Montana farmer-stockman. [volume], October 01, 1949, Image 1

About Montana farmer-stockman. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1947-1993

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
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Oct. 1, 1949
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Don't Shoot
Hawhs and Owls Are
Friends , Not Foes
By BOB FORBES
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1111
t
MONTANA AND WYOMING farmers
and their youngsters are passing up a good
thing by sniping indiscriminately at any
hawk or owl sighted. It might even be
smart to import certain of these birds, col
lectively known as raptors, in sections
bothered by rats, mice and gophers.
Nation-wide Fish and Wildlife service
research has conclusively proved that many
raptors make rats, mice and gophers the
sole items of their diets. These rodents are
only slightly more destructive in orchards
than on ranges or in field crops.
Tom Burleigh, one of two federal orni
thologists in the nation, is stationed with
the Idaho Co-operative Wildlife research
unit, Moscow, for the purpose of studying
regional birds. He concludes after two years
of daily bird collecting expeditions, "Most
of the raptors hereabouts actually do more
good than harm. It is a shame the number
of times I find a short-eared owl carcass, for
instance, nailed to the outside of a barn.
Analysis of Stomach Content
Burleigh has been in the region long
enough to learn a great deal about our birds,
especially after 20 years of experience
around the country. He has sent any num
ber of raptor stomachs to service labora
tories in Denver, Colo., and near Washing
»
MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING
\
Above, left, Swainson's
hawk; center, long
eared owl; right, great
horned owl.
Right, C. C. Sperry,
wildlife research labo
ratory, Denver, com
pares fur found in rap
tor stomach with that
of rodent by his right
hand. Owl pellets at ex
treme lower right.
f
ton, D. C. There they are subjected to a
scientific analysis of the bird's last few
meals before death.
No, he is not guilty of the very thing he
comes out so strongly against—shootitig
hawks and owls to increase his collection of
stomachs. He hasn't had to do that. Almost
every road he has traveled yielded two or
three dead raptors hung on barns and fences.
Evidence of many raptors' beneficial na
ture can be found in and near nests during
the breeding season, around much-fre
quented roosts at any time of year. In such
areas is found an accumulation of pellets
disgorged by birds. These contain indigest
ible fur, bones and feet of animals the birds
have fed upon. Pellets exist because scraps
—tT. S. Pish and Wildlife Service Photos
are not spit out after each bite, but are
swallowed to remain in the stomach until
their bulk becomes disturbing. Then they
are disgorged in the shape of golfball-like
objects held together by mucous.
Pellets Reveal Diet
Pellets often contain whole heads, so lit
tle mutilated that identification is easy.
Bones are not hard to identify either, if a
person has been in that line of work for
long.
Information gathered by these methods
indicates that many of our raptors are
quite blameless. Kenneth F. Roahen, Fish
and Wildlife service game management
agent at Billings (Please turn to page 4)