Our Vanishing Wild Life: Its Extermination and PreservationHornaday, William T. (William Temple)
History
Our Vanishing Wild Life: Its Extermination and Preservation
Hornaday, William T. (William Temple)
Game-laws -- United States; Wildlife conservation -- United States
Take the _Red-Shafted Flicker_ vs. the codling moth. Mr. A.P. Martin of
Petaluma, Cal., states that during the early spring months (of 1890)
they were seen by hundreds in his orchard, industriously examining the
trunks and larger limbs of the fruit trees; and he also found great
numbers of them around sheds where he stored his winter apples and
pears. As the result of several hours' search, Mr. Martin found only one
worm, and this one escaped only by accident, for several of the birds
had been within a quarter of an inch of it. "So eager are woodpeckers in
search, of codling moths that they have often been known to riddle the
shingle traps and paper bands which are placed to attract the larvae
about to spin cocoons."
Behold the array of birds that devour the larvae of the codling moth to
an important extent.
* * * * *
BIRDS THAT DEVOUR THE CODLING MOTH
Downy Woodpecker (_Dryobates pubescens_).
Hairy Woodpecker (_Dryobates villosus_).
Texan Woodpecker (_Dryobates scalaris bairdi_).
Red-Headed Woodpecker (_Melanerpes erythrocephalus_).
Red-Shafted Flicker (_Colaptes cafer collaris_).
Pileated Woodpecker (_Phloeotomus pileatus_).
Kingbird (_Tyrranus tyrranus_).
Western Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher (_Empidonax difficilis_).
Blue Jay (_Cyanocitta cristata_).
California Jay (_Aphelocoma californica_).
Magpie (_Pica pica hudsonia_).
Crow Blackbird (_Quiscalus quiscula_).
Brewer Blackbird (_Euphagus cyanocephalus_).
Bullock Oriole (_Icterus bullocki_).
English Sparrow (_Passer domesticus_).
Chipping Sparrow (_Spizella passerina_).
California Towhee (_Pipilo crissalis_).
Cardinal (_Cardinalis cardinalis_).
Black Headed Grosbeak (_Zamelodia melanocephala_).
Lazuli Bunting (_Passerina cyanea_).
Barn Swallow (_Hirundo erythrogastra_).
Western Warbling Vireo (_Vireosylva gilva swainsoni_).
Summer, or Yellow Warbler (_Dendroica aestiva_).
Lutescent Warbler (_Vermivora celata lutescens_).
Brown Creeper (_Certhia familiaris americana_).
White-Breasted Nuthatch (_Sitta carolinensis_).
Black-Capped Chickadee (_Penthestes atricapillus_).
Plain Titmouse (_Baeolophus inornatus_).
Carolina Chickadee (_Penthestes carolinensis_).
Mountain Chickadee (_Penthestes gambeli_).
California Bush Tit (_Psaltriparus minimus californicus_).
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (_Regulus calendula_).
Robin (_Planesticus migratorius_).
Bluebird (_Sialia sialis_).
* * * * *
In all, says Mr. W.L. McAtee, thirty-six species of birds of thirteen
families help man in his irrepressible conflict against his deadly
enemy, the codling moth. "In some places they destroy from sixty-six to
eighty-five per cent of the hibernating larvae."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account