Birds are of great value from the economic standpoint. The insects,
destructive mammals and reptiles, and weed-seeds which they destroy are
all enemies of man. It is amazing that in the scheme of nature certain
birds should patrol the air, others the fields, others the trees, others
the forest-floor, and so on, so that all outdoors is, in a sense, cared
for by our feathered friends. It has been said that our very existence
depends upon these birds who make it possible for the trees, the
flowers, and the grain-fields to grow. And all the while these same
creatures are delighting us with their beautiful colors and their
cheerful songs.
Game-birds are important in Pennsylvania, with 700,000 hunters faring
forth each fall. In addition to our popular game-birds, the Bob-White,
Wild Turkey, and Ruffed Grouse, the Game Commission has introduced the
Ring-necked Pheasant and Hungarian Partridge. These foreigners relieve
the burden of shooting from our native game.
From the economic standpoint only a few birds in Pennsylvania may be
said to be thoroughly undesirable. The Goshawk is a savage destroyer of
small game and poultry. His smaller cousins, the Sharp-shinned Hawk and
Cooper’s Hawk, are killers. The Great Horned Owl is destructive at
times. Other hawks and owls, the Crow, Kingfisher, Starling, and other
species have some destructive or undesirable traits, but they are not
altogether bad.
Our valuable song and insectivorous birds have been protected since
1858. Certain migratory birds, such as the loons, grebes, herons, and
gulls, have been protected since 1900 by the International Bird Treaty
with Canada. Today we protect one admittedly destructive bird—the Raven,
because it is so rare and because of its fame in literary circles.