The Children's Book of Birds

by Olive Thorne Miller

A lady whom I know in New England has had three of these birds living tame in her house, hardly at all confined to a cage. Each one was picked up when just out of the nest and so injured that it could not care for itself. It was carefully fed and reared in the house, and thus saved from death.

One of the three was a female, who was as tame as a domestic cat, and lived in the house four or five years. She was a fine singer, though never a loud one. She kept the family cats in their place by pecking at their toes when they came near, so they had respect for her.

Another was a young singer who had his bill crossed, so that he could not feed himself. He was nearly dead for want of food when he was found. She fed him carefully and brought him up, though she had always to feed him herself. That is a good deal to do, for birds want to be fed very often.

These birds who lived in a house, and were not taught by their parents, never gave the common song of the species, but made up songs of their own. They lived several years with their friend, who was very fond of them.

The rose-breasted grosbeak is one who puts on his gay colors only for the nesting season. When that is over, and he moults, and gets his new winter suit, it is mostly streaked brown like his mate's. The rosy patch is very small, and mixed with brown, so the effect is dull. In the spring he moults the body feathers, and comes out again with his brilliant rose colors.

The bird who takes the place of the rosebreast in the West is the Black-headed Grosbeak. He is reddish brown and black, with the same color and lemon yellow on the under parts, and yellow under the wings, instead of rose like the Eastern bird. He is a loud, enthusiastic singer. Miss Merriam says of him that his song to his mate is finer than that of any other bird she has heard.

The Cardinal Grosbeak, cardinal redbird, Virginia nightingale, or redbird, as he is called in different places, is of the third group of this family. He is found all over the Southern States, and as far north as Southern New England and New York. He is a brilliant red to the tip of his beak, with a beautiful crest and black throat and face. His mate is in soft dove colors, with red beak, and reddish tints on her quiet robe.

Both of the pair are singers. He is much the louder, but she has the sweeter song. He is famous as a singer, and is therefore trapped and caught in great numbers for cages. In Europe, where he is a favorite cage-bird, he is thought by many to be equal to the famous nightingale as a singer.

In Ohio, a few years ago, a law was made that no cardinal should be caged, and those in cages should be set free. In one small village were more than forty freed. This shows how many are caged.

While nesting, the cardinal is rather savage, ready to fight any one who disturbs the nest. If a snake comes about, all the birds within hearing, from cardinals to kinglets, will come to help defend the nest and punish the enemy. They fly at him with loud cries, and even attack him if he does not leave.