Bird-Lore, March-April 1916

In Short

This April 1916 issue of the official organ of the Audubon Societies provides a vivid snapshot of early twentieth-century American bird conservation. Edited by Frank M. Chapman, the periodical weaves together meticulous scientific data, amateur field reports, personal nature essays, and institutional updates. It traces how a growing movement of backyard enthusiasts, school administrators, and field ornithologists worked to safeguard avian populations. Through practical guides, migration charts, and urgent reports of environmental relief, the volume captures a turning point when everyday citizens began taking active responsibility for protecting native birds.

The Story

The issue opens with a striking record of avian suburban density achieved by Gilbert H. Grosvenor, who turned his suburban estate into an intensive bird sanctuary. By removing invasive pests, supplying nesting materials like yarn and paper, and installing specialized bird-boxes, Grosvenor successfully hosted fifty-nine nesting pairs across a single acre. His detailed inventory demonstrates that human development, when thoughtfully managed, can exponentially increase local wildlife density rather than destroy it.

Following this centerpiece, the text moves into empirical field ornithology and photography. H. Ira Hartshorn details his early, frustrating attempts to photograph young long-eared owls and barn owls, recording their nocturnal feeding habits and unexpected escape tactics. Meanwhile, scientific contributors outline the seasonal migrations of North American species, presenting regional subspecies distributions alongside precise arrival charts for birds passing through Raleigh, North Carolina. These entries chart the exact dates that warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes return from their southern wintering grounds, providing a baseline for tracking wider environmental health.

The narrative broadens through the "Notes from Field and Study" section, where amateur observers across the country share local sightings and practical advice. Reports chronicle unusual winter sightings, such as flocks of Evening Grosbeaks appearing across New York, Connecticut, and Wisconsin. Alongside these pleasant encounters, correspondents report sobering environmental crises, including an account from Honduras detailing thousands of exhausted migratory birds crashing into city lights during a nocturnal storm across the Gulf.

The publication then transitions into institutional activism and education. Editorials frame bird-house construction not merely as a hobby, but as an act of fundamental ethical hospitality that binds humans to nature. The school department highlights youth involvement, showcasing crop and bird clubs run through university extension services, alongside precise nesting observations submitted by children.

The volume culminates in a narrative of rapid conservation action driven by the National Association of Audubon Societies. When an unseasonal ice storm strikes the Midwest, the Association mobilizes a relief campaign, wiring funds to local groups and coordinating with university presidents and the Postmaster General to have rural mail carriers scatter grain for starving birds. The issue closes with financial accounting for special conservation initiatives—such as protecting plume-bearing egrets—and updates on legal victories, such as Canada’s new feather import prohibitions, portraying a organized movement actively defending wild birds against natural and human threats.

How It Unfolds

Creating a Sanctuary Gilbert H. Grosvenor outlines his successful strategy for transforming a suburban property into a dense bird habitat. By eradicating stray cats, trapping invasive sparrows, and offering fresh water and nesting scraps, his household fosters dozens of breeding pairs on a single acre.

Photographing the Wild Amateur photographers brave the woods to capture intimate portraits of predatory species like barn owls. Their field reports log the nocturnal habits, voracious appetites, and surprising physical strength of growing nestlings.

Tracking the Migration Ornithologists compile multi-decade data sets mapping the exact spring arrival dates of migratory songbirds. Precise schedules highlight early and late arrivals across species ranging from yellow warblers to ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Reporting Field Discoveries Correspondents from small towns across the country write in to report unusual sightings, including rare winter irruptions of Evening Grosbeaks. Interspersed with these sightings are accounts of migration hazards, such as thousands of songbirds disoriented by electric lights in Honduras.

Mobilizing the Public The journal highlights educational initiatives designed to recruit children into agricultural and bird protection clubs. Young observers submit their own carefully documented observations, proving that school-age naturalists can contribute real data to the field.

Executing Emergency Relief When unseasonal snowstorms threaten birds across the Midwest, the Audubon Society coordinates a massive emergency feeding response. Teaming up with university extension networks and rural mail carriers, the organization delivers grain directly to starving wildlife across multiple states.

The People

• Gilbert H. Grosvenor — A dedicated property owner determined to prove that suburban land can support dense bird populations. By aggressively managing predators and providing nesting boxes, water, and nesting materials, he successfully attracts dozens of nesting pairs to his home.
• Frank M. Chapman — The editor of Bird-Lore and a leading voice in American ornithology. He advocates for a moral approach to conservation, viewing living birds as invited guests who deserve human stewardship and protection.
• H. Ira Hartshorn — An early wildlife photographer who documents the nesting behavior of owls. Through patient field observation, he records the hunting prowess of adult owls and the resilient nature of their young.
• E. C. Perisho — The President of South Dakota State College who responds decisively to winter ecological emergencies. Upon receiving Audubon funding, he mobilizes hundreds of students, extension agents, and rural school children to distribute food to starving wild birds.
• Captain Allan Brooks — A prominent bird artist and contributor who puts his wildlife career on hold to serve in the Canadian military during World War I. Even after surviving intense artillery bombardment and shell-shock, he maintains his desire to return home and paint birds.

In Its Own Voice

"Through the erection of bird-houses and by other means we have invited them to live with us and when they accept as readily as they have with Mr. Grosvenor, they make us realize not only our responsibility but they awaken the strongest sense of hospitality."

This editorial context frames the practical guide to building birdhouses as a meaningful commitment to animal welfare.

"At midnight, on October 10, 1915, there commenced to appear groups of birds flying in a southerly direction."

This line introduces a dramatic newspaper report detailing a night when migrating songbirds were drawn into the bright streetlamps of a Central American town during a storm.

"The woods rang with the music of the birds, for nothing is so sweet as natural music."

Written by an eleven-year-old contributor, this simple observation captures the enthusiasm that youth departments sought to cultivate in young field naturalists.

What It's Really About

Beneath its practical tips and field charts, this issue explores the evolving moral relationship between humans and the natural world. It argues that modern civilization does not have to be inherently destructive to nature; instead, human care and systematic design can help wild species thrive alongside development.

The text highlights a divide between passive scientific study and active environmental stewardship. Collecting dead specimens is replaced by a sense of responsibility toward living creatures. Whether through backyard nest boxes, state-wide winter grain distributions, or anti-feather-import laws, the periodical argues that protecting nature requires both local, individual action and organized, collective intervention.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a compelling look at the birth of modern citizen science and community environmentalism. Readers who enjoy natural history, historic field guides, or the story of conservation will appreciate its balance of technical detail and personal devotion. The writing conveys a quiet excitement, reflecting an era when ordinary people were realizing they could help gather scientific data and prevent species loss.

Reading the collection requires adjusting to its historical format. The narrative is fragmented, moving between structured data tables, personal anecdotes, administrative notes, and period advertisements. Certain early twentieth-century practices—such as exterminating house sparrows to protect native species—highlight how management tactics have shifted over time.

What endures is the book's earnest enthusiasm. The delight of a family discovering a baby's lost ribbon woven into a catbird's nest, or the swift action of rural mail carriers dropping grain along snowy fences, reminds us that environmental stewardship has always depended on everyday care.