possible to become acquainted with them and to have them become friendly with you if you go about it in the right way. Some birds will actually come and eat out of your hand if you know how to ask them. Don't expect to go out into the woods and have the birds welcome you the first day. They will take their time.

Now, how can you start an acquaintance with birds? If you can find someone who knows them, and who will consent to teach you about them, you are lucky. Such a person is much better than any book because he can point out the tricks of getting acquainted right on the spot. The best of books cannot tell you just how the bird sings or how he looks in flight, but as a spectator you'll have first-hand information. You'll have a ringside seat, so to speak.

If no such person is to be found, the next best thing is to get hold of a good bird book. It would be well to read one of the general books about birds listed at the end of this chapter and not depend entirely on a bird key. The usual bird keys do not give much information about the birds. You will want to know some of the tricks they have and some of the interesting things they do. In order to get the point of view of someone who loves birds and knows them, read Birdcraft by Mabel Osgood Wright or a government pamphlet. The U. S. Department of Agriculture publishes a helpful litde booklet entitled Fifty Common Birds of Farm and Orchard. It can be secured from the Superintendent of Documents in Washington, D. C, for a few cents, and it contains fifty colored pictures of common birds. The bird books that are now available in the ten-cent store are also quite satisfactory for beginners. They are small and convenient to carry, and the color plates, although not of the best, are good enough.

PARTS OF A BIRD.

If you live in a large city, use the winter months to study the birds that are mounted in your museums. In this way you can get a good idea of how the birds look and you will be able to identify them later when they begin to wing their way northward in the springtime.

When To Start

Spring is the best time to study birds. It is then that the greatest variety of birds will be seen, because they are traveling through your town on their way to other places. Furthermore, there is something about spring weather that suggests bird study. The clear, warm days, the new leaves on the trees, and the smell of the open after long winter months are inviting. In addition, the birds are in their best finery in the spring. Like a man who goes courting his sweetheart, the male bird has on his most brilliant colors and they are brand new. Later in the season many of the birds will change to more drab colors. Spring is also the time for bird songs. The songs of the birds are used to express their emotions and in the spring they are thinking of love. Then is the time when they are apt to express themselves most beautifully.

Now before going into the woods in search of birds, there are one or two things that will be helpful to you, although they are not absolutely necessary. A notebook, however, is quite essential. You will want to jot down the characteristics of birds you cannot identify so that you can look them up later or ask someone who knows them. A small, handy bird guide is a good thing to have if you know how to use it. But remember that the kind of birds you see will depend to some extent upon the part of the country in which you live. Therefore it is advisable to select a guide which has been written especially for your part of the country. The list of books at the end of this chapter will be helpful in this connection. In addition, talk to someone who knows birds, if you can, and find out what book he suggests.

If you can secure a pair of large-lens glasses to carry with you, you will find them helpful in studying birds. Glasses are not absolutely necessary, but they bring the bird much closer and enable you to watch his movements more closely.