BIRDS AND PLANTS

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18807, 1 December 1932, Page 11

BIRDS AND PLANTS

BLACKBIRDS AND RAGWORT. In a leelnre on “ Birds and Plants ” before the Liverpool Botanical Soeiely, Mr Eric Hardy said IS species of birds feed on Die. berries of Ihc bramble group. Hi on Hie bilberry group, 33 on bleakihorn and cherry, 21 on Hie crowherry group, and I i on Ihe holly. As many as 20 different birds had been noted feeding on Hie elderberries, which form one of Ihe greatest attractions lo a wild bird sanctuary. Experiments in which Ihe droppings of weed-eating birds had been planted for the seeds contained to germinate and lie identified showed that more weed seeds are distributed by birds in ft dry than a wet summer, and, therefore, there were more weeds on arable land after a dry year than a wot one. Birds with gizzards that crush hard seeds, as poultry, pigeons, finches and ducks, were agriculturally useful as weedenters because 1 liny crushed the weed seeds, but insectivorous birds, like robins and thrushes, distributed Ihe sends in a germinable slate, and thus what was apparent destruction of weeds was actually their distribution over a far wider area. Kxaminalion of blackbirds’ crops in Cheshire showed that for nine months of the year the birds fed on insects, weed seeds, mostly ragwort, ehle.kwcod, spurrey. sorrel, etc., and wild fruits, ns wild rose, service tree ami rowan. From july I" September, however, they a 1 lacked cultivated ITuil. Twentyseven cml nf Si) blackbird--'' crons contained gooseberries, while 2f'.> birds examined generally showed Ilia! those living near town-: ate more insect food and less fruit Hum those living in a fruit crow ing district. ’I it mice, often licensed of allnekiug hints, only do mi when al'lei iimcr-is. alld 20 blue His shot “ red I’amled ” at Hie pears near Rhcdcr contained not a Race ul Jruit-