U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, theDepartment of the Interior has basicresponsibilities for water, fish, wildlife, mineral,land, park, and recreational resources. Indianand Territorial affairs are other major concernsof America’s “Department of Natural Resources.”The Department works to assure the wisest choicein managing all our resources so each will makeits full contribution to a better United States—nowand in the future.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,

U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402

Price $4 cloth; $1.05 paper

Stock Number 2410-0332

FIFTY BIRDS
of Town and City

by
BOB HINES
Illustrator-Editor
and
PETER A. ANASTASI
Associate Editor

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife

Foreword

Early in this century, the old Bureau of Biological Surveyput out a booklet called “Fifty Common Birds of Farmand Orchard,” with paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.

In 1962, a former Fish and Wildlife Service staffer namedRachael Carson wrote “Silent Spring,” a book that changedAmerican thinking about birds—and pesticides.

That first volume is out of date because of our greatpopulation shifts in six decades. And I hope that “SilentSpring” will be out of date some day; that our birds willlive with us in an unpoisoned environment of cities andtowns that are cleaner, healthier, greener.

So here is a new “bird book” from the Department of theInterior, geared to the 50 birds you might see in your city,with paintings done by a man who picked up the fallenFuertes brush, Bob Hines. These are not endangered birds,except as all living things are endangered; some of themare living in or passing through your backyard or city parkright now. Look well at Bob’s art; he is not commemoratingthe passenger pigeon but trying to open your eyes to theworld about you.

And he is trying to suggest that these birds can live inour towns and cities so long as you help provide the healthyhabitat they need, habitat that is healthy not just for thembut for you.

Enjoy this little book, learn from it, and take a vow thatour springs will not be silent of bird calls—and will bemore silent of human clatter.

Secretary of the Interior

Contents

Page

1  Baltimore Oriole

2  Barn Swallow

3  ...