3/22/94

Dear Birdwatchers,

Attached is an article from the 1895 Statesman Newspaper about the need for
protection of Owls. I hope you will find it of interest.

Bart Duell (Internet: duellb at ccmail.ohsu.edu)


Nov. 14, 1895 Statesman Newspaper (Salem, Oregon)

"Friends of the farmer, owls that should be protected, are worth their
weight in gold, how they destroy mice and English sparrows and scores of
noxious insects"

The little SCREECH OWL should be protected, but education will be necessary
to overcome the farmer's prejudice against it. The lonesome, shivering,
ague-like scream of this bird in the still dark hours of the night is not
welcomed at the isolated homes of the ruralist, and farmers' boys never let
an opportunity pass to kill these beneficial birds.

This diminutive friend of the farmer, gardener and horticulturist feeds on
insects, mice, English sparrows, ground sparrows, grasshoppers, crickets,
grub-worms, cutworms, flying squirrels, moles, etc.

It is a good fisher and in the winter watches at the breathing holes in the
ice catching many of the finny tribe. But it does so little harm and so
much good that it should become a pet and the laws should protect it
instead of offering a premium for its head.

Farmers indiscriminately persecute all species of owls and because of
prejudice against these birds our legislatures are led to offer rewards for
their scalps. How inconsiderate. The only evidence necessary is that it
is a bird of prey. If these birds could destroy the swarms of grasshoppers
before they reach the cultivated fields the law would condemn them because
they are birds of prey and thus protect the grasshoppers.

The LONG-EARED OWL is well known all over the United States and the farmer
hates this bird. The damage to poultry yards by this owl is exceedingly
small and while it is singing its lonesome "who-are you" song a skunk or
mink is silently committing depredations at the poultry roost on the credit
of this destroyer of small animals that are very injurious to farm
products.

Let the HOOT OWL hoot. It will pay you well even if he does occasionally
take a bird or a chicken. Every one of these owls is worth more to the
farmer than a rat-terrier while the expenses of the latter is very much the
greater.

The SHORT-EARED OWL is also extensively known. In foggy, damp weather and
dark days they often gather in large bands about the meadow lands and along
the fences where they make incessant war on mice and capture a few of the
small prairie or meadow sparrows.

This short-eared owl was nearly exterminated in Scotland before 1890 when
the vole plague occurred in Scotland. The vole is a species of mice, very
destructive to the crops and the plague was stopped by the large migration
of this owl into that country. During a number of previous vole invasions
in Great Britain the short-eared owls came in and destroyed the pests and
when you see an increase of this bird you may know that field mice have
migrated in large numbers to your fields. Care for this owl and it will
rid your farm of the mice.

Lovers of the chase protect the fox for future sport. The agricultural
department at Washington records the capture of a fox with five young and
in their lair were found the remains of seventy-six short-eared owls, a
number of quail, grouse and lambs.

In the arid countries of the West the BURROWING OWL is one of the farmer's
very best friends. It was a common belief among the cowboys that this
bird, the rattle snake and the prarie dog were fast friends and a legion of
these three animals were usually found occupying the same burrow.

This owl feeds on insects, grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, etc. It
is the destroyer of the poisonous and dangerous scorpion and during the
summer comes about the house at dusk, picks up large numbers of these
venomous stingers, carries them to its place of banquet, devours the soft
parts, leaving the head, claws and tail and often a quart of these remains
are found.

The SPARROW HAWK is found throughout the United States. It is the midget
and the handsomest of the birds of prey. It is a falcon, the only true
falcon that can be regarded as the farmer's friend. Occasionally it
attacks birds and young chickens and in the early settlements a determined
effort has always been made to exterminate it. But this bird should now be
protected for the good it accomplishes in destroying mice and harmful
insects.

It is a determined foe to grasshoppers, destroying myriads of them and
caterpillars, and crickets and spiders are also devoured as food. This
little hawk is so bold in pursuit of its food that it becomes a ready
target for any boy vandal that carries a gun.

In Ohio where a reward is offered for the scalp of this bird the clerk at
Wakeman examined the stomachs of forty-six sparrow hawks finding only
grasshoppers and beetles in forty-five and fur and bones of a meadow mouse
in one.

In the destruction of the birds of prey mentioned above the vandalism of
man moves in a circle and like the boomerang in the hands of the ignorant,
returns to smite the hands that let fly the missile.