The Natural History of Cage Birds Part 4

The birds of this group have the beak a little flat, more or less hooked, generally in the form of a knife, and of a middling size. The feet are in general strong and short; the lower part, being much divided, may be used for walking or climbing. Their food consists of insects, worms, the flesh and remains of animals, seeds and fruit. In a few species the note is pleasing; several may be taught to speak; and some are admired for their handsome plumage.

THE GREAT BUTCHER BIRD.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Lanius Excubitor, LINNaeUS; Der gemeine Wurger, BECHSTEIN; La Pie-Grieche grise, BUFFON.

It is a little larger than the Redwing (_t.u.r.dus Iliacus_, Linn.) Its length is nine inches, of which the tail measures three and three-quarters; the wings, when folded, cover one-third of the tail. The beak is eight lines in length; the iris is very dark brown; the shanks iron grey. All the upper part of the body is of a fine ash colour, shading off to white above the eyes, on the forehead, the shoulders, and the rump. The tail is wedge-shaped, white at the point, and black in the middle.

HABITATION.--When wild, this species generally frequents groves, thickets, and the borders of forests; it is also found among brambles, and on lonely trees, always perched on the top. It never quits the abode it has once chosen, either in winter or summer. When caught it must be kept in a large wire cage. Its liveliness and desire for prey prevent its being permitted to mix with the other birds.

FOOD.--In its wild state, it feeds in summer on gra.s.shoppers, crickets, beetles, and other insects, even lizards, and small adders, and when those fail, on mice and small birds; these, with mice, moles, and the like, form its winter food. When pursuing its prey, the shrike makes a particular movement, in order to seize it on the side; but it does not always succeed, as it cannot use its claws like birds of prey, and often only carries off a beakful of feathers.

In the cage, if the bird be taken when old, some mice, birds, or living insects, may be thrown to it, taking care to leave it quite alone, for as long as any one is present it will touch nothing; but as soon as it has once begun to feed freely it will eat fresh meat, and even become accustomed to the universal paste, described in the Introduction. This shrike eats very much for its size, at the least one ounce of meat at a meal. It likes to have a forked branch, or crossed sticks in its cage, across the angles of which it throws the mouse, or any other prey which has been given it, and then darting on it behind from the opposite side of the cage, devours every morsel, let it be ever so large. It bathes freely.

MODE OF TAKING.--Although it flies very swiftly when pursuing its prey, it may easily be taken if a nest of young birds, crying from hunger, be suspended to some lime twigs. In autumn and winter, it will sometimes dart on birds in cages which are outside the window.

It may then be easily caught, if the cage be put into a sort of box, having the lid so placed that the bird by the least touch would cause it to fall upon itself. These means must be employed by those who wish to possess birds which they can let go and come at will.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Its cry somewhat resembles the _guir, guir_ of the lark; like the nutcracker, it can imitate the different notes, but not the songs, of other birds. Nothing is more agreeable than its own warbling, which much resembles the whistling of the grey parrot; its throat at the time being expanded like that of the green frog. It is a great pity that it only sings during the pairing season, which is from March to May, and even then often spoils the beautiful melody of its song, with some harsh, discordant notes. The female also sings. As some of its tones resemble the human voice, it might probably be taught to speak.

THE LITTLE SHRIKE.

Lanius minor, LINNaeUS; Der graue Wurger, BECHSTEIN.

It is about the size of the sky-lark, being eight inches in length, of which the tail measures three and a half, the folded wings cover one-third. The beak is black, and seven inches in length; the iris brown; the legs of a lead-colour; the forehead black; a broad streak of the same colour pa.s.sing from the beak across the eyes and over the cheeks; the tail is wedge-shaped; the exterior feathers are white, with a black spot.

The female only differs from the male in being a little smaller, the streak on the cheeks is shorter and narrower, and there is generally only one white feather in the tail.

HABITATION.--Wild, it is a bird of pa.s.sage, departing the first of September, and returning the beginning of the following May[15]. It generally frequents woods, orchards, and the hedges of fields. Always perched on the tops of trees, it rarely descends into the lower bushes. It feeds on insects.

In the house, it must have a large wire cage like the larks, but with three perches. It is not safe to let it mix with the other birds, as it would soon kill them.

FOOD.--In its wild state it feeds on beetles, c.o.c.kchafers, crickets, breeze-flies, and other insects; when these fail, in consequence of a long continuance of rain, it sometimes seizes young birds.

