Bird lore - Project Puffin

The Veery 273
southward flying, in the autumn. It may be found, however, even in the
prairie-country of the Northwest, as Dr. Elhott Coues has described in his
'Birds of the Colorado Valley'—a paragraph quoted because it suggests where
many birds may be living, unsuspected by prairie-dwellers. Doctor Coues says:
"The heavy growth of timber that fringes the streams includes many nooks and dells,
and broken ravines overgrown with thick shrubbery, from out the masses of which the
tall trees tower, as if stretching forth their strong arms in kindly caressing of the humbler
and weak vegetation, their offspring. In such safe retreats, where the somber shade is
brightened here and there with stray beams of sunlight, in the warmth of which myriads
of insects bathe their wings and flutter away their little span of life, humming a quaint
refrain to the gurgle of the rivulet, the Veery meets his mate—the song rises—the woed
is won—the home is made. Should we force our unwelcome presence upon the bird who
is brooding her newly-found treasures with the tenderest solicitude, she will nestle
closer still, in hope of our passing by, till we might almost touch her; when, without a
word of remonstrance or reproach, she takes a little flight, and settles a few yards away,
in silent appeal. If the time, the place, the scene, suffice not for our forbearance,
with what poor words of hers may we then be moved?"
Mr. E. H. Forbush, who has studied much the food-habits of this bird,
and who never permits his enthusiasm for a species to lead him away from an
accurate appreciation of its economic value, has this to say:
"The Veery feeds very largely on insects. Those which frequent the ground and the
lower parts of trees are commonly sought. Ants, ground-beetles, curculios, and grass-
hoppers are favorites. It goes to the fields sometimes at early morning, probably in search
of beetles, cutworms, and earthworms. It has been seen, now and then, to eat the hairy
caterpillar of the gipsy-moth. It feeds considerably in the trees, and so takes many cater-
pillars; but is not usually seen much in gardens or orchards, except such as are situated
near woods. In summer and fall it eats wild fruit, but seldom troubles cultivated varieties.
Taken all in all, it is a harmless and most useful species."
The Veery is not a very large bird even for a Thrush. Its total length from
bill-tip to tail-tip is about seven and one-half inches. As a Robin is ten inches
long, it will be seen that the Veery is decidedly a shorter bird than our more
common dooryard friend. When the wings are spread to their greatest extent,
the Veery measures about twelve inches across and the Robin sixteen inches.
As the English Sparrow is six and three-tenths inches long, it would not be
far wrong to say that in size the Veery is about half-way between an English
Sparrow and a Robin.