Birds and Nature, Vol. 10 No. 4 [November 1901]Various
History
Birds and Nature, Vol. 10 No. 4 [November 1901]
Various
Birds -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
Speaking of the Pine Grosbeaks of Siberia Mr. Seebohm says, “Almost all
the forest districts are hilly and in the north, as the trees become
smaller, they are also more thinly scattered over the ground and the
interminable extent of wood is broken by occasional flat, open spaces
and open marshes which become gray with flowers as soon as the snow
melts. The scenery is much more park-like than further south and these
birds are much more plentiful and more easily seen. In the large pine
forests they prefer the banks of the rivers or the outskirts of some
open place and may often escape detection because of their habit of
frequenting the tops of trees. Within the Arctic circle many of the
trees are small and on the hilly ground they are scattered in small
clumps. In places like these the Pine Grosbeaks may often be seen
perched conspicuously on the top of a spruce fir, twenty or thirty feet
from the ground but looking so much like the last spike of the tree as
frequently to escape notice.”
The Pine Grosbeak is a retiring bird and would seem to be somewhat shy
as it does not frequent the roadside or inhabited places except when
forced to do so by the lack of food. This, however, is not the case, for
in the forests where it makes its home it is not difficult to approach
it. It will frequently alight and begin feeding within a few feet of an
observer.
[Illustration: PINE GROSBEAK.
(Pinicola enucleator.)
⅔ Life-size.
FROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES.]
The song of the European form of this species is said to be “exceedingly
agreeable, varied, melodious, sonorous—sometimes strong, sometimes
soft.” It is also a mocker and to a limited extent will imitate the
voices of other birds. Dr. Coues likens its song to that of the purple
finch and says that during the late summer and winter it is “clear,
sweet and flowing.” Its call note is single, sweet and plaintive not
unlike that of the well known bullfinch.
Pine seeds seem to form the principal food of the Pine Grosbeak though
it also feeds extensively on those of the birch, alder and related
trees. At times it will descend to the ground and gather the seeds of
herbaceous plants and may eat a few insects. Dr. Dall writing of the
Pine Grosbeak as he found it in Alaska, says: “I have opened the crops
of a great many and always found them filled with what I for a long time
supposed to be spruce buds, but on closer examination I found that they
were the hearts of the poplar buds, with the scales and other external
coverings carefully rejected. I have never found anything else in their
crops.” In those regions where the mountain ash abounds the berries of
this beautiful tree form a very important part of their diet whenever it
frequents such a district.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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