Bird Guessing Contest
1.A flash of sky on wing.—(Bluebird.)
2.Oh, shall I call thee bird,
Or but a wandering voice?
Thy note from household clocks is heard,
And children’s ears rejoice.—(Cuckoo.)
3.King of the water, as the air,
He dives and finds his prey.—(Kingfisher.)
4.Thy plaintive cry announces punishment,
And warns the luckless boy for whom ’tis sent.—(Whippoorwill.)
5.You introduce yourself throughout your song,
And tell the world your brief, old-fashioned name.—(Phœbe.)
6.”Bob White!” you call
Along the marshy coast.
Speak not so loud
Or you will be on toast.—(Quail.)
7.Cooing ’neath barn rafters,
Pouting, sometimes, too,
Rippling like child laughter
All the winter through.—(Pigeon.)
8.An English emigrant, bird of the street,
So common that some like thee not at all.
Yet in the Holy Bible we are told
The Father careth if but one should fall.—(Sparrow.)
9.Red-breasted harbinger of spring
We wait in hope to hear thee sing.—(Robin.)
10. Yellow captive of the cage,
Silver notes thou giv’st as wage.—(Canary.)
11. A flash of white upon the sea,
And yet ’tis not a sail.
A “little brother of the air”
Hath dared to ride the gale.—(Sea-gull.)
12. “Jenny” named in children’s books,
Bright in spirit, dull in looks;
With Cock Robin as thy mate,
Nothing else I’ll have to state.—(Wren.)
13. In Blue Grass regions is thy splendor seen,
Thou flash of flame.
August thy name,
Red-coated pontiff of the green.—(Kentucky Cardinal.)
14. Black robber of the corn-fields, oh, beware!
The farmer can do other things than scare.—(Crow.)
15. We know how long ago
You frightened Mr. Poe—
Black-coated prophet of adversity.—(Raven.)
16. Named for the animal the dairies need,
Yet, in thy nature, quite a different breed.—(Cowbird.)
17. Black-winged in crimson roses thou art dressed,
Fine feathers make fine birds, it is confessed;
And none more fine than thou,
Oh, brilliant beauty of the bough!—(Scarlet Tanager.)
18. The melody is trickling from thy beak,
And silver whistlings help thy voice to speak.
Oh, singer, famed by thousands, clear the strain
Which ripples from thy pulsing throat like rain.—(Nightingale.)
19. Bird of the night,
Thy round eyes are aglow
With all the learning
Which the sages know.—(Owl.)
20. The mother hen must watch her little brood
Lest thou come down and bear them off for food,
And use them for a dinner,
Oh, prowling sinner.—(Hawk.)
21. You imitate the foe which does you wrong,
And call “Meouw,” instead of chanting song.—(Catbird.)
22. Your coat is like the leaden sky
Which drops the feathery snow,
And when that leaves us, by and by,
Still further north you go.—(Snowbird.)
23. A symbol of the perfect Love
Shed from above.—(Dove.)
24. I supplicate
At Heaven’s gate
And rest on wing
Where angels sing.—(Lark.)
25. I’m always offered cracker,
And though I like it well
I think some other viands
Would answer just as well.—(Parrot.)