Bird’s Nesting Habits

The nesting-season offers oppor­tunity for the closest observation of birds. Many things may be learned which have never before been recorded. Some things that may be observed are the location of the nest, materials used in making it, work done by male and female, length of time re­quired to build, number and color of eggs, time of incubation, number of times young are fed in an hour, kind of food brought, how the work is divided between male and female, time young remain in nest, care of young after leaving nest.

During the height of the nesting-season, about the middle of June, a list may be made of all the birds seen for a week, which will include those birds that nest in a locality, as by this time the transient visit­ants have departed.

The United States Bureau of Biological Survey has begun to have annual censuses taken by volun­tee! bird-students throughout the United States, so that some definite information may be obtained re­garding the number of birds and the need for their protection and increase. Details of how this census is to be made may be obtained by writing to the Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington, D.C.

Winter birds. During the winter, birds may be attracted around the home by means of food placed on trees and shelves and even on the window­sill, and thus an opportunity offered to study birds through the window even in the coldest weather. Different kinds of food may be tried to see which each bird likes best and which foods birds will eat. The habits of the birds in approaching the food and in eating it are interesting to watch.

Christmas census. It has been the custom of " Bird-Lore" to invite its readers to make a bird census on Christmas Day and to send the list of birds seen to "Bird-Lore." These lists are published in the next issue of the magazine.

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