What Bird is That? Part 10

The Newfoundland Hairy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (_D. v.

terraenovae_) is larger and darker than the Hairy; it inhabits Newfoundland.

Was.h.i.+ngton, rare P.R. Ossining, rare P.R.

Cambridge, uncommon W.V., one summer record. N.

Ohio, common P.R. Glen Ellyn, fairly common P.R.

The Hairy is not so common as his small cousin the Downy, and does not so readily make friends. He prefers the woods to our orchards and is for these reasons less often seen at our feeding-stands. The Hairy's notes are noticeably louder than the Downy's. The nest-hole is usually in a dead tree. The 2-4 white eggs are laid the last half of April.

DOWNY WOODp.e.c.k.e.r

_Dryobates p.u.b.escens media.n.u.s. Case 2, Figs. 26, 27_

The Downy differs from the Hairy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r in color by having the outer tail-feathers with black bars, but it is the bird's obviously smaller size that will serve to distinguish it. L. 6.

_Range._ From Virginia northward into Canada. A Permanent Resident. The Southern Downy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (_D. p. p.u.b.escens_, Case 3, Fig. 25) is smaller, darker below and with the white markings smaller.

L. 6. It inhabits the south Atlantic and Gulf States north to North Carolina.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common P.R. Ossining, common P.R.

Cambridge, common P.R. N. Ohio, common P.R. Glen Ellyn, common P.R. SE. Minn., common P.R.

Our commonest Woodp.e.c.k.e.r; an alert, active little driller for insects and their eggs and larvae, and frequent visitor to our lunch-counters, particularly if we supply them with suet. His sharp _peek, peek_, running at times into a diminis.h.i.+ng string of _peeks_, and his rolling tatoo, as he pounds a limb with amazing rapidity, are prominent parts of every-day bird language, the tatoo being a 'song' of the breeding season.

Four to six white eggs are laid in a hole, usually in a dead tree, the first week in May. The Southern Downy nests in April.

RED-c.o.c.kADED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r

_Dryobates borealis_

Between the Downy and Hairy in size (L. 8) with a general resemblance to both, but the male with a small tuft of red feathers on each _side_ of the back of the head.

_Range._ Southeastern States north to North Carolina.

An inhabitant of the pine woods, who utters a coa.r.s.e _yank-yank_ note and may at times be seen feeding from the terminal tufts of pine 'needles' in the higher branches. The nest is usually in a living pine; the 2-5 white eggs are laid in April.

ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r

_Picoides arcticus_

Two toes in front and one behind, a solid black back and an orange-yellow crown in the male distinguish this from all our other Woodp.e.c.k.e.rs.

Size of the Hairy, L. 9.

_Range._ Canada, and northern parts of our border states, rarely south in winter, as far as Nebraska and Ohio.

Cambridge, one record. N. Ohio, rare W.V. SE.

Minn., rare.

An inhabitant of the spruce and balsam forests of our northern states, occasionally straggling southward in winter. Nests in May.

THREE-TOED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r

_Picoides america.n.u.s america.n.u.s_

Two toes in front and one behind, an orange-yellow crest in the male, and a black back _closely and evenly barred with white_ distinguish this bird; it is somewhat smaller than the preceding, L. 8.

_Range._ Canada, south to the northern parts of our boundary states; unknown south of Ma.s.sachusetts.

Not so common as the Arctic Three-toed Woodp.e.c.k.e.r, and less often found south of its breeding range. Nests in early June.

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

_Sphyrapicus varius varius. Case 3, Fig. 26, Case 5, Fig. 30_

The female has the throat white, and rarely, crown wholly black. Young birds have the throat whitish, crown dull black, breast brownish. The black breast-patch and red forehead, and red or white throat are distinguis.h.i.+ng characters. L. 8.

_Range._ Nests from northern New England and Minnesota (in Alleghanies from North Carolina) to Canada; winters from Pennsylvania (rarely) southward to the Gulf States.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common T.V., Mch.-May; Sept. and Oct., Occasional in winter. Ossining, common T.V., Apl.

5-May 13; Sept. 18-Oct. 23; casual in winter.

Cambridge, not uncommon T.V., Apl. and Sept.

15-Nov. 1; occasional W.V. N. Ohio, common T.V., Apl. 1-May 20; Sept. 15-Oct. 20. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., Mch. 31-May 12; Sept. 14-Oct. 13. SE.

Minn., common S.R., Mch. 25-Oct. 19.

This is the mysterious maker of the rows of little holes drilled in even lines, like hieroglyphics, on the trunks of apple and other trees. Using his brush-tipped tongue as a swab, he drinks the sap that oozes from these punctures.

As a migrant the Yellow-belly is not conspicuous. His business takes him into the heart of living trees and he is usually seen only when flying from one to another. His low 'snarling' note attracts the attention of only the observant.

The nest-hole is 25-40 feet up; the 5-7 white eggs are laid in May.

PILEATED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r

_Phlotomus pileatus pileatus_

Next to the nearly extinct Ivory-bill this is the largest of our Woodp.e.c.k.e.rs. (L. 17.) Both s.e.xes have a flaming red crest (reaching the forehead in the male) the remainder of the plumage being black, with the throat, a stripe from the bill down the sides of the neck, and the basal half of the wing-feathers white; bill horn-color.

_Range._ Southeastern and Gulf States, north to North Carolina. The Northern Pileated Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (_P. p. abieticola_) is found thence northward into Canada and west to the Pacific. It is a larger bird, with the white areas larger.

In the south the Pileated is by no means rare and seems not averse to the presence of man; but in the north he retires to the wilder forested areas and we are apt to see him only when we go a-camping. And he is well worth seeing with his flaming crest and powerful bill which, used either as a chisel or drum-stick, produces impressive results. Strangely enough the Pileated's notes resemble those of the Flicker but are louder.

The nest is usually well up; the 3-5 white eggs are laid in April in the south, in May in the north.

RED-HEADED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r