In the house, if an old bird and lately taken, as soon as it is put in the cage, some living insects, or a small bird just killed, must be thrown into it. After some time, it will be satisfied with raw or dressed meat; but it is not always an easy task to get it to eat this food, for it will sometimes take eight successive days, during which meal worms and other insects are added; but as soon as it is accustomed to meat, it becomes so tame that it will feed from the hand, and if the cage door be opened it will even perch on the wrist to eat. Notwithstanding all my care, I have only been able to preserve those two years, which have been taken wild, they have all died of decline[16]; those, on the contrary, which have been reared from the nest, do not require so much attention, being contented with any kind of common food.

BREEDING.--This bird generally builds in a tree on the edge of a wood, or in a garden, the nest being rather large and irregular. The young are fed on beetles and gra.s.shoppers. In order to rear them, they must be taken from the nest when the tail begins to grow, and fed at first on ants' eggs, and afterwards on white bread soaked in milk.

MODE OF TAKING.--When the particular brambles and branches have been observed, on which this bird watches for its prey, it is not difficult to catch it; for notwithstanding its great quickness, it is not the less imprudent, for it allows itself to be caught in the bird-lime in the most stupid manner.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--This species has no particular song: the female has none at all; but the male imitates, with wonderful facility, the songs of other birds, not only the detached parts, but the whole notes, so correctly that it would not be difficult to mistake it.

Thus it imitates exactly, and in order, all the variations of the song of the nightingale, though more feebly, and like an echo, its notes not being so full and clear: it imitates equally well the song of the lark, and similar birds. This wonderful power of imitation cannot fail to please amateurs, and make them wish to possess this interesting bird. I have observed that it likes best to repeat the call of the quail. One of this species which I had among my collection, always stopped its song, however lively, when it heard that of the quail, for the purpose of imitating it; the latter, before it was accustomed to this, became very jealous, and as soon as it heard it, ran about in every direction, furiously endeavouring to fight its fancied rival.

THE WOODCHAT.

Lanius erythrocephalus. Lan. Collurio, rufus, et pomera.n.u.s, LINNaeUS; La Pie Grieche rousse, BUFFON; Der rothkopfige Wurger, BECHSTEIN.

This is smaller and more delicate than the former species, being only seven inches long, of which the tail measures three and a half; the folding wings cover one third; the beak is eight lines in length, and black; the iris greyish yellow; the shanks bluish black; the forehead black, from the base of which a band of the same colour extends over the eyes. The tail feathers are also black, but the outer ones only so to the middle, the rest being white.

The female only differs from the male in its colour being less brilliant.

HABITATION.--When wild it is a bird of pa.s.sage, arriving at the end of April, and departing about the middle of September[17]. It inhabits mountains, forests, and wooded plains, but prefers enclosed pastures where horses are kept day and night.

In confinement it requires the same treatment as the preceding.

FOOD.--In its wild state it prefers beetles, the dung of cows and horses, maybugs, gra.s.shoppers, breeze-flies, and other insects; it often also darts upon lizards and young quails.

In a state of confinement it is fed like the preceding; but being more delicate it is better to rear it from the nest, feeding it on raw meat. If an old bird be taken, it is impossible to preserve it unless it be constantly fed on live insects.

BREEDING.--The woodchat commonly builds its nest on the thick and bushy branches of large trees, and makes it of small sticks, moss, hogs' bristles, wool and fur. The female breeds twice, laying each time six reddish-white eggs, marked particularly at the large end with distinct red spots, mixed with pale ones of a bluish grey. The young ones are hatched in fifteen days; their colour, before the first moulting, is on the upper part, dirty white, spotted with grey; the under part is also dirty white, clouded with pale grey; the wing coverts are bordered with rust colour; the quill feathers and tail are black.

MODE OF TAKING.--A cruel method, but the surest, is to place bird-lime on its nest, this being the most wary species of shrike; but as it bathes freely it may be taken about the middle of the day at its washing place, if near hedges. It is often found drowned in large ponds.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Although this species appears endowed with as good a memory as the preceding, its notes are less agreeable, not being so soft, and it introduces some stanzas of its own shrill and harsh warbling into the songs that it imitates, which are those of the nightingale, linnet, redstart, and goldfinch. But this bird is most admired for its beautiful plumage.

THE FLUSHER.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Lanius spinitorquus, BECHSTEIN; Lanius Collurio, LINNaeUS; L'Ecorcheur, BUFFON; Der rothruckige Wurger, BECHSTEIN.

This pretty species seems to form a connecting link between the pies and the singing birds, so much does it resemble the latter in its different qualities. Its length is a little more than six inches, of which the tail measures three and a quarter. The wings, when folded, cover one third. The beak is black, and the iris of the eyes light brown; the legs, bluish black.

In the male, the head, the nape of the neck, the tail coverts, and the thighs, are grey. This colour is lighter on the forehead and above the eyes. A black band extends from the nostrils to the ears. The beak and wing coverts are of a fine red brown; the rump and under part of the body white, slightly tinged with pink on the breast, sides, and belly; the centre tail feathers are entirely black, the others white at the tip.

The colours in the female differ considerably from those of the male.

All the upper part of the body is dirty reddish brown, slightly shading into grey on the upper part of the neck and rump; there is a scarcely visible shade of white on the back and shoulders; the forehead and above the eyes is yellowish, the cheeks brown, the throat and belly dirty white; the under parts of the neck, breast, and sides, are yellowish white, crossed with waving brown lines; the quill feathers are dark brown, the outer ones edged with white, the others to the four centre ones have only a white spot; the tail dark brown, with some shades of orange.

HABITATION.--When wild it is one of the latest birds of pa.s.sage, as it does not arrive till May. It is sometimes found in woody valleys where cattle graze, more commonly in hedges, and fields with bushes in them, or in inclosed pastures where horses and cows are kept. It is one of the first migratory birds to depart, which it does in August, in families, even before the young ones have moulted.

In the house, it must be treated like the former, and kept in a wire cage, for it would soon kill its companions, as I experienced some years ago. The bird I refer to had been three days without eating, although I had given him a great variety of dead birds and insects.

On the fourth day I set him at liberty in the room, supposing him too weak to hurt the other birds, and thinking that he would become better accustomed to his new food if I left him at liberty. Hardly was he set free than he seized and killed a dunnock before I had time to save it; I let him eat it, and then put him back into the cage.

From this time, as if his fury were satisfied, he ate all that was given him.

FOOD.--In its wild state, it eats large quant.i.ties of beetles, maybugs, crickets, and gra.s.shoppers, but it prefers breeze-flies, and other insects which teaze the cattle. It impales as many of these insects as it can catch for its meal on the thorns of bushes. If, during a long continuance of rain, these insects disappear, it then feeds on field-mice, lizards, and young birds, which it also fixes on the thorns.

When confined, its food is the same as the preceding species. Some insects, mixed with the nightingales' paste, make it more palatable for it. A little raw or dressed meat may also be given it from time to time.

BREEDING.--When the season is favourable this species breeds twice, and generally chooses a large hawthorn bush in which to build its nest, roots and coa.r.s.e stubble forming the base of it, then a layer of moss interwoven with wool, and the finest fibres of roots lining the interior. The female lays from five to six greenish white eggs, spotted all over, especially at the large end, and speckled with red and grey; the male takes his turn with the female to sit during fourteen days. Before moulting, the young ones resemble the female in colour. The back and breast are greenish grey, streaked with several waving brown lines; the belly is dirty white. They can be easily reared by feeding them at first with ants' eggs, then with dressed meat, and afterwards with white bread soaked in milk: this last food it always likes if early accustomed to it.

MODE OF TAKING.--As soon as this bird arrives in May, the bushes on which it most frequently perches must be observed; these are very few, and on them the lime twigs must be placed; it is often entrapped within a quarter of an hour. Success is more certain if a beetle, maybug, or breeze-fly, be fastened near the lime twigs with horse hair, by two feet, so that it can move its wings. As soon as the bird is stuck in the bird-lime it is necessary when taking it to avoid its beak, as it pecks very hard.

ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--This bird does not rank low among the singers; its song is not only very pleasing but continual. While singing, it is generally perched on a lonely bush, or on the lower branches of a tree, but always near its nest. Its warbling is composed of the songs of the swallow, goldfinch, fauvette, nightingale, red-breast, and lark, with which, indeed, it mixes here and there some of its own harsh notes. It almost exclusively imitates the birds in its immediate neighbourhood; it very rarely repeats the song or call of those which merely fly past it; when it does, it seems only in mockery. There are, however, some songs which it cannot imitate: for instance, that of the chaffinch and yellowhammer, its throat not seeming to be sufficiently flexible for these. In the house, its song is composed of the warbling of those birds whose cages are hung near it. It is very lively, and its plumage is handsome.