Game Birds
The study of American game birds will take you into all parts of the country and into all climates, seasons and kinds of wild land. You will visit the marshes, the fens and the lowland swamps and swales, the upland farms and fields, the broken woods patches and the high remote mountainous areas of our great land.
Various game birds are all over the map and are not difficult to identify, as are the many song birds such as the finches, warblers, sparrows and also birds of prey.
A ruffed grouse, for instance, with his fan tail and peaked head supported by two black ruffs could not be mistaken in his environment for any other game bird.
The ringneck pheasant could not be mistaken for a prairie chicken, even if it were seen on the prairie, nor could the Canada goose be mistaken for any other goose or duck.
There are, however, some difficult challenges for the bird watcher and hunter when it comes to many of the duck species, for they are most often seen under the difficult lights of dawn and dusk, and will often be in dark silhouette against the sun.
Many of the game species of land birds will be seen only in local conditions where they are generally found to feed, nest or migrate. For instance, it would be quite impossible for a ruffed grouse to be found in the Navajo country of Arizona, nor will you find the
California Gambel's quail in the northernmost reaches of the state of Maine.
The study of these birds is a fascinating hobby, whether you are a photographer, bird watcher, hunting sportsman or all three. Knowing their habits around the calendar will in great measure make it possible for you to "get their story" over the cyclic pattern of the year, for as the seasons change, so do their habits and habitats.
Many of the species in this book are migratory and therefore subject to protection by the federal government in cooperation with the southern states through which they pass in the fall and the northern states where they go to nest in the spring. In some areas they are seen only during the migration, despite the fact that some individuals see no reason for the trip and so stay the year round in comfortable surroundings, such as city parks, where they will be well fed and protected.
From: A Sportman's Guide to Game Birds
by: Ray Ovington - Enjoy - Don Trosper.
